Stephen Harriman Long

1784–1864 (age 80)

explorer, military officer

Photograph of Stephen Harriman Long

Biography

Stephen Harriman Long joined the Army Corps of Engineers, where his surveys of the Missouri River basin and leadership of the 1819-20 expedition opened new knowledge about the western plains and earned him the naming of Longs Peak.

Later, he oversaw harbor and river improvements, guided the Corps' scientific work, and promoted a disciplined blend of engineering and exploration that helped shape the expanding republic.