One current project is to assist a nearby county effectively exterminate the existence of what was once a bustling town.?ÿ Today there is no appearance of anything resembling a town.?ÿ There is one lane turning off a county road.?ÿ That lane leads to a farm house with various farm-related buildings nearby.?ÿ Technically, that lane is a county road that becomes Center Street of the platted town.?ÿ All real estate that was once the town is now owned by a single person, along with adjoining farm land.?ÿ The two goals are to discontinue maintenance of what is effectively a private driveway and allow the county to tax the entirety as one tract instead of 30 or so.
Another project involves that same county and a dead end street in a rural subdivision created in 1906.?ÿ A portion of the street was vacated many years ago as a single owner had everything on both sides of that portion including the original dead end point.?ÿ Then the County went through a complete reappraisal process in the 1980's.?ÿ When what would become today's GIS department drew out the subdivision for the first time, they made a mistake amounting to an 11-foot error.?ÿ Their map showed some houses on the north side of the street as being slightly out into the street.?ÿ The brilliant solution offered was to vacate the north five feet of the 50-foot street.?ÿ Then they screwed up again and redrew the map allowing 50-feet for a 45-foot street and pushed the south line into some buildings on the south side.?ÿ Today, some residents who don't care much for each other are having a dispute caused by the erroneous map.?ÿ The 11-foot error came about because there is a kink in the county road at the southeast corner of this subdivision.?ÿ Going east from that point is a 40-foot road centered on the section line.?ÿ Going west along that road adjoining the subdivision is a 40-foot road for which only 9 feet came from the subdivision side and 31 feet from the section to the south.?ÿ That road was approved and constructed initially about 1875, thirty years prior to the subdivision plat.
Our area was once divided up into large tracts for the relocation of certain Native Tribes west of the western boundary of Missouri.?ÿ Those surveys were conducted in the 1830's and earlier.?ÿ Kansas did not become a State until 1861.?ÿ Thus, those are the earliest surveys.?ÿ Surveying of the Standard Parallels came later.?ÿ Finally, came the Government surveys, but only in those areas released by the Tribes to the Federal government.?ÿ Thus, we have Indian lines, then parallels, then standard Government surveys slapping up against the earlier surveys.?ÿ One Indian line runs east to west but falling within Sections 1-6 for many miles.?ÿ In the north half of those sections, no less.?ÿ Oh, my. And, more than one set of Special Instructions, depending on the location.
Most of the earliest towns in our area were located based on the availability of drinking water.?ÿ Then railroads passed through and missed many of the existing towns.?ÿ New towns grew where there was both drinking water and direct access to the railroad.?ÿ Many of the early towns died, some slowly and some quickly.?ÿ Many of those along the railroad were too close together to support an area large enough to thrive.?ÿ We have seen most of those disappear, except on paper deeds.?ÿ One railroad with which I am familiar started at one of the earliest cities in the area and headed west.?ÿ The gap between the new towns were six miles, four miles, five miles, seven miles, seven miles, seven miles, two miles, three miles, six miles, etc.?ÿ Each town had it's own school system including seven high schools in that short distance.?ÿ Three of those high schools exist today.
We work with history, in some form, daily in our boundary surveying work.?ÿ It is very helpful to know as much as possible about that history as it impacts the "Why and How" part of our work.
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Very true Mr. Cow.
Working on a 130 ac parcel with no real description just acreage and adjoiners. Usually these can be resolved satisfactorily by running title back to creation. Not this one. Came out of Elizabeth Hamilton wife of Alexander (yes that one) in 1840. It was part of her inheritance from her father General Phillip Schuyler who inherited it from his grandfather who with others received a Patent from Queen Ann.?ÿ If I remember correctly they applied for the patent mid 1600's.
In any event, the only description of the land, if there ever was one, would be found in the Generals rent book (as this was leased land until 1840) which is available on microfilm last time I looked. Side note: General Schuyler was NYS first Surveyor General.
Been reading up on Elizabeth and no wonder its now a best selling Broadway play. Lost her son in a dual 3 years before her husband with the same pistols and got to ride in a carriage with Lincoln at the cornerstone laying of the Washington Monument.
