Georg Christian Füchsel (Feb. 14, 1722 - June, 20, 1773) was the originator of the idea of stratigraphic formations & one of the first to make recorded measurements of sections of stratified rock. His major work, "
Historia terrae et maris, ex historia Thuringiae, per montium descriptionem, eruta" (1861), contains the general principles of historical geology.
From Today in Science History.