PLSO Oregon Surveyor January/February 2019

21 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org The Lost Surveyor L eaving a day early from the 2019 PLSO convention, I ventured out on my second trip to Oklahoma City for a visit with one of my sons. After visiting the Land Run Monument and the “Pioneers of 1889” statue in downtown Oklahoma City last year, on this trip I made an attempt to visit one of two Initial Points in Oklahoma. The primary Initial Point is located approx- imately seventy miles south of Oklahoma City and seven miles west of Davis, Okla- homa. Unlike what we enjoy here in the northwest with an Initial Point preserved on public land and available to all, Oklaho- ma’s Initial Point is located on private land. Although the Initial Point has been listed on the National Register of Historic Plac- es since 1970, the land is clearly fenced, posted and inaccessible. After finding no one to ask permission to complete my pil- grimage, I had to settle for exploring the Indian Meridian line north from the Initial Point. I will say it was a fun adventure to test out my son’s 2018 KIA Stinger on the meridian road. The built in “Launch Con- trol” system on a 365HP sports car is an exciting way to explore a straight line like this! (Photo 1-1A) Set in 1870, the Oklahoma Initial Point near Davis was the basis for the survey of all lands except the panhandle. Scribed on the east side is “Ind Mer.”, on the north side “1870,” on the west side is “I.P.” for Initial Point. The stone also includes the scribing “I.B” for Indian Baseline. The Initial Point was set in 1870 to apportion off the Un- assigned Lands into Sections, Townships. and Ranges plus the 160-acre tracts to be claimed by settlers. The Unassigned Lands were in fact the remaining Indian territo- ry that was not included in the numerous reservations during the period of reloca- tion and assimilation of the Plains Indians. The surveys were carried out by General Land Office Surveyors. The survey of these lands, while devastating to the tribes, set up the great land rush of 1889 which was the beginning of the disposal of the for- mer Indian Territory lands that comprised the federal lands in the Oklahoma Terri- tory. Racing… I mean carefully driving the sports car to set a good example for my son, we traveled north on the Indian Me- ridian towards Oklahoma City. The meridian line passes just east of Nor- man, Oklahoma and the home of this issues Lost Surveyor, Abner Ernest Nor- man. Abner was a professional engineer and surveyor who in 1870 was contracted by the government to survey the Oklahoma 1, 1a: Looking North on the Indian Meridian Line from a point approximately one half mile north of the Initial Point 2: Abner Norman at Norman City Hall continues T