Arthur H. Marshall

Arthur H. Marshall
Born1885/1886
DiedFebruary 9, 1951 (aged 65)
Known forBeing the first to summit the highest point in each U.S. State (48 at the time of completion), finishing in 1936

Arthur Harmon Marshall[1] (1885/1886 – February 9, 1951)[2] was the first person to successfully reach the highest point in every U.S. state, of which there were 48 at the time of completion. Marshall began in 1919 by climbing Mount Rainier, the highest point in Washington, and finished in July 1936 on Hoosier Hill, the highest point in Indiana.[3][4]

As a lifelong bachelor, Marshall was able to find the time to travel to state high points. Marshall worked for the railway and did not drive, so he would reach each point by travelling at a discount by railway to the nearest station and would then hire a driver to take him as close as possible via roadway.[5] Marshall lived in a hotel.[6]

In 1936, after completing his initial goal of reaching the highest point in each of the 48 U.S. States, Marshall travelled back to Arkansas as there were two high points of equal elevation, of which he had only summited one during his initial highpointing journey. To reach the second point, he walked for hours through the woods in a heat wave, and took refuge in a backwoods cabin.[5]

Marshall died of suicide on February 9, 1951 at the age of 65.[2]

  1. ^ Winnerman, Jim (November 27, 2022). "These two stand tall among highpointers". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on October 21, 2024. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  2. ^ a b FERIS, CHARLES. "OME CLOSE (AND NOT SO CLOSE) ENCOUNTERS WITH THE EARLY HIGHPOINTERS" (PDF). The Oregonian.
  3. ^ Langeveld, Dirk. "Reaching the top of America". www.theday.com. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  4. ^ SHEA, JIM. "For a certain class of climber, life has not one high point but 50". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  5. ^ a b Richard, Terry (2 June 2012). "First to climb 48 state high points, Arthur H. Marshall blazed a path that few choose to follow". The Oregonian.
  6. ^ "Meet People Who Spend Their Vacations Getting High - Washingtonian". 2018-04-20. Retrieved 2024-11-05.