They Left Their Mark: William Austin Burt and His Sons Surveyors of the Public Domain

They Left Their Mark- William Austin Burt & His Sons, Surveyors of the Public Domain (1987) John Burt; The first full biography about the distinguished US surveyor-inventor and his sons. 75 Illustrations, references.

It was June 1840 when U.S. surveyor William Austin Burt first entered Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a wilderness that, according to Henry Clay, "stretched beyond the remotest settlement of the United States". Neither Burt nor his sons could have envisioned the role they would play in helping shape the future of this area. William Austin would soon discover a new source of wealth for Michigan and the nation, and the event would confirm the value of Burt's unique invention for surveying the expanding U.S. Frontier, the solar compass. His son John would become a leader in the growth and development in the Upper Peninsula, particularly Marquette County.

William Austin was on the Michigan Territorial Council, and in 1833, named associate judge for Macomb County Circuit Court. In that same year, at age 41, he received his first contract as a deputy surveyor and began surveying public lands. With his unique blend of mechanical genius, a quest for accuracy, and a Yankee determination, he soon solved a problem that had plagued public land surveyors since 1785 by inventing the solar compass. It became the required instrument for all public land surveys, and saved the government millions of dollars on future surveys.

William and his son John also played instrumental roles in developing canal and railroad projects in the Upper Peninsula.

In 1855 William Austin Burt authored a practical manual entitled A Key to the Solar Compass and Surveyor's Companion. It is still in print, and used by modern surveyors who have to retrace land boundaries.

Throughout his life William Austin Burt adhered to the strong religious and moral principles that formed the foundation of his character. His word was his bond, and his integrity was never questioned. In many ways he typifies the American pioneer as the rugged surveyor who explored and accurately charted the wilderness. With inventive mind and creative spirit he persevered, usually for the benefit of others. His lack of personal greed enabled William Austin Burt to leave a lasting legacy of public service.

Partial Contents: Massachusetts, Early Years in Wales Center, New York, Journey to the West, Michigan Territory, Settlement, Politics, Battle Creek, America’s First Typewriter, Burt's Writing Machine, U.S. Public Land Surveys, W.A. Burt's Government Surveys, Burt's, Variation of the Compass, Iowa Surveys, Michigan's Internal Improvements – Upper Peninsula, Statehood, Burt’s Solar Compass and Sun Dial, Douglas Houghton, Fraudulent Surveys, Legend of The Pine Stump, Michigan-Wisconsin Boundary Survey, Closing the Township Lines, Lucius Lyon's Concern, Burt's Astronomical Compass, The Witness Tree, Solar Compass and the Instructions, The Iowa-Missouri Boundary, Great Exposition of 1851, Solar Compass and the Opening of the West, Lobbying for the Soo, Preparations for the Soo Canal, Railroad to the Upper Peninsula Iron Mines, Peninsula Iron Company , Solar Compass is Challenged, Burt & Bailey, The Manual of Instructions William A. Burt, Author, Equatorial Sextant, Compensation Debate.

Reference Notes — Appendices: Lineage, Surveying Contracts, Iron Mining Business, Solar Compass — Index

John S. Burt, a direct descendant of William Austin Burt, has devoted more than a decade to researching and writing They Left Their Mark. Although he has authored several articles pertaining to the accomplishments of his distinguished ancestor, They Left Their Mark is John Burt's first book and the first full biography of William A. Burt and his sons.

John holds a BS degree in marketing from San Jose State University. For the past 25 years he has been engaged in sales and sales management for Pfizer, Inc., where he is currently a Certified Senior Medical Representative. He is also a licensed Real Estate Broker in California.

Mr. Burt is a charter member of the Surveyors Historical Society, a life member of the Marquette County Historical Society, and is a supporting member of the Historical Society of Michigan.