In 1883 a branch of the United States Geological Survey, designed to make a special study of the geology of the Lake Superior region, was established with headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. Roland D. Irving, who had distinguished himself by his work on the Wisconsin State Geological Survey, was put in charge of the division. After Irving's death in 1888, Charles R. Van Hise took over the direction of the survey and continued in that position until it was discontinued as a separate unit in 1905, although the work was carried on intermittently thereafter. During the last few years of the existence of the survey, and particularly after Van Hise's promotion to the presidency of the university, a great part of the management devolved upon Charles K. Leith, the assistant geologist. All three of these men were faculty members of the University of Wisconsin and conducted the work of the survey from the science building on the university campus.
During these years detailed studies were made of each of the ore-bearing regions bordering on Lake Superior and on different phases of the general geology of the entire area, resulting in a series of monographs and maps and culminating in a comprehensive treatise on the Lake Superior region as a whole, prepared by Van Hise and Leith. In 1890 a general study of the pre-Cambrian rocks of North America was added to the lines of work directed by Van Hise. From time to time other responsibilities for special investigations or scientific supervision were placed upon members of the division.
