Mendenhall Surname- Places- Part 1

~The Mendenhall Valley 

~Location- Near Juneau, Alaska 

The Mendenhall Valley is located just North of the Juneau Airport. The valley includes the Mendenhall Glacier, Lake,  River, and more. (Namesake explained below).

Mendenhall Glacier is a glacier near Juneau and is part of the Juneau Icefield. The glacier seems to have had two different names in the past. It was originally named  Sitaantaago ("The glacier behind the town"). In 1879, it was named Auke Glacier by John Muir. In 1891, it was renamed Mendenhall.

Mendenhall Ice Caves are caves at the Mendenhall Glacier, and were formed by the glacier. Because the glacier is slowly melting, so are the caves. Only guided tours between July and September are recommended for safety.

Mendenhall Lake is a lake created from the melting Mendenhall Glacier. It is 3 miles North of the Juneau Airport and is 1.802 miles wide. 

The Mendenhall River flows out of the lake. 

Below are two maps that show the entire area.

Map of Mendenhall Valley

  

~Namesake- Dr. Thomas Corwin Mendenhall

(my 5th cousin, 7x removed)

Thomas was a professor, physicist, meteorologist, and author. He was born on October 4, 1841 in Hanoverton, Ohio to Stephen D. Mendenhall (1805-1892) and Mary Thomas (1807-1881). Thomas was raised on a farm and the youngest of 5 children. 

Thomas was educated at the National Normal University in Lebanon, Ohio

Thomas was the first professor hired at The Ohio State University in 1873. There is a building named after him at the university- The Mendenhall Laboratory. 

He traveled all over the world for his work and was even the first physics teacher in Japan.

Thomas' Passport Application

Thomas with his Japanese students

 

Thomas married Susan Allen Marple (1849-1916) on July 12, 1870. They had only one son- Charles Elwood Mendenhall (1872-1935), who was also a professor. 

Thomas died  the age of 82 on March 23, 1924. He is buried with his wife in the Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison, Wisconsin.  

Obituary
Chicago Tribune in Chicago, Illinois
March 24, 1924