William More Gabb

Gabb chose to pursue a career in geology and sought the assistance of the notable geologist, James Hall in Albany, New York.

There he became an active member of the Academy of Natural Sciences and then briefly joined a group of young scientists studying at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C .

After much inquiry, Gabb was recommended as the best authority in American Cretaceous paleontology and, in 1862, he was appointed paleontologist to the survey.

Gabb then returned to the east coast in 1868, and gave a summary of his research during a speech at the National Academy of Sciences.

In 1868 the government of the Dominican Republic arranged, through the Santo Domingo Land and Mining Company (a New York corporation), for a geological survey of their country.

[1] In 1873, the government of Costa Rica engaged Gabb to analyze and survey the geography, geology and resources of the little-known Talamanca Region.

One of the principal supporters of this expedition was Minor C. Keith, who started the banana industry in Costa Rica, and eventually co-founded the United Fruit Company.