History of Land Surveying

"The surveyor goes in advance of civilization. He traverses the wilderness and the deserts, as the foremost drop of spray of advancing tide, as it encroaches upon the shore. And so his work, of necessity, carries him away from the comforts of home."  J. H. Martineau

George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were all Land Surveyors before taking office as the President of the United States.

The first president of United States, George Washington, began his remarkable career as a surveyor, map-maker and soldier. He began work as a surveyor’s assistant in 1748 at the age of 16, but after only a year, he became a surveyor for the newly created frontier country of Culpeper. There he gained a reputation as an honest, fair and dependable person.

Source :  Interesting Facts & History of Surveying Published March 18, 2020 by Ashley Wasvick 

The Rectangular Survey System also known as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) established by the  congressional land ordinance of May 20, 1785 , set into motion a wave of exploration programs to measure, divide, and map public lands in America.

County surveyors, under the direction of territorial surveyors general, laid out townsites to define lots and distribute them to oncoming settlers. All of these surveyors and engineers produced a cartographic legacy as they explored the frontier, described arable regions, and laid the foundation for the orderly disposal of public lands.

The division of farmland outside of the townsites was conducted by the territorial or county surveyor, but these surveyors measured from the corner markers of townships sections established by the earlier federal rectangular survey.

Source:  Utah Historical Quarterly Fall 2000 Volume 68 Number 4 "Running the Line: James Henry Martineau's Surveys in Northern Utah, 1860-1882 by Noel A. Carmack. 

More information:  Original Land Titles in Utah Territory 

The first Cache Valley surveys were laid out in sixty-seven days by Frederick H. Burr, U.S. deputy surveyor, who ran five miles of line per day under Contract No. 6, dated July 15, 1856. The completed surveys were approved by David H. Burr, then U.S. surveyor general for Utah, at the Salt Lake City branch of the U.S. land office on September 27, 1856—at virtually the same time that Peter Maughan's first colonizing wagons were rolling into Cache Valley at the foot of the Wellsville Range.

The subdivision or farm surveys, as they were called, began in Cache Valley on January 21, 1859, when the valley's presiding bishop, Peter Maughan, appointed a committee of three men, John P. Wright, John Nelson, and Israel J. Clark, to see that the first tracts of land were surveyed and distributed equally.

The streets and lots within the boundaries of the first townsites (forts) were also surveyed by these appointed men. While the laying out of streets and lots within the primitive fort pattern was not dictated by a federally prescribed pattern, neither did they conform exactly to the typical grid pattern that has remained characteristic of Mormon settlements, and territorial surveyors later had to adjust the size and direction of lots.

Source:  Utah Historical Quarterly Fall 2000 Volume 68 Number 4 "Running the Line: James Henry Martineau's Surveys in Northern Utah, 1860-1882 by Noel A. Carmack. 

Why do we see Government resurveys preformed within Cache County?

During Burr’s tenure as surveyor general, controversies over his actions and those of his employees and contractors led to verbal and sometimes violent physical conflicts with Utahns. Some Utahns filed a series of sworn affidavits alleging fraudulent surveys.

Burr detailed some of the surveyors’ and others’ complaints in a letter to the commissioner of the GLO shortly after his arrival in 1855. He objected to the extent of Utah’s cities by citing the size of Salt Lake City, and he alleged that Brigham Young controlled all the property by reproducing a copy of one of the deeds signed during the abortive United Order movement of the 1850s.

There is definitely more to the story here. To read the rest of Burr's and the first settlers problems visit the following article at  Utah Historical Quarterly Volume 80, Number 2, 2012. 

Were the resurveys, in the interactive map shown below, redone due to claims and accusations made by Burr, Mormon settlers and other Government Officials? Maybe, maybe not. More research would need to be pursued.

From a very early period of the world’s existence, man has endeavored to represent the earth’s surface in a graphic form for the information of his fellow men, realizing that no oral or written description is capable of setting forth topographic facts so vividly and so clearly as a map.

Mapping of the areas of the United States began with the charting of portions of its coast line by early explorers; the need for topographic maps was first recognized during the war of the Colonies for independence from Great Britain. On July 22, 1777, Congress authorized General Washington to appoint:

“Mr. Robert Erskine, or any other person that he may think proper, geographer and surveyor of the roads, to take sketches of the country and the seat of war.”

