Surveyors in Central Indiana

John E. Stretcher advertised his services as a practical surveyor in the August 20, 1836 issue of the Indiana Journal. His ad was repeated in the next issue, along with another ad offering a surveying compass and chains for sale. (Indiana Journal, Aug. 20, 1836, p. 3; Aug. 27, 1836, p. 3).

Stretcher is the only professional surveyor in Marion County about whom even this much information is available. The following individuals filled the office of county surveyor in Marion County from 1827:

Isaac Kinder, Feb. 19, 1827 to Nov. 7, 1831

George L. Kinnard, Dec. 12, 1831 - Mar. 25, 1835

Isaac Kinder, Apr. 6, 1835 - Oct. 2, 1835

Robert B. Hanna, Oct. 3, 1835 - Nov. 7, 1836

William Sullivan, Nov. 11, 1836 - Nov. 11, 1839

(Sulgrove, History of Indianapolis, p. 497)

No information on the job any of these men did as county surveyor was found in the sources consulted; it seems likely, however, that many of them probably did some work on various internal improvement projects in the county.

In Hamilton County, Nathan Hockett's 1839 probate included one "Set of plotting instruements" and, among other books, an introduction to Algebra and "Gummers Surveying." (Hamilton County Probates, part B, p. 160). Hamilton County likewise chose county surveyors: R.L. Hannaman, 1828 to 1830; James Hughey, 1830-1834; Ira Kingsbury, 1835-1836; James Hughey, 1837-1840. (Shirts, Primitive History, p. 74).

The major surveying projects in Hamilton County during the 1830s involved the laying out of roads. Whenever a new road was proposed to the County Commissioners, a team of men was appointed to locate the road and determine its usefulness and necessity to the county. This team included supervisors, surveyors (their job described as "surveying" or "locating"), chainmen who measured the road, and markers or blazers, who cut identifying notches in the trees along the road. Payment for all these jobs varied according to the number of days spend and, apparently, the nature of the road (state road, county road, etc.). (Hamilton County Court of County Commissioners records, passim.)