Surveyors Historical Society and the Alabama Society of Professional Land Surveyors present ALABAMA September 17 - 20, 2014 www.surveyorsrendezvous.org www.surveyorshistoricalsociety.org Featuring Andrew Ellicott’s survey of the 31st Parallel, the “Line of Demarcation” between the United States and Spain, as specified in the 1795 Treaty of San Lorenzo Laid-back Southern Hospitality! Admiral Semmes Hotel, Mobile, Alabama Surveyors Historical Society 18th Annual Rendezvous All are welcome! You don’t have to be a member of the Surveyors Historical Society or even a surveyor to attend. Rendezvous ’14 will feature Andrew Ellicott’s survey of the 31st Parallel, the “Line of Demarcation” between the United States and Spain as specified in the 1795 Treaty of San Lorenzo. This national boundary would later become part of the boundaries of four states. The Ellicott Stone is the Point of Beginning for the St. Stephens Principal Meridian and Baseline. Our Rendezvous will be held in beautiful Mobile, Alabama, with activities all around the Mobile Bay area. We’ll spend Thursday at Battleship Park, with lectures aboard the mighty battleship USS Alabama and free time to visit the other exhibits at the park. On Friday, we’ll venture to Five Rivers Delta Resource Center for more presentations, swamp tours and a real Southern fish fry. “Let the good times roll” at our Mardi Gras banquet Friday night. Saturday morning, we’ll visit the Ellicott Stone north of town. The adventurous can then join in the search for the mounds Ellicott used to mark the Line of Demarcation. Mobile, Alabama, is a 300 year-old city rich in history. The historic Admiral Semmes Hotel is conveniently located in downtown Mobile, within walking distance of lush parks and squares, retail shops, restaurants, museums and art galleries. Get ready for some laid-back Southern hospitality! Rendezvous 2014 Program of Sessions/Events T TIME Wednesday, September 17, 2014 Wednesday events held in the Admiral Semmes Hotel, 251 Government St., Mobile, AL 36602. 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Surveyors Historical Society Board of Directors meeting SHS members are welcome to attend. 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Registration Desk open 5:00 – 11:00 p.m. Hospitality Room open (pizza, sandwiches and snacks) The flags of five countries have flown over historic Mobile, Alabama: France, Great Britain, Spain, United States and the Confederacy. (Six if you count the short-lived Republic of West Florida.) T TIME Thursday, September 18, 2014 Thursday events aboard the USS Alabama, Battleship Park, 2703 Battleship Pkwy, Mobile, AL. All presentations will be held in the Wardroom. 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. Registration Desk open (hotel) Continental breakfast (hotel) 8:00 a.m. Travel by bus from the hotel to Battleship Park, Mobile Bay Causeway 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Session # 1: Welcome to the Gulf Coast, A Short History of Ships Named Alabama and An Overview of Who Owned the Gulf Coast and When. Presentation by: Thomas (Mike) Besch, PS, Professor of Surveying & Mapping, The University of Akron 9:30 – 10:00 a.m. Session # 2: CSS Alabama: Its Role in One of the Most Important Arbitrations in Modern History Presentation by Bart Crattie, PLS 10:00 a.m. Break – Refreshments provided 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Session # 3: The Origins of Colonial Title to Lands in the Mobile Bay Region Presentation by: Gregory Spies, PLS, Archaeotechnics 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Session # 4: The Ellicott Stone, Point of Beginning for the USPLSS in Alabama Presentation by: Gregory Spies, PLS, Archaeotechnics 12:30 p.m. Lunch on the Fantail (Southern B-B-Q, served on mess trays) 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Tour the USS Alabama and Battleship Park 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Session # 5: General Land Office Surveys in Mississippi. Presentation by: Roffie Burt, PE, PLS, Associate Professor Emeritus, Mississippi State University 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Session # 6: Andrew Ellicott, the Spanish in Natchez and the 1795 Treaty of Friendship limits and Navigation Between Spain And the United States (Part 1) Presentation by: William Morton, MD, JD 4:30 – 5:30p.m. Session # 6: Andrew Ellicott, the Spanish in Natchez and the 1795 Treaty of Friendship limits and Navigation Between Spain And the United States (Part 2) Presentation by: William Morton, MD, JD 5:30 p.m. Return to Hotel Dinner on your own in beautiful Mobile 6:00 – 11:00 pm Hospitality Room open T TIME Friday, September 19, 2014 Friday events at Five Rivers Delta Resource Center, 30945 Five Rivers Blvd., Spanish Fort, AL, 36527. All Presentations will be held in the Blakely Conference Center. 