Welcome to this week's edition of the POB eNews ...
Like all surveyors living in Alabama, I have known about the Ellicott line and Ellicott stone for years. I also knew that there was a problem where the GLO surveyors laid out the section lines to the guide line, not the mound line, which left the Florida surveys at the easterly end of the line about 1.5 miles into Alabama. Most surveyors knew that the true boundary between Alabama and Florida was a series of earthen mounds piled up by Ellicott's men in 1799. A few claimed to even know the location of a few mounds.
Getting Infected by the Mound Bug. After an almost frantic call from a friend in Florida about five years ago claiming to have located a book of maps from 1854 showing mound locations, including bearings and distances, I became truly interested in finding the mounds.
My first encounter in the field was on New Year's Day 2006. A surveyor friend and I used my calculated location and GPS to find the first of many mounds to come. What a great thrill to find a survey point set in 1799 by my hero Andrew Ellicott. While most people were at home eating turkey and watching football games, we were sitting on top of a mound on a mild winter afternoon, miles from nowhere, without cell phone coverage, and eating a can of sardines. Life for a surveyor does not get any better than this. This experience began my five-year quest to see how many of the 120 mounds between the Conecuh and Chattahoochee rivers could be found.
Infecting Other People. Enter Auburn University, where I have worked part time teaching classes in surveying and engineering technology for many years. One of the professors became interested in finding the mound line, and my boss at Auburn, Larry Sellers, allowed us to schedule a workshop to find the mounds. Only then did I realize that maybe we could put this all together and make a mass effort to find the mounds.
One of the first obstacles was to find a faster way to calculate all 120 locations. The data were in perches, chains, feet and meters. Thanks to Dr. Larry Crowley at Auburn, a computer program was written to speed the process of calculating the latitude and longitude of each mound location. With these tools in hand, we were ready to head out to the field.
The Workshop. Forty surveyors signed up for the Dec. 3-5, 2009, field seminar. I developed six six-person crews led by volunteers, with the remaining four people doing fill-in work like setting monuments and such.
On the first day, the class was given instructions on how to find the mounds, and each crew was given a township containing six locations. We met back after dark to tell stories of success.
Many of the crew leaders asked me in private how I knew to give them all the best people. What they did not understand was that the individuals who signed up for the seminar were the greatest and most-knowledgeable collection of surveyors I have ever seen in one place--and I had just randomly appointed them to a crew. Their second question was: "How did you know where the mounds would be located?
When we went to the latitude and longitude provided, there was the mound."
The next day, each crew was given another township containing six more locations. At the end of the second day, all the attendees were asking, "What are we going to do next year?"
The Results. Every crew found mounds, most being very original and at the calculated locations. A total of 24 undisputable mounds have been found, and another 11 may be mound sites that need more research and investigation. We also have 10 locations that have not yet been searched. This is a potential total of 35 or 40 mounds found out of the original 120--not bad after 201 years.
Astounding Revelation. The original mound line was to be 31 degrees of latitude, or a great circle of arc around the Earth. The results of the mounds found show a one-half-mile bow in the middle of the line southerly toward Florida. This makes the middle of the line between the Conecuh and Chattahoochee rivers about 30 degrees 59 minutes 30 second of latitude. We have been able to determine the reason for this problem was not adjusting the declination of the compass as they ran the line easterly from the Conecuh River. The mounds, as found, are the boundary between Alabama and Florida by agreement.
Not very often do we get to do something that is life changing. The Alabama-Florida boundary has been just this kind of experience for me. Without the help of modern tools such as GPS and ancient maps, this would have not been possible. This project is far from over. Stay tuned for future updates!
Suspended in Midair by Craig R. Dylan On Labor Day weekend 2009, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and construction engineering firm C.C. Myers Inc. successfully completed an amazing "high-wire act" involving thousands of tons of concrete suspended 150 feet above the ground. ...
An Electric GIS by Mark Meade Electric transmission lines are a critical component of the modern electric power system. These high-voltage power lines carry wholesale electricity in bulk from power generators to local distribution systems or industrial consumers. ...
