William H. Brewer was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and grew up on the family farm Intending to remain a farmer, but he went to Yale in 1848 to study soil analysis. After graduating, he left to teach for two years, then returned and earned his Ph.D. from the Sheffield Scientific School in 1852, then went to study in Heidelberg, Munich, and Paris. In 1858 he was made professor of chemistry and geology at Washington College in Pennsylvania.

After gold was discovered in Coloma, interest grew in just what other mineral wealth might be hiding in the mountains of California? To that end the Geological Survey of California was started in 1860. Josiah Whitney was put in charge, and he invited Thomas Brewer to come to California and participate as a botanist.

Imagine what must it have been like to be one of the few people rambling around in the Sierra at that time? Lake Tahoe had only been "discovered" in 1844 when John C. Frémont, laboring to cross the Sierra in February snows, climbed Red Lake Peak (just north of where Highway 88 crosses Carson Pass) and saw what he simply called Mountain Lake. Nearly 20 years later, For several weeks Brewer maintained a base camp near Lake Winnemucca at Carson Pass, just south of Red Lake Peak, and he made several trips along the ridge from Carson Pass to “Mountain Lake”. He discovered new plants along the way. Today there are fifteen genera named for Brewer, more than forty plants in all. The genera are: Angelica, Brewer's aster, Calamagrostis, Cardamine, Carex, Erigeron, Paintbrush, Chrysopsis, Lupinus, Mimulus, Mitella, Navarretia, Pellaea, Potentilla, and of course, Phyllodoce breweri (shown, left), the red heather of the high country. Not bad for a guy who originally just wanted to know more about dirt! There is also at least one bird, Brewer's blackbird, that carries his name.

On August 20th, 1863,William H. Brewer became the first man known to have climbed to the top of Pyramid Peak, later declaring that this new vantage point was “the grandest in this part of the Sierra.”

Here is an excerpt the book he later wrote to chronicle his adventures, Up and Down in California from 1860 to 1864:

August, 1863

“Now I resolved not to go directly to Lake Tahoe but to cross the summit and climb Pyramid Peak, which had been in plain view for a long time—a very high and conspicuous point which had never been measured. So we packed off across a hill, sank into Lake Valley and out of it again, crossed the summit and struck the Placerville Road, the grand artery of travel to Washoe. Pyramid Peak lies about four or five miles north of this point. No one was inclined to accompany me on the climb, all dreading the labor. So the next morning, August 20, I started for the ascent alone. It was very early and cool, frost lying on the grass by the river, but not on the hillside. I climbed a steep hill; in fact it was all climb, but not so hard as I had expected, for in four hours I was on the summit, barometer, bag with thermometer, hammer, lunch, and botanical box.

The day was fine, not a cloud in sight, the air very clear, though of course hazy in the distance. I remained on the top for over three hours. The view is the grandest in this part of the Sierra. On the east, 4000' beneath, lies Lake Tahoe, intensely blue; nearer are about a dozen little alpine lakes of very blue, clear, snow water. Far in the east are the desolate mountains of Nevada Territory, fading into indistinctness in the blue distance; south are the rugged mountains along the crest of the Sierra, far south of Sonora Pass—a hundred peaks spotted with snow. All along the west is the western slope of the Sierra, bathed in blue haze and smoke; and beyond lies the great plain which for 200 miles of its extent looks like an ill-defined sea of smoke, above which rise the dim outlines of the coast ranges for 150 miles along the horizon, some of them over 150 miles distant. It is one of those views to make a vivid and lasting impression on the mind.” Review this chapter of the online version of Up and Down in California.

From 1860 to 1864 Brewer was first assistant on the Geological Survey of California and managed to make extensive botanical surveys of areas that were still basically unexplored. Of particular interest to us in the Tahoe area, Brewer spent several weeks camped at Lake Winnemucca at Carson Pass.

During his last year with the Geological Survey, he also taught chemistry at the University of California.

Brewer apparently tired of California and in 1864 he became professor of agriculture at Yale's Sheffield Scientific School, a position he held until 1903, when he was made professor emeritus.

Addendum: Brewer had this to say about Placerville:

“Nov 1, 1864: Daylight found us in Placerville, where we took our breakfast. It was my first visit to Placerville, a pretty mining town of considerable size and importance, but lacking the bustle of life that it had when surrounded by rich placers that gave it its name. The old name Hangtown, so well bestowed in early days, is about forgotten.”*

*Oh, if only! Unfortunately the "Hangtown" nickname is still very much in use. One of the town's curious tourist activities is to stand across the street from the Hangman's Tree (it's a bar) to take a photo of the dummy that is hanging from the second floor!

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