Surveying the American West with the

United States Coast and Geodetic Survey

By

Captain Albert E. ThebergeNOAA Corps (ret.)

NOAA Central Library

Coast Survey Emblem ca. 1850

Ferdinand Hassler (1770-1843)First Superintendent,

Founder of the Coast Survey

Alexander Dallas Bache (1806-1867),

Second and greatest of Superintendents Of Coast Survey

From Hassler’s modest beginnings on the eastern seaboard of the United States, the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey has built an invisible engineering wonder comprised of over 1.5 million survey points that serve as the framework for national mapping efforts, the basis of major civil engineering works, andultimately even control private property lines.

How was this network built in the western United States?

The 39th Parallel Survey, the first great arc of the Coast Survey1871-- 1900

Geodetic Network, 1922Vertical and Horizontal

Horizontal Control Network (Triangulation), 1937

Vertical Control Network (Leveling), 1936

THE WESTERN PIONEERS

George Davidson William Eimbeck Augustus Rodgers

HOW THE SURVEYORS GOT THERE

Chief Signalman Jasper Bilby leading by example. Texas, 1903.

Packing up Kofa, Arizona 1934.

Going up, not down. East side Sierra Nevada,Owens Valley, California. 1933.

Building party on triangulation, 49th Parallel. Cascadesof Western Washington. 1924

Kofa, Arizona. 1934. Astro Party, Arizona. 1914.

Crossing the Verde River, Arizona. 1924.

Reconnaissance Party, California.1880’s.

1903Lampasas, TXBuilding partyalong 98th Meridian Survey.

46th Parallel Survey, Montana. Fall, 1934. Packing out after the first big snowstorm.

Big Sur, California. 1932.

Smart mule.

Stupid mule.

Northwest of Helena, Montana 1934. Picking the way through fallen timber.

How the h____ do we get up there? Mt. Gallatin, Montana, 1922.

Horse rolled down mountain. Checking the instruments. Montana, 1922.

Tough on horses. On the way to Station Stump, Montana. 1922.

Headed down from triangulation station. Big Sur, California. 1932.

Headed to astro station. Oregon, 1916. Mt. Hood in background.

Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico. 1934.

Velocipedes. The favored mode of travel for leveling crews.Southern California desert. 1920.

The first truck. North Dakota1913.

Where dogs rode before pickups. Gypsy the Watchdog.Idaho 1920.

Hope they checked the train schedule. Crossing Little Missouri River, North Dakota 1913.

1934

Crossing the Red River,Granite, Oklahoma. 1920.

To go where notruck has gone before.

Utah 1939.

Kansas, 1934.

South Texas, 1934. Triangulation party on the move. Advent of trailers.

San Sabo, Texas. 1934. Mojave Desert, California. 1972.

Truck troubles

Walker Pass, California. 1952. Triangulation work. First geodetic field party use of helicopter in lower 48.

Salmon River, Idaho. 1945. Custom- madeBoat on the River of No Return.

TRIANGULATION –DETERMINING HORIZONTAL

CONTROL POINTS

Reconnaissance on The 98th Meridian Survey.Minnesota 1903.John J. Hayford, Chief of Geodesy Division on 60-foot reconnaissance pole.

Reconnaissance on Mount Tushar, Utah; at old Eimbeck structure. 1925.

Orienting

Placing a monument at the end of a base line. South Dakota, 1903.

Yolo Baseline, California 1881

Pasadena Baseline 1922. California.

1906, Washington, Olympic Peninsula 1914 “It took men of uncommon nerveto do this work.”

Randall County, Texas. 1922.

110 - Foot Tower, San Joaquin Valley, California. 1932.

159-Foot Tower.

Iowa cornfield, 1928.

Building a tower, New Mexico. 1935.

Building a tower, New Mexico. 1935.

Observing stand, Nebraska. 1934.

Observing from Station Pico Blanco, Big Sur, California. 1932.

Sometimes you don’t need a tower. 14000-ft + Mt. Uncompaghre, Colorado.1895.

Montana 1922, Before and afterlightning strike. Mt. Gallatin.

WHAT WERE THEY HOPINGTO SEE?

Heliotrope reflecting sunlight. 1870’s. Sierra Nevada, California. 192 miles longest line observed.

Showing light, Idaho, 1922. Car headlight with battery.

Showing light , Idaho 1922.

Showing light, triangulation, North Dakota. 1934.

During depression up to 10,000 men were employed onCoast Survey on short-term WPA Projects.

Kansas Historical Marker commemorating triangulation stationMeades Ranch 1891.

Station Meades Ranch, Kansas. The origin point for North American Datum 1927.

ASTRONOMIC LATITUDE,LONGITUDE, GRAVITATIONALDEFLECTION FROM VERTICAL

AND LAPLACE AZIMUTH

Astro work, Arizona. 1914.

Astro work, Texas. 1924. Bamberg Astronomic TransitAnd radio for listening for time signals.

Astro work, Nebraska sand hills. 1973.

TRILATERATION AND THE TRANSCONTINENTAL TRAVERSE

The basis for the modernNorth American Datum NAD83

Geodimeter Traverse, Mojave Desert, California. 1972.

Geodimeter Traverse, Mojave Desert, California. 1972. The Transcontinental Traverse was the most accurate large area survey ever acomplished and was the basis for establishing

NAD 1983.

LEVELING A NATION:THE DETERMINATION

OF SEA LEVEL

Leveling 1902, Oklahoma.

Leveling 1902, Oklahoma.Leveling, Gunnison Valley, Colorado. 1927.

Leveling 1902, Oklahoma.

Leveling 1902, Oklahoma.

Leveling 1902, Oklahoma.

Leveling innovation, ca. 1920.

Leveling, Mt. Whitney, California. 1928.

Leveling, Nevada. 1935.

Leveling, Glen Canyon, Arizona. 1921.

Placing Bench Marks for Leveling, Utah. 1934.

Leveling Party, Whisky Pass, Colorado. 1935.

Leveling, Arizona. 1921.

Leveling, Salmon River, Idaho. 1946.

Leveling, running the low line. Hoover Dam, Nevada. 1941.

LIFE IN THE CAMPS

Laundry Day ca. 1920. Somewhere out west.

A snowy day at the Observers camp on Lolo Pass,Montana 1934.

Level crew camp near Ruidoso, New Mexico. 1933.

The opposite extreme. 1924.

A little recreation at Bear Springs Camp, New Mexico.

Party Chief later wrote, “I was able to clean up my inventory….”1935.

Touristy stuff in the Mojave Desert. Ca. 1920.

Cooking breakfast, 1914.Olympic Peninsula, Washington

Shave and haircut. Oregon 1916.

1934. At last! a Holiday Inn! Maybe the rooms even had showers.

A large triangulation crew at the beginning of trailer travel. Benjamin, Texas. 1935.

Packing the horses. 1922 Montana. The way it was….

Today, NOAA's National Geodetic Surveydefines and manages the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), which provides the foundation for transportation and communication; mapping and charting; and a multitude of scientific and engineering applications.

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Help CelebrateHelp Celebrate

the 200the 200thth Anniversary of the Anniversary of the Coast Survey 1807-2007Coast Survey 1807-2007