After finishing medical school in 1806, Dr. Samuel P. Hildreth realized his boyhood dream of seeing the Ohio Country by moving to Marietta. During his life, he gained renown for his research in the fields of geology and natural history, and is now recognized as a trailblazer of science west of the Appalachians. This talk will focus on his scientific research, including his contributions to natural history, his discoveries confirming the 17-year life cycle of periodical cicadas, and his interests in local snails and freshwater mussels.