13 Facts About Verplanck Colvin

Verplanck Colvin was a lawyer, author, illustrator and topographical engineer whose understanding and appreciation for the environment of the Adirondack Mountains led to the creation of New York's Forest Preserve and the Adirondack Park.

Verplanck Colvin was tutored for several years before entering The Albany Academy; then, during the Civil War the family moved to Nassau; there he attended Nassau Academy, where he excelled in the sciences, and graduated in 1864.

The next three years, Verplanck Colvin spent his summers exploring the Adirondack wilderness.

Verplanck Colvin later wrote an illustrated report of the trip that was published in Harpers New Monthly Magazine, a national publication.

In 1872 Verplanck Colvin applied to New York for a stipend to cover the costs of a survey; he was named to the newly created post of Superintendent of the Adirondack Survey and given a $1000 budget by the state legislature to institute a survey of the Adirondacks.

Verplanck Colvin was an able administrator and managed crews of up to 100 men separated by difficult terrain with only primitive communication methods.

Verplanck Colvin designed and built some tools for the job, including a folding canvas boat, and a wind powered spinning reflector to enable precise sighting of a mountain top from many miles away.

Verplanck Colvin directed surveying parties throughout the Adirondacks and determined the altitudes of most of the highest peaks, becoming obsessed with his task.

In 1873 Verplanck Colvin wrote a report arguing that if the Adirondack watershed was allowed to deteriorate, it would threaten the viability of the Erie Canal, which was then vital to New York's economy, and that the entire Adirondack region should therefore be protected by the creation of a state forest preserve.

Verplanck Colvin was appointed superintendent of the New York state land survey, which led to the creation of the Adirondack Forest Preserve in 1885.

Verplanck Colvin's work ended in 1900 when then Governor Theodore Roosevelt transferred his duties to the state engineer.

Verplanck Colvin was a member of numerous scientific societies and was president of the department of physical science at the Albany Institute.

Verplanck Colvin was later the president of the Schenectady and Albany Railway Company and New York Canadian Pacific Railway Company.