Mapping New Solutions by Nick Palatiello The third annual Geospatial Products and Services Excellence Awards presented by MAPPS, the national association of geospatial firms, highlighted the progressive use of geospatial technology to fulfill the requests of government, nonprofit and commercial clients as well as the technology innovations ...
From our Columnists ...
Traversing the Law: There are no lost corners. by Jeffery N. Lucas, PLS, Esq. By and large, this is not the fault of the land surveyor. Most land surveyors are earnestly attempting to fulfill their duties and responsibilities as they know them to be. ...
Web Exclusives!
The New Manual by Robert W. Dahl PLS The 2009 edition of the BLM's Manual of Surveying Instructions addresses technology changes and provides key policy clarifications...
Turning the Tables by Christine L. Grahl POB talked to a number of equipment dealers and surveyors to get their redictions for 2010, and no one expects to see a quick recovery. However, there are some glimmers of hope as we enter a new decade. What's more, today's professionals can take key steps to position themselves and their firms to capture new opportunities that are on the horizon... Touch the Flag A salute to the veterans among the ranks of America's land surveying and mapping professionals. With New Entries!
Product Survey: 2010 Machine Control Survey POB's 2010 Machine Control Survey features a searchable, user-friendly web format to help you research products before making purchasing decisions.
Sight Lines: Relentlessly Optimistic by Christine Grahl | Jan. 6
If I had to define my general outlook on life, I would say I'm a pragmatist. This is probably why I get annoyed at all the talk about the "clean slate" of a new year. I woke up on January 1 with the same challenges I was facing on December 31. It was, after all, just another day. Still, I can't help admiring the attitude of people like Clay Wygant, senior surveyor for WHPacific Inc., who always seems to exude positive energy.
Technology Benchmark: New Technologies for 2010 by Harry O. Ward, PE | Jan. 13
As we move into this new year, I am noticing a lot of enthusiasm. Developers are starting to commence new housing projects, builders are getting back to work, and big box sites are now beginning to pick up where they left off. Any firm that has not invested in technology over the past year or so might need to catch up rapidly to better compete for this work. Several key technologies are available as we enter the new year.
The Data Czar: The Shapefile Genre by Darron Pustam, MBA, GISP | Jan. 13
There is a generation of differences between GIS and CAD users of yesteryear and those of this new decade. One of those differences is the use of shapefiles. Although the modern alternative, a geodatabase, has existed since ArcGIS 8.0, the structure and concept of that contemporary form is still foreign territory to many.
Magellan Professional Renamed Ashtech Magellan Professional today announced that effective immediately its brand name has been changed to Ashtech.In commenting on the name change, François Erceau, vice-president and general manager said: "We have enjoyed the power of Ashtech in the professional GNSS market, and I am sure the rebirth of the Ashtech name is great news for all our customers and the market in general."
URISA Grants a One Year Complimentary Membership to All New GISPs The URISA Board of Directors has voted to award new GIS Professionals (GISP) a complimentary one year membership valued at $175. The title of GISP is granted by the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI) to those people who have met the educational, professional experience, and professional contribution requirements as set out by the GISCI.
Students: Get the Power of Carlson Software for Home Use Carlson Software is offering civil engineering, land surveying and mining students the option of purchasing their own software on which to learn and work at home for $99 for a full academic year. This program is available for fulltime students.
Abstracts Sought for 2010 URISA/NENA Addressing Conference URISA and the National Emergency Number Association are accepting abstract submissions for the 2010 URISA/NENA Addressing Conference. The conference-for GIS professionals, addressing coordinators, 9-1-1 and emergency response specialists -will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, August 16-18, 2010.
Local leaders chafe at QBS bill Wisconsin Legislator introduces bill to require qualifications-based selection whenever a local government hires a consultant, including architects, engineers and land surveyors, to plan a project with a value of at least $250,000 and using any amount of state money.
