Description

Government Surveys III – 1.5 Contact Hours
The case-in-chief, Cragin v. Powell, Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), 1888, involves GLO and private surveys in the swamplands of Terrebonne Parish in the southeast corner of Louisiana on the Gulf of Mexico. Even if you haven’t read this case before, you may have heard of it as it has been cited in the BLM Manual of Instructions since at least the 1947 Edition, on the issue of the dangers of conducting so called “resurveys.” In 1877, some 30 years after the original GLO surveys of the townships in the general vicinity, surveyor Powell (most likely a former GLO surveyor), was hired by Cragin to do some surveying work on the boundaries of his plantation sitting on possibly on only high and dry lands in the entire township. In doing so, Powell discovered that the GLO surveys of the township had incorrectly located the sections too far to the east and correcting them would require moving the sections back to the west about a half-mile. In doing so, Cragin’s land would be moved to the west and off the highlands and into the swamps, and the former worthless swamplands east of Cragin would be moved onto the his highlands. Powell and his fellow conspirators bought the swampland to the east of Cragin and attempted to do just that. All they needed was a surveyor who would go along with the scheme. Download the case and see what happened. This is a 2-Page Letter, a copy of the 1842 GLO Plat, and 1 Court Opinion consisting of 9 pages. This 12-Page document has a 10-Question examination based on the text of the newsletter, the case-in-chief and the Editor’s commentary. Maybe even a question of two about the GLO Plat.

OBJECTIVES: To enhance professional competency and improve practitioner’s knowledge of the law as it relates to the practice of land surveying.