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Smith, Jedediah Strong

(Encyclopedia)Smith, Jedediah Strong, 1799–1831, American explorer, one of the greatest of the mountain men, b. near Binghamton, N.Y. Early in 1824, Smith took a party through South Pass, beginning the regular us...

Wyoming, state, United States

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Wyoming wīōˈmĭng [key], least populous state in the United States, one of the Rocky Mt. states of the West. It is bordered by South Dakota and Nebraska (E), Colorado and Utah (S), Idaho (W)...

Mason, Bobbie Ann

(Encyclopedia)Mason, Bobbie Ann, 1940–, American regional author, b. Mayfield, Ky., grad. Univ. of Kentucky (B.A., 1962), State Univ. of New York, Binghamton (M.A., 1966), Univ. of Connecticut (Ph.D., 1972). Her ...

Continental Divide

(Encyclopedia)Continental Divide, the “backbone” of a continent. In North America, from N Alaska to New Mexico, it moves along the crest of the Rocky Mts., which separates streams with outlets to the west of th...

Ailes, Roger Eugene

(Encyclopedia)Ailes, Roger Eugene ālz [key], 1940–2017, American television executive and political adviser, b. Warren, Ohio, grad. Ohio Univ. (B.A., 1962). He worked in local television in the 1960s as a produc...

Greenfield

(Encyclopedia)Greenfield <1> City (2020 pop. 18,937), Monterey co., SW Calif.; inc. 1947. Thirty-three miles SE of Salinas, the town was originally founded in 1...

Topeka

(Encyclopedia)Topeka təpēˈkə [key], city (1990 pop. 119,883), state capital and seat of Shawnee co., NE Kans., on the Kansas River; inc. 1857. In a rich agricultural region, it is an important shipping point fo...

Vernon, cities, United States

(Encyclopedia)Vernon. 1 City (1990 pop. 152), Los Angeles co., S Calif., industrial suburb 2 mi (3.2 km) S of downtown Los Angeles; founded and inc. 1905. Vernon has a workforce (c.44,000) that hugely exceeds its f...

Jay, John

(Encyclopedia)Jay, John, 1745–1829, American statesman, 1st chief justice of the United States, b. New York City, grad. King's College (now Columbia Univ.), 1764. He was admitted (1768) to the bar and for a time ...

Pelagianism

(Encyclopedia)Pelagianism pəlāˈjənĭzəm [key], Christian heretical sect that rose in the 5th cent. challenging St. Augustine's conceptions of grace and predestination. The doctrine was advanced by the celebrat...