A couple of months ago, a surveyor told me that he thought the use of galvanized iron pipe as survey markers in Texas dated from about 1940 or later. I knew at the time that I'd found galvanized pipes set back in the late 1920's in West Texas, so clearly the date of 1940 was wrong, but on a project I'm working on at the moment, in an entry dated 1900 in a surveyor's field book, I've found a reference to setting galvanized pipes as markers. It leads me to wonder when the earliest use of galvanized iron pipe actually was. Has anyone found galvanized pipe monuments (or a reference to them) set much earlier than about 1900?
I've seen Twichell call for them around 1902ish
Estes just called for IPs, but they were GIPs in the teens
Girard (sp?) was around the turn of the century using GIPs
The BLM/GLO in New Mexico used a galvanized pipe for their corners around 1910-1911 or so.
Can't recall any before then though.
> I've seen Twichell call for them around 1902ish
> Estes just called for IPs, but they were GIPs in the teens
> Girard (sp?) was around the turn of the century using GIPs
> The BLM/GLO in New Mexico used a galvanized pipe for their corners around 1910-1911 or so.
> Can't recall any before then though.
Yes, those 1927-vintage galvanized iron pipes I found in Terrell County were the work of Robert Estes. It's interesting that Giraud was setting galvanized iron pipes. Presumably, that was when he was doing some resurveys for a railroad company.
My sources tell me that the planning stage for BLM/GLO Galvanized pipe started in 1908, but pipes were not set in Ca. until 1910.
Giraud's Pipes
I have been working EA Giraud's resurvey of H&GN Block 13 in Reeves County that he did for the New York and Texas Land Company. A well done job on his part imho and his "iron pipes" date to around 1890 per corrected field notes. I do not recall him calling them galvanized and at this point I can't tell you whether or not they were galvanized when I looked at them in the field. I recall that they were just very rusty these 124 years later. Not sure if I have any pictures.
Not me 🙁
The oldest GIP I have found was set in 1916. Set by the county surveyor and still in place under a county road! :good:
The USGS was placing 4" pipes with brass caps under the authority of the GLO as early as 1899 on Forest Reserve Boundaries as well as the western Montana-Idaho boundary also in 1899.
Giraud's Pipes
I've found them there and also along the Pecos River in Pecos Co and they were Galvanized.
>
The pipe in that photo sure doesn't look galvanized. Were there some traces of zinc coating left on it?
An early mention of galvanized pipe here in Houston. I don't understand why it is the year 1923 was placed so prominently in the heading.
edit: at the SW corner of Broadway and Cypress there are two calls, N/S of one another,
for "3/4" Galv. Pipe" that don't show up well in this uploaded photo.
