Year: 2016

Land Surveying During the Great Depression

The Great Depression of the 1930s significantly impacted virtually every occupation. Land surveyors and civil engineers were not immune to the economic downturn, and thousands soon found themselves looking for work in once-booming towns. By 1933, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, a government agency, contacted the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, (C&GS) to implement

The Pacific Railroad Surveys

The Pacific Railroad Surveys were some of the most important railway surveys ever undertaken in North America. Conducted from 1853 to 1855, the purpose of these surveys was to explore possible routes for the building of a railroad that would span the country from coast to coast (now known as the transcontinental railroad). The discovery

The Louisiana Purchase Survey

With the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the size of the United States was essentially doubled. Very little of this enormous expanse of land had actually been explored, let alone surveyed. In fact, at the time of the transaction, it was not known exactly how much land the United States had purchased. The Louisiana Purchase Survey

Archaeological Land Surveying

Archaeological surveying is a specialized type of land surveying conducted to report the finds made in an archeological site or to show the relationship of the archaeological site to the landscape. This survey is generally undertaken at the request of archeologists or government agencies and utilizes GIS, GPS, aerial photography, and other tools for surveying.

Bouquet and Hutchins: The Origins of the Rectangular Land Survey System

Without the introduction of a rectangular surveying system, land surveying in the United States might have taken a completely different form. Before the Revolutionary War, surveys used physical features like streams, lakes or large trees to identify property. The problem with this “metes and bounds” system was that it was greatly affected by simple changes

American Congress On Surveying And Mapping

The American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, or ACSM, dates back to 1941. It was founded as a non-profit organization to advance education in surveying, mapping, and related fields, and it encourages educational programs and publications to serve the professional and technical interests of these professions. ACSM essentially provides a way for those in the

Courthouse Deed Research

Courthouse deed research involves going to the courthouse to look up the deed to a property. This can be a notoriously frustrating process because old records can be hard to locate, which often means it can take several hours to find some deeds. The older the records are, the more difficult they will usually be

Adverse Possession Law

Adverse possession is a concept in real estate law in which someone may be able possess all or part another’s titled real estate property by occupying the land for an extended period of time. Unlike traditional real estate transactions in which compensation is offered for the land, adverse possession involves gaining the land by using

Eminent Domain

Eminent domain, also known as compulsory purchase expropriation, is the power of the state to seize a citizen’s land for public use. Monetary compensation is required in this situation, but the owner’s consent is not. In some jurisdictions, the government must offer to purchase the property at the owner’s price before resorting to eminent domain.

History and Functions of USGS

The USGS, or United States Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The role of the USGS is to study the landscape and natural resources of the United States. There are four major disciplines contained within the United States Geological Survey: biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The purpose of USGS findings