7:00 – 8:00 a.m.Registration Desk open (hotel) Continental breakfast (hotel) 8:00 a.m. Travel by bus from the hotel to Five Rivers Delta Center 8:30 – 9:15 a.m. Session # 1: The Hardships of Being the Surveyor of the Line of Demarcation Presented by Andrew Ellicott 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Session # 2: Surveying the Line of Demarcation Presented by Larry Crowley, PE, Blakely was the site of the final combined-force battle of PhD, Professor, Auburn University the War Between the States, fought six hours after Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia. 11:15 a.m. – noon Session # 3: The Art of Finding the Survey Mounds after 200 Years Presented by Milton Denny, PLS, Denny Enterprise, LLC 12:00 p.m. Lunch: Fish Fry on the Five Rivers grounds Sponsored and hosted by: 1:00 p.m. SHS General Membership Meeting 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. Simultaneous activities: (1) Mobile-Tensaw Delta Swamp Tours (1-hour trip; sign-up required) (2) Visit to Blakely Civil War battlefield (1-hour trip; sign-up required) (3) Annual Surveyors Swap-Meet 5:00 p.m. Return to hotel 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Mardi Gras Banquet Admiral Semmes Grand Ballroom - Cash bar - Special Guest Speaker 9:00 p.m. Annual SHS Surveyors Auction (Please bring items for the auction.) Hospitality Room opens at conclusion of the auction. Laissez les bon temps rollez! T TIME Saturday, September 20, 2014 Breakfast at the Admiral Semmes. Busses provided for transportation to the Ellicott Stone. Separate registration required for Finding the Ellicott Mounds. Check block on Registration Form 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Historic Southern-Style Breakfast (all registrants) 9:00 a.m. Travel to the Ellicott Stone (north of Mobile) 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Dedication of Surveyors Historical Society Marker at the Ellicott Stone Speakers: Greg Spies: The Significance of the Ellicott Stone to the State of Alabama Andrew Ellicott (as portrayed by Milton Denny): Why This Spot Was Selected 12:00 p.m. Return to hotel or depart for Searching for the Ellicott Mounds Searching for the Ellicott Mounds On Saturday those of you who sign up can take part in a very historic effort: searching for mounds on the Ellicott Line. We are going to break up into six-person teams, who will be assigned locations and given the data to help find the mounds. We will try to cover fifty miles on each side of the Ellicott Stone. Many have asked about how big the mounds are at this time. To understand their current size, it’s important to understand how they were built, or “thrown up.” When the surveyors determined a location for a mound, the men (most likely a group of five to 10), would dig a circle about 10-15 feet in diameter and throw the dirt into the middle. Think of a donut in reverse: the outside would be where they dug the dirt, and the hole of the donut would be the pile of dirt in the middle. Most mounds were about 4-5-feet high when finished. Now, reflect on what 200 years would do to a pile of dirt. Most of the dirt has washed back into the low area, where the dirt was extracted, leaving a mound about ½ to 1 ½ feet high, surrounded by a ring or lower area. If you know where the mound should be and look very carefully, you can see the evidence. Just walking out in the woods will never result in finding a mound. How do you find these mounds? I develop the most probable location by using old maps, original field notes from GLO surveys and other retracements, and overlaying the digital quarter quads and other digital data. One of the most-important steps is to develop a correction per mile for the chain the original surveyors were using. This is best done from the digital quads and field survey corners. I test this digital data against