Elisha Mitchell (August 19, 1793 - June 27, 1857) was born in Washington, Connecticut. As a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in 1835, he discovered the height of Mt. Mitchell. Mt. Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. It is located in North Carolina and is 6,684 feet (2,037 m) high. Elisha Mitchell fell to his death at nearby Mitchell Falls in 1857, having returned to verify his earlier measurements.

American geologists | 1793 births | 1857 deaths | People from the Triangle, North Carolina