B.F. Dorr - Pioneer Surveyor
HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT WE KNOW?
Surveying is more than a profession, it’s a trove of fascinating history and knowledge – from the Egyptians to the Romans to Thomas Jefferson, surveying has been an integral part of the growth of civilization and economic development.
In today’s surveying world, we have plenty of educational opportunities, from two- to four-year college programs to mentoring, apprenticeships, and on the job training. But, when we think about historical surveyors, they didn’t have the same options we do today to get started in the profession. So, it begs the question, how did surveyors come to learn and become proficient in surveying?
I’ve had a look at some of the surveying instruments, as well as some of the authors of surveying books. A couple of weeks ago, I was talking to a couple of surveyors, and they recommended I have a look at “The Surveyor’s Guide and Pocket Table-Book” by Benjamin Franklin Dorr. This book was first published in 1886 and was most recently reprinted in 1978. That’s at least 100 years of usefulness in helping surveyors complete divisions within the U.S. Public Land Survey System once the original federal surveys were finished.
Who was Dorr and why did he know so much about surveying?
Drawing of Niagara Falls from 1849.
Like a lot of surveyors I’ve written about, BF Dorr didn’t have the best start to life. He was born in 1833 in Niagara County, New York. Perhaps this area was too settled, so just four years later, his parents decided to move to a frontier village in Ohio. He and his mother and some in-laws went first, settling in the newly-formed town of Ballville, Ohio. Unfortunately, Dorr’s father never made it – he died unexpectedly back in New York in 1836.
The extended family made a go of it in Ballville. They built a business in the tanning and currier trades – a smelly and labor-intensive process that made leather goods that were essential to the local economy. By 1850, when he was just 17, Dorr was making his living as a soap maker and currier. Despite the fact that Dorr was busy learning his trade and helping to support his family, records show that he was able to attend school. One of his teachers happened to be Horace E. Clark, a surveyor from New Hampshire that went on to be the county surveyor and auditor.
His teachers did a great job, because sometime after 1850, Dorr went to Cornish, New Hampshire where he received training in civil engineering and surveying. He then returned to Ballville where he did some surveying until 1856, when the whole extended family moved to another frontier town – this time New London, in what is now central Wisconsin. While he was looking for a surveying job, he became a teacher in the local school. Eventually he found a job in West Liberty, Iowa, where he became the Surveyor of Muscatine County.
The Wisconsin Frontier
White pines - an enormous forest called “the Pinery” once stretched from Illinois through Northern Minnesota
I can’t help but think about how arduous all of this moving around must have been, but it sure made Dorr tough. In 1864, at age 31, Dorr enlisted in the Iowa Cavalry and was praised highly for his service during the Civil War by his commanding officer, General Hatch. By 1866, Dorr was back in New London, Wisconsin, working as timber cruiser in The Pinery – the massive stand of white pine that stretched from southern Wisconsin to north of Lake Superior.
He must have done a good job, because in 1867, he married Harriet Chandler, who happened to be the daughter of his employer. By 1870, Dorr’s career began to blossom. Timber cruising involves taking an inventory of the forest and determining the quantity of forest products that can be extracted. Part of this process includes applying surveying principles to subdivide the sections run by federal surveyors into quarter sections and quarter-quarter sections . He was very thorough in his work and people took notice. In 1874, he was elected the County Surveyor for Waupaca County and served two terms. He also became editor for a national publication “Engineering News” (now known as the Engineering News-Record).
His career was going very well, but in January 1877, tragedy struck his family (and the entire country) in the form of a diphtheria epidemic. He and his wife lost all three of their daughters. They managed to make it through that awful year and a year later, their son Roy, was born and later a daughter Ruth Colcord/
ANTIGO
Dorr kept working and took the opportunity to do surveying work for a landowner and timberman who had just given the Milwaukee Lake Shore and Western Railroad right-of-way through his land that led to the iron and copper regions to the north. Dorr was the lead surveyor on the project and in 1881, was appointed as the assistant town surveyor of Antigo, a town about 70 miles north of New London. Apparently he couldn’t be the town surveyor because the landowner also happened to be a surveyor and he wasn’t sharing the title.
Antigo turned out to be the “happily ever after” of Dorr’s life. He set up a practice as a surveyor and land agent and became one of the town’s leading citizens. He became its first City Engineer and served in many other volunteer and city positions. He surveyed and named the town of Elcho, Wisconsin. There are Dorr streets in Antigo, Elcho, Monico and Rhinelander.
By 1886, Dorr published the book (The Surveyor’s Guide and Pocket Table-Book) that became the cornerstone of interpreting the rules of public land surveys for county surveyors. This book provided much-needed guidance in the establishment and reestablishment of corners in the rectangular system. Dorr became known as the “Pioneer Surveyor” because of his work in corner restoration, platting out frontier towns and other properties. He continued to publish surveying articles in various engineering journals, authored updates to his Surveyors Guide and continued his career as a surveyor and civic leader until he passed away in 1916 at the age of 83.
An 1886 view of Antigo, Wisconsin. Norris, Wellge & Co, and Beck & Pauli. A bird's eye view of the city of Antigo, Wis. county seat of Langlade County.
Early editions of his books are very interesting because they include correspondence with the GLO regarding issues in the subdivision of sections and other problems. It’s a good view into how our present system developed and it really highlights the importance of county surveying.
I’m thankful that Dorr translated his hard-earned experience into a helpful guide for other surveyors - another example of how surveyors reach out to make the profession better!
Many thanks to Katy Ralph, great-grand-daughter of B.F. Dorr who contributed to this article and whose house in Elcho still includes Dorr’s original log cabin where he lived while surveying the area.