Robert T. Hill

Robert T. Hill

Robert Thomas Hill (1858-1941) was a significant figure in the development of American geology during the late nineteenth century and in the early part of the twentieth century. As a pioneer Texas geologist, Hill discovered and named the Comanche Series of the Lower Cretaceous, and was a lifelong student of the structure and stratigraphy of the Cretaceous deposits of Central Texas and neighboring regions.

Robert Thomas Hill was born on 11 August 1858 in Nashville, Tennessee. He was orphaned at the age of five during the American Civil War and then raised in the home of his grandmother. In 1874, at the age of 16, Hill boarded a train and traveled to where the tracks ended in East Waco, Texas. From there he found his way to the frontier town of Comanche, Texas, located 140 km to the west of Waco where he joined his brother, Joe, the editor of The Comanche Chief newspaper. Robert worked as a printer for the newspaper and performed various other duties including writing, bookbinding, and eventually became co-editor of the paper.

During the summer of 1876, Hill joined a survey crew headed to the rolling plains between the eastern edge of the Llano Estacado and Fort Griffin, Texas. The work, although somewhat tedious at times, provided an opportunity for Hill to explore the “redbed country” of west-central Texas. This land of reddish brown sediments and rock has been carved by years of erosion leaving behind scenic mesas and buttes that preserve clues to the regions geologic past. In 1877, at the age of 19, Hill accepted an offer to work as a cowboy driving a large herd of cattle from Uvalde, Texas, to Dodge City, Kansas. The cattle drive took many months, during which time he learned to live outdoors for extended periods and developed frontier skills that would prove valuable in later years as he worked as a field geologist.

Returning to work again at The Comanche Chief newspaper, Hill began to spend idle time exploring the local terrain. His interest in geology grew as he took special interest in the many flat-topped mesas and buttes in the region. One butte in particular, named Round Mountain, was located only nine kilometers to the northwest of Comanche and he often climbed to the top to enjoy the view. Although he had little knowledge of geology at this point, he found the fossils along its rocky slopes to be fascinating and he began to collect specimens. Hill’s collection of fossils grew and soon cluttered the windowsills and filled the corners of the newspaper office.

Through a friend, Hill obtained a copy of Wilson’s Fifth Reader that contained chapters on various subjects, including a chapter on geology. Hill studied this book and the more he learned the more he wanted to know about geology. He then ordered, through his local drug store, a copy of the Manual of Geology by James Dwight Dana, one of the leading geologists in North America. Hill carefully studied this book and attempted to place the local stratigraphy into Dana’s scheme of classification. It became apparent that he was dealing with rocks and fossils that had not as yet been described by modern science. This discovery propelled Hill into a lifelong interest in the Cretaceous period – a period when Central Texas was covered by a shallow sea.

At some point Hill recognized that the next logical step in his pursuit of geological knowledge was to attend university and obtain a proper education. Through his newspaper connections, Hill found acceptance at Cornell University, which allowed students to take a light course load and work their way through school. In February 1882, Hill left Comanche for Ithaca, New York, to study geology at Cornell. From 1882 through 1885 he worked his way through Cornell University, where he received a B.S. degree in geology in 1887.

• The Comanche Chief newspaper office in Comanche, Texas in 2008

• Round Mountain, a butte located nine kilometers to the northwest of Comanche, Texas, where Robert T. Hill first observed Lower Cretaceous fossils and strata. (31°55′30″N 98°42′07″W / 31.925°N 98.702°W / 31.925; -98.702) (30 December 2008)