other points found in the field and adjust mound location accordingly. One of the biggest problems is getting to the remote locations. It is hard to visit more than four or five locations a day. Most crews will be assigned a township consisting of six locations. Sign up for a great historical experience. Milton Denny, PLS Ellicott Stone WHO OWNED THE GULF COAST? WHEN? (50 minutes. Thomas (Mike) Besch, P.S.; Professor, The University of Akron ) This presentation will provide an overview of the people and nations who have laid claim to the Gulf Coast. The region, stretching from presentday Key West, Florida to Mexico has been occupied and fought over by native populations and European powers for over 600 years. At least twelve national and state flags have flown over parts of this region. This overview will be informative and enlightening for any surveyor who has ever had to solve surveying ownership problems that date back to early surveys of the region. CSS ALABAMA: ITS ROLE IN ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANTARBITRATIONS IN MODERN HISTORY (30 minutes. C. Barton Crattie, PLS) Built in England, the Confederate Ship Alabama plied the world’s waters for two short years (July 1862-June 1864). During that brief period she managed to capture or sink at least 60 Union ships, inflicting over $81 million (in today’s dollars.) Pirate or naval corsair? We’ll find out why the very room in Geneva, Switzerland, in which both the Geneva Conventions and the Red Cross were established, is named “Salle de l’Alabama.” (Bart Crattie enjoys researching and writing about historical oddities in land surveying and, at times, the American Civil War. He is a land surveyor as well as being certified by the Tennessee State Supreme Court as a Listed Rule 31 General Civil Mediator. This talk will not count toward land surveying continuing education credits). THE ORIGINS OF COLONIAL TITLE TO LANDS IN THE MOBILE BAY REGION (50 minutes. Gregory Spies, PLS, Archaeotechnics) From the fifteenth to the eighteenth century A.D., what is now the State of Alabama was claimed, at one time or another (frequently at the same time), by the Spanish, French and British monarchies as part of their discovery and colonization of North America. Title and claims to lands could be derived from discovery, conquest, treaties, grants, concessions, orders of survey, purchase (deed) and last but not least, occupation. Significant historical events determined sovereignty at any particular time over Spanish Florida, French Louisiana, British Virginia, British Carolina, British Georgia, British West Florida, Spanish West Florida, the Georgia Western Territory, Lands South of Tennessee, the Mississippi Territory, Lands East of the Pearl River, Lands East of the Island of New Orleans, the Orleans Territory, the Louisiana Territory and the Alabama Territory. Interestingly, these European and later U.S. claims were invariably for lands that had been occupied and settled and the “title” of which had been held for many centuries by the many and varied indigenous Amerindians. THE ELLICOTT STONE, THE POINT OF BEGINNING FOR THE USPLSS IN ALABAMA ( 50 minutes. Gregory Spies, PLS, Archaeotechnics) The Ellicott-Minor survey, conducted pursuant to the stipulations of the Treaty of San Lorenzo el Real of 1795, was a turning point of great significance in the advent of U.S. jurisdiction. This survey first brought the American flag into the old colonial Southwest territory (the modern Southeast U.S). This expedition, jointly conducted by the U.S. and Spain, marked the international boundary between the Mississippi Territory and Spanish West Florida. On March 18, 1799, Ellicott set up an astronomical observatory on Seymour’s Bluff overlooking the Mobile River. Ellicott made “astronomical and thermometric observations” from March 18 to April 9, 1799. After determining that “the compass line was too far North by 1' 22.7”, or 518.55 perches” Ellicott measured the discrepancy to the south and erected a boundary stone on the west side of the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. On April 8, 1803, Albert Gallatin commissioned Isaac Briggs, Surveyor General of the Lands of the United States South of the State of Tennessee, to select an Initial Point to begin the U.S. Public Land Surveys in the Mississippi Territory. The Ellicott