Homesteader histories often refer to locating the stakes at the corners of quarter sections in order to get a location to file for a homestead. While the stakes were tremendously important to the homesteaders, there is little attention paid in local histories as to how those stakes were put in place. I was surprised at how early the skeleton of the survey system was in place. J.B. Tyrrell (for whom the Tyrrell Museum is named) did geological work in our area in the early 1880’s. He states that “The surveyors employed by that Department (Dominion Lands) have instrumentally run east and west base lines, and meridian township-outlines, through the greater portion of the district, and subdivided the townships in the vicinity of settlements, as well as traversed the Red Deer, Battle and North Saskatchewan rivers through subdivided townships.” Tyrrell refers to features in various townships though not specifically sections as they were not yet surveyed. (tinyurl/Geo-Survey-1886 ) The survey crews worked hard in all sorts of weather. Once the surveyor had determined the location of a monument, the crew had to stamp the locations on the four sides of the squared upper part of the stake, drive it into the ground, dig 4 square pits around the stake in quartering directions, and bury the stake in a “pyramid” of soil. The whole of the stake, pyramid, and pits constituted a survey monument. The crew also had to act as survey assistants, carry survey chains, be teamsters, cook, and act in various other roles. The picture shows the location of a stake (near the bright green gloves) and the remaining evidence of two of the four pits (circled). The stake itself, is a simple heavy metal rod with a squared top part. In recent times, the remaining monuments have been located and new markers driven. Oddly, the original stakes are slowly disappearing in our area; seemingly pulled up out of the ground. Why they are being removed is a mystery to me. Locally, surveys were completed prior to World War I and the stakes marked with Roman numerals stamped into the metal. Later stakes were more elaborate such as the one shown which is located in Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park. The picture shows where monuments are located in a township which might be helpful in locating an example of these important parts of homestead history (electricscotland/history/canada/alberta/vol1chap12.htm)
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 04:11:36 +0000
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