Resume:
Milton E. Denny,PLS
3001,Inc. the spatial data company
P O Box 2242
Tuscaloosa,Alabama 35403
205t 507 0552
[email protected]
Milton E. Denny is a registered surveyor in six states, and a veteran of
surveying,mapping and GIS. His specialinteresthas always been in project
development and management of firms. He is a past president of the
Alabama Sociefy of ProfessionalLand Surveyors,a Fellow in the American
Congress on Surveying and Mapping and served for many years on the
Board of Direction. Mr. Denny is the author of many manualsdealing with
surveying, mapping and GIS. He is a nationally known speakerand lecturer
on thesesubjectsand writes a column called "The BusinessSide" for a trade
magazine.He was instrumental in the starting of a new member organrzation
in the American Congresson Surveyingand Mapping called the Geographic
and Land Information Society.He servedas the first president.
Mr. Denny has been providing training for surveyors and engineers
throughout the United Statessince 1979. The seminarsinclude training in
"Construction
Surveying", Managementand Marketing of the Surveyingand
EngineeringFirm","Land Boundariesand Legal DescriptionWriting", and
"Modern Survey Technology".
He is consideredan expertin the field of new
technologyas it appliesto surveying.Milton is also a sfudentof the history
of surveying and the only manufacturerof antiquereproductionsurvey chain
equipment. He is a leading authority on the survey chain as used in
surveying for over three hundred years. He also does a first person
presentationof the colonial surveyorAndrew Ellicott.
Milton is Vice Presidentfor project developmentwith the finn 3001, Inc.
This firm is a major provider of PhotogralnmetricMapping and Geographic
Information Systems. The firm has many offices throughout the United
Statesproviding theseservices.Mr. Denny is currently writing a book on the
history of surveying measurement call "surveying The Land: Survey
MeasurementDevices1620to 1920."
History of the Rectangular
Land Svstem
GLO
Including
Alabama & Mississippi
Milton Denny, PLS
P OBox2242
Tuscaloosa,
Alabama35403
[email protected]
1"t<;.262.
Detcrrrrirrirrg llrr-:I.t'trilllr of
;t lioo,l.
Determining the Length of the Rood, Rod, Perch or Pole
16 r/zFeet
A. The King of England gatheredtogether 16 men of
averagesize after church on Sundaymorning, lined
them up left foot to left foot to determinethe length of
the rood.
B. The rood being 16 % feet becamethe basisfor the
English perch and later the pole or rod as usedin the
rectangularland system.
C. The measurementof 16 lz feet,was one fourth of a
English Gunter chain. The chain was one eightiethof an
English mile which contained5,280feet.
D. The systemin use in England.rp until this time, used
wooden poles of different length dependentupon the
value of the land.
Rootsof Surveying
A. Magna Carta (original in Latin) June 15, 1215
B. Lays the groundwork of land ownership
C. Leads to the English Estate Survey
D. Edmond Gunter English mathematician
E. Develops the first practical survey chain
F. 100links, 7.92 inches
G. 25 links per pole or perch, 16.5 feet
H. 66 feet in chain,80 chains in English mile
I.
English mile establishedas 5280 feet
A. I consider the Magna Carta as the start of our modern land
system.
B. Allowing private land ownershipset in motion our modern land
system.
C. The first private surveyswere English Estatesurveys,these
original documentsare very elaboratedocumentsshowing not
only the boundaries,but also tenantfarmers,cattle and crops.
D. The 4 pole Gunter chain contained25 links per pole, or 7.92
inchesper link. At eachten links was a tally that was attachedto
the chain to allow the surveyorto know his location on the chain
when measuringpartial chain distances.
E. The original surveyorsof the rectangularland systemdeveloped
systemsto keep track of the eighty chainsin a mile. The device
was known as a tally counter and was attachedto the survey
compass.
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English Estate Surveyor
A. The estatesurveyorplayed an important role in early
Englishlife.
B. The 16 Y, foot pole was madeout of wood and carried
to thejob siteby the surveyor'shelper.
