PLSO The Oregon Surveyor Sept/Oct 2019

18 Vol. 42, No. 5 The Oregon Surveyor | A catch phrase among Surveyors is, “Walk- ing in the footsteps.” We search for the Original Corners, which were left by Odell and other Government Surveyors. These are the paramount monuments, if they can be found. The Surveyor’s Notes were generally written in a cursive style with pen and ink. It says where they started from, and what direction they went. Land features are often mentioned along their route: creeks, ridge lines, an occasional cabin, etc.” Those topographic details, “topo” calls, are the same features today as they were when the Surveyor passed through. The Sections are one-mile square. Once the Section Corners were set, a Quarter Section Corner was set at the mid-point on all four sides. When in timber, trees where blazed and scribed with the lo- cation. These bearing trees witness the corner position. On open land the only option is rocks and boulders. The cor- ner’s identifying marks were chiseled on the face of a rock. It has now become a “Stone.” Its size and markings are record- ed in the notes. The Surveyor following in the footsteps hopes to arrive where he should be and find what he expects to be there, when he gets there. It was during my research of the notes near Camp Creek, East of Zumwalt Prairie, that Odell’s 1866 narrative reappeared. William Odell ended the 1866 East Base- line Survey at the East corner of Range 47 East, near Little Sheep Creek and along- side the current Joseph-Imnaha Highway (not shown). To provide some scale, his last Township Corner is four miles up- stream from the town of Imnaha, Oregon. This image represents the remaining, unfinished 16-mile segment of the Wil- lamette Meridian’s East Baseline at the time of Odell’s turnover. Facing East, the Baseline was swallowed by deep can- yons. Big Sheep Creek, the Imnaha River, Horse Creek, and finally, one-mile deep Hell’s Canyon. x Contact us today! www.llmpubs.com | 800-647-1511 Advertise to Support Your Association! Make your company stand out while supporting your association so they can change your industry for the better! • Speak to your entire association’s member base • Complimentary graphic design services • Modify an existing ad or have a new one created • Multi-publication discounts Featured Article A catch phrase among Surveyors is, “Walking in the footsteps.” We search for the Original Corners, which were left by Odell and other Government Surveyors.