Maybe I posted this before...if so...sorry bout that (old-timers disease).
I was talking with one of my local surveyor buddies a few months ago down at the saloon, and he mentioned that NONE of his “young” surveyors could read the original GLO Field Notes, because NONE of them could read cursive writing!
One of the other guys at the table is a long time teacher at the local High School, and he simply said that “cursive is dead, and has been for YEARS.” Basically, it isn't taught anymore, and hasn't been about a decade or more.
I guess this shouldn't surprise me, but it kinda did.
Maybe us OLD GUYS can look forward to consulting fees for simply “translating” GLO Field Notes (and old recorded documents) for these young Geo-magicians in the coming years...
Loyal
I wouldn't hold my breath on future work for interpreting GLO cursive writings. The next generation surveyors will be only concerned with locating a position based the coordinates they download from a GIS database.
clearcut
Don't know whether to laugh or cry...
Some folks ALREADY do, but so far they are in the minority.
clearcut
We started a new course here at LSU last semester. A student is required to visit one Courthouse in each of the six original Land Districts in the State of Louisiana and research a parcel, including original field notes (written in FANCY cursive), back to severance. The State Board of Registration has enthusiastically endorsed the course.
It will be interesting to see what a student will do when they encounter cursive in either Spanish or French from an original grant ... (pre 1811).
🙂
on a related note, even today's young BLM surveyors are losing an understanding. In our neck of the woods the BLM no longer takes bearing trees when monumenting or rehabilitating a corner. Nor do they set 1/4 corners when doing their work. Only section corners.
Times are a changing.
Though I learned cursive in grade school, since I never used it on a regular basis, by the time I got to old deeds (many moons later), I found even regular cursive challenging to read.
Cliff
That sounds like a GREAT idea (and program).
Loyal
Cliff
Reading original field notes in cursive is part of the surveying and mapping program at Tyler Junior College. As is keeping notes in a field book with a hard pencil and no erasures.
clearcut
> We started a new course here at LSU last semester. A student is required to visit one Courthouse in each of the six original Land Districts in the State of Louisiana and research a parcel, including original field notes (written in FANCY cursive), back to severance. The State Board of Registration has enthusiastically endorsed the course.
>
> It will be interesting to see what a student will do when they encounter cursive in either Spanish or French from an original grant ... (pre 1811).
>
> 🙂
The field notes are available on-line in their various generations. The notes are harder to read on-line than in person because of the scanning used and format to browse. But sometimes the local courthouse does not have all of the subsequent iterations of the notes and plats.
During the WPA, a lot of documents in French were translated. I found this to be true in Assumption Parish. Oddly, the only records that were not translated were the recordings in reference to slave ownership.
I have no idea how one can easily access the Pintado Papers except through the New Orleans Public Library and the State Land Office.
I have been told by a local historian that a lot of Spanish grant records were returned to Spain.
When we had the old courthouse here, one could easily go down (way down) in the basement and research the French records/plats of the 19th century. But with the new spiffy modern high tech courthouse, one must know the secret handshake to find them.
clearcut
Cliff,
No doubt a great idea. But it would scare me to death to come across spanish and french in cursive since I don'r speak either language. Would probably take me more time than your semester to translate. Nonetheless a great idea.
clearcut
Fortunately, I can read both Spanish and French so there's a bit of Instructor help available for bi-weekly meetings with the student.
Our 8 yr old likes to write in cursive but he does have a hard to me reading it.
They only brush on it at school , it seems.
I was drilled in the Palmer penmanship method from 1st grade by the nuns of the Sisters of Charity who were specters of knowledge in black with clunky shoes. My handwriting is not very good.
My parents had excellent penmanship all of their lives. Of course, they learned to write with fountain pens and one had to be cautious and careful.
<a href=""http://" http://www.iampeth.com/ADOBE_PDFs/Palmer%20Method%201935.pdf "> http://www.iampeth.com/ADOBE_PDFs/Palmer%20Method%201935.pdf
I still carry a fountain pen in my pocket. I use it, too.
I use a Sharpie Pen.
🙂
I grade papers; I don't write on stakes.
my youngest sees me write in cursive, and must think it is a sort of secret code because he wants to learn how to form the letters himself.
I can read cursive,
but I cant write it any more...except for my signature!
My preferred pen these days for plat/document signing, checks, notes letters etc.
> I was talking with one of my local surveyor buddies a few months ago down at the saloon, and he mentioned that NONE of his “young” surveyors could read the original GLO Field Notes, because NONE of them could read cursive writing!
Now that's just strange.
Kent,
Betcha they could blow you out of your saddle with a Wii or Gameboy!