C. The surveyorpictured, most likely, was an officer of the
King. He was relied upon to not only surveythe land,
but to set the value of the estatefor tax purposes.
D. Note the surveyorsin the backgroundusing a Gunter's
chain.Not only was the chain usedby laying it on the
ground, it was stretchedusing poles.
E. The systemof measuringalong the surfacecontributed
to inaccuraciesof original surveys.
4
Surveyors with 2-pole 33 foot suryey chain
State of Georgia About 1780
A. Colonial surveyorsin Georgia.This image was copied
off an original plat of surveyfrom 1780.
B. Thesesurveyorsare using a two pole chain. A two pole
chain was more popular than a four pole chain, because
they could suspendthe chain betweenthen and not have
it dragging on the ground.
C. The men chaining are moving forward very rapidly, the
chainingcrew could cover four to six miles in a day. In
someconditionsmaybeas much as eight miles.
D. They are carrying metal pins that they throw into the
ground to mark the length of the chain. The rear
chainmanremovesthe pins as they move forward. They
then count the pins to keep track of the distance.
Colonial Surveying
Metes and Bounds Survey
To Nearest Degree and to Nearest Pole
Plain Compass
Two Pole Chain
Only Survey the Best Land
Many Surveyors Part Time Occupation
A. Thecolonialsystemof surveyingwascloselyrelatedto
the Englishsystemusedby the estatesurveyors.The
EnglishsystemwascalledButtsandBounds.Thiswas
to becomethe colonialsystemcalledMetesand
Bounds.
B. The first surveyswereperformedusingvery basic
equipment,
consistingof a plain compassandsurvey
chain.
C. Many colonialsurveyorslearnedthe tradefrom other
surveyorsor by working asan apprenticeto a surveyor.
D. In manycasesthe work wasnot full time work, many
surveyorsworkedasinstrumentmakers,in the legal
profession,or
storekeepersduringthe winter months.
A. City surveyingplayed an important role in the developmentof
the colonial cities. Many early American cities were laid out in
lots and blocks, with a plat of the city, drawn by the surveyor
and kept on file in city hall. This conceptis different than many
English cities, in most casesthey do not have a completeplan or
map of survey.
B. A good exampleof the methodused in the colonies, is the 1698
map of the City of Philadelphiaby the Surveyor Thomas
Homes. Once held this map in my hand. William Pennincluded
with the plat, rules of developmentfor the City of Philadelphia,
included requirementsto plant treesand constructand maintain
the roads.
C. Many colonial cities were surveyedunder a survey
measurementstandarddifferent than our curent standardas
requiredby our currentNational GeodeticSurvey.
D. Theseolder standardsmake surveyingin colonial cities very
difficult. requiri
earsofexoeri
accessto the orisinal
surveyrecords.Only certaintrained surveyorsare allowed to
survey in Philadelphia.
ColonialSurveying
B. Land Lots and Land Grants
Grants from the King
Colonial Land Lots
Land Patent
C. Instrument Makers
Rittenhouse Brothers
Andrew Ellicott
Goldsmith Chandlee
A. Influential peoplereceivedland grantsfrom the king. Many of
thesegrantsoverlappedeachother and endedup in the courtsof
Englandto determineownership.
B . Many grants were so vague that only a deterrnination of their
location by the courtswould allow a surveyorto map the land.
C . The land patent was an American original, whereby the
governmentwould guaranteethe title and location of the land.
D. Working with brasswas a skill developedafter the revolutionary
war in the colonies.This skill allowed for the developmentof
surveyinginstrumentsspeciallysuitedfor surveyingthe
undevelopedland in America.
E . Someof the features,included the ability to adjust for
declinationfrom magneticNorth, and a tally counterto keep
track of distancemeasured.Thesefeatureswere unique to
American made compasses.
English Compass used in the Colonies
A. Before the revolutionarywar all brasscompasseswere
brought to the coloniesfrom England,Franceor lreland.
Today theseare refeffedto as plain compasses,
because
they lackedthe featuresnecessaryto survey in the
colonies.
