Edwin James

Who was Edwin James?

Edwin P. James was a 19th-century American botanist, geographer and geologist who explored the American West. James completed the first recorded ascent of Pikes Peak.

Born in Weybridge, Vermont, to Daniel and Mary James, he prepared for college at Addison County Grammar School before entering Middlebury College in 1812. After receiving his A.B. in 1816, James moved to Albany, New York, to continue study in medicine, botany with John Torrey, and geology with Amos Eaton. He married Clara Rogers on 17 April 1827; they had one child who was also named Edwin.

In 1820, James was appointed to Major Stephen Harriman Long's expedition "from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains"; he served as botanist and geologist and is considered one of the first scientists to explore the Rocky Mountains and environs. James lead the first known ascent of Pikes Peak in 1820. In the Pikes Peak area, he discovered the healing benefits of the mineral waters found in what is now Manitou Springs, Colorado. The expedition notes were recorded in the 1823 publication of Expedition to the Rocky Mountains 1818-1819, which he authored. James was appointed a surgeon in the U.S.