Reprint Note

This reprint of the Manual was done to update citations to reflect statutes reorganization and renumbering since original publication in 1979. Edits from the previously included Errata Sheet were incorporated and spelling errors were corrected. Wording modifications were limited to those due to the aforementioned statutory changes, and current addresses.

There have been no conceptual changes in the text. While the Manual appears shorter, it is not due to material removal or re-writing. The original format was maintained as much as possible; a modern proportional font was used, however, which resulted in a reduction of nearly 100 pages.

The original maps for Appendix 10 have not been recovered and some of the manuscript copies do not reproduce well, the hardest being the Names of the Section Line Surveyors. This map is being recompiled and is included in its current state in place of the original. Although not finished, it is included to provide consistency with respect to the original manuscript.

Any errors which may have otherwise been introduced, or missed, in this reprint are my fault. Please let me know should you find any.

Jerry Mahun
MATC
3550 Anderson Street
Madison, WI 53704
608-246-6851
gmahun@matcmadison.edu

Manual

Chapters and appendices listed below are individual Acrobat pdf files. You may view these files but printing has been disabled. Printed copies of the complete Manual are available from WSLS. Contact WSLS Executive Director Harold Charlier at hscwsls@aol.com or tel 262-549-1533 for ordering information.

• Table of Contents and Preface
• Chapter 1 - The U.S. Public Land Survey within the State of Wisconsin
• Chapter 2 - Summaries of the General Instructions Governing the Original U.S. Government Survey of Wisconsin
• Chapter 3 - Public Land Survey Corner Relocation Examples and Discussion
• Chapter 4 - General Guideline for Relocation of Center of Section and Corners for Smaller Sectionalized Subdivisions in Wisconsin
• Chapter 5 - Principles and Procedures for Surveying Quarter Sections and Smaller Sectionalized Subdivisions under various Wisconsin Statutes and Federal Statutes
• Chapter 6 - Conclusions and Implications for the Future
• Appendix 1 - Map of Wisconsin showing Townships
• Appendix 2 - Administrative Outline of General Land Office Officials
• Appendix 3 - Accuracies Prescribed by the Various PLS Instructions
• Appendix 4 - Dependent Resurvey Plats and Fieldnotes
• Appendix 5 - Use of the Solar Compass
• Appendix 6 - Standard Survey Monuments
• Appendix 7 - Standard Report Forms
• Appendix 8 - Sample Township Line Contract and Accompanying Special Instructions
• Appendix 9 - Sample Interior Section Line Contract and Accompanying Special Instructions
• Appendix 10 - Dates of Surveys and Names of Surveyors for the Original Public Land Surveys in Wisconsin
• Appendix 11 - Determining the Best-Fit Bearing for a Line by a Simplified Long Hand Least Squares Solution
• Appendix 12 - A Practical Application of Least Squares Adjustment and Error Analysis in the Relocation of U.S. Public Land Survey Corners
• Bibliography

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