The California Surveyor - CLSA
The California Surveyor - CLSA
The California Surveyor - CLSA
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Mount Diablo<br />
<strong>Surveyor</strong>s<br />
Historical Society<br />
Editor's Note: <strong>The</strong> following is a reprint, with<br />
permission, of some of the articles from the<br />
First Edition of the Mount Diablo <strong>Surveyor</strong>s<br />
Historical Society Newsletter. Anyone interested<br />
on joining the Historical Society or<br />
wanting more information should contact<br />
Don Marcott at the address below.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mount Diablo <strong>Surveyor</strong>s<br />
Historical Society and its<br />
members from <strong>California</strong> and<br />
Nevada invite you to join us in realizing<br />
some very worthy objectives.<br />
Our profession, born at the dawn of<br />
civilization, has passed through 50<br />
centuries nearly unchanged in purpose.<br />
Sadly, most of our ancient history and<br />
artifacts have been lost. If we fail to<br />
preserve that which is left to us we will<br />
surely be the poorer and forget who<br />
we were and from whence we came.<br />
Our Society was founded by members<br />
of the profession to preserve the<br />
past and the present for tomorrow. We<br />
are a nonprofit corporation directed<br />
by volunteers. <strong>The</strong> Society spends most<br />
of its funds on the purchase and display<br />
of rare and distinctive instruments,<br />
maps and publications. <strong>The</strong><br />
Society is also approved by the IRS to<br />
receive charitable donations of money,<br />
grants and artifacts, as a nonprofit,<br />
tax-exempt entity.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Society needs and solicits your<br />
support and participation to help track<br />
the footsteps of the past. As a member<br />
you are offered the opportunity to<br />
participate in Society activities and<br />
most important, you will be helping<br />
to preserve the heritage of surveying<br />
and mapping for your children<br />
and grandchildren.<br />
We have members who are acknowledged<br />
experts in the preservation,<br />
restoration and identification of<br />
surveying artifacts. Any request for<br />
information will be forwarded to them<br />
so they may answer you directly.<br />
By Herb Kilmer<br />
Please join us today in this<br />
important work!<br />
Board of Directors:<br />
Norman Payne<br />
Eugene Phipps<br />
Don Marcott<br />
Myron Lewis<br />
Kristy Davis<br />
MOTTO: COLLECT, PRESERVE,<br />
DISPLAY<br />
Historical<br />
Biographical Note<br />
William J. Lewis (born in Chester<br />
County, Penn., April 5, 1812) First<br />
elected County <strong>Surveyor</strong> of Santa Clara<br />
County, <strong>California</strong>, 1852-1855...<br />
His father was a teacher of the<br />
Quaker denomination, skilled in mathematics.<br />
William inherited this skill and<br />
became a <strong>Surveyor</strong>/Engineer and<br />
worked for various railroads throughout<br />
the eastern states until 1842, at<br />
which time he then taught in Philadelphia<br />
for six years.<br />
In 1849 he came to <strong>California</strong> and<br />
spent a short time mining in Tuolumne<br />
County, finally settling in Santa Clara<br />
County where he farmed a small tract<br />
near San Jose with Captain Winslow<br />
and Mr. Hathaway. In 1850 he opened<br />
a surveying/engineering office in San<br />
Jose and from 1852-1855 served the<br />
County as its surveyor. His surveys<br />
were accurate, impartial and his maps<br />
neat and reliable.<br />
In 1855 he accepted the office of City<br />
<strong>Surveyor</strong> in San Francisco and subsequently<br />
surveyed the line of the San<br />
Francisco-San Jose Railroad, Benicia-<br />
Marysville Railroad, Western Pacific<br />
Line from San Jose to Sacramento and<br />
the San Jose-Gilroy Extension. In<br />
1853 he was also a U.S. Deputy <strong>Surveyor</strong><br />
and in this capacity also<br />
surveyed many large ranches and<br />
Mexican Grants, among them the<br />
famous 'Panoche Grande'. From 1867-<br />
1870 he was Chief Engineer for the<br />
construction of the San Francisco<br />
Seawall. A Proud Heritage!<br />
Next issue: A copy of his report to<br />
the Mayor and Council of Placerville<br />
for a railroad to Sacramento.<br />
Past Activities<br />
<strong>The</strong> Society displays surveying<br />
artifacts for the general public. For<br />
the past two years we have displayed<br />
at the annual Living History Days,<br />
at the San Jose Historical Museum.<br />
<strong>The</strong> museum strives continually to<br />
provide programs of educational<br />
benefit to the community. We plan<br />
to continue to participate.<br />
To commemorate National <strong>Surveyor</strong>s<br />
Week and <strong>Surveyor</strong>s Week in Santa<br />
Clara County, during March and<br />
April, 1991, we displayed surveying<br />
equipment, historical maps, old photographs<br />
and artifacts at the County<br />
Government Center in San Jose.<br />
In March, 1991, the community also<br />
saw our display at the Pioneer/<br />
Settlers Days Celebration held at<br />
Evergreen Junior College in San Jose.<br />
It was a very well received one-day<br />
showing.<br />
FRESNO: In January 1991 and January<br />
1992, we displayed at the 30th and<br />
31st Annual Surveying and Engineering<br />
Conference sponsored by<br />
<strong>California</strong> State University, Fresno...<br />
a smashing success!<br />
NEVADA: In March, 1992, still<br />
another display was set up at the<br />
<strong>California</strong> Land <strong>Surveyor</strong>s Association<br />
and Nevada Association of Land<br />
<strong>Surveyor</strong>s joint conference in Sparks...<br />
We're EVERYWHERE!!!<br />
Membership Invitation<br />
<strong>The</strong> Mount Diablo <strong>Surveyor</strong>s Historical<br />
Society (MDSHS) is created to<br />
enrich the general public by collecting,<br />
preserving and displaying the<br />
knowledge, technology and artifacts<br />
of the land surveying profession.<br />
Any person who has an interest in<br />
our purpose is eligible for membership.<br />
For more information contact:<br />
Mount Diablo <strong>Surveyor</strong>s<br />
Historical Society<br />
5042 Amethyst Court<br />
San Jose, CA 95136-2601<br />
Attn: Don Marcott, Secy/Treas Q<br />
Fall 1992 <strong>The</strong> <strong>California</strong> <strong>Surveyor</strong> 27