More than 500 logbooks of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey Ships (USC & GSS) are now available to view and download in the National Archives Catalog.
Information contained within these logbooks may be of interest to genealogists and maritime historians, and should also serve as a rich source of historical weather data for climate scientists. A typical logbook contains daily entries of the ship’s position, the ship’s movements, weather conditions, and descriptions of the day’s surveying activities.
“List of Officers,” usually found near the beginning of a logbook, is where the ship’s officers and crew are listed by name, rank, and date of joining and departing the ship – information useful to those researching family history.
These logbooks also provide a window into daily life aboard the Coast and Geodetic Survey ships, recording both the mundane and the unusual, such as rescue operations, accidents, and tragic deaths. Over the years, these Coast and Geodetic ships were also involved in a number of rescue operations.
The USC & GSS logbooks currently in the Catalog cover the period from 1874 to 1942 for the following seven ships: Hassler (1874-1895), Discoverer (1922-1941), Endeavor (1879-1915), Explorer (1904-1939), Gedney (1875-1914), McArthur (1876-1915), and Pioneer (1922-1942). Included with the logbooks are seven volumes of medical journals from McArthur and one volume from Pioneer.
The logbooks are found within the series Ships’ Records, 1846 – 1963, part of Record Group 23: Records of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1806 – 1981.
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Photo of “List of Officers” shown on the left page above, provides basic information about 14 officers and crew members, including the ship’s surgeon, who served on USC&GSS Discoverer for the period covered by the logbook from July 1 to August 26, 1941 courtesy National Archives.
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