I got a laugh out of this.
This is a description, written in 1938.
Beginning at a stake in the state road at the corner of the garden now cultivated by the said Artie G. Green and ourselves, and running thence with the state road up the creek to the first bridge; thence with the middle of the branch up to the upper end of the cow lot, as now fenced in; thence with the division line between Gibsons, Lulu H. Robinson and ourselves to the division line between our land and lands of C.L. Bird; and running thence with the Bird line, a sufficient distance to give him 1/3 of the lands now owned by us, including the former schoolhouse lots; and thence a straight line to an iron pin at the lower side of a road leading off the mountain; thence to the upper edge of the gardens at a graveyard; and thence with a line between the gardens now cultivated by us and the said Artie G. Green to the place of beginning. In other words the said Artie G. Green is to have the former schoolhouse lot on the opposite side of the state road, as a part of the land given to him, and the schoolhouse and the parcel given to him as above described shall constitute 1/3 of the land owned by us.
I like the 'in other words' part.
Yup, you've got to love the Colonial States - especially the rural areas. Oh but to only have to measure a mile and turn 90 degrees!
I've seen some good ones, but I think this one beats anything that I ever retraced.
Looks like you are going to be trying to find some oldtimers to interview, assuming this is an actual job of yours.
sounds like some of the road descriptions from the late 1800's that i have to attempt to decipher
it's an adjoiner on a job I'm getting ready to start.
John,
frame a copy, or make many copies, and when someone asks why surveying is "so durn expensive", whip out a copy of that doozy, and say, "this is one reason why"
Carl
Reminds me of one I came across several years ago, went something like this:
"Commence at a stake on the edge of the sidewalk, then proceed....."
thence to where Mr. Miller's cow got struck by lightning...thence to where Bob's barn burnt down 3 years ago...thence to a point on the agreed on line...
...containing all land not claimed by others...
It's easy...just plug it all into a special database...then the GIS folks can email you a shape file...
DDSM
I interviewed a young GIS feller today as a favor to my boss...I asked this young man how many feet was a chain. He asked how long was the chain. I said 100 links. He got that 'special' look on his face so I got my chain out of the oil skin and we when out behind the office and laid it out. All he could say was 'WOW'...
Dan,
That is scary!
Okay, my job doesn't seem so bad now. I only need to recreate a quarter of the Town of Monroe including part of an old railroad that no longer exists and two state highways, from plats from the early 1900's with few dimensions.
It would suck to have to survey your description there.
Hey Dan several years ago I had to do something similiar to what you just described.
It was a long abandoned town on the railroad route.
The railroad was still there and the town used to be a stop along the tracks, but the town had been abandoned years ago. There was a couple lots that still belonged to the railroad, like the depot. The town was woods at this point. Just a foundation here and there, and one could make out parts of some of the streets if you used your imagination. Most, if not all of the town lots did not show up on the taxmap. I don't know how they even taxed them. Had to search every page in the grantor grantee books to find references to each lot then trace it forward to the current owners. It was a nightmare. Then the client stiffed my boss on the bill. At least we got if figured out.
I don't remember a whole lot about the job, I guess the therapy worked. 😉
The therapy worked...
So did the least square analysis of all those railroad spikes you dug up.
All the railroad maps showing station and offset to buildings, culverts, bridges, and viaducts...
DDSM
Probe the soil and look for the ballast...
:beer:
Is if Friday O'Clock yet?...Who is buyin' the BeerLeg tonight?
A quarter of Monroe would be about fifteen or twenty blocks? I remember when the RR still ran, so there hasn't been too many decades for things to degrade. I notice on Google Earth that some of the streets don't look quite parallel, hmmm.
Sounds like it will keep you busy for a while.
Well, maybe not a whole 1/4 of the town
I can exagggerate a little can't I? Just around the co-op properties on the SE side. Monroe isn't abandoned either. Hopefully, it really isn't as bad as I'm making it out to be. Monday when I get in I need to figure out which DOT office will have the highway records I need.
Got another one in Runnells also. The train tracks are still there however.
