NOAA Legacy - 1800's

1807 - Survey of the Coast established by President Thomas Jefferson.

1814 - Surgeon General orders surgeons to keep weather diaries; first government collection of weather data.

1836 - Survey of the Coast renamed to U.S. Coast Survey.

1842 - James P. Espy appointed first official U.S. Government meteorologist.

1848 - Volunteer Weather Observers recruited through the Smithsonian Institution.

1849 - Smithsonian Institution supplies weather instruments to telegraph companies and
establishes extensive weather observation network.

1853 - First Tide Prediction Tables published.

1854-1855 - James McNeill Whistler employed by the U.S. Coast Survey as an engraver.

1870 - Congress establishes national weather warning service under the Sec. of War.

1871 - U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries (COF) created; first daily weather maps published.

1878 - U.S. Coast Survey name changed to Coast and Geodetic Survey to reflect role of geodesy.

1882 - U.S.S. Albatross launched; first government research vessel built exclusively for fisheries and oceanographic research.

1885 - Wood Hole, MA, first purpose-built marine fisheries research lab.

1890-91 - Congress transfers weather service from Army Signal Corps to new Dept. of Agriculture; a civilian weather service begins.

1895 - First Washington, DC, Daily Weather Map published by the Weather Bureau.

1896 - First hurricane warning service established.

1898 - Weather Bureau begins regular kite observations; last flight made in 1933.

1899 - Coast and Geodetic Survey open field office in Seattle, WA, to support ships and survey field expeditions; future Pacific Marine Center.