* Astronomy

James Ferguson (August 31, 1797 - September 26, 1867) was an American astronomer and engineer (he helped build the Erie canal) born in Scotland who made the first discovery of an asteroid from North America (31 Euphrosyne). Starting in 1847, he worked at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, DC.
The asteroid 1745 Ferguson, discovered from the same observatory, was later named in his honour.
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