B. Many of thesecompasseslack any designationas to the
maker or date of manufacturer,to instrumentcollectors
havea very limited value, comparedto
thesecompasses
elaboratelyinscribedcompasses
madein America after
the revolutionarywar.
C. English compassesdesignedfor estatesurveyswould
only read to about one half of one degree,this accuracy
was unacceptablefor surveyingin the colonies.
ThomosJelferson
Father of the Rectangular Land System
A. ThomasJeffbrsonwas the visionary neededfor the
expansionof the newly formed United Statesof
America.
B. After the revolutionarywar most coloniesclaimedland
to the MississippiRiver.
C. One of the first problemsfacing Jefferson,was to get
the original coloniesto give up their claim to the
westerlylands.
D. Jeffersonsaw the westerly land as the key to the future.
Theselandscould benefit the country in two ways, the
first, as a place to add populationto the coloniesby
providing a place for immigrants coming into the
country. The secondpart was even more important, that
is a tax or income sourceto pay off war debt.
t0
General Land Office (GLO)
A. Benefits of Rectangular System
1. Economy
2. Simplicity of Description
3. Deeding by Patent
4. Ready to Sell
B. Establishedby Committee May 7,1784
1. Thomas Jefferson, Hugh Williamson,
David Howell, Eldridge Gerryn Jacob
Reas
2. Known as the Rectangular System
A. The rectangularland systemwas a new experiment.This system
had never beenproposedsinceprivate land ownershipwas
developedin Englishcolonies.
B . The grand idea was to survey and plat the land into square
townshipscontaining36 sections,eachsectionwould contain
640 acresand would be put on sale at a convenientgovernment
land office.
C . The original cost would be two dollars per acre,and the fee
could be paid in four equalpaymentsover two years.The
original requiredminimum purchasewas 640 acres.This would
later be chansed.
D. The owner would receivean original governmentpatent.This
patentwould protect the owner from any claims of ownership
from other persons.
E. The systemwas establishedby a specialcommitteeincluding
Jeffersonon May 7. 1784.
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" G E O G i A P T I I C ATLI "L E
A. SOUARE
COTPAREO
WITH SQUARESTATUTEI'ILE
Jeffersonian Units of Land Subdivision
A. Jeffersonhad originally proposedhaving townshipsof
100sections.
B. He alsoproposedusingthe nauticalmile of 6,086.4
feet. He was talked out of theseideasby other
committeemembers,becausethe English mile of 5,280
feet enjoyedsuchwidespreaduse in Colonial America.
C. The number of sectionsin a township was first reduced
to 49 and them 36,to be ableto get the townships
surveyedand on the market for salequickly.
D. This experimentin the saleof land was successful
beyondthe wildest dreamsof the comrnitteemembers.
12
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Ceded Lands by the Original Colonial States
A. The statesof Pennsylvania,Vermont, New Hampshire,
Delaware,Rhode Island, Maryland and New Jersey
were the colonial statesthat did not have westernlands.
B. The statesof Massachusetts,
Connecticutand Virginia
cededthe landsthat now make up the mid-west,
consistingof Illinois, Indiana,Michigan, Wisconsin,
most of Kentucky and part of Ohio.
C. Georgiagave up the landswest of the presentboundary
of stateto the MississippiRiver.
D. North and South Carolina gave up their westernlands
inl787, betweentheir presentboundariesand the
MississippiRiver.
E. The stagewas set in 1802for the westerlysaleof lands,
when Georgiawas the last stateto cedetheir lands.
13
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Present Method of Numbering Sections
A. In this early diagram of a township, it was proposedto only set
the cornersof eachfour sections.This layout was quickly
changedto survey every sectioncorner.
B . The numberingof sectionshas always startedat the northeast
comer of the township, thencerun west and eastuntil you reach
the southeastcorner of the township,being section36.
C . In surveying the land, the surveyorsfirst ran the lines of the
townships.Then eachtownship was contractedfor two dollars
per-mile to a deputy surveyorto place all the sectioncorners.
