How did you get started surveying?

After leaving the Air Force in 1970 I was working for a surface coal mine in eastern Ohio. Also going to college part time, accounting and computer programming. Company hired a retired Ohio Department of Transportation survey crew chief to start a survey crew. He was to be supervised by a P.S. that was part owner of a "sister corporation" construction company. I was pulled from the labor gang for a few days.

Crew chief set a bundle of papers on the car hood, spread out a couple of maps and weighted them down with 2 x 2 x 12" hardwood survey stakes. He started reading the papers and writing notes on the larger map. Said when he got done with this we would start looking for something. After he had gone through 3 or 4 of the papers I asked what we would be trying to find. He pointed to upper right corner of the larger map and said "According to these deeds there should be a stone at this property corner."

I looked at both maps and said "If that map is a detail of section #xx the the north east corner is the fence corner under the high voltage line on that hill." Then pointed to a fence corner at the top of a hill across the road.

Crew chief looked at the maps, the fence corner and back at me "You can read the maps! Where did you learn to read the maps?" My response "Don't know about the big one but have been reading USGS topo maps since I was 14 in Boy Scouts." His next question "You know anything about drafting?" My response "Two courses in engineering graphics at the local Ohio University Branch before the Air Force."

Was told the next day I would be on the survey crew permanently. Have been surveying ever since.

My dad..

started the company....need I say anymore? 😉

In college needed a job saw an add for a drafter had no idea what it was for . Brought in some drafting from high school and the guy chuckled a little says different kind of drafting, but need a instrument man had no clue what was going on , but the part chief says I turned good angles , that was 29 years ago . Loved every minute of it . Left 4 year school to survey . Went back to school got a surveying degree . I still love it.

Well, as I recall, first thing we did was find a pipe at a property corner, figured out which way was probably north, grabbed the chaining pins and 100-foot steel tape and headed north till we got to where we were going. All the rest of it happened after that, up until now.

I was actually a legacy. My father was a surveyor, and I had "helped" him on the weekends since I was very young. I actually detested the work. But a pregnant girlfriend and $55 a month trailer rent forced me to seek work steadier than framing houses.

I was surprised at how much I had retained from my upbringing. But that's not how I saw it through 19 year old eyes...in my eyes I was surprised at how stupid everybody on the crew seemed. I gobbled up any and every bit of learning that fell my way. It really wasn't that difficult to "shine" in the industry at that time.

The first three or four years was typical drudgery. I probably would have eventually found a more pleasant line of work. Getting dragged around at the south end of a chain across three or four counties by a crusty curmudgeon that habitually ate TUMS wasn't enjoyable. But then on one foggy morning in 1973 I met an HP3800 distance meter. The profession and my life were changed in an instant...

Right after graduating high school I spent the summer working part time as a gopher on a construction crew slip forming concrete for new grain bins in Northern Iowa. I would see the surveyors and thought “that is what I should be doing”. I was also working part time for an Abstractor where I was learning to do property record research.

I was accepted at Iowa State intending to go into Industrial Engineering. But because I was broke, I joined the Army instead. The Army trained me to be a Field Artillery Surveyor. While traversing across the German country side ( Wild T-2 in mils and 30 meter chain), I knew this was what I would do for a living.

My damned cousin, Randy Hambright RPLS was an I man on a cross country pipeline crew, called and told it was fun work. They offered $3.25 an hour,60-70 hrs. a week, I was cowboying for $25 a day, surveying was better money, so 34 years and 5 licenses later, I guess it's all I know how to do.

> But then on one foggy morning in 1973 I met an HP3800 distance meter. The profession and my life were changed in an instant...

And the rest is history. The General Lee would not have made a very good survey vehicle, anyway.

My oldest of fuzzy memories, around age of 4?, were my mom, dad, sister, and an International Harvester Travelall with real beat up back doors (barn door style). The make-shift paddlelock that kept the doors closed looked funny. When dad opened that door, I saw rolls of flagging, plumb-bobs (without Gammon reels), nails in coffee cans, and sticks shaped like swords. I tried different vocations during my rebel teens just to prove that my dad was "wrong", but of course, he introduced me to the great and proud profession of surveying and we all know there is nothing else worth doing.

ww CO PLS

Much like Joe C, my father was a surveyor. While I've learned over time that my father had more of an engineers mentality, that is still how I got my start. After finally realizing WHY we were searching for pieces of iron planted (driven) vertically into the ground (usually with some fluorescent colored ribbon attached), I began to get a feel for what I was doing. I worked for a friend of Dad's in WV in the summer of '88, and I'm 100% sure that I was a wussy azz... but the thrill of the search and the history got me. I finally got an A.S. degree in Land Surveying Technology from Glenville State in WV in '93 from Charles (Rick) Sypolt and that was the most proud that I ever saw my father of me. Maaaaannnnnnnn.... that felt good!! The only thing better was telling him I passed my LS on the first try in the fall of 2006.

