Report on the Geology and Topography of the Lake Superior Land District in the State of Michigan. Part 1, Copper Lands, Part 2, Iron Regions, and atlas. Washington, 1850-51. Octavo, part 1, pp. 224, 15 plates, 4 maps (3 col.). Part 2, pp. xii, 406, 35 plates. Atlas, 3 folded handcolored maps. Both text volumes are in the original cloth with gilt titles, light fading to spine of part 2 which is common, minor toning to first and last pages.and outer margins of plates. Atlas is in original cloth with gold stamped cover vignete. Over all and very good set. Rare as a complete set.

Following Douglas Houghton's death at Picture Rocks in 1845, the United States government retained Charles Jackson to continue the survey of the region. Jackson resigned in 1849 and the work was completed by Foster and Whitney. The authors put forth ideas for the origin of Lake Superior and the surrounding rocks which they attribute to having formed under intense pressures within the earth. The formation of the copper and silver ores was considered to have been caused by electro-chemical agencies while the iron ores were considered to be of igneous origins. The authors were unable to provide an explanation for the origin of what is now known as glacial deposits and their accompanying features. It was in this work that the term Azoic was introduced to American geology. The term had originally been used by Dana but subsequently dropped. The work remains a cornerstone for the study of the geology of Michigan.