D. Many different methods were used to mark the corners.The
most common in wooded lands,was to scribemarks into the
four closesttrees,recordingthe distanceand direction.In prairie
lands a quart of charcoalwas placedin a hole with a cedarpole
and mound of dirt placedaroundthe post.
t4
A. Before the rectangularland systembecameoperational
in 1798,the statesof Tennessee,
Kentucky and Vermont
were addedunder the old metesand bounds survey
system.
B. The stateof Kentucky was developedfrom the western
landsof Virginia.
C. The stateof Tennessee
was the westem landsof North
and South Carolina.
D. The stateof Vermont was a territory before it becamea
state.
15
RESTORAITON Of
5tand!rd p:"ttels
IOST OR OStlltRArto
FICUR€ 15, NTANUAL.
rnd townrhip bounda'ier:.e
Eiven p'ecedence
eubdivie'onrl r,nct.
coeNl{s
ove.
Township Layout as Used in the GLO
A. The rectangularland systemwas developedbasedon a
network of standard parallels,sometimecalled
baselines,andprincipal meridians.
B. Theselines were chosenat random,dependenton
where the governmentwantedto divide and sell land.
C. In the mid-westthe first principal meridianwas in
Ohio, the secondin Indianaandthe third in lllinois.
D. Principal meridiansin the southhave namessuch as the
Huntsville and St. Stephensin Alabama.
E. The fifth principal is in Iowa. Principal meridians
continuewest to California that hasthe two meridians
with names.
F. The stateof Texas is not part of the rectangularland
t6
A. While Ohio is consideredas being part of the
rectangularland system,most of the statewas surveyed
by other systemsbefore 1798.Someof this was the
metesand bounds surveys.
B. Many of the different areasin Ohio were land grants
for soldiersof the revolutionary war.
C. Theseareashavenamessuchas the Virginia Military
Reserve,ConnecticutWesternReserve,Symmes
Purchaseand also French Grants.
D. The sevenrangeswas the first areasurveyedunder the
rectangularsystem.Most of the evidenceof these
original surveyswere a victim of strip rnining for coal.
l7
NewStates1812-19
First Statesto be Surveyed
Completely by the GLO Method
A. The first statesto be surveyedby only the rectangular land
systemmethod are Indiana and Alabama.
B . The next three stateswere Illinois, Mississippi and Louisiana.
By this time the systemwas perfected,this was documentedby
the first set of completeinstructionsissuedby the Surveyor
Generalcalled"Tiffin Instructionsof I8I5".
C . Louisiana was a particularly difficult stateto surveybecauseof
the existenceof many Spanishand Frenchgrants dating back to
the early sixteenhundreds.
D. The instructions to the deputy surveyorswas to first survey and
documentthesegrants.This work sloweddown the completion
of the surveysof the townshipsand cost some deputysurveyors
their jobs.
E . In most casessurveywork was startedwhile the areawas still a
territory, long before becominga state.
18
A. Jefferson was only trying to buy Louisiana from the French
when offered the whole Louisiana Purchase.He went ahead
over the limit of his authorizationfrom congress.The price paid
endedup to be only about two-centsper-acre.
B. The idea behind the Lewis and Clark trip was an effort to
determinethe extent and value of the Louisiana purchase.The
mission also had a military element,as to how we as a nation
were going to protect and control this vast wildemess.
c. Jeffersonwas so focusedon the successof the trip he sent
Meriwether Lewis to the colonial surveyorAndrew Ellicott, to
receivetraining in surveyingand help in selectingthe proper
equipment.
D. one of the most important goals of the trip was to document
latitude and longitude at important placesalong the route.
t9
NewStates
i836.48
Additional StatesIncluding Texas
A. Additional statescontinuedto be added,in most cases,survey
work was being performed prior to allowing the stateinto the
union.
B . In statessuch as Michigan and Wisconsinthe deputysurveyors
encounteredvery difficult conditionsfor laying out the
townshipsand sections.
C . The existenceof many lakes and rivers resultedin the field
partieshaving to wade through water most of the day. This was
in weatherthat borderlinedon freezingtemperatures.
