Goodsell Observatory
Encyclopedia
Goodsell Observatory is a building on the campus of Carleton College
in Northfield, Minnesota
. It was constructed in 1887 and was, at the time, the largest observatory in the state of Minnesota. It was named for Charles Goodsell, who donated much of the land on which Carleton was founded. Goodsell was built to replace Carleton's original observatory (built in 1877), which was razed in 1905 to make room for Laird Hall. Goodsell Observatory is on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The observatory's first central telescope, purchased in 1877, was a 8 1/4" refractor manufactured by Alvan Clark and Sons. In 1890, the college acquired a 16.2" refractor produced by the famous John Brashear
of Pennsylvania. It was then the twelfth largest refractor in the world and sixth largest in the United States. In 1922, Carleton professor Edward Fath constructed one of the nation's first photoelectric photometers in Goodsell.
From the late 19th century to the end of the World War II
, Goodsell kept the time for every major railroad west of the Mississippi, including Northern Pacific Railway
, the Great Northern Railway, the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad, and the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba railroads.
A US Signal Corps station was placed at the observatory in 1881 and transmitted meteorological data to Washington. Goodsell also served as the headquarters of a state weather service from 1883 to 1886.
Carleton College
Carleton College is an independent non-sectarian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota, USA. The college enrolls 1,958 undergraduate students, and employs 198 full-time faculty members. In 2012 U.S...
in Northfield, Minnesota
Northfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
. It was constructed in 1887 and was, at the time, the largest observatory in the state of Minnesota. It was named for Charles Goodsell, who donated much of the land on which Carleton was founded. Goodsell was built to replace Carleton's original observatory (built in 1877), which was razed in 1905 to make room for Laird Hall. Goodsell Observatory is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The observatory's first central telescope, purchased in 1877, was a 8 1/4" refractor manufactured by Alvan Clark and Sons. In 1890, the college acquired a 16.2" refractor produced by the famous John Brashear
John Brashear
Dr. John Alfred Brashear was an American astronomer and instrument builder.- Life and work :Brashear was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, a town 35 miles south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River. His father, Basil Brown Brashear, was a saddler, and his mother, Julia Smith Brashear, was a...
of Pennsylvania. It was then the twelfth largest refractor in the world and sixth largest in the United States. In 1922, Carleton professor Edward Fath constructed one of the nation's first photoelectric photometers in Goodsell.
From the late 19th century to the end of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Goodsell kept the time for every major railroad west of the Mississippi, including Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
, the Great Northern Railway, the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad, and the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba railroads.
A US Signal Corps station was placed at the observatory in 1881 and transmitted meteorological data to Washington. Goodsell also served as the headquarters of a state weather service from 1883 to 1886.
Trivia
- Goodsell served as the model for the Chamberlin ObservatoryChamberlin ObservatoryChamberlin Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by University of Denver. It is located in Denver, Colorado in Observatory Park. It is named for Humphrey B. Chamberlin, a Denver real estate magnate who pledged $50,000 in 1888 to build and equip the facility.The...
at the University of DenverUniversity of DenverThe University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
.
- The collection of meteorites on display in Goodsell was given to the college by H. H. Nininger as payment-in-kind for his daughter's tuition in 1942.
Print References
- Headley, Leal and Merrill Jarchow, Carleton: The First Century, (Northfield, 1966).
- Leonard, Delavan, The History of Carleton College, (Chicago, 1904).