Amazing PLSS Recovery
This one is for my special memories. It’s a quarter corner on the main section of the farm where I grew up. I personally removed all the fences all around this corner in my pre surveying years, did a bit of land leveling and farmed the field plowing it many times (not even cognizant that a corner was there). We haven’t owned it since 1983. So I never expected that this corner could be recovered.
I’m completing a survey of the whole section, been working on it bits and pieces for 20 years. All the corners have been recovered some original stones and others put back from other evidence (obliterated). So I’m finally down to the corner I’m just sure is lost. Another surveyor has already declared it lost and set a marker that somehow is about 15 feet from the mid point. So I’m planning on calling this guy and working this out because much of the oldest occupation in the section fits well with the proportional location of the corner but not this replacement (probably a blunder).
So I get permission to enter the property and go and buzz up the rebar and cap about 8 feet west and 15 feet south of the midpoint. So I decide to put a temp stake at the midpoint (E quarter of section 34). After I place a stake I decide to see if anything else sets off the metal detector (you never know who has been there doing what). It’s still a farmed field with a newer fence running north south about 6 feet west of my mark. About 1-1/2 foot NNE of mid point I get a signal, not super good but good enough to start digging. Half a foot down better signal. Foot down getting better. About 15 inches down I hit the top of a stone. Interesting, maybe somebody set something near a stone. This location is tater dirt, no rocks expected. About 2 feet down, still no metal but really strong signal and the bug dust of a post shows up on west side of stone (hmmm found old fence line). So I keep digging until the stone can be pulled. Stone looks about right but all covered with sticky clay. Still no metal but up on the surface the stone itself sets off the metal detector but I can’t really see any definite ¼ mark. No more signal in the hole.
I didn’t have the notes along so I mark the location of the base of the stone with a nail, load up the stone and head for town. Get the notes, says 12 x 10 x 10 stone. Measure stone and that’s what I get. Get a scrub brush and the hose and start cleaning the stone. About 30 seconds later I can see a very clear mark, not grooves but more like an etching (I’ve seen others like this). Yeah, the mark as the stone was found was upright and on the west side.
UNBELIEVABLE!!! I’ll take pictures tomorrow, set a new county monument, bury this baby alongside and file the record. This one goes in my personal record book.
Anybody want to buy a marked stone detector? Sorry, not for sale!
- 13 Replies
Great story Leon!
Ya can’t find what ya don’t look for…
The stone may have some magnatite (or other iron mineral) in it, that will set off a metal detector. Did the notes call for a “granite?” Of course a “lodestone” will make a detector sing like a bird, but I don’t recall ever seeing any around Utah.
Loyal
Cool. As for buying the marked stone detector, if I can’t buy it, I’d sure like to borrow it!! Maybe we could patent it? $$$$$$$$$$$$
We have lots of rocks around here that make the schonstedt sing (basaltic), but if it would only filter out the umarked ones ……….
The notes say a sand stone. It’s a light grey/white and very hard. It could be granite. They’re almost all sand stones according to Deputy Ferron. It’s sort of a quarter of a roundish stone, flat bottom and flat side, round back. I’ll look at it closer tomorrow, but after washing the mark is very clear.
That’s even better than my story from today
Today we used a county-owned backhoe to dig in a county road in search of a sandstone set prior to 1860. Not much to go on as far as physical evidence. The preliminary spot we had considered was about 10 feet west and 4 feet north of our midpoint (north quarter corner). Found the crumbling sandstone down about one foot about 8 feet east and 1 foot south of our preliminary spot. Not pretty to look at, but, it appeared like a jewel against a silk scarf to me.
Great find! Glad you cleaned it off and took photos. I have found nails, a horseshoe and even a chisel next to GLO stones! So you might as well use the locator even when there shouldn’t be anything else there.
NICE!
So I’m planning on calling this guy and working this out because much of the oldest occupation in the section fits well with the proportional location of the corner but not this replacement
This is a classic example of why oldest occupation is often best available evidence of the original survey – even on the interior of the section.
RESTORATION OF LOST OR
OBLITERATED CORNERS &
SUBDIVISION OF SECTIONS
a guide for surveyorsUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
1974 EditionTherefore, whatever the purpose of the retracement may be -if it calls for the recovery or the true lines of the original survey, or for the running of the subdivisional lines of a section, the practices outlined require some or all of certain definite steps, as follows:
a. Secure a copy of the original plat and field notes;
b. Secure all available data regarding subsequent surveys;
c. Secure the names and contact the owners of the property adjacent to the lines that are involved in the retracement;
d. Find the corners that may be required:First: By the remaining physical evidence;
Second: By collateral evidence, supplemental survey records, or testimony, if the original monument is regarded as obliterated, but not lost, or;
Third: By application of the rules for proportionate measurement, if lost:In many cases due care has been exercised to place the property fences on the lines of legal subdivision. It is reasonable to presume that care and good faith were exercised in placing such improvements with regard to the evidence of the original survey in existence at the time.
PICTURES – Amazing PLSS Recovery
Pictures from new monumentation of corner.
PICTURES – Amazing PLSS Recovery
Looks familiar…
Here’s anaother Ferron Stone (1891) recovered two weeks ago.
Loyal
PICTURES – Amazing PLSS Recovery
Yeah that’s how they look. Mine is from 1872 so 19 years later he is still doing the same thing. I’ve also found some with groves cut in to form the same style 4.
PICTURES – Amazing PLSS Recovery
Here’s an Adolph Jessen from 1879 that was recovered yesterday.
Same tool(s)…
LoyalPICTURES – Amazing PLSS Recovery
Here’s an Andrew Jackson Stewart from 1896, recovered Monday @ 7892′ NAVD88
A “new” tool?
LoyalPICTURES – Amazing PLSS Recovery
I found a nice Stewart stone a couple years ago. Cut in BIG and DEEP. I think the later guys where more like us and after having some trouble identifying previous stones decided to mark em real good.
Did ya test these stones with your metal detector?
Gotta go get he OPUS session going. Later………..
PICTURES – Amazing PLSS Recovery
The more stones and wood posts you PLSS guys post pics of, the more I want to just up and come out west and survey some rectangles. Interesting stuff.
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