Just outside Richmond, Kentucky this past Tuesday I saw a sign noting a historical marker ahead. We slowed down expecting to see something about the Battle of Richmond, but, discovered a nice roadside monument to Hancock Taylor. The link below explains a bit about his life as a surveyor that ended courtesy of the dissatisfied natives. His nephew, Zachary, went on to be President of The United States.
http://www.americanhistoricservices.com/html/hancock_taylor.html
It would have been an adventure surveying back then. It kind of makes some of us look whiny complaining about the dangers of today (traffic and such). Those guys were in real danger every day they went to work. I stumbled into a gang neighborhood once, but we left and refused to do the survey. If those guys ran fro danger, very few of us would live west of the original 13 colonies.lol
Thanks for the post, it was a good read.
You got that right.
My management wants me to stay at the barracks (saves Hotel costs). That's nothing compared to what those guys did. One story I read he said they would work on the line from sun up to sun down then try to find camp (several miles) in the dark. Sometimes they didn't find camp and had to sleep with no food or warmth. Those dudes were tough.
I was reading some GLO Notes from back West one time. They talked about going to a bar looking for workers. A couple guys passed out, and found themselves in the Survey Camp when they woke up. Things were much different back then. I thought that only happened to sailors. lol
A friend claims the notes say, "ran out of whiskey, ended line, went to town..." somewhere here.
This was posted on the old site about 10 years ago. I don't remember who posted it. I only saved the text.
"Met an old retired Wyoming surveyor who claims he was staking a oil well location in SE Utah south of Moab. Had to walk in and out. Said he found the old transit and camp artifacts (stove remains) of the John Wesley Powell expedition. He stated it's in his notes (John Wesley Powells) about being attacked by natives and leaving the scene. I got a good idea where it is and am researching. Would love to find that "old transit" he said they left under a pine near the site."
sounds like TDD.
lol! No, it wasn't him. I would of remembered that.
yeah but no barbed wire to deal with
at least they didn't have to deal with barbed wire. Got more scars in the last week setting up a 500 acre job then I can remember. I ended up tripping over some yesterday and actually was stuck with my feet and hands off the ground supported only thighs on the top strand. It's so overgrown and covered by blowdown you just can't see it until you are caught on it. They seem to like to run it 6-8 feet of the stone walls just to keep you on your toes. I'll never forgive Jobo's ancestors for inventing the stuff.
yeah but no barbed wire to deal with
I think I'll take barbed wire, over angry Indians shooting arrows. lol