Rammy's Ramblings

[Latestarter]

Ummmm obsess much? Glad you're able to finally let it go. No complaints from me if you continue to post away! Then I have something else to read besides my own stuff Sorry the little chick was getting bullied... It's not just chickens that can be mean. Seems to be a more or less regular thing in the animal kingdom. As the saying goes, only the strong survive.

 

[greybeard]

The survey stake is not a terribly big deal. Likely, the only time it would be needed is next time the property is sold and only then if the lender demands a recent or new survey be used. If they are lending money (for example) on 100 acres, they want to make sure there are a full 100 acres within the survey lines.

And, any good surveyor today will be able to re-establish the original survey lines easy enough off known good survey bearing markers somewhere in the general vicinity.

Could be worse............ When I fenced off a 41.4 acre tract in 2007, I had to go off the old original survey.
From the beginning, at an iron axle rod near a 12" diameter white oak tree, proceed South [degrees here] 279.3 Varas to a small gum tree and thence East [degrees here] 793.8 Varas......
Fairly easy, tho the metes and bounds along the curvy river channel gave me fits...

(there are 33.3" in a Spanish Vara in Texas)

 

[Rammy]

Ummmm obsess much? Glad you're able to finally let it go. No complaints from me if you continue to post away! Then I have something else to read besides my own stuff Sorry the little chick was getting bullied... It's not just chickens that can be mean. Seems to be a more or less regular thing in the animal kingdom. As the saying goes, only the strong survive.

Checked on her this morning. Still with us. Probably keep her separated til she gains some weight back and gets bigger so she can defend herself. Keeping fingers crossed.

 

[Rammy]

The survey stake a terribly big deal. Likely, the only time it would be needed is next time the property is sold and only then if the lender demands a recent or new survey be used. If they are lending money (for example) on 100 acres, they want to make sure there are a full 100 acres within the survey lines.

And, any good surveyor today will be able to re-establish the original survey lines easy enough off known good survey bearing markers somewhere in the general vicinity.

Could be worse............ When I fenced off a 41.4 acre tract in 2007, I had to go off the old original survey.
From the beginning, at an iron axle rod near a 12" diameter white oak tree, proceed South [degrees here] 279.3 Varas to a small gum tree and thence East [degrees here] 793.8 Varas......
Fairly easy, tho the metes and bounds along the curvy river channel gave me fits...

(there are 33.3" in a Spanish Vara in Texas)

Well as I mentioned in an earlier post, the survey company basically said the same thing. If and when I sell the place, the new owners can request one or the bank, and told me not to worry about it.

 

[Baymule]

My grandfather had 40 acres with a corner marked by a Witness tree. It had a big X slashed in the bark. Even as a kid, I wondered, what if the tree died?

 

[Rammy]

Mine did too. Showed me where the marks were. Thought that was the coolest thing!

 

[greybeard]

Nat'l Forest here, marks the property corners with a little metal plate...nailed to a tree.

 

[Bruce]

@greybeard 12" white oak, small gum tree. I bet you had a REAL hard time finding trees with those descriptions at the proper locations. If the trees still exist, that oak is WAY more than 12" and the gum tree wouldn't be small. Better get a new survey: 30" oak, massive gum tree.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

X2!

 

[greybeard]

@greybeard 12" white oak, small gum tree. I bet you had a REAL hard time finding trees with those descriptions at the proper locations. If the trees still exist, that oak is WAY more than 12" and the gum tree wouldn't be small. Better get a new survey: 30" oak, massive gum tree.

Nope, no shortage of them that size then..problem was indeed tho, just trying to figure out which ones were the one they were talking about back when the survey was originally done.

Texas surveyors used Varas for quite some time, tho a Vara could vary in length across various parts of the state. Some Varas were 36" long, some 33.3" long. Added to the confoundment, simple straight magnetic compasses were usually used, with some early surveyors believing declination should be East, others saying it should be West..some used no declination and just ran a straight magnetic course.
One of the tricks to thos early surveys out on flat ground, was to tie a marker to a buggy wheel of known circumference, count the revolutions as the buggy followed the compass line, and add up the # of turns made. Land was cheap at the time, completely unoccupied, and an acre was a useless measurement. Ranches were in sections..one section=1 sq mile. To make sure no one got cheated, it was common to add a few varas to each measurement, meaning a square mile often consisted an extra to 100 extra acres.



Here's a set of real survey notes:
(note the dates)
PATENT ISSUED TO: Hyram Klass, June 21, 1944 SURVEYED BY: Ben Jorgan, Jr., February 14, 1943 PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION: Beginning at a 10 inch cedar fence post in pile of rocks at the Southeast corner of James Fender survey, also the Northeast corner of the Karmine Corne survey; Thence North 85 degrees East 2,224.8 varas to two 12 inch pecan trees; Thence South 1 degree West 1,450.8 varas passing a granite outcrop, 2,502 varas passing a lightning struck 20 inch oak, 3,549.6 varas total to a RR spike; Thence North 89 degrees West 2,268 varas to a steel pipe found with 1 1/2 inch inside diameter, 10 inches below the ground, marking the Southeast corner of the Karmine Corne survey; Thence North 2 degrees East with the east line of the Karmine Corne survey 3317.5 varas to the point of beginning, containing 1,361 acres. PATENT ISSUED TO: James Fender, June 19, 1904 SURVEYED BY: Ben Jorgan, April 1, 1903 PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION: Beginning at a cross chiseled in rock for the Northwest corner herein, a point in the east line of the Antonio Vargas Grant; Thence East 2,800 varas to a 4 x 4 cedar post set; Thence South 1,300 varas to a rock mound built; Thence West 2,800 varas to a 12 inch oak scribed with initials J. F.; Thence North 1,300 varas to the starting point, containing 644 acres.

PATENT ISSUED TO: Karmine Corne, January 6, 1947 SURVEYED BY: Dewey Cheatem, November 11, 1927 PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION: Beginning at a 24 inch oak tree, carved with the letters JF, the southwest corner of the James Fender survey; Then easterly along the south line of Fender survey for 2,800 varas where we put a 1 1/2 inch pipe section for marker; Then straight south for 3,350 varas where we put a 1 1/2 inch pipe section for marker; Then straight west 2,800 varas to the point on the east line of the Antonio Vargas Grant where Deer Creek crosses course southeast a lone 20 inch walnut tree is 18 varas south of this point; Then 3,350 varas back to the beginning enclosing 1,660 acres. ACCESS EASEMENT CONVEYED TO: James Fender RECORDED: Volume 49, page 273, July 30, 1944 PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION: Being an easement 60 feet in width, along and 60 feet east of a line as follows: Beginning at a cedar fence corner post at the Southeast corner of the James Fender survey and the Northwest corner of the Hyram Klass survey; Thence following fence between the Hyram Klass survey and the Karmine Corne survey to a cedar fence corner post next to a 1 1/2 inch pipe for the Southwest corner of the Hyram Klass survey, the end of easement.