George Washington Hough

George Washington Hough , 1836-1909, American astronomer, b. Montgomery co., N.Y., grad. Union College, 1856. He discovered 627 double stars and made systematic studies of the surface of Jupiter. Many instruments for use in astronomy, meteorology, and physics were designed and constructed by him. From 1862 to 1874, Hough was director of Dudley Observatory, Albany, N.Y. In 1879 he was appointed professor of astronomy at the Univ. of Chicago and director of Dearborn Observatory; when the observatory was removed to Evanston, Ill., he introduced original plans for the dome and electric control for the telescope.

Washington State in the extreme nw USA. The state capital is Olympia and the largest city is Seattle. In the nw is the navigable Puget Sound, along which lie Washington's major industrial and commercial cities. The Cascade Range, including Mount Rainier and Mount St Helens, dominates the state. The coastal region to the w of the range is one of the wettest areas of the USA and has dense forest; the region to the e of the Cascades is mostly treeless plain with low rainfall. An important wheat-producing area, the plateau depends on irrigation schemes. The Columbia River is one of the world's best sources of hydroelectricity, and is also used for irrigation. The Spanish discovered the mouth of the Columbia River in 1775. In 1792, George Vancouver mapped the Puget Sound, and Robert Gray sailed down the Sound to establish the US claim to the region. The claim was strengthened by the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1805) and the establishment (1811) of an American Fur Company trading post by John Jacob Astor. From 1821 to 1846, the Hudson's Bay Company administered the region. In 1846, a treaty with the British fixed the boundary with Canada, and in 1847 most of present-day Washington State became Oregon Territory. In 1853, Washington Territory was created. Exploitation of its forests and fisheries attracted settlement. It is the leading producer of apples in the USA. Industries: food processing, timber, aluminium, aerospace, computer technology. Area: 172,431sq km (66,581sq mi). Pop. (2000) 5,142,746.

Washington, George (1732–99). First president of the USA. Washington's ancestors came from Northamptonshire and settled in Virginia in 1657. He inherited the Mount Vernon estate in 1752 when his half‐brother died. Washington's first military experience was gained in the Virginia militia. He was appointed commander of the Virginia forces at the age of 23, and elected to the state legislature. After attending the first and second continental congresses in 1774 and 1775, he was elected commander of the congress forces. His first victory of any importance was at Trenton in December 1776 and he held his army together through the terrible winter at Valley Forge in 1777–8. At the end of hostilities, on 19 April 1783, he led the triumphal march into New York. When the Federal constitution was adopted, Washington was the obvious choice for the presidency, and was unanimously elected and re‐elected in 1789 and 1793. He retired in 1797 to spend his last two years back in Mount Vernon.