Stone was selected by Briggs’ deputy surveyors to be the Initial Point for the Land District East of the Pearl River. Thus the old sandstone monolith on the Line of Demarcation between Spain and the U.S. marked the beginning of the U.S Public Land Survey in Alabama and stands today as silent witness to the passing of the colonial era. GENERAL LAND OFFICE SURVEYS IN MISSISSIPPI (50 minutes. Roffie Burt, PE, PLS, Associate Professor Emeritus, Mississippi State University) The Mississippi Territory was established in 1798 two days before Ellicott left Natchez to begin the survey of the 31st parallel as the boundary between Spain and the United States. The Territory was enlarged in 1804 and 1812 and then divided in 1817. In 1798 only two small parcels of land were available for survey but title to six more parcels was obtained over the next 30 years. The eight parcels were surveyed from five Principal Meridians over a period of 50 years by more than 150 deputy surveyors serving under eight different Surveyor Generals. The four parcels in south Mississippi were surveyed from the Washington and St. Stephens PM, both using Ellicott’s 31st parallel survey as their base line. The north parcel was surveyed from the Chickasaw PM using the 35th parallel (original Tennessee state line) as its base line and a small parcel around Columbus was surveyed from the Huntsville PM, also using the 35th parallel as its base line. All of the central part of Mississippi was surveyed from the Choctaw PM and Base Line established in 1821 to isolate errors from the earlier southern surveys. ANDREW ELLICOTT, THE SPANISH IN NATCHEZ, AND THE TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP, LIMITS, AND NAVIGATION BETWEEN SPAIN AND THE UNITED STATES; October 27, 1795. (Two-50 minute sessions. William J. Morton, MD, JD) Bill Morton practiced Urology in Atlanta, Ga for 30 years. Since retirement, he has done research about Andrew Ellicott in the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Smithsonian Institution and numerous historical societies, museums and special collection libraries. His presentations will include a biography of Andrew Ellicott, his family, his surveying accomplishments and his appointments as the Secretary of the Land Office of Pennsylvania and his faculty appointment as professor of mathematics at the United States Military Academy. The focus of this presentation will be Ellicott’s four year expedition to survey the 31st latitude from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic Ocean as provided for in the 1795 Treaty of San Lorenzo. Included in the presentation will be never-before-seen documents from research institutions and the Archivo General de Indias, Papeles de Cuba, Legajos. THE ART OF FINDING SURVEY MOUNDS AFTER 200 YEARS (45 minutes. Milton Denny, PLS, Denny Enterprises LLC) The “Line of Demarcation” surveyed by Andrew Ellicott and Esteban Minor in 1799 was monumented with earthen mounds set at one-mile intervals. A segment of these mounds now define the Alabama-Mississippi boundary between the Conecuh and Pearl Rivers, a distance of about 120 miles. Most of the original mounds lie unmarked, unrecognized, and unremembered in isolated fields, along dirt roads, and within timbered forest and swamps. This neglect has caused many mounds to be needlessly lost and, unless remedied, more will likely be lost in the future. While unmarked in the field, early survey maps exist of their locations. From these maps mound locations have been calculated using a USGS digital quad sheet as a reference. These locations can then be taken to the field, guided by hand-held GPS for great results. Several mounds were located using this method, demonstrating this approach to field research can result in the finding and documenting many original survey lines considered lost. To date more than 40 of the original mounds have been found. In this research effort, we made trips to the Florida, Alabama and Mississippi archives to acquire copies of their boundary plats. We visited county courthouses on both sides of the line to search the records, as well as making numerous trips along the boundary itself to locate mounds using this methodology. Saturday’s optional event, Searching for the Ellicott Mounds, is a field research effort to find mounds 60 miles each side of the Ellicott Stone. It