James Pollard Espy believed he could control rainfall across the entire eastern United States by setting large fires in the Appalachian mountains. He petitioned Congress for permission.

The Nineteenth Century Inventor Who Tried to Own the Weather

9 April 2026

James Pollard Espy was, by the standards of his time, a serious scientist. He made genuine contributions to the understanding of storm systems and was appointed as the first official meteorologist of the United States government. He also believed, with complete sincerity, that he could manufacture rainfall on demand by igniting large-scale fires.

His plan was straightforward: burn a strip of forest along the Appalachian mountain range every few weeks during the dry season. The rising hot air would trigger convective rainfall downwind. The eastern United States would never suffer drought again.

What we discuss

Espy's genuine contributions to storm science. The meteorological theory behind the rainfall plan. The Congressional petition and the response. How European scientists evaluated the proposal. The broader history of weather modification.