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In 1883 Deputy Norway ran north on the line between 23 & 24 from the corner to 23, 24, 25, 26 (which has been found and remonumented) up to a ridge then descending what is practically a cliff, it does get a little less steep, at about 25 chains they cross a brook then another chain or so they intersect a 12? cedar then say they can??t proceed due to precipitous terrain. They could have gone a few chains more until they got stopped by Deer Creek but after that it is a steep rapidly ascending mountain. We followed an old logging road (only currently passable on foot) which switch backs about halfway down then down to the brook, only about 50% grade at that point. Get to the brook on line, the chainage checks pretty good considering, find 2 candidates, a 24? incense cedar with small healed blaze and a 36? with a couple of small blazes but it is charred so they are eroded by fire (SQF Complex 08/2020). Hope to get the Cadastral surveyors there in July. Meanwhile we have more pressing surveys to do elsewhere. The brook is deep cut rock canyons up and down stream so it could be a ??I can get to it bias? on the trees identified.
Stumbled onto this photo online.?ÿ This is the intersection of 72nd and Dodge in Omaha, Nebraska 100 years ago.?ÿ The caption says this is one of the busiest intersections in the entire state today.?ÿ Search for an aerial view to see the difference.?ÿ This is a reminder of those footsteps we are following while doing boundary surveys. It is dated 1921.
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The following was retyped from an article in the newspaper that is archived at the local library. I am in possession of a few of his original field books dating back to the late 1800s. He must have really believed in what he fought for.
March 12, 1935
Outstanding Soldier of the Confederacy passes
R.W. Cleveland passes Sunday at ripe old age
Wounded Seriously Three Times-With Lee at Appomattox-County Official Since 1877
Mr. R.W. Cleveland, Confederate veteran, continuously county surveyor of Elbert County since 1877, native and lifelong resident of Elbert County, member of an old and influential family of this section, died at his home on Church Street Sunday afternoon about 3:30 o??clock.
Mr. Cleveland would have been 92 years of age had he lived until Thursday of this week. His unusual record as a Confederate Soldier, as well as his peace-time conduct, marked him as a man of unusual worth and dependability.
He left Elberton as a volunteer in Company I, 15th Georgia Regiment, Confederate Army, July 15, 1861. He was shot through the body at the battle of Antietam, a minnie ball striking him in the right breast and passing through the lung and coming out under the shoulder blade.
Mr. Cleveland was furloughed home to die. However, he recovered and rejoined his command. In close quarter fighting at Gettysburg, when bayonet thrusts were fast and furious, he had a large part of his thigh shot off by a combatant who was within ten or twelve feet of him. Mr. Cleveland was sent to a hospital where his surgeon, Dr. Murray, informed him he would never be able to walk again.
The prognosis of the surgeon proved incorrect, for within a short time he rejoined his regiment, and at the battle of the Wilderness the top part of his skull was shot off, leaving a large scar that 70 years of subsequent living did not eradicate. Again he was furloughed home to die, but rejoined his colors and was with Lee at Appomattox.
Like most brave men who serve and sacrifice, Mr. Cleveland was modest and rarely spoke of himself, or his record, except when questioned.
Mr. Cleveland returned to his native home after the war and performed the peace time duties of the age in which he lived with the same modest courage and faithfulness that characterized his conduct as a soldier.
Twelve years after the war, in 1877, he was elected county surveyor of Elbert County, a position which he has held continuously ever since. His record in this office where disputed land lines were frequently an issue, and where much feeling on the part of contending claimants was manifest, was characterized by the same fearless fidelity to duty.
The last term of office to which Mr. Cleveland was chosen will expire January 1, 1937. Had he lived out this term he would have seen 60 years of continuous service. Last year, after he was 91 years of age, he surveyed some rough and hilly acreage. For the past few months, however, a serious kidney disorder kept him partially confined to his home, and he had been able to do little work.
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At one time I would have daydreamed of such an end, minus the confederate details.
These days I am more inclined to hope everyone wonders where the heck I went...
My wife insists that her funeral will be by invitation only.?ÿ She is serious.?ÿ She adds that doing so will greatly cut down on the number, as is typical of funerals in general, of those who show up just to be absolutely certain the deceased is, in fact, deceased.
One local farmer used to brag that he had a special account set aside with the undertaker to use to pay the pallbearers.?ÿ Otherwise, no one would show up for his funeral.
