Abstract
Collection consists of an original manuscript, "Geology and Ore-Deposition at Tonopah, Nevada" by Josiah Edward Spurr (1870-1950) with hand-drawn diagrams, and letters discussing the donation of the manuscript. The manuscript, which was published in the journal Economic Geology in 1915, is a geological description of the Tonopah mining area; the Tonopah Mining Company is mentioned frequently. It is undated, but the publication date suggests it was written approximately 1913-1915.
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Scope and Contents Note
Collection consists of an original manuscript, "Geology and Ore-Deposition at Tonopah, Nevada" by Josiah Edward Spurr (1870-1950) with hand-drawn diagrams, and letters discussing the donation of the manuscript to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Special Collection and Archives. The manuscript, which was published in the journal Economic Geology in 1915, is a geological description of the Tonopah mining area; the Tonopah Mining Company is mentioned frequently. It is undated, but the publication date of the journal suggests it was written approximately 1913-1915.
Access Note
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Materials in this collection may be protected by copyrights and other rights. See Reproductions and Use on the UNLV Special Collections and Archives website for more information about reproductions and permissions to publish.
Arrangement
Materials remain in original order.
Biographical / Historical Note
Josiah Edward Spurr (1870-1950) was born into a family of fishermen in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He received his Master's degree in geology from Harvard University in 1894 and was appointed to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) the same year. In 1896, Spurr was sent, with two other USGS geologists, to survey the Alaskan interior. This historically important expedition was followed in 1898 by an equally important journey down the 702 mile-long Kuskokwim River, surveying previously uncharted mountains, lakes, volcanoes and glaciers.
These expeditions established Spurr as one of the leading economic geologists of the day and he advised clients as diverse as Abdul Hamid, the Sultan of Turkey, Bernard Baruch, and the Guggenheims. When not advising private clients, he conducted field studies and research throughout the American southwest and Mexico, and served as the first President of the Society of Economic Geologists. Later in life he developed a deep interest in selenology and continued to research and write on topics ranging from the origin of moon craters to the possible existence of 'ore-magma' beneath the surface of the Earth.
Source: Hawley, Charles Caldwell, "Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Foundation Inductee, Josiah Edward Spurr," last modified 2013. http://alaskamininghalloffame.org/inductees/spurr.php
Preferred Citation
Josiah Edward Spurr Papers, 1913-1967. MS-00078. Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Acquisition Note
Materials were donated in 1967 by Florence D. Stead; accession number 1010.
Processing Note
In 2018, as part of an archival backlog elimination project, Melise Leech wrote the finding aid and entered the data into ArchivesSpace to bring the collection description into compliance with current professional standards.