Surveyor Presidents - Springfield, IL
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 39° 48.107 W 089° 38.900
16S E 273272 N 4409113
Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington were all surveyors at one point in their lives.
Waymark Code: WMNM9R
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 04/02/2015
Views: 4
This sign is part of the Looking for Lincoln series located throughout Springfield..and perhaps other cities in Illinois.
The sign is located near the former National Museum of Surveying (and across from the old Capitol Building. It reads:
"SURVEYOR PRESIDENTS
MANY PEOPLE LOOK AT
MOUNT RUSHMORE, CARVED IN THE
Black Hills of South Dakota,
as a monument to four Presidents,
but land surveyors see it as "three surveyors
and one other guy." Washington, Jefferson,
and Lincoln all were land surveyors.
George Washington was sixteen years old
when he went with Joshua Fox to survey
the great Fairfax Grant in Northwest
Virginia. Thomas Jefferson followed in
fathers' footsteps and became a land
surveyor. He was appointed County
Surveyor of Albemarle County, Virginia.
In May of 1784, Jefferson presented
the Public Land Survey System to the
Continental Congress as a way to describe
the lands known as the Northwest
Territory. This system is still used today.
Abraham Lincoln, while living in New
Salem, was appointed Deputy County
Surveyor in 1833 by John Calhoun,
Sangamon County Surveyor. Between
1833 and 1837 Lincoln performed about
thirty farm surveys and several road
surveys. Lincoln also laid out the towns
of Albany, Bath, Huron, Petersburg and
New Boston."
Group that erected the marker: State of Illinois
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
near the former National Museum of Surveying (and across from the old Capitol Building
E. Washington St.
Springfield, IL USA
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed
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