will be headed by Milton Denny. SURVEYING THE LINE OF DEMARCATION: METHODS USED DURING THE ORIGINAL SURVEYS (90 minutes. Larry Crowley, PE, PhD, Professor, Auburn University) Earthen mounds established in 1799, at roughly one-mile intervals, mark the 31st parallel as laid out by a joint US-Spain Boundary Commission led by Andrew Ellicott, the original surveyor of Washington, DC. This line is known as The Line of Demarcation. One famed marker along this boundary line, as it crosses north of the City of Mobile along the Mobile River, is called the Ellicott Stone, chosen as the origin point of the GLO Meridian for Alabama. These mounds reflect the initial implementation of a treaty of such significance that George Washington noted its contribution to preserving the frail Union during his Presidential Farewell Address. The methods of how this work was carried out by Andrew Ellicott will be explored by Larry Crowley, PE, PhD. Dr. Crowley is one of the team members working with Milton Denny for the last five years on the research of the Line of Demarcation. THE HARDSHIPS OF BEING THE SURVEYOR OF THE LINE OF DEMARCATION (45 minutes. Andrew Ellicott, Commissioner) Mr. Thomas Freeman and I were appointed Commissioners of the Line of Demarcation by Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. After a very difficult voyage from Pittsburg down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers we arrived in Natchez. After an extended stay in Natchez working out our political differences with the Spanish government, we started work on the line in the spring of 1800. This is my firsthand account of the many problems and hardships encountered while being away from my family for almost four years. Professional Development Certificates PLEASE NOTE: The final determination of Continuing Education credits ultimately lays between the licensee and his/her state board of registration. Certificates will be issued based contact hours per presentation. SHS is submitting this program for evaluation in those states which require preapproval. Final status will be printed on the Certificates of Attendance issued at the conclusion of the conference. Rendezvous 2014 Headquarters is the Admiral Semmes Hotel, located in downtown Mobile, within walking distance of shops, restaurants and attractions. The SHS conference room rate is $79.00 per night. Parking is $7.00 per day. Individual attendees are responsible for their own room reservations. Reservations can be made by calling the Admiral Semmes Hotel at 251-432-8000. Ask for the SHS Conference Room Block. Call before August 14, 2014, to guarantee your rate. (Please note: Reservations made through another means, or utilizing other discount programs, will not guarantee you our SHS conference rate; and reservations for other accommodations will not count toward the SHS room block.) Thursday, September 18, 2014 T Tour of Historic Mobile and Bellingrath Gardens Following a continental breakfast at the hotel, you will board your motor coach for a tour to Bellingrath Gardens and Home. Coca-Cola millionaire Walter Bellingrath and his wife, Bessie, transformed a sleepy rustic fishing camp into one of the most beautiful estates in the South. You will walk the magnificent grounds and visit the beautiful home filled with antiques and collectibles from around the world. Lunch will be served in the Magnolia Restaurant at the Gardens. (There’s a gift shop, too.) After lunch, you’ll return to the city for a tour of Historic Mobile. The tour will include Mobile’s downtown historic districts, Church St. East, DeTonti Square and the Oakleigh Garden District. Enjoy the diverse architecture, natural beauty and rich history of the city! During the tour, you will stop at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and tour the DAR House, a beautiful Italianate-style townhouse where afternoon tea will be served. Friday, September 19, 2014 T Five Rivers Delta Resource Center Join your “significant other” for the festivities at Five Rivers, including: fish fry lunch, Mobile-Tensaw Delta swamp tours, Civil War battlefield tours, and our annual Surveyors Swap Meet. Our Friday evening banquet will feature a Mardi Gras theme, followed by our Annual Auction. Saturday, September 20, 2014 T Admiral Semmes Hotel Enjoy a Historic Southern-Style Breakfast at the hotel. All are welcome