By several acts during the Revolutionary War, Congress provided “geographers” for the armies of the United States, some of them with the pay of a colonel, amounting to $60 a month and allowances. At the end of the War, a resolution of May 27, 1785, continued in service the “geographer of the United States” for a period of 3 years. The War Department recognized the necessity of “geographical engineers” and requested Congress to authorize their appointment, but it was not until the next war that Congress authorized on March 3, 1813, the appointment of eight topographic engineers and eight assistant topographic engineers under the direction of the General Staff of the Army. These officers formed the nucleus of the first Corps of Topographic Engineers in the Army, and that Corps continued to function as an independent unit until it was absorbed by the Corps of Engineers in 1863, during the Civil War between the States. (Evans and Frye - History of the Topographic Branch (Division) - Circular 1341)

The Hayden Survey was conducted in Colorado during the field seasons of 1873 and 1876, and in Wyoming and Idaho during 1877 and 1878. A total area of 107,000 square miles was covered. The largest portion was in Colorado and a map was published on the scale of 4 miles to the inch, with a 200-foot contour interval. Hayden published 11 annual reports, each covering a season’s work. When the Hayden Survey was terminated in 1879, much material remained unpublished and Hayden was appointed as a geologist in the U.S. Geological Survey, in order to prepare the data for publication. (Evans and Frye - History of the Topographic Branch (Division) - Circular 1341)

The GLO’s published instructions to Burr and other surveyors general required deputies to survey lines for townships, sections, and quarter sections. Deputies were instructed to implant monuments of substantial wooden or stone posts deeply in the ground on township, section, and quarter section corners. They were to write field notes describing the location of the corners and the lay of the land. They were to deposit charcoal, stone, or a charred stake, called memorials, beneath the monument and to raise mounds of earth around the monuments, around which they were to dig a square trench to a spade’s depth. At fourteen inches from each of the four sides of the trench they were to dig pits.

The Legal Importance of Original Monuments

Legal Significance of the Monument

4-2. The law provides that the corners marked during the process of an original survey shall forever remain fixed in position, even disregarding technical errors that may have passed undetected before acceptance of the survey.

The courts attach major importance to evidence relating to the original position of the corner, such evidence being given far greater weight than the record relating to bearings and lengths of lines. The corner monument and its accessories constitute direct evidence of the position of the corner.

Title 18 U.S.C. 1858, provides a penalty for the unauthorized alteration or removal of any Government survey monument or marked trees:

Whoever willfully destroys, defaces, changes, or removes to another place any section corner, quarter-section corner, or meander post, on any Government line of survey, or willfully cuts down any witness tree or any tree blazed to mark the line of a Government survey, or willfully defaces, changes or removes any monument or bench mark of any Government survey, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

The legal importance of the corner makes mandatory the workmanlike construction of lasting monuments skillfully related to natural objects or improvements so that the greatest practicable permanence is secured.

4-3. If it is necessary to alter the condition of a previously established monument, the utmost regard must be shown for the evidence of the original location. The monument will be carefully reconstructed by such additional means as may be appropriate, without destroying the evidence that served to identify that position. A complete record will be kept of the description of the old monument as identified, and all alterations and additions will be specifically noted.

Source:  Manual of Surveying Instructions; For the Survey of the Public Lands of the United States BLM 2009 

Section corner field work captured in a report created in 2008 by Preston Ward.

Besides fulfilling State Code below are benefits of monument preservation.

• Reducing the cost of future land surveys
• Reducing the number boundary disputes
• Surveys become more accurate
• GIS becomes more accurate
• Creates secure land records for future generations

The county has participated in the State's Public Land Survey System (PLSS) monument preservation protection and rehabilitation grant program since 2016. This program allows a county to apply for grant funds.  (SB264) 

However even before this official grant program came about the State has had a strong interest in making sure it's counties succeed in monument preservation. Below is an earlier timeline of grant funds received by the County Surveyor's office.

Old Grant opportunities from the State of Utah

Corners Preserved by grant funds from 2005 to 2014 =26 (could be more grant work; was not heavily documented between those years)

Total Grant Funds Received =$121,040

New Grant Opportunities become available through the State's new MRRC as created by SB264 in 2015.

