I was recently invited to speak at the Wisconsin Society of Land Surveyors (WSLS) annual summer meeting. I decided to delve into the history of my own county here in Wisconsin - Marathon County - where I spent 13 years of my surveying career. I thought I knew a bit about its history, but I had no idea how interesting it was. I’ve already blogged about the importance of surveying in colonial times, and my “Marathon” research underscores the importance of surveying in laying out the foundation for organized economic development in Wisconsin.

I actually didn’t know that September is National Wilderness Month, but I love the outdoors, though some of the wilderness I’ve experienced has been a bit too real.