TSPS MAY 2025 FINAL - Flipbook - Page 12
TECH TALK
ORDINARY ERRORS OF CAREFUL SURVEYORS
o promote the appropriate use of technology, the Technology Advisory Committee aims to share knowledge that
will help fellow surveying professionals achieve
predictable results and repeatable accuracies.
Although accuracies achieved today differ
from accuracies achieved by our predecessors,
the good surveying practices of our predecessors are still good surveying practices to emulate today.
Let’s explore the good surveying practices
of 1858, as described by Francis M. White, the
Texas Land Commissioner in 1858, courtesy of
William (Bill) Merten, RPLS, LSLS, PSM, and
the GLO:
T
THE ORDINARY ERRORS OF CAREFUL SURVEYORS
In a letter dated May 31, 1858, just three
months after the start of his 昀椀rst term as Texas Land Commissioner, Francis M. White sent
a detailed list of General Surveying Instructions to the County and District Surveyors of
69 counties. In the following months, he forwarded the same instructions to the remaining 83 counties, to be “recorded in a proper
book for observance and future reference”.
KEY INSTRUCTIONS AND INSIGHTS
Francis M. White, Texas Land
Commissioner (1858). Image
courtesy of the General Land
Of昀椀ce archives.
or,” as each county entitled to a surveyor was
considered a land district for all intents and
purposes. The Texas Legislature, under both
the Republic and the State, de昀椀ned these roles
early on.
1837, Republic of Texas: There shall be a
county surveyor, elected by both houses of congress, for each county.
Gammel, Laws of Texas Vol. 1, Pg. 1404
1846, State of Texas: All counties existing
as of Feb. 15, 1846 are declared land districts.
There shall be one district surveyor elected in
the general election for each land district, having a two-year term. Any new counties created
henceforth shall remain in their respective land
districts.
Gammel, Laws of Texas Vol. 2, Pg. 1538
1848, State of Texas: Any new counties created out of the existing land districts shall become their own land district and shall have one
county surveyor elected in the general election
for each county, having a two-year term.
Gammel, Laws of Texas Vol. 3, Pg. 153
District surveyors have faded away and likewise, county surveyors have been abolished in
many counties.
THE ENDURING LEGACY OF COMMISSIONER
WHITE
White’s instructions covered a broad range of
To follow in the footsteps of the original surtopics, but basically covered the day-to-day
veyor, Commissioner White eloquently laid
Circa 1722 Surveying Reference
workings of the County and District Surveyout that path where instructions to surveyors
Book from the Library of the
before this were vague and left questions that
ors. Many of the instructions are applicable
University of Michigan
are still unanswered today.
today and several are still in our statutory
In October 1969, the Texas Surveyors Association recognized
law. Paragraph 8 is of particular interest because the Comthe enduring value of Commissioner White’s instructions and
missioner addresses the accuracy of the required surveys. “As
published them in the Survey Manual of Texas. For those studyperfect accuracy in surveys cannot be expected, a difference of
not more than 100 varas is allowed for closing a survey of one
ing for the LSLS exam, these instructions offer an excellent releague………. Not more than what may be considered “the orsource for understanding how public land was managed during
this period and are reprinted in subsequent pages.
dinary errors of careful surveyors” will be allowed.”
These instructions provided answers to numerous issues that had arisen during the General Land
CONCLUSION
Of昀椀ce’s short 22 years of existence and served as
A number of commissioners issued surveyors’ ina punch list for county and district surveyors for
structions throughout the history of the GLO. None
each step from certi昀椀cate to 昀椀ling of 昀椀eld notes
were as concise and speci昀椀c as Commissioner
from which contemporary surveyors can learn and
White’s. In a very few pages, Commissioner White
understand.
gave us a glimpse of the surveyors’ life in 1858.
Surveying has a rich and deep history we all can
learn
from. Gaining that knowledge will help enDISTRICT/COUNTY SURVEYOR
WILLIAM (BILL) MERTEN,
RPLS, LSLS, PSM,
The term “District Surveyor” is used in White’s
able one to follow the footsteps with con昀椀dence.
Technology Advisory
instructions as synonymous with “County SurveyThings forgotten cease to exist.
Committee, Author
10 THE TEXAS SURVEYOR May 2025