Total Corners preserved by MRRC grant funds to date = 180

Total Grant Funds received to date = $160,460

Phase 1: Baseline GPS coordinate information.

In late 2013 the County continued its monument preservation program. The County wanted to make sure it had an initial baseline of GPS coordinates and reference points for all 673 section corners left in its care after the  retirement  of the Surveyor's Office. As the Deputy County Surveyor Jeff Nielson from Foresight Surveying was given the notice to proceed on December 12th, 2013. The scope of work included the following.

Phase 1 was to;

• Locate existing section corner monuments in accordance with the UGRC contract standards.

• Verify data on existing Cache County reference tie sheets.

• Provide to Cache County GIS Division the following information:

*Data required to generate new and/or correct existing reference tie sheets,

*Sufficient data to allow for input into the UGRC database,

*Other sectional information that may be required.

Phase 2: Perpetuation of known verified/ good corners.

Within 5 years of the new perpetuation programs' 2014 start year, the County had verified and gathered baseline GPS coordinate data and perpetuated new tie sheets on the 673 section corners. With Phase 1 now complete it was now time to move into Phase 2 of the perpetuation program.

Phase 2 consists of breaking the county into 6 zones. The idea being each zone would represent an area of focus for a given year. Phase 2 began in late 2019 and was refined in 2020. Zone 1 being perpetuated in 2020. Zone 2 being perpetuated in 2021 and so forth creating a 5 year cycle.

In 2020 Zone 1 (T15 & 14 N) was perpetuated.

Phase 3: Perpetuation of disputed corners and locating/ setting "Missing Corners"

The County is aware of a number of disputed corners scattered through out the valley. These corners require extensive research and possible legal advice in how to proceed with monumentation and preservation.

Another area of priority within the County's monument preservation program has been coined the term "Missing Corners". Missing Corners are defined as corners that have a Record of Survey tied to them. This means a surveyor has found something on the ground i.e. rebar, nail, etc. and the surveyor has tied his/her survey to it. The term "Missing Corner" also means the County does not have a monument record/ tie sheet within it's office. The evidence from the Record of Survey and field visits will be used to verified these "Missing Corners". Once verified by the County Surveyor the corner will then be set or accepted as a good corner and a monument record created.

• It should be noted that the priority of corners within Phase 2 and Phase 3 can be driven by development pressures and/ or property disputes. However most often the list of corners to verify are prioritized by how many Records of Survey are tying to a particular corner.
• The GIS Division looked at the over 4,000 Records of Survey to determine the number surveys tied to a particular corner. This was a monumental task, but was needed to better understand how each section corner was being used and to understand it's immediate value/ priority. Therefore helping to speed up the success of the County's monument preservation program.

Why is continual perpetuation of section corners so important? Watch the corner descriptions change over time. This change demonstrates the need for constant monument preservation.

Ever wondered why some street intersections don't align?

The reason could be city vs. farm survey. Survey blocks vary in size from city to farm. When different size blocks come together often times the streets didn't match up. City blocks had wider street widths of 99' and farm streets were more likely to be 66'. This varying width would often times create these shifts.

Or could the misalignments be a result of early surveying errors?

When, as a newly elected surveyor, Martineau had begun work in 1860, the townsites of Logan, Hyrum, Wellsville, Mendon, Smithfield, and Richmond had already been established by John P. Wright and others and had been partially extended by territorial surveyor Jesse W. Fox. However, a close examination of modern Cache County plat maps reveals that townsite grid lines were misaligned as much as 1° 43 ' east of the true meridian. It would have been extremely difficult for Martineau and Fox to correct the inaccurate alignment of existing forts, since the streets and lots had already been laid out and settled upon with permanent structures.

 Utah State Code 17-23-17  requires a record of survey be filed with the county surveyor or designated office when a land surveyor establishes or re-establishes a boundary line or obtains data for constructing a map or plat showing a boundary line within 90 days of the establishment or reestablishment of the boundary line.

 1974-14 - Cache County Filing of Survey Ordinance 

 2015 Establishment of the Public Land Corner Preservation Fund & Designated Office of Filing 

County Code has set up a Public Land Corner Preservation Fund under Chapter 15.12.

