The One Armed Man In Front Of The Green River Wyo Library

Should you pay a visit to Green River, Wyoming, you'll find this statue out in front of the library of a one-armed man holding a paddle. Well, that must be somebody important. Who was he?

That gentleman was Major John Wesley Powell (1834–1902). He led an amazing life.

Mr. Powell was an American geologist, Civil War veteran, and explorer of the American West. He is most famous for leading the 1869 geographic expedition, a perilous three-month journey down the Green and Colorado rivers that included the first official government passage through the Grand Canyon.

So what about that missing arm?

Following a distinguished military career, he lost his right arm during the Civil War at the Battle of Shiloh.

Later in life, he led the historic 1869 and 1871 expeditions, mapping the uncharted canyons of the American West.

He served as the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 1881 to 1894, championing nationwide topographic mapping standards.

He published a groundbreaking 1878 report warning that water scarcity in the West required planned settlement around watersheds rather than traditional property boundaries.

He served as the first director of the Bureau of Ethnology (now the Bureau of American Ethnology), where he documented Native American languages and cultures.

He was also instrumental in the establishment of the National Geographic Society and the Geological Society of America.

That's quite a life. Some people might lose an arm and then make excuses for why they can't get on with the rest of their life. Mr. John Wesley Powell never let anything slow him down.