One of my little hobbies is learning more about my home state, Kansas. Mrs. Cow and I are dues paying members of the Kansas Explorers Club. The December issue of the newsletter, "The Explorer", included one item directly tied to surveying and a second item that lead to making surveying much, much simpler.
The first item focuses on the Cliff Steps in Larned, Kansas at the site where Government surveyor, George Sibley, camped in 1825 as explained in the following link. The steps cut out of the soft rock bluff are still there today.
http://www.santafetrailresearch.com/research/sibleys-camp.html
The second item mentions the plaza of statutes and plaques in Great Bend, Kansas that honor native Jack Kilby. In 1958, while a Texas Instrument engineer, he invented the monolithic integrated circuit, known as the microchip, which paved the way for all computers.
That is really neat, wouldn't it have been cool to be a surveyor back then!
On a lighter side: Did you drive in your car.....or did she drive Her e Ford? 😀
The name of Henry Sibley reminds me of one of my first party chiefs with BLM in 1959 by name of Eldon Wayne Sibley. He was from Eldorado Springs, MO. A great guy and a excellent surveyor. Worked mostly in the Nevada, Utah, Arizona area until later in his career when he finished up in Alaska.
Good article. Keep on learning.
Jerry
Eldorado Springs, MO
There is a large sign in the principal city park dedicated to all the surveyors who grew up in Eldorado Springs and then entered work as government surveyors. It is quite an impressive list of names through the years.
Eldorado Springs, MO
It would surprise many if they knew all the names from there that are/were in the GLO and BLM.
Surveyors from Eldorado Springs, MO
http://www.surveyhistory.org/el_dorado_springs,_missouri1.htm
Eldorado Springs, MO
Keith:
I had a lot of conversations, both in person and by telephone with Dennis Bland, that wrote the article that Holy Cow provided the link to in his post, when I was in business in Wyoming and he was in the Cheyenne Office. Also dealt with Jerry Messick when he was in the Cheyenne Office. It's been over 20 years since I've had any contact with either of them. Dennis and Jerry both have been retired for quite some time now. The last I knew, Dennis still lives in Cheyenne, but don't know where Jerry is or went after he retired. They both would bend over backwards to give me any help, aid in providing informatiion that I needed and I would send them any corner information that I had on recovered monuments or any surveys and corner establishments that I did so they would have the data in their records. Good people.
Eldorado Springs, MO
Leonard,
It's still the same today. Good people. I work with them all the time and they are just a wealth of info when it comes to difficult surveys. I've been following this one "young gun" with the BLM...all the way from Eagle scout to a 4 year degree in Surveying... and just yesterday found out he passed his LS exam. What a kid, a great person and even better surveyor. By the way if you haven't read it yet, get a copy of the BLM paperback "Running Line..Recollections of Surveyors". The first part is a read on Roy Bandy.
Hasta Luego
B-)
Pablo
Eldorado Springs, MO
I have been to Eldorado Springs. It was like a pilgrammage (sp) for me. I knew many many of the BLM surveyors from there. Many good surveyors and all around good people. I still keep in contact with a few of them.
Jerry
Eldorado Springs, MO
Dennis and Jerry are both great individuals. Jerry worked on my crew when I worked in Wyoming. I remember he cut three of his fingers with a chainsaw, just enough for a couple stiches. After they healed he picked up the same chainsaw and accidently sliced the other two plus one of the first ones. When I worked in Montana Roy Bandy lived in Helena. When I worked there if I didn't stop and visit, and he found out about it, I would get a call from my Boss Jim Minnie. Roy Bandy was very instrumental in getting a lot of the Eldorado Springs individuals into the surveying field.
Eldorado Springs, MO
Skip:
When I was in business, Vern Lane worked for me after he left the BLM. I assume you knew Vern. In June 1977, when an oil well location project came in that was in an Unsurveyed Township south of Jackson, Wyoming, I called the guys in Cheyenne and went down and met with Rich Oakes, Dennis and Jerry to get what data I would need to work in the Township. They said when I was getting ready to leave and head back to Casper, that I should contact Vern Lane to help on the project and that he was a short, skinny feller. After meeting with BLM, I had to meet with the USFS, USGS and go look at the area to have them pick the spot to use for the drill site. In August 1977 when I finally got the go ahead to proceed on the staking of the location and after two months getting all the data together, getting authorization from the Company and USFS to use a helicopter in the Wilderness Area, things got underway. Anyhow, when Vern answered my ad for someone to work in the office doing calculations and putting maps together for the draftsman, I asked him to come in for an interview. If you knew Vern, you can imagine my surprise when this 6'6" ± guy walked in the door. Made me remember that all three of them in the Cheyenne Office were smiling when they told me about getting Vern to help on the staking. Vern was working for me by the time we started, so he more or less was the guide for my procedures to use, although he was not involved in doing any of the actual field work.
Eldorado Springs, MO
I remember Vern Lane quite well. He was our branch supervisor during my time in Wyoming. A nice individual, but didn't like to be questioned on issues. I remember once preparing a calculation that had a spiral curve in it. I was standing behind him and he said this isn't right. I responded with yes it is, and I could see the red rise up his neck in back. Fortunately it was right. I answered question a little differently in the future. He was there when I got drafted, went to Libya, and when I was released from active duty. I learned a lot from him.
