Surveying the Seven Ranges of the Northwest Territory
On July 4th, 1776, Philadelphia could claim that "the United States began here."
On September 30th of 1785, Geographer of the United States Thomas Hutchins planted a marker near what is now East Liverpool, Ohio, denoting the "Point of Beginning" of the rest of the United States.
It was at this point that Hutchins began surveying the "geographer's line of the Seven Ranges," the line from which all the townships were to be measured and marked.
Eight states sent deputies to assist the survey:
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New Hampshire: Edward Dowse
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Massachusetts: Benjamin Tupper
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Connecticut: Isaac Sherman
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New Jersey: Absalom Martin
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New York: William Morris
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Virginia: Alexander Parker
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Maryland: James Simpson
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Georgia: Robert Johnston
The surveyors were to run their survey lines by measurement of the "true meridian" rather than a magnetic compass. This meant that they were to take sightings on Polaris and the sun to assure accuracy. This was long and tedious work. They were paid my the mile, not by the day, and only two dollars a mile!
The team worked for a week and measured four miles before abandoning the project due to threats from Native tribes.
In 1786, Congress realized that some changes had to be made if the survey was to be completed. First, they suspended the true meridian requirement for the less accurate but quicker magnetic compass method. Then they agreed to send troops to protect the surveyors. Those troops were from the First American Regiment who then built and occupied Fort Steuben.
Although most of the original survey markers have disappeared, in 2012 a marker from 1830 was uncovered by ODOT workers clearing a hillside along Rt. 7. In 2013, the stone marker was moved and installed at Historic Fort Steuben...a unique artifact of the great American survey.
The Museum of Surveying
With a grant from America 250-Ohio, a collaboration of the University of Akron, the Professional Land Surveyors of Ohio, and Historic Fort Steuben is creating a Museum of Surveying within the wooden pickets of the reconstructed 18th century Fort Steuben - the only fort built specifically to protect surveyors.
The Museum traces the history of surveying from the ropes and measuring sticks used by the Egyptians to the drones and GPS units which are now common in modern surveying. Informational panels, dioramas, displays, and interactive elements are included in the project. The Museum is a memorial and tribute to the late Thomas “Mike” Besch of the Surveying and Mapping program at the University of Akron.
Ann Besch of the University of Akron and Bob Akins, president of the National Society of Professional Surveyors have devoted much time in planning and construction. Funding for the new museum has come from donations and gifts, friends of Mike and Ann Besch, and the Ohio surveyors.
“This will be the only museum in the country dedicated to land surveying and we hope it will inspire young people to pursue the field as a profession,” noted Besch. “We will have information available on requirements for certification and university opportunities.”
Since its reconstruction, Historic Fort Steuben provides visitors with information about the way the new nation was mapped out and organized into a rectangular system of townships, starting in East Liverpool – “The Point of Beginning” - a system that still operates today. The surveyors of “the Ohio country” set the stage for the westward expansion of the United States.
Organizers see the project as part of the state-wide celebration, America250-Ohio, commemorating Ohio’s contributions to the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026, and hope to have the exhibits, videos, and literature ready for the celebration.
