# 1374 - 1969 6c John Wesley Powell
Issue Date: August 1, 1969
City: Page, AZ
Quantity: 135,875,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Lithographed, engraved
Perforations: 11
Color: Black, ocher and light blue
This stamp honors John Wesley Powell, who was the first white man to explore the Green and Colorado Rivers when he made the perilous journey along a 1,000-mile stretch of the Grand Canyon.
Birth Of John Wesley Powell
When he was a child, Powell’s family moved to Ohio before settling in Illinois. In his teens and early 20s Powell explored the Mississippi River Valley and walked across Wisconsin for four months. Powell attended college for several years, while also teaching, but didn’t earn his degree. By 1860, he realized that America was destined for war and began studying military science and engineering.
Powell supported the Union and opposed slavery, so he joined the Union Army in the 20th Illinois Infantry. He was elected sergeant major of his regiment and was promoted to second lieutenant. During the war, he served as a mapmaker and military engineer.
After the war, Powell became a professor of geology at a university in Illinois. He helped the institution expand their natural history museum. They offered him a permanent position, but he was anxious to explore the American West.
Upon his return home to Illinois, Powell immediately began lecturing to raise money for a second trip. His first trip had been so successful, he had little trouble getting money from Congress. His 1871-72 expedition through the Grand Canyon was even more successful – producing the first accurate maps of the area, and over 100 photographs.
Powell died on September 23, 1902, at his summer home in Haven, Maine. As a Civil war veteran, he was buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Click here for photos from Powell’s expeditions.
Issue Date: August 1, 1969
City: Page, AZ
Quantity: 135,875,000
Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method: Lithographed, engraved
Perforations: 11
Color: Black, ocher and light blue
This stamp honors John Wesley Powell, who was the first white man to explore the Green and Colorado Rivers when he made the perilous journey along a 1,000-mile stretch of the Grand Canyon.
Birth Of John Wesley Powell
When he was a child, Powell’s family moved to Ohio before settling in Illinois. In his teens and early 20s Powell explored the Mississippi River Valley and walked across Wisconsin for four months. Powell attended college for several years, while also teaching, but didn’t earn his degree. By 1860, he realized that America was destined for war and began studying military science and engineering.
Powell supported the Union and opposed slavery, so he joined the Union Army in the 20th Illinois Infantry. He was elected sergeant major of his regiment and was promoted to second lieutenant. During the war, he served as a mapmaker and military engineer.
After the war, Powell became a professor of geology at a university in Illinois. He helped the institution expand their natural history museum. They offered him a permanent position, but he was anxious to explore the American West.
Upon his return home to Illinois, Powell immediately began lecturing to raise money for a second trip. His first trip had been so successful, he had little trouble getting money from Congress. His 1871-72 expedition through the Grand Canyon was even more successful – producing the first accurate maps of the area, and over 100 photographs.
Powell died on September 23, 1902, at his summer home in Haven, Maine. As a Civil war veteran, he was buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Click here for photos from Powell’s expeditions.