Recommended Reading: Measuring America

[ArtMan]

Measuring America, a new book by Andro Linklater (310pp, $26.00, Walker Publishing, ISBN 0-8027-1396-3).

 

It's a fast-paced history of surveying in the United States, including how the township and section system prevailed in the Western states over the metes-and-bounds system of the East. There's a bit on the technology of surveying (though I wanted to read more), rather more on the metric system and how it never prevailed in the U.S. (and five other anglophone countries), and some satisfying characters, including kings and commoners, presidents and precision instrument makers.

 

The publishers have a web site where you can read a sample chapter.

 

Art

 

[This message was edited by ArtMan on December 20, 2002 at 01:01 PM.]

[+wreckdiver]

Thanks!! I plan to order this book. Plus the website has some great links.

[+patw]

Just what I was looking for! Ordered three copies, one for our local town historian who has helped us so much in the history of some local bench marks. Thanks for the heads-up! . . . . patrick & shirley

 

patrick & shirley

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/bds:@field(FLD001+90898091+):@@@$REF$

Click on new search and enter: An ORDINANCE for ascertaining the mode of locating and disposing of LANDS in the WESTERN TERRITORY. This is where the territory ceded by the individual states to the United States,when the same ............... Divided into HUNDREDS of TEN geographical miles square,each mile 6085' and four tenths of a foot,(not 5280'),feet,by lines to be run and marked due north and south,and others crossing these at right angles,the first of which lines,each way shall be at TEN miles distance from one of the corners of the STATE within which they shall be.....

When all else fails Geotry again.

 

[This message was edited by Trailblazer # 1 on December 22, 2002 at 07:49 PM.]

 

[This message was edited by Trailblazer # 1 on December 22, 2002 at 07:56 PM.]

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

When you click on the link you will have to click,(new search). When you get the descriptive information page,type this in the search bar, (An ORDINANCE for ascertaining the mode of locating and disposing of LANDS in the WESTERN TERRITORY).click search.view full file. This is the only way I know to this link.

I just tried it and it worked for me. you should get 59 hits.You want the first one.

When all else fails Geotry again.

 

[This message was edited by Trailblazer # 1 on December 23, 2002 at 05:45 PM.]

[+patw]

Thanks for a GREAT link! Do note, however, that this ordinance failed to become enacted. As the book points out, Thomas Jefferson's campaign to adopt the decimal system failed. The Western Territories were surveyed on six-by-six mile blocks (townships). The book develops the theme of four-vs-ten in a delightful manner throughout. This book is MUST reading for anyone testing the waters of bench marks and surveys. . . . patrick

 

patrick & shirley

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

BLM Manual,THE BLUE BOOK,And Divided into 6 mile squares as nearly as could be due to the convergence of the Meridiands at the poles.To begin at a True Meridian,Prime=+-0,15,45,90,91,92,93 and Standard Parallel Equtor=+-0,15,30,31,32,33,34,34,..39,I am trying to tie loose ends together and help others to realize the meanings and understand them myself.I am also working on something that ties years of work together with other peoples input but do not want to tell them right strait out what that goal is because according to current philosophy if you tell your goal others may and try to defeat it.And it's one of those things that when you learn is like a Treasure hidden in a field,when that man findeth it he sold all that he had to buy that piece of ground where he found it.Intellectual Property are a hard thing to keep a hold of as well,some without the monetary funds to promote and protect Intellectual rights get thrown asunder with the "BIG WHEELS"and fast money.

 

When all else fails Geotry again.