Bicentennial Story #41-Leathery Surveyors

Title

Bicentennial Story #41-Leathery Surveyors

Description

Description of the work of land surveyors in Dakota Territory.

Date

6/26/1975
3/26/1976

Contributor

L.W. Veigel

Rights

This recording cannot be copied or reproduced without the written permission of the Dickinson Museum Center. This recording may be freely used for education uses, so long as it is not altered in any way. No commercial reproduction or distribution of this recording file is permitted without written permission of the Dickinson Museum Center.

Format

mp3

Medium

audio reel, analog, 1/4 inch polyester tape

Language

English

Spatial Coverage

Dakota Territory

Rights Holder

Copyright Stark County Historical Society and Dickinson Museum Center

Transcription

Operating ahead of the settlement of the public lands in western North Dakota were the leathery surveyors employed under contract by the General Land Office. Their work was done in three stages. First the parallel lines 24 miles apart were run, then these intervals worn marked off into "Townships" six miles square, and finally these block were “subdivided" into typical sections and quarter sections.

The survey crews worked through the long summers in wind and heat. Tents were used to shelter the men, while teams and wagons were used to transport supplies and cornerstones. It was a rugged and lonely life on the open plain, with no towns or settlers to break the tedium.

This is Bicentennial Story No. 41, prepared by L.W. Veigel, for the Stark County Historical Society.

Original Format

Sound recordings

Duration

1:13

Bit Rate/Frequency

128kbps

Decade

1970 1979

Physical Location

Bicentennial tape #3, Bicentennial stories 23-45

Geolocation

Comments

Allowed tags: <p>, <a>, <em>, <strong>, <ul>, <ol>, <li>

Citation

“Bicentennial Story #41-Leathery Surveyors,” Southwestern North Dakota Digital Archive At the Dickinson Museum Center, accessed March 28, 2024, https://dmc.omeka.net/items/show/564.