to attend our Ellicott Stone dedication. Surveyors Historical Society Membership Application Name: Last First Home Phone: ( ) ( ) ) M.I. Home Address: Cell Phone: City/State/Zip: Email: Optional Firm/Agency Name: Office Phone: ( Office Addresss: Email: City/State/Zip: Send corresponcence to: Home Office Please note: Information will not be sharted with any other organization, but your name, address, phone number and email address will be published in our annual roster distributed to other Surveyors Historical Society members. Please check the appropriate membership category: Student ($25) Regular ($75) Life ($750) Remainder of 2014 ($40) BENEFITS OF SHS MEMBERSHIP Complete this form and mail, along with indicated U.S. funds to: - Receipt of Backsights, the official publication of the Society - Contact with others who are interested in the history of surveying - Participation in Society events, such as our annual Rendezvous - Understand your profession by learning its history! Surveyors Historical Society 628 Ridge Ave. Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 (812) 537-0410 OPTIONAL The following information enables SHS to develop and update the member database profile which assists in the evaluation of existing programs and the development of new activities. Please answer all that apply. How did you learn about SHS? What are your surveying history interests? Is it okay to publish your name, address and contact information in our annual Member Directory? Yes No May we refer others to you with with queries about similar surveying history interests? Yes No Do you belong to other surveying or historical societies? Please list. Are you interested in helping with the work of the Surveyors Historical Society? If so, in what capacity? Speaker at and SHS Rendezvous? Write a Backsights article? Serve on an SHS committee? Topic(s)? Topic(s)? Review a book? Help with: Backsights? Other? www.Surveyors HistoricalSociety.com SHS Rendezvous? SURVEYORS HISTORICAL SOCIETY RENDEZVOUS '14 September 17 - 20, 2014 REGISTRATION FORM Name: Address: Admiral Semmes Hotel 201 Government St. Mobile, AL 36602 www.admiralsemmeshotel.com Phone: (251) 432-8000 Fax: (251) 405-5942 Name for Badge: Last First M.I. Home Phone: ( ) City/State/Zip: Cell Phone: ( ) Email: Fax Number: ( ) Please list states in which you are licensed: Spouse/Guest Name: Name for Badge: Guests must be registered to attend Rendezvous events. EARLY BIRD SPECIAL Register before August 15 and receive a discount of $25.00 (SHS Member Full Registrants only) Space is limited. On-site registrations will be accepted only if space permits. You can join SHS for $40.00 for the remainder of 2014 ( use separate registration form) and receive all member rates and discounts! Circle all rates which apply. FULL REGISTRATION Includes Technical Sessions, Thursday BBQ, Friday Fish Fry, Friday Banquet Banquet meal choice: Prime Rib Chicken Baton Rouge Baked Snapper with Crabmeat STUDENT REGISTRATION Includes IncludesThursday TechnicalSpouse Sessions, Program, Thursday Friday BBQ,Fish Friday Fry Fish , Friday Fry,Banquet Friday Banquet and Exhibits Banquet meal choice: Prime Rib Chicken Baton Rouge Baked Snapper with Crabmeat SPOUSE/GUEST REGISTRATION Includes Thursday Spouse Program, Friday Activities and Fish Fry, Friday Banquet Banquet meal choice: Prime Rib Chicken Baton Rouge Baked Snapper with Crabmeat Thursday ONE DAY REGISTRATION Friday Includes Technical Sessions, Thursday BBQ or Friday Fish Fry SATURDAY SEARCH FOR ELLICOTT MOUNDS Open to all registrants, no extra fee. Check: Yes No Guest EXTRA MEALS (if not included in registration above) Banquet meal choice: Baked Snapper with Crabmeat Prime Rib Chicken Baton Rouge Thursday Lunch Friday Lunch Friday Banquet SHS M ember NonM ember $275.00 $350.00 $120.00 $120.00 $200.00 $200.00 $150.00 $125.00 $200.00 $175.00 $27.00 $21.00 $50.00 $30.00 $24.00 $60.00 TOTAL REGISTRTATION AND EXTRAS EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT (SHS Member Full Registrants only, before August 15th) Make checks payable to: SHS RENDEZVOUS '14 and mail to: SHS Rendezvous 2014 628 Ridge Ave. Lawrenceburg, IN 47025-1912 (812) 537-0410 -$25.00 GRAND TOTAL Register online using credit card at: www.survyorsrendezvous.org www.surveyorshistoricalsociety.com
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