President’s Day has been a federal holiday since 1879 when it was instituted to memorialize the birthday of George Washington, born on February 22, 1732. By the 1970’s, the holiday had evolved to commemorate all US Presidents.

In the 1920s, a historian for the state of South Dakota came up with the idea of creating a massive sculpture that featured heroes of the American West to increase tourism in the area.

James Cook was born in the Yorkshire town of East Marton in 1728. Although his father was a farm laborer who hadn’t traveled far from his native Scotland, James’s life took a radically different path. When Cook was eight years old, he attended a local charity school where he got a good foundation in mathematics. By the time he was 17, Cook was on his own and began an apprenticeship at a coal shipping company transporting coal by sea between Newcastle and London in a four-week round trip.

The past year has brought a lot of change – and a lot to be thankful for. Here at Berntsen, we’re thankful for all of our customers - those that leave their mark on the world, by establishing boundaries, forging paths and ensuring buildings are straight and true. For more than 50 years, our mission has been to provide our customers with the best products and support possible – and we look forward to another 50 years serving you

British land surveying traces its roots back more than a thousand years to a king in desperate need of funds to pay for defending the empire against Viking invasion. In 1086, William the Conqueror commissioned a survey of the entire country to assess the extent of the land and resources in England at the time, so that he could tax them properly. The information collected over a years’ time was recorded by hand in two huge books – the Domesday books.

“Across 2 expansive wars and 2 transformative peace treaties, the surveyors eye changed the image of America in the British Atlantic world.” - Max Edelson is a professor of history at the University of Virginia.

It’s common knowledge that Henry David Thoreau wrote Walden about his two years living at Walden Pond (1845-1847). The book had an enormous impact at the time and its effects are still felt today.

Surveyors are natural explorers, so they appreciate and enjoy the beauty and infinite variety of nature every day. Unless you choose a profession that includes the outdoors, people must intentionally plan a trip to a county, state or national park. Most people aren’t aware that surveyors were instrumental in the creation of our National Parks, including our first – Yellowstone National Park.

It’s hard to overstate how important surveying was to the establishment of the United States – three of our presidents were surveyors, as well as six of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. But even before there were presidents, surveying and cartography played an essential role in the fight for independence.

Andrew Ellicott’s family emigrated from Wales to what is now Bucks County in Pennsylvania in 1731. They had to leave Wales because Ann Bye Ellicott was a Quaker and when she married Ellicott (a non-Quaker), they were disowned and needed to start anew.

Andrew Ellicott was the first of nine children born to Joseph and Judith. The family continued the Quaker faith, finding welcome in a state founded by a Quaker, William Penn. Joseph supported the growing family by working as a miller and clockmaker. The children were educated at the local Quaker school, where Andrew’s talent for math and mechanics was encouraged and developed.

Whenever President’s Day rolls around, we, as surveyors, can’t help but think of the historical importance of surveying in the United States – not only because Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson were all surveyors, but the impact surveying had on the development of the nation. I’ve touched on that in blogs I’ve done about colonial surveyors, but the depth of the subject calls for a look into how surveying developed in America.

Today I’m sharing my research about a surveyor who didn’t have the best start in life. John Morton was born in Pennsylvania in 1725 shortly after the death of his father, one of the first Swedish immigrants who settled on the banks of the Delaware river in Pennsylvania in an area called New Sweden.

Did you ever wonder why men wore those white wigs back in colonial times? Turns out those wigs weren’t all white, but they were all about looking classy – as in economic class, that is. Apparently the color of the wig reflected status. Professionals went with gray, tradesmen wore brown, and white wigs were reserved for judges and military officers. Men could also don white wigs for special occasions – they went well with the ruffles around the wrist which were also part of the whole look.

It’s well-known that a number of our presidents were surveyors – Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and even Roosevelt (kind of).

Did you ever wonder how the early surveyors learned how to survey? Many biographies say these men were “self-taught” . . . for Washington and Jefferson, this means they got a copy of “Geodaesia,” the first surveying book created for the New World surveyor.