D. Many Indians were used to work on the survey parfy. One
report tells aboutthe Indiansrolling up togetherat night in a
buffalo rug to stay warm.
Theseharshconditionsresultedin a greattumover of workers.
Many men would sneakout of camp at night to neverreturn.
20
NewStates1858.6I
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Last States Added Before the War Between the States
A. As the far west was starting to be developed, survey work was
being performed on both sides of the country, leaving a great
un-surveyedareain the middle.
B. By this time the price to buy land had been reducedto one
dollar and twenty-five centsper acre.The money had to be paid
in full before the patentwas issued.
C. Someareaswere surveyedand openedup for settlementfree, if
the personwould establisheda farm and occupy the land for a
designatedperiod of time.
D. All throughout this period, there was great fraud in the system.
Appointmentsto key jobs were very political. These
appointmentsallowed certain governmenternployeesto deed
land, wrongly classifiedas undesirable,to friends and
associates.
2l
A. The equipmentof an early surveyorwas simple, consisted
mainly of a compass,a surveychain of the appropriate
length for the time period, and other field gear.
B. Most of the surveyorshad to borrow money to financetheir
work. They would take their contractto a bank as
collateral,as the money was guaranteedif the work was
completedproperly.
C. Becauseof the low rate of two dollars per mile, many surveyors
completedsurveyinga number of townships during a
summer.Only to find out that after paying the field crews,the
storethat sold them provisionsand the bank, there was
little money left for a yearsworth of work.
D. Many of the smarter surveyorsonly did a contract or two, and
went into the land or real estatebusinessin the area
where they worked.
E. High turn over rates for surveyorswas a great concernto the
by paying a rate greaterthan two-dollarsper mile.
22
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Alignment of the States and Adding West Virginia
A. During the war Between the states, the work in the west of
laying out the land continued.The work on the original system
was alreadycompletedin the SouthernStateswhere most of the
battles were fought.
B. The only large changeduring the civil war, in land East of the
Mississippi River, was the breakingof virginia into two states.
Geographicallythe people in west virginia enjoyed closerties
to the ohio River valley culture and voted to stay with the
union.
c. Many civil war soldierswanting to continue there outdoor
lifestyle, went west after the war to fight Indians or work on
survey parties. They brought along their military gear such as
canteensand uniforms. Theseuniforms and equipmentare
reflectedin picturestaken of westem survey crews after the
war.
D. The solar compasswas requiredto be usedby a deputy
survevorto I
yglhg accuracyof the work after the war.
aa
L3
NewStates1864.90
Adding of Statesin the Last Quarter of the 19thCenturv
A. The Westernstateswere surveyedin the latter part of
the nineteenthcentury.
B. The railroadswere given large tracts of land by the
governmentto encourageland development.The land
not neededfor railroad purposeswas surveyedand
given or sold to settlers.
c. The railroadsurveyorswere consideredto be the first
civil engineers.They designedbridgesand tunnels
necessaryfor the building of the railroad.
D. The quality of surveyingperformedby the railroad
surveyorsenjoyeda much higher order of accuracythan
that performedby the GeneralLand Office.
24
A. The surveyor William Burk noticed when working in
Michigan, magnetic attractionwas affecting the needle
ofhis compass.
B. Concernedaboutthe accuracyof the surveys,he
developeda solarcompassthat was dependenton the
locationof the sun to determinedirection.He also
inventedthe typewriter to help complete government
paperwork.
C. After the civil war the solarcompasswas requiredon
GeneralLand Office work.
25
A . The finished land systemis a very complex systemwith each
statehaving there own rules and regulations.
B . The stateshaving public landshave offices of the Bureauof
Land Managementto managetheselands.The statesthat do not
have public landshave the original surveyrecordsdeposited
with the appropriatestateagency.
C . Land Surveyorsare registeredon a stateby statebasis.Most
statesrequire a four-year degreein surveying and examination
for registration.Most statesalso require continuing education.
D. Modern technologyis allowing the surveyorto work with
greateraccuracy.Thesetools also presentnew problems.Most
deedswill not agreewith moderntechnology such as GPS.The
problem most surveyorsface is evaluatingthe evidenceand
placing the deedon the ground in the proper place.
