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Walter Folger known as "The Greatest Astronomer in America" in 1821 WALTER FOLGER,Jr., the Nantucket genius who completed the first clock in America containing astronomical works, and whose famous design still functions at the Peter Foulger Museum, was called the "Greatest Astronomer In America" in 1821 by those associates who knew him when he was Nantucket's Representative at the Capitol in Washington. In 1850, a few months after Folger's death, the following communication, written by Mrs. Mary S. Coffin, appeared in the columns of The Inquirer, the oldest of the Nantucket newspapers: Since the publication in the Inquirer of the 21st ult., of some Memoirs of the late Hon. Walter Folger, the writer of that article finds some who think he has not expressed enough with regard to him as an Astronomer. A lady whose veracity may be depended on, states that when on the Ohio river, in 1821, she was in company with Col. Monroe, brother of President Monroe; also of Col. Strouther, and several other distinguished Southern gentlemen, who, finding she was a native of Nantucket, spoke of Hon. Walter Folger in the highest terms, and said that he was the greatest Astronomer in America. The writer knows Mr. Folger was on intimate terms with President Monroe, also that he devoted much time to Astronomical study and observation of the starry heavens, and had a deep and extensive knowledge of Astronomy, but he did not wish to claim for the subject of the Memoirs more than he was confident could be sustained. He is also assured that Walter Folger was the first on Nantucket to weld cast steel to iron, and that he did this before the method was known in Europe. The Connecticut mathematician referred to in the Memoirs died within four days of receiving Mr. Folger's letter approving his work on Surveying, and giving a mathematical rule for the machine producing the motion called the heart motion in winding cotton, so that it is very probable the contents of that letter were never made public. —Mr. Folger never learned that the mathematical treatise was published.
