Hi everyone is there a difference between an iron pin and an iron set . On this old deed from 1936 there are corners with iron pins and one corner that says an iron set for a corner ? Is there a difference between the two ? Thanks - tom?ÿ
Set means that the surveyor placed or at least promised to place the iron at the corner. If not set, it may have been found by this survey in retracing an older one.
The terms are ambiguous, with "iron" a looser term than "iron pin." A careful surveyor will use a more precise description and specify set or found.
I think you will find that nowadays "iron pin" most often is a 30" length of 5/8" diameter concrete rebar, but in past years thinner rebar, pipes, and miscellaneous scrap iron have gone under the name of iron pin.
Surveyors have reported on this forum finding a variety of irons, including car and machinery axles, bridge spikes, cotton picker spikes, railroad rails, gun barrels, and pieces they were unable to identify.
Bill explained things pretty well.?ÿ Try to imagine conditions in 1936 as compared today.?ÿ The transition to using iron markers was a big step up from setting stones and wooden stakes.?ÿ But, without something like our modern metal detector/pin finder they were still difficult to find.?ÿ During the Depression years surveyors made do with about anything they could lay their hands on that was both available and cheap.?ÿ Referring to something as an "iron" was sort of a catch-all term.?ÿ Adding the term "set" may have distinguished those so marked from other irons that were found in place.
Your name intrigues me.?ÿ We have an aircraft carrier load of souls in this area named Westhoff, but no one named Wuesthoff.?ÿ Would assume the root source is identical.?ÿ Nearly 30 years ago we did a survey for Tom Westhoff.?ÿ He was one of 12 siblings.
@holy-cow
Thanks for the reply holy cow . Yea I??ve found bottles coffe cans broken plates and pottery and bent nails over certain spots about 2 feet down . As well as iron pipe things in the road . Yea we have always spelled it wuesthoff . It??s German in origin but my family has been here since the late 1800s . . There are some other wuesthoff in np but we??re not related or don??t know if we??re related. Funny thing is my last name is German but I??m only like 1/8 German . Lol
Locally, iron pin is usually a 60d nail or smaller and an iron usually means whatever piece of iron that was handy to set in place from pipe to rod or angle iron to flat iron of various sizes.
I often find the various pieces of an old plow or cultivator system that was disassembled and set in place of monuments or some old truck or car parts.
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