26
A.In 1796the colonial SurveyorAndrew Ellicott was sent
to run the boundary line betweenSpain and the United
States.It was agreedthat this line would be at 3l
degreesof latitude.
B. The line was run betweenthe yearsof 1798and l80l
from the MississippiRiver to the Atlantic Ocean.This
line becamepart of the southernboundary of Alabama
and Mississippi.
C. Sincethe stateof Georgiahad a surveyedboundary
with Spain,it was agreedto hold this line, eventhrough
it lay below 31 degreesof latitude.
D. The journal written by Andrew Ellicott abouthis trip
was the catalystthat encouragedThomas Jeffersonto
equip and sendLewis and Clark on their mission.
27
A. The stoneknown as the Ellicott Stone,on 3 1 degreesof latitude,
becamethe startingpoint for the Alabama surveys.
B. This point becameknown as the St. StephensMeridian. In
Alabama,all surveysof townshipsin the lower one-half of the
state,are designatedas being North or South of the Ellicott
Stone.
C. This stoneand earthenmoundsare the only evidenceleft of the
original Ellicott survey.
D. Andrew Ellicott camefrom a large family of colonial surveyors.
Someof the projectsthat family memberswere involved in
surveyingare,the laying out of WashingtonD. C., also known
as the FederalCity, Ellicott finished the Mason-Dixon line, the
westernboundaryof Pennsylvania,and surveyedmost of the
stateof New York.
28
GLO Surveyor in the Field
A. This drawing from the early nineteenth century depicts a deputy
surveyoralong the Ohio River. Note, the leather cloths and
moccasins.It was common for the surveyorsto trade items, such
as axesand mirrors to the Indians for clothes.
B. A challengefacing early surveyorswas the recording of the
information gatheredin the field. Regulationsrequiredthat field
notesbe kept in ink. The surveyorhad powder that he would
mix with water to make ink. and feathersthat he would cut into
writing pens.
C. Most surveyorswould spendlong hours working on their notes
at night, in a ten with an oil lamp.
D. Keeping the mosquitoesatbay, while producing a well written
set of noteswas a constantchallengeto all surveyors.
E. Many old setsof field notesstill containthe remainsof
mosquitoeson the pages.
29
2 Pole Survey Chain as used on Original Surveys in
Alabama
A . A good exampleof an original surveychain is a prized item.
Very few chains survivedthe hard life of being a surveychain.
Chains,that I have checked,can be as much as sevenor eight
incheslong from wear betweenthe parts.
B . The most prolific chain maker was an English companyby the
nameof Chesterrnan.Many of the chainsused in the original
surveyswere manufacturedin Englandby Chesterrnan.
C . The probateof the will of a deputy surveyor namedThomas
Freemanfrom WashingtonCounty, Mississippi showedhim to
be in possessionof sevennew chainsand nine usedchainswhen
he died.
D . A chain with wire handleswas manufacturedbefore 1800,
where a chain with brasshandleswas most likely made after
1800.All of Alabamawas laid out with a two-pole chainbeing
thirty-three feet long.
30
"n'
tsrc'min
Instructions to Isaac Briggs from
.
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I
Albert Gallatin to establish the
St. Stephensmeridian
"From such
one of the mile monuments
on the southern boundary ofthe
U.S. as you think proper you will be
pleased to run and survey a north line
of meridian, and all the Townships shall
be designated by ranges East and
West from that meridian, the numbers
ofeach range progressing from the
said meridian eastwardlv and
westwardly, and the number of each
township in each range progressing
/ / 7
:"",***
il:filili',ij:",Tffi:Juthern
nning of the Surweyof South Alabama by Seth Pease1806
A. The surveyor SethPeasestartedthe surveysin South Alabama
at the Ellicott Stoneand ran true North to establishthe St.
StephensMeridian.
B. In reviewing the original surveynotes,it becameapparentthat
this is not one continuousline. The Mobile River was an
obstacle,so the surveyorsran a township West, then North for
six townships,then East for one township, then continuedNorth.
