Quite interesting, Bob! Thanks for posting that link.
As a surveyor, I've spent much time retracing those old surveys and am always surprised by how accurate those folks were using horses and wagons, a compass, transit and chain (66 ft. measuring tape) through some mighty rugged terrain. Two and a half miles is an amazing amount of error, though! Someone either got started off on the wrong foot from the get go, or it was a 'saloon survey'.
I only want to stand in one State and that's Colorado. I mean Utah, Arizona and new mexico are nice, but Colorado has it all.
Posted by Jack Garrett on April 21, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Once again John comes through. I worked as a surveryor in Wyoming in 1969 and 1970. Part of my job was tying in old section lines. In the old days, the western part of the US was laid out in townships and sections. The old surveyors put in section corners using limestone with etches on them to distinguish them from other rocks in the area. We used the original surveyors notes to get an idea where these corners were located. Using modern equipment, we had a terrible time. We would find one section corner, and using transit, chaining, etc., we would try to find the next section corner. It was taking forever until our crew chief finally came up with the idea to do it like they did in the 1800's. We pulled out a compass, put it on a staff and started out from a known corner, using loose chaining and old techniques. Amazingly, we began literally finding every section corner within just a few feet of what the notes said. Like John says, considering what the surveyors had to work with in the day, they did a pretty good job. It gave me a great respect for the work they did in old days. I guess now the question is, do we re-survey the whole western half of the US? Maybe John lives in Nevada..lol.
Jack
Jack
Posted by Mark Stahlke on April 21, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Sorry to burst everyone's bubble, but it looks like Four Corners is exactly where it's supposed to be: 32 degrees west of the Washington meridian. At the time, the Washington meridian was about 77 degrees 2 minutes 48 seconds west of the Greenwich meridian. Colorado's western border is not now, and never has been, 109 degrees west of the Greenwich meridian.
Discussion
7 replieshttp://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_12184099
As a surveyor, I've spent much time retracing those old surveys and am always surprised by how accurate those folks were using horses and wagons, a compass, transit and chain (66 ft. measuring tape) through some mighty rugged terrain. Two and a half miles is an amazing amount of error, though! Someone either got started off on the wrong foot from the get go, or it was a 'saloon survey'.
Jack
Jack