Box 14, Folder 4: Climate

about 1859

On the Climate of Wisconsin.

[1867?] By I. A. Lapham

Milwaukee.

In the early volumes of the Trans actions of the Wisconsin Agricultural Society are tables of meteorological observations made at different places within this state; and the society, very properly invited all who are engaged in making and recording such observations to contribute the results for publication. The effects of climate upon the agriculture of any country as well as upon other objects of human industry are too intimate and too obvious to every one to need illustration, for although the soil may be rich and though we may cultivate with the greatest care, if the climate be unsuited to the growth of the crops attempted to be produced our labor will be in vain.

Hence it seems quite proper that the State Agricultural Society should take up the subject and cause all the peculiarities of our climate to be fully investigated and the results made known through its Trans actions."

But meteorological tables taken singly and by themselves possess comparatively very little value. It is only after these tables have been accumulated for a number of years and at stations so spread over the state as to embrace all local changes that they exhibit their full significance and

2

meaning. By a careful comparison of such tables in connection with the general theories of the climatology of the globe, we shall be able to arrive at many useful results. This will involve a considerable amount of labor and some expense; and as we have but few men of leisure who are able and willing and can at the same time afford to devote the necessary time and means to this important subject. we have an additional reason why the society or the state should lend their all- powerful aid and thus accomplish an object which will be a lasting benefit not only to this state but to the country, to the world and to the cause of science.

Much has already been done by private enterprise in this direction; chiefly in making and ^carefully recording observations several times daily, at quite a number of places as the following enumeration will show. It only remains to collect these scattered observations and work out the results.

After these results have been obtained a volume should be devoted to their publication, with such outline maps and diagrams as will be needed to illustrate the matter properly. It would be quite important

3

to have the whole embraced in a single volume by itself.

Copies of nearly all the meteorological observations made in Wisconsin have been furnished to the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, so that much of the time, troubles and expense of collecting them may be avoided by an application to that Institution for permission to copy such as are now deposited there.

The following list shows the stations where meteorological observations have been made in this state, the number of years and the names of the observers.

It is quite probably that this list is far from being complete and yet it shows fully as large a number of voluntary observers as can be found in any other state and shows an amount of intelligence and a spirit of inquiry among our people that is highly creditable to them.

Aztalan 1849 - 52 J. C. Brayton

Appleton 1856 - 57 R. Z. Mason

Baraboo 1849 - 52 B. F. Mills

Bellefountaine [Bellefontaine] 1850 - 58 Thomas Gray

Beloit 1849 - 57 { S. P. Lathrop

J. Mc Quigg

W. Porter

4

Cascade Valley 1856 S. R. Seibert

Ceresco 1854 - 5 Miss M. E. Baker

East Troy 1843 Orlando Jennings

Emerald Grove 1849 - 52 Orren Dinsmore

Falls of St Croix 1857 M. T. W. Chandler

Fond du Lac (Superior) 1849 Joseph W. Holt

Fort Crawford 1822- 45 Army Officers

" Howard 1822 -51 " "

" Winnebago 1829 - 45 " "

Green Lake F. C. Pomeroy

Hudson 1854 G. F. Lewiston

Janesville 1853 - 57 J. F. Willard

Kenosha 1849 - 57 John Gridley

La Pointe 1857 Edwin Ellis

Lind 1857 R. H. Struthers

A. Schue

Madison 1853 - 57 { S. H. Carpenter

J. W. Sterling

Manitowoc - - 1851 - 58

1857 - - Jacob [Siips?]

Menasha 1857 D. Underwood

Milwaukee 1836 - 58 { W. P. Proudfit

E. S. Marsh

I. A. Lapham

F. C. Pomeroy

J. B. Smith

W. P. Lynde

Carl Winkler

New London 1856 -57 E. J. Breed

Norway 1855 - 57 John E. Himoe.

Platteville 1852 - 57 J. L. Pickard

Prescott 1851 S. H. Hillier

5

Racine 1856 - 57 { R. Park

W. J. Durham

Superior 1855 { W. H. Newton

L. Washington

Summit 1845 - 53 E. W. Spencer

Watertown 1852 W. Ayres

Waukesha 1843 - 57 { L. C. Slye

S. A. Bean

Many of these observations have been continued down to the present time and there are doubtless quite a number of new laborers in the field whose names and stations are unknown to me.

It is perhaps no more than is properly due to those who have thus so long patiently labored in this cause, that their works should be collected and published by some public authority so as to make them easily accessible to all and especially to such as are willing to devote the necessary time and labor to their full discussion.

It is only in this way that the full value of such labors can be appreciated and made available for the public good.

The subject of meteorology has been much studied within the last few years;