Ferdinand H. Gerdes

Ferdinand H. Gerdes was born in Hanover, Germany on September 15, 1809. He received his training as a civil engineer in Germany. After immigrating to the United States, he became an important member of the United States Coast Survey team. He was especially known for his work on surveys of Florida, the Gulf Coast, and the Mississippi River in the years leading up to the Civil War and during the war itself. He died in Washington, D.C. on June 27, 1884.