Box 1, Folder 1: Autobiographies

13

In 1852 Dr. Asa Gray of Cambridge, in a memoir published in the Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge entitled 'Plantae Wrightiana' (page 99, plate 9), named a new genus of plants Laphamia, with the remark - 'I dedicate this genus to I.A. Lapham Esq. of Milwaukee Wisconsin, author of a Catalogue of the Plants of that State, and a Zealous explorer of its botany.'

In the examination of the several masses of meteoric iron discovered in 1868 not far from Milwaukee in Wisconsin I detected some peculiar markings within the Widmannstattian figures, which Dr J. Lawrence Smith of Louisville Ky thought worthy of being named 'Laphramite Markings' - Am. Jour. of Sciences for March 1869.

14

Question 14: In the early history of Milwaukee I held several offices; unusually such as yielded no pay - Alderman - School Commissioner etc. - I took an active part in securing the proper organization of the public schools upon the basis of free tuition to all. I assisted in the organization of the Young Men's Association, and of the Female College, of which last I was the President for many years. In 1846 I made a donation of thirteen acres of land in the second (now sixth) ward to the City, for the purposes of a High School. In March 1837 a code of by-laws was adopted at a meeting of persons who were then occupying the public lands, at which I acted as secretary and received the appointment of Register of Claims. The duties of this office was performed gratuitously.

15

Besides meteorological, geological, historical & other observations I have made very numerous observations upon the rise & fall of the water of Lake Michigan at Milwaukee by which the highest and lowest water and the mean or average stage became known. These are important in various ways, and were used by the Engineers of Chicago & Milwaukee in establishing their system of sewerage, & for water pipes, found of works in any way connected with the water. They were also used by the Lake Survey when in charge of Capt. Geo. G. Meade in fixing a zero from which to make soundings &c. In 1849 I made a series of very careful observations at regular hours for the whole month of August, form which I discovered a slight lunar tiede, exactly like that of the ocean. This important fact was announced at the time in the newspaper and the observations were communicated with the meteorological observations to the Smithsonian Institution. Many years afterward (1863) Col. J.D. Graham made the same discovery of Chicago, the tide there being much greater than at Milwaukee. The irregular fluctuations of water level - the changes of the seasons & of years are also shown by these observations.

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In March 1837 a code of by laws was adopted at a meeting of persons who were then occupying public land at a meeting held in Milwaukee of which I acted as secretary and received the appointment of Register of Claims; the duties of which were performed gratuitiously.

In October 1846 I made a donation of thirteen acres of land in the second (now sixth) ward to the city for the purpose of a high school. The Council did not comply with the simple requirements of the trust, never took the trouble to cause the deed to be recorded.

I assisted in the organization of the Young Men's Association and of the Female College; of which I was the President for many years.

16

Since 1859 I have had charge of a self registering tide gauge at Milwaukee for the Lake Survey. This fully confirms my discovery, and shows the height of the tide to be the same as by my observations a little less than one tenth of a foot.* I have made no discovery of a tide on Lake Huron as blunderingly stated in Appleton's Cyclopedia. C.B. Comstock and Capt. Geo G. Meade have fully acknowledged the importance of these observations. Mr. E.S. Chessborough or W.H. Clarke Engineers Chicago will tell you of the value devising plans for sewage and for the waterworks at Chicago.

*See report of Lake Survey 1861 p. 361.