C. This line is one of only a few GLO surveysrecordedin perches,
insteadof chains.There are 16 Yzfeet in a perch and320
perchesin a mile, insteadof 80 chains,or a ratio of 411.
D. The surveyorin their field notesrecordedother information that
has becomevery historically significant1'any existing roads and
villages, quality of the land, swampsand rivers, mineral
depositsand the types and size of trees.
31
A. The original point for the surveys,for North Alabama,
had been lost becauseof road construction.It was reset
in 1977by a group of surveyorsbelonging to the
AlabamaSocietyof ProfessionalSurveyors.
B. This point is on the Southboundaryof the Stateof
Tennessee.The Huntsville Meridian runs Southfrom
this line through the City of Huntsville.
C. John Coffee was a deputy surveyorand land speculator
in Huntsville. He also ran the land office. When someof
his very questionabledealscameto light, the land office
mysteriouslyburned down. If John Coffee would not
havedied,he surelywould have spentsometime in
incarceration.
D. Coffee Countv is namedafter him.
1a
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Land Districts and Land Offices in 1812. Property being
in Alatrama from St. Stevensand Huntsville Land Offices
A . Louisiana,Mississippi and Alabama were all still territories,
when the GLO survey work began.
B . Mississippi and Alabama were part of what was known as the
Mississippi Territory. Two land offices were establishedfor the
sale of this land. One in what is now Washington County,
Mississippi, the other in St. Stephens,Alabama.
C . Many of theseland offices only stayedopen for a short period
of time. Somewere opened,closed,then openedagain at alater
date.
D . Note the small amount of land being sold in the northem part of
Alabama along the TennesseeStateline. This was prime land
along the north side of the TennesseeRiver. This land attracted
investors from many easternstates,and some other countries.
a 1
JJ
cation of Land Offices and Survev Districts in 1819
A. The Stateof Alabama had many land offices throughout the
state.The last one openedwas in Mobile in 1867. Montgomery
was the last office to closein 1927.
B. The following is a list of Alabama GeneralLand Offices:
Cahaba1B19-1856
1861.1866-1927
Montsomew 1832-
Centre1856-1861
Nashville,TN 1807-l8lI
Demopolis1833-1861
Sparta1820-1854
E l b a1 8 5 4 - 1 8 6 1
S t .S t e p h e n1s8 0 3 - 1 8 1 I
Greenville1856-I 860
Tuscaloosa1820-l86l
Huntsville18I I-1861,1867-1905
Lebanon 1842-1856
Mardisville1832-1842
Milledgeville,GA I 815-1818
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Location of Land Offices and Land Districts in 1834
A. By 1834 surveywork was going on throughout the Stateof
Alabama. Mississippi was also being worked on and land was
being sold throughoutthe statefrom the following land offices.
B. The MississippiLand Offices:
Augusta1819-1859
Paulding1860-1861
Chocchuma1833-1840
Pontotoc1836-1861
Columbus1833-1861
Washington1807-1861
Grenada1840-1860
JacksonI 819-1827,1836-1861,1
866-1925
Mount Salus1822-1836
C. The boundarybetweenthe lower part of Mississippi and
Alabama has been contestedin court many times. While the
boundarylooks straighton most maps,it is a court boundarythat
containsmany compromises.
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Surveying someareas proved very difficult as recorded in the
following survey notes:
Set post No. 1,00.This is through a horrible, marshy, briery, bushy
swamp,almostimpassable.
Set post No. 99. This mile is a great deal worse in every respect
than the former land, unfit for everything-man, beast, fish, or fowl.
Set post No. 98. First half similar to the last, thencepartly open
though very briery. The post standsin a very open, flat, pine land.
Thus far land is apparently of no value and so thick with bushes
and briars that it is totally impassableexceptto surveyors.
Would you have surveyedthis for two-dollars per-mile?
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The End
Thank You
Milton Denny
P O Box2242
Tuscaloosa,
AL 35403
205t5534448
[email protected]
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