Working in Athens, old cotton mill spindles are gold to surveyors. Incredibly hard steel that resists rust and make a pin finder sing. They were plentiful, cheap, and heavily used in the older subdivisions in town.
Out of town surveyors often call them axles.
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Fence guys don??t give a damn about any of that.
This one had been marking a corner for over 70 years.
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Not quite the same but this is a SW corner of a State Section 16.?ÿ
Don't know who set it but it's been in the ground for quite some time.?ÿ
The original stone is laying there with it, the stone was over by the fence which is 10-15 feet south and west of the corner. They make awesome monuments.?ÿ
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At 17F?ÿ I'm not traipsing out to the scrap metal pile to dig it out for a photo, but..........................I have what looks like a fancy letter "S" with a serif but is actually a 1/2 inch by 24 inch rebar with a big morasse cap.?ÿ Not mine.?ÿ Another local firm put it in the right spot.?ÿ Then, some doofus out to build a curvy sidewalk that could be located most anywhere in the same general area turned it into the "S" shape.
My favorite monuments have a known pedigree and are in the correct location.... ???? ?????ÿ
I would have to say my favorite is the one I find and don't have to set.
Years ago doing some work in Eastern Oregon, while researching, I saw on a map a monument that was called as an ??old rifle shell in monument box?. I seem to recall it was in Pendleton. I did not do the field work on that site, and this was long before everyone had a camera in their pocket. I cannot even remember if the field crew found it, but I often wish I kept a copy of that map that showed it.
You might be referring to this one.?ÿ East 1/4 Corner T1S R30-1/2 described as "Brass Cap over R.R. spike. In concrete with (4) 40S&W pistol casings. 4" below the surface.
I came across it during a legalization survey we were doing for a county road.
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"I came across it during a legalization survey we were doing for a county road."
That is a new term to me.?ÿ How does a legalization survey differ from other surveys?
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I've never seen a cotton spindle like that.
I've never seen a really big one like that either.?ÿ The 100 I purchased today were of the common variety.?ÿ And, at a buck a piece they are downright inexpensive compared to many other things we use.
@holy-cow When we legalize the route of a county road because it's location does not match the record. Roads move in this county.
Ah.?ÿ I see. The vast majority of ours were centered on a section line or other aliquot line, so everyone assumes they are where they were intended to be.?ÿ Of course, there are bends and curves to facilitate creek crossings and that sort of thing where everyone knows that can't really be the section line but generally ignore it.?ÿ I have had quite a challenge at times getting anyone to pay attention to the fact that a certain portion of a road is not even close to what the intended location was supposed to be.?ÿ It seems no one wants to spend money to fix something they don't view as being a problem.?ÿ Frustrating.
I can think of a road in the county to the north that was intentionally laid out in weird fashion.?ÿ All one owner on the east and all one owner on the west.?ÿ Each gave up the same amount of ground, but each gave up a long, skinny triangle.?ÿ At the north end, the entire road is to the west of the aliquot line.?ÿ When it gets to the south end, the entire road is to the east of the aliquot line.?ÿ Have never found that anywhere else.
@holy-cow yes, that is legalization (making the paperwork match the reality on the ground that most people acknowledge - the road is where the road is, if not by initial paper rights or design by prescriptive rights at this point).?ÿ ?ÿ
To add to what @talderson already explained, ORS 368.201-221 (County roads) and 223.935-950 (City streets) offer the details.
Providing a process through legislation for a narrow case of issues for what would otherwise be a judicial or common law approach has both advantages and disadvantages.?ÿ I think Legalizations mostly work well in Oregon.?ÿ Often compelled by jurisdictional transfer or funding requirements.?ÿ
Getting back on topic,?ÿ my favorite monument is of course the Willamette Stone since (almost) all surveys around here start there.?ÿ Maybe milemarkers obelisks on Baseline/Stark road for being cool if not incredibly significant for surveying.?ÿ My favorite mythical monument is of course, "where Philo Blake killed the bear."
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I think Legalizations mostly work well in Oregon.
And have worked well for a long time. Legalizations have been codified in the general laws of Oregon since statehood in 1859. Even back then early pre-statehood territorial roads had either meandered away from their record locations or the original surveys were either defective or lost or doubt existed that the route had been established. Just like today.
Through the years the statutes concerning legalizations have been pretty much bullet proof in court. As long as the criteria of 368.201 has been faithfully met the legalization process has prevailed in higher courts (Like the 804 Road in Lincoln County or the more recent Shotgun Creek Road in Crook County).?ÿ
My favorite mythical monument is of course, "where Philo Blake killed the bear."
Funny you should mention that... a friend sent me said deed yesterday:
