Addendum
Since the book They Left Their Mark: William Austin Burt and His Sons, Surveyors of the Public Domain was published in February, 1986, there are a few items of interest that I want to include on this William Austin Burt website.
1. The Michigan Society of Registered Land Surveyors (MSRLS), 1941-1993, became The Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors (MSPS) in 1993. This distinguished group of surveyors has continually honored the life and accomplishments of William A. Burt over the years. I’ve included excerpts from Herbert G. Avey’s history of the organization and added photos and captions to show some of the recognition they have given to Burt for his dedication and accomplishments as a U.S. Deputy Surveyor. A group of reenactment surveyors routinely demonstrate to audiences how the pioneer surveyors operated their equipment to successfully lay out the boundaries of the public lands.
Click here to open or download MSRLS History and recognition of William A. Burt
2. Arnulf Esterer, a William Austin Burt descendant, provided to me a photo of the Certificate and Prize Medal W.A. Burt received from Prince Albert at the Great Exposition of 1851.
3. My aunt Dorothy Burt Findlay, give to me the only known daguerreotype of William A. Burt. It has been donated to the MSPS Museum, along with other items from the author’s W.A. Burt collection.
4. Several excellent books have been written that include mention of William A. Burt, including (1) Measuring America: How An Untamed Wilderness Shaped the United States And Fulfilled The Promise of Democracy, by Andro Linklater, Walker Publishing Co., 2002. In his notes the author writes that details and quotations of Burt’s life are from John Burt’s biography They Left Their Mark. (2) Robert C. Miller’s book Burt’s Solar Compass: Its Conception, Development, Manufacturing, and Daily Use, MSPS Institute, 2010 is must reading for those interested in the solar compass. A review by Jack N. Owens, LS, and my Foreword are presented here.
5. The only Burt’s Astronomical Compass known to exist today was located and identified in The Pioneer Village, Minden, Nebraska in 2014. Photos are included here, courtesy of Marshall Nelson, Director.
6. A corrected Index is included in the PDF copy of They Left their Mark that you can download for free. If you currently own a hardcover copy of the book, or if you would like to order one, you can print a copy of the corrected Index included in this Addendum.
Click here to open or download the corrected Index for They Left Their Mark
7. The links for two special You Tube videos are included on this website:
(1). “Surveying Michigan,” with thanks to Marc Smyth, Lansing Community College. LCC released this excellent timeless video in 1991. It details an overview of the Rectangular system of surveying and stories about the early pioneer surveyors, including William Austin Burt:
(2)• “The Solar Compass of William Austin Burt: Its Principles and Practice,” by Burton H. Boyum, with permission from his daughter, Judy Boyum Parlato.
8. The publisher of my book, They Left Their Mark, Roy Minnick, passed away unexpectedly on September 29, 2004 at age 65. He was a well known California surveyor, author, and book seller. On August 18, 2005, I purchased all remaining copies of my book They Left Their Mark from Roy’s widow Jean Minnick at a net price of $21.00 each. Today there are still a few hardcover copies of They Left Their Mark available from the author.
9. Finally, my thanks to the many people across the country who have supported my efforts and made it possible to write the story of William Austin Burt and his sons. Lee Roy Barnett, former Michigan Archivist and frequent contributor to Michigan History, gave me encouragement early on to write the first book about my ancestor. Today he remains a source of inspiration and ideas to help keep the story alive. Website designer Nour Tarzi has provided the added spark to make this William A. Burt Website a reality.
John S. Burt
June 8, 2017