Cowboy Up: Ailing fan has a Community of support Michael Hayes, a retired civil engineer and land surveyor for 27 years, stopped taking the medications for his liver disease years ago. Now he's living on what he calls "God's time." Beating the odds one day at a time, Hayes seemingly is using absolute will power to outlive the death sentence handed to him six years ago. He'll tell you it's a combination of things -- "keeping the faith" and the care and attention from his wife -- but something else has helped Hayes cope with the solitude that comes with terminal cancer: The NASCAR.COM community.
'Biggest Loser' winner hopes to inspire dads Although land surveyor Danny Cahill is an inspirational figure to countless people aiming to lose weight, he's also a married father of a 10-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter. So Cahill's using his new-found celebrity status as winner of "The Biggest Loser" to inspire fathers.
Art in this neck of the woods Gregory Crispell is a land surveyor by trade. In his spare time, the Garland resident enjoys making maple syrup. He has even done a little middle-school basketball coaching. But Gregory Crispell, wood artist? That's one job title Crispell never expected to put on his resume, at least not until recently.
Barefoot lawyers India's Andhra Pradesh government has been generous in distributing land to the landless. About 4.5 million acres have been distributed, but about 25 per cent of this has not reached the beneficiaries. To remedy this, the state devised a unique solution. It set up land centers in every district and staffed them with lawyers and surveyors -- called barefoot lawyers and barefoot surveyors -- because they were selected from the villages and trained.
To read the latest Surveying in the Headlines, click here.
A man was sitting on the edge of the bed watching his wife who was looking at herself in the mirror.
Since her birthday was not far off, he asked what she'd like to have for her birthday present.
'I'd like to be six again,' she replied, still looking in the mirror.
So on the morning of her birthday, he arose early, made her a nice big bowl of Lucky Charms, and then took her to Six Flags theme park.
What a day! He put her on every ride in the park--the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Roller Coaster--everything there was.
Five hours later, they staggered out of the theme park. ...
Problem of the Week: Public Land Surveying System Problems: History of Public Lands
Which of the following authorities supervised the first surveys of public lands?
A. the General Land Office B. the Act of February 11, 1805 C. the Virginia Charter D. the Land Ordinance Act
Cool Link of the Week: DigitalGlobe's Year in Review
DigitalGlobe has made available its 2009 Year-In-Review Image Gallery on Flickr. This year-in-review collection houses a selection of 2009 images, including significant political and cultural events, natural disasters, and innovative architecture.
Further your technical education and industry knowledge at the AEC Store.
2009 Bestsellers:
Business Management Handbook for Land Surveyors - $65.00 This 150-page handbook provides guidance for land surveyors who are interested in starting or improving their own business. Follow this link for a complete description.
GPS for Land Surveyors, Third Edition - $89.85 This manual gives you all the tools to understand and use GPS techniques in everyday practice.This book teaches the basics of GPS technology, common hardware, surveying methods, survey design, planning and observation, and much more! Follow this link for a complete description.
Lasting Impressions, A Glimpse Into the Legacy of Surveying
Lasting Impressions is a visually stunning compilation of fascinating stories and photos from surveyors, engineers, geocachers, history buffs and enthusiasts from across the country. Follow this link for a complete description.
The AEC Store offers more than50 products specific to the Surveying Industry. Visit AECStore.com to view all of our products.
This e-mail was sent to you on behalf of Point of Beginning.
For more industry tips, news, and resources, please visit www.pobonline.com.
If you're interested in viewing other publications BNP Media offers, please click here.
Welcome to this week's edition of the POB eNews ... 
The Workshop. Forty surveyors signed up for the Dec. 3-5, 2009, field seminar. I developed six six-person crews led by volunteers, with the remaining four people doing fill-in work like setting monuments and such. 
When we went to the latitude and longitude provided, there was the mound." 
Not very often do we get to do something that is life changing. The Alabama-Florida boundary has been just this kind of experience for me. Without the help of modern tools such as GPS and ancient maps, this would have not been possible. This project is far from over. Stay tuned for future updates!
Web Exclusives!