 15.12.010: ESTABLISHED; FEES: 

   A.   Pursuant to the provisions of Utah Code Annotated section 17-23-19, the public land corner preservation fund is established. Monies generated for the fund shall be used only to pay expenses incurred in the establishment, reestablishment, and maintenance of corners of government surveys pursuant to the powers and duties provided under title 17, chapter 23, and title 57, chapter 10, of the Utah Code Annotated, 1953.

   B.   The county shall establish a fee schedule, adopted by resolution, for filing maps, records of survey, road dedication plats, and other property plats in the Development Services Office. All monies collected from these identified fees shall be used for the public land corner preservation fund. ( Ordinance. No. 2015-12 , 10-13-2015, eff. 10-28-2015)

The  Ordinance No. 2015-12  also identifies that your filing fees help to create and maintain the Public Land Corner Preservation Fund.

The  Ordinance No. 2021-22  identifies the adopting of a consolidated fee schedule, this shows an increase in the survey recordation fee.

2021 - Filing of Record of Surveys went digital.  Utah State Code 17-23-12  (establish procedures and guidelines to govern the electronic submission of plats, records, and other documents to the county surveyor's office) Records of Survey submitted and paid through a Google form.

The fee for filing a Record of Survey is $40.00 per sheet. Effective January 1, 2022.  Ordinance #2021-22 .

Unofficial Timeline

"On July 19th, I started to Cache County, to survey lands there, by desire of President B. Young. While on the way, in company with Maj. S[eth]. M. Blair's company of settlers we heard that hostilities had broken out with Indians at Smithfield, in which two whites and one Indian were killed, and several wounded. We therefore traveled in military order, and reached Providence in safety, where I remained for some weeks, while making surveys in various portions of the county. I located my family in Logan, the county seat, and when the county was organized was appointed county clerk and elected county surveyor, which last position I held for over twenty years.

Source:  Utah Historical Quarterly Fall 2000 Volume 68 Number 4 "Running the Line: James Henry Martineau's Surveys in Northern Utah, 1860-1882 by Noel A. Carmack. 

Engineering News May 12, 1898; County Surveyor Edward Hanson has been surveying the proposed route of the Trenton and Bear River canal, to be 21 miles long, and to irrigate about 30,000 acres in Cache County; estimated cost, about $25,000; according to reports.

On June 27, 1900, the east branch of Little Bear River was measured by George L. Swendson, above all canal diversions, and a discharge of 37 second-feet was found. "Operations at River Stations, 1900. Part V. [No.51} page 412

County Surveyor

County Engineer

Eugene was the County surveyor for 40 years. He had been engineer and surveyor in many northern Utah towns in connection with water works and streets.

• Engineering Department created and consolidation of Surveyor's Office with Engineering. (1974)  Ordinance 1974-15 

• Ordinance 1974-15 repealed with  Ordinance 83-1  to undo the consolidation of the Surveyor's Office with the Engineering Office. (1983)

• Consolidation of the Surveyor's Office with the Executive Office (1994)  Ordinance 94-03 

• Deputy Surveyor Preston B. Ward - 1994 - 2013
• Deputy Surveyor Jim Bishop - 1987 - 2010

• Deputy Surveyor Preston B. Ward - 1994 - 2013
• Deputy Surveyor Jim Bishop - 1987 - 2010

• Deputy Surveyor Jeff Nielson (Foresight) 2013 - present
• Deputy Surveyor David Strong (JUB Engineers) - 2013 to present

• Deputy Surveyor Jeff Nielson (Foresight) 2013 - present
• Deputy Surveyor David Strong (JUB Engineers) - 2013 to present

*More research needed for the above timeline of Cache County Surveyors.

Park Addition to Hyrum City 1895

Johnson-Duplex Cutter Bar (Engineering Plans/ Patent 1939)

Eugene Schaub 1931 County Commissioned Road Map

For a more detailed map  CLICK HERE 

High Creek Road New Location 1933

Clarkston Creek Floodplain 1980

Survey for Iven Nilson prepared by Erwin Moser in 1958

Richmond Water Works 1955

State Highway (Logan Canyon Alignment) T. H. Humphreys

As you can see Cache County has some interesting surveyor/ surveying history with more history to be made!

Created by GIS Division/ Development Service Office

Created using ArcGIS Storymaps