SURVEYINGINTEXASFOR

NON-TEXANS

BrianD.Au+o,RPLSHouston,Texas

TounderstandTexasSurveyinglet’scomparesurveyinginthe

UnitedStatesPublicLandSurveySystem(USPLSS)VS.

Texas

Startwithtwohistoricalgiants

ThomasJefferson3rdPresidentoftheU.S.

StephenF.AusNn“FatherofTexas”

1793To1836

USPublicLandSurveySystemoriginallyproposedbyThomasJefferson

becameLandOrdinanceof1785

ThenTheUSPublicLandSurveySystem

StatueofJeffersonatUniversityofVirginia

Pain+ngofAus+nbyHenryArthurMcArdle,1873

InstrucNonstoSurveyorsBaseduponEmpressarioAusNn

AndtheColonialCommissioner

laterTexasGeneralLandOffice

Commissioner

Township-  6milessquareSecNon-  1milesquare-  640acres-  80chainsx80chainsGunterChain-  66feet-  100linksAliquotParts–standardsubdivisionsofasec+on

SECTION640acres6400sq.ch.

1mile=80chains

1mile=80chains

USPUBLICLANDSURVEYSYSTEM-PLSS

¼cornersset

NW/4 NE/4

SW/4 SE/4

16

16

31 36

OFFICIALUSPLSSTOWNSHIPPLAT–GALLATINCO-MONTANA

April24,1890

Aus+nexperienceinMissouriwithhisFatherMosesAus+n-SFAborninVirginia–raisedinMissouri-li+ga+onandlandboundaryconflicts

Aus+nwasasurveyorandactedmostlikeasurveycoordinatorinTexas

-Texasfirsthydrographicsurveyor(page457Aus+nPapers)GreatResource!AusNnPaperseditedbyEugeneBarker(PublicDomain)-Online=HATHITRUSTDigitalLibraryCita+on:APACitaNonAus+n,M.(192428).TheAus(npapers.Washington:Govt.print.off..MLACitaNonAus+n,Moses,1761-1821.TheAus+nPapers.Washington:Govt.print.off.,192428LinktoAus+nPapers: hip://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/004570145

AusNnColonies-Extents

Dallas-FortWorth

HoustonAusNn

AUSTINCOLONIES–ExtentofcontractedAreas

AusNnColonyfor300familiesapprovedandsurveyingaddressed

TEXASSURVEYINGUNITS

5000varas

5000varas

1LABOR177.136acres

1000varasx1000varas1LEAGUE25Labors

4428.402acres25,000,000sq.varas

1SECTION640acres

1000sq.varas

1900.8varas

1900.8varas

1vara=331/3inches0.36varas=1foot

NOTE:LeaguesalmostneveraresubdividedintolaborsinpracNce

Forma+onoftheGeneralLandOffice(GLO)–HeadedbyLandCommissioner§  GLOOrganizedvacantlandintoDistricts(thenCoun+es)andheadedbyDistrict

Surveyor§  SurveyingperformedbyDeputySurveyors

§  Surveyrequiredforclaimingland–alongwithfees§  Claimtolandbyvariousmeans(afewexamples)

-  Headright:Landbasedonclassesand+meofentrytoTexas-  Headoffamily=1league+1labor(4605.538acres)-  Singlemale=1/3ofleague(1476.134acres)

-  Bounty:Militaryservice(pay)-  Dona+on:Militaryserviceperbaile

Pages818and819ofAusNnPapers

Horatio Chriesman

Austin Colony Surveyor

TexasGeneralLandOfficeMaptype:SketchTitle:SurveysinAus+n’sColonyalongeastbankofMillCreekSketchNumber:216BrazoriaCountySurveyor:Hora+oChriesmanDate:1827NearpresentdayBellville,TexasHora+oChriesmanlaterwouldlatercallfortheTexianConsulta+onandConven+onatSanFelipedeAus+nin1832–whichresultedintheeventualWarwithMexicoandtheforma+onoftheNa+onofTexas

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FIELDNOTEEXAMPLEFieldNotesforOne-halfleagueandOne-half

laborofland(Sept.1853)For:HeirsofEmilyM.Perry(daughterofSFA)Surveyor:RobertG.Mills,DistrictSurveyor,BrazoriaDistrict

SurveyDimensions:2528varasby5139varas2301.2acres(thissurvey)

-------------1/2league=2214.2acres1labor=88.55acres

Total2302.75acres(Texasdefined)Beginningatacornerpost133varasSouthoftheNE/cofS.F.Aus+nsLeagueandahalfSurveyonOystercreekEastofGrocesSurvey–ThenceSouthwiththeEastboundaryofsaidAus+nsSurvey2528varastoapostforcornerThenceEast5139varastoamulberypostfromwhichabendinGuy?BayoubrsS20°Eabout150varasdistantThenceNorthat280varascrosssedLongPointSloughat2528varassetapostforcorner(thislinepassesthroughthelowerpartoffinestandof+mber–ThenceWest5139varastotheplaceofbeginningcontainingonehalfofaLeagueandonehalfofalaborofland.Onequarteroftheleaguearable.Thebalancepastureland.Chainers:N.B.GrissomandA.HoltThissurveylatercorrected---

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MAINDIFFERENCEBETWEENSYSTEMSATTHEPOINTOFTRANSFEROFRIGHTS

FROMGOVERNMENTTOPRIVATEOWNERSHIP:

-------------USPLSS=SIMULTANEOUSCONVEYANCEOFTOWNSHIP§  All36secNonscreatedinstantlyatapproval§  SecNonsorpartsofsecNonsgrantedtoindividuals§  RequiresconsiderablegovernmentmoneyandresourcestosurveyUSpubliclands§  Remotechanceofvacanciesorunclaimedland–ifdonebytherules§  NoJunior/SeniorrightsbetweensecNons§  PropertydescripNonbyaliquotparts

-------------TEXAS=SEQUENTIALCONVEYANCEPERINDIVIDUALSURVEY§  Surveycostpaidforbyindividualclaimant§  CreatesJunior/Seniorrightsbetweentracts§  Possibilityofvacancies(landsNllownedbyStateofTexas)betweentracts§  PropertyrequiremetesandboundsfordescripNon

Texasundersixflags–France,Spain,Mexico,TexasNa+on,UnitedStatesofAmerica,ConfederateStatesofAmericaTexascameintotheUSasa28thstatein1845bytreaty(theonlystatetodoso)-landrich,cashpoor.USGov’tassumedTexasdebt–butitgaveupclaimsoutsideoftoday’sborders.Texasretainedownershipofitsland.Staffordv.King-30Tex257–April1867–CherokeeCounty,Texas"Courseanddistancearethemostunreliablecalls;distanceislessreliablethancourse,becauseofthemistakesoftheofficers,overwhichthelocatorhasnocontrol;butofnaturalandar(ficialobjectsthelocatorcantakenoteontheground;hencethegeneralrule,thatcourseanddistanceyieldtonaturalobjects;while,undercertaincircumstances,courseanddistancemaycontrol,yetgenerallytheyarebutguidestotheothercalls.Theactualiden(fica(onofthesurvey,thefootstepsofthesurveyorupontheground,shouldalwaysbefollowed,bywhateverruletheymaybetraced."Hoguev.Baker(1898)TexasSupremeCourtdeclarednomorevacantland–allremaining“un-appropriated”landwassetasideforthebenefitofpublicschools–thepermanentschoolfund”DiscoveryofOil–Spindletop1901–Vacancieshuntersandli+ga+on