James William Abert

Biography

James William Abert, a U.S. Army topographical engineer and naturalist, was the son of the first chief of the Corps of Topographical Engineers and carried on his father's work by leading surveys across the Southwest and carefully documenting its flora and fauna.

His detailed reports to the War Department and contributions to scientific societies made him a respected voice in exploring the West, and in his later years he settled in Colorado, where he remained a mentor to young surveyors and a revered figure among those who valued the landscape.