Sedgwick County Surveyors Notebooks

Collection Summary

Title: Sedgwick County Surveyors Notebooks
Call Number: MS 96-06
Size: 1.0 linear feet
Acquisition: Donated by Judge Paul Buchanan, 10-20-1994
Processed by: KRM, 12-14-1995; MN, 11-2012
Restrictions: None

Literary Rights

Literary rights were not granted to Wichita State University. When permission is granted to examine the manuscripts, it is not an authorization to publish them. Manuscripts cannot be used for publication without regard for common law literary rights, copyright laws and the laws of libel. It is the responsibility of the researcher and his/her publisher to obtain permission to publish. Scholars and students who eventually plan to have their work published are urged to make inquiry regarding overall restrictions on publication before initial research.

Content Note

The Sedgwick County Surveyors Notebooks cover the years 1919, 1925, 1928, 1931, 1958 and 1964. The notebooks include sketches of county roads, road locations and elevations, ditch grades, channel changes, stream soundings, benchmarks, bridge features, surrounding terrain and flora features in Sedgwick County Kansas. These notebooks also note the survey team members, daily weather, buildings and crops along the surveyed roads. The collection includes three notebooks on Wichita, Kansas, with sketches of street and alley intersection locations and benchmarks in the city.

Historical Note

During the time covered by the county notebooks in this collection the chief surveyor of Sedgwick County was R. H. Brown. This department was merged with the Sedgwick County Engineers Department in 1931 and the chief engineer was G. O. Heinig. During the years covered by the Wichita notebooks the city chief engineers were P. L. Brockway in 1958, and W. E. Smith in 1964.

The duties of the county surveying department at that time were to survey and maintain county roads, right of ways, bridges, channels and banks of streams and water courses in the county. The department was also to prepare and research county maps and soil conditions relevant to the roads. The city engineer department’s responsibilities included the above duties pertaining to the city along with other requirements.

Detailed Description: Series Listing

Series 1 Box 1 Sedgwick County Surveyors Notebooks (6). Dates: August 11, 1919 - September 2, 1919; October 26, 1925 - October 29, 1925; November 18, 1925 - November 20, 1925; July 31, 1928 - August 13, 1928; January 27, 1931 - April 1, 1931; April 3, 1931 - May 7, 1931. Included in this series are hand drawn sketches of various county roads, water courses, right of ways, benchmarks and nearby terrain features. Measurements, calculations and locations of the above features along with stream soundings, soil types, hedge surveys, ditch grades, daily weather and survey team members are also noted. [Note to researcher: The Sedgwick County Public Works Bureau, Engineers Department, has three hundred plus notebooks of this series along with earlier time period materials in its current possession.]
Series 2 Box 2 Wichita Engineers Street Intersection Notebooks (3). Dates: May 15, 1958; February 18, 1964. The three notebooks cover the intersection benchmark locations of streets and alleys in the city of Wichita, Kansas. They also contain some sketches of street sections.

Detailed Description: Box and Folder Listing

Series 1 -- Sedgwick County Surveyors Notebooks
        
Box 1 FF 1 Field book “99A.” Sketch of Cannon Ball Road Vol. #3, County line - Kingman and Sedgwick. August 8, 1919-September 2,1919; also a date of February 25, 1921 is located in front of book. The survey team named is E.H.G.andHart. Included are notes and sketches of the road, adjacent terrain features, bridge surveys, buildings, stream channels, business sign locations, tree and field crop types. Note: On page 2 is a note “Tied up here for the night.”
Box 1 FF 2 Field book “12-A.” Sketch of County Road 96. October 26,1925-October 29, 1925. Survey teams named are Mills and White and Mills, Garnett and Randall. Field book includes notes on benchmarks, elevations and sketches of roads, hedge surveys, tree and crop types. Townships noted are Park, Kechi and Wichita.
Box 1 FF 3 Field book “13-A.” Sketch of State Road 15. November 18.1925-November 20, 1925. Survey teams named in book are Mills and White and Glascock and Kopeling. Field book includes notes on benchmarks, reference points, water courses, roadways and tree and crop types. Townships noted are Salem, Rockford, Riverside and Wichita.
Box 1 FF 4 Field book “107A.” Sketch of road K-15, patrol #13. July 31, 1928-August 13, 1928. Survey teams named are Hiett and Hunts and Hiett, Hunsberger and J. W. Wilson. Field book notes include sketches on the road, elevations, field and ditch surveys and benchmarks. Townships noted are Rockford, Salem and Mulvane.
Box 1 FF 5 Field book “10.” Sketch of County Roads 29, 41, 70, 612, 614A, 628 and 805. Date in front of notebook is April 23, 1936, dates on survey pages are January 27, 1931-April 1, 1931. Name on cover of book is C. M. Baughman. Survey teams named in book are Baughman and Pippit, Sills and Shannan, Baughman and Hayworth and Baughman, Hayworth and Lill. Field book includes notes on road elevations, right of way surveys, ditch grades, hedge surveys, channel changes, stream soundings, Ninnescah River area survey, and daily weather. Townships noted are Anness, Waco, Sherman, Afton, Rockford, Park, Grand River and Viola.
Box 1 FF 6 Field book “29-A.” Sketch of County Roads 14A, 15, 624. April 3, 1931-May 7,1931. Name on cover of book is E. B. Marple. Survey teams named in book are Marple, Hayworth and Lill. Field book includes notes on benchmarks, road elevations, road and adjacent terrain features, ditch grades, bridge surveys, crop types and daily weather conditions.
     
Series 2 -- Wichita Engineers Street Intersection Notebooks
     
Box 2 FF 1 Survey book. Wichita street intersection benchmark locations. No date is noted in the book. Name noted in book is E. A. Jones, City Engineer’s Office. Survey book contains the locations of street intersections and benchmarks. Note: Parts of the book are printed with some parts having handwritten intersection locations added.
Box 2 FF 2 Survey book. “North of Douglas and East of Main, NE.” February 18, 1964. Name noted in book is Gerald Young, City Engineers Office. Survey book contains the locations, benchmarks and some sketches of above noted streets and alleys in Wichita. Streets are listed alphabetically. Loose papers in back of book include calculations, rough sketches and a map of part of the city street plan.
Box 2 FF 3 Survey book. “South of Douglas and East of Main, SE.” May 5, 1958. Name in book is Jerry Young, City Engineers Office. Survey book contains the locations, benchmarks and some sketches of above mentioned streets and alleys in Wichita. Loose papers in back of book contains notes on surveys, calculations and rough sketches.