Things happened and I opened my own shop in Jan. 2010. While I have not been as busy as I've wanted, I sure could be a lot worse off. I love what I do!!!

Thanks DAD!!

Carl

When I left High School I'd had enough of study so applied for a job at local rural supply store. I was told I was too qualified for that job.
Next was application to be a Park Ranger (Government) as I loved the outdoors being a keen bushwalker.
Still too qualified, but I got an invitation to train to be a qualified land surveyor with the Public Works Department.
I took that and have relished it ever since.
Working for the PWD had many advantages at it gave me experience in every aspect of surveying and took me to many places even private surveyors would never see.
I was made redundant in 1991 and turned out into the wide world of private practise.
I've never regretted the choice offered to me and the turn downs from first two applications.
I'd always fancied archeology and cadastral surveying has in many ways offered this in a limited way.

Started feeling a bit strange after taking in a libation at the local watering hole. Next thing I remember was waking up in the back seat of a crummy heading into some god forsaken hell hole of a nightmare.

Kinda grew on me from there.

My Dad actually tried to discourage me (at least that is how I remember it for this story) when I was 12. That is pretty good reverse psycology on a teenager now that I think of it. Mom finally wore him down and I still remeber him showing me how to use that plumb bob in front of our house on Herriott Street.

Thorogood told me to get a haircut and get a real job.

I took half his advice.

how short?

:good:

Like many before, I just loved the notion. Went to college (Mich Tech) in 1973 to major in Forestry. Much of the program included surveying. All the GLO stuff, lots of legalese, an entire summer of "surveying class" that included traverses & leveling and all the associated note reduction. That summer program geeked me out.

I switched majors to surveying in 1975. Had to go one extra 1/4 because the last class I needed was only offered every other year (MI Subdivision Law as I recall). Like many others.... the rest is history. Frankly I've never looked back and if I had it to do over, I'd likely take the same course of action.

Nowadays, I'd make a good bartender and probably make more money...lol

Chris-

Very short ............

My Grandfather, W. S. Gibson, a third generation surveyor, needed someone warm (and stupid) to go out with him and an instrument man to tie in new houses.

There I was at age 5 on the end of a chain, 65 years ago !

Remaining,

YOS

DGG

PS-

I still qualify on both accounts ! 😛

Really? I got to tell this story again?

I was an unemployed sr. software engineer with specialties in data comm and digital image enhancements and stuff (which is all mathematics and statistics). Then turned carpenter partnered with my native born Appalachian buddy Curtis. We were building a nice workshop for a retired FL I-man, Tony, turned inventor. He said something to Curtis about building a website to show his wares with pics and such. Curtis turned to me pointing and saying "right there is your man!". Tony comes over and stops me from what I was doing asking about websites and such and that Curtis "I'm his Man".
"Well, yeah. All that's true. What do you want?"
So I built him a website (cheezy by today's standards but functional).
Looking for a place to announce the site and get some attractors, I stumbled upon the old POB web site. I signed up to the site and was welcomed by others.
Being an interesting crowd I stuck around and was able to answer some computer and/or software related questions.
After becoming somewhat established with the crowd a few contracted me to write some programs - which I did.
After some months of becoming fairly well-known with that "community" I get an email about coming to work for an engineering/surveying firm. I agreed to a meet. The survey manager came to my house next for first interview. First question from him to me was something like "what do you know about surveying". Except for the data analysis and he already about me from previous postings my answer was "nothing".
"The job is yours if you want it. Call me anytime." That was a late Friday evening.
I called Monday morning. Went to the office later that afternoon. Signed all the paper work for background checks and such. Hired immediately. Started work next Monday as full blown green-horn of the first order.
$10/hr. Given my background, previous paychecks and education, I suppose that would be slap in the face. But, I had nothing else better to do so why not.

And ... there we are. Current heart condition probably wouldn't like me climbing the mountains like then.