California Surveyors Forums

The oldest LS Tag I found in the field was LS 1339.

1339 Pearsall, R. V.
name does not ring a bell, where did you find this tag?

LS 1685 here in the Bay Area, which is not really that old a #. Seems like the ancient ones weren't often tagging here.

I found that tag as an employee when I was first working in the field about 20+ years ago and ever since then I can't beat it. Not unusual to find LS 1894 here. He would set 1" pipes with 1-1/2" brass caps for the most part.

I found one from Percy W. McMillian, "LS 823" and showed it on my CR 2326, Santa Clara Co. Thought I had a picture, but can't find it.

I recall finding one with my party chief in the 100's, in my early years, but didn't think much more about it other than "How cool is that".

PLS7393 wrote:I found one from Percy W. McMillian, "LS 823" and showed it on my CR 2326, Santa Clara Co. Thought I had a picture, but can't find it.

I recall finding one with my party chief in the 100's, in my early years, but didn't think much more about it other than "How cool is that".

Woops - I totally forgot I found his tag as well, so I hereby correct mine to LS 823. I gotta take more ginkgo biloba. This was in Santa Clara County/Los Altos Hills. Don't have a picture but it's on ROS - 890 Maps 11.

164 in Wyoming. Paul Scherbel. The man is a legend in Rocky Mountain surveying. He was setting carved stones in the 1990's. https://www.schwabmortuary.com/notices/Paul-Scherbel

When I first started surveying in the early seventies I found a "RE 3" tag in Whittier, and he was still alive and active at that time.

I've tried to find where I saw it, but I think it's been removed by the surveyors' nightmare: a wheel chair ramp.

RE 418

E.O. Imus, City Engineer for Oxnard

RE 862 JF Davidson, Riverside and Riverside County area surveyor. Usually right where he said it was too! Jp

I have found plenty LS 1339, R.V. Pearsall, mostly in the Long Beach area.

I have found some JF Davidson, RE 862, in Riverside area.

I have found several Finley, LS 84, monuments in Orange County, but he didn't set tags. I do not think a tag was defined and required until the 1930s.

I have found several Bates monuments, RE 167 (offhand guess on the number).

I do not recall the three digit numbers, but I have found several square, hand cut, copper tags stamped with numbers that are about half the size we are accustomed to seeing today. Another old practice, dating back to the 1930s, was for the LS to stamp the number in the lead used to set brass nails in concrete (Beverly Hills area).

Lastly, long before licensure, I have found several monuments set in the 1870s and one post set in the 1850s.

After more than 30 years of digging up monuments, the satisfied feeling of finding an old monument has not waned in the least.

D. Woolley

Mine was in town if los gatos, next to post office. The unrecorded map that it was part of is lost in time. It is only referenced byba single ROS using distance only, no bearing...
R.V. Pearsall did not file a single map in santa clara county. Do not know anything about him. Tried google but no luck. Who did he work for?

We used to find E.L.Freeland's RE 32 tags fairly frequently is San Diego

I suggest you call R.V. Pearsall, ask for Ron, at (562) 433-0131 and see if they have any of the old records. Although the owner was close to retirement, R.V. Pearsall was still in business a couple of years ago. You can tell him I referred you - we know each other.

D. Woolley

Although not tagged, the oldest accessory to a corner I have found was an Native American grinding rock hole that was called for in the original notes for an 1876 silver mining claim. By far the oldest man-made thing I have ever found with regards to a retracement survey.

RE 158 - Thomas H. Townsend -- Napa County

RE 1469 - Lloyd Bowman -- Santa Cruz County

LS 1225 - E. R. Muttersbach -- Santa Cruz County

LS 1941 - Chester Lozier -- Santa Cruz County

RE 2330 - Arthur Cowell -- Sonoma County -- Stamped the sides of his pipes

Thanks Dave, I will give him a call on monday.

In Fresno County I did find a Scott McCay Monument Section Corner. He is LS 359, although he did not put his number on it. It was about an 8" steel disk with his name raised. I believe he was a Fresno County Surveyor at one time.

Does anyone have a picture of his Monuments?

[But then there is good ol SV13... Rancho San Vicente 13

LS_8750 wrote:RE 2330 - Arthur Cowell -- Sonoma County -- Stamped the sides of his pipes

Cowell is LS 376 as well though for some reason he stamps the RE number.

Mine is RE 220 Frank Kelly. Brass Tag is 1 inch diameter
I found one of those Indian grinder holes in a creek bed and near a corner....
I ought to add it to the map as an accessory!

RE 96 Casey Bonebrake
LS 485 the George Bates that Woolley was referencing.

Found a quarter corner back in 1980 that hadn't been found of record in over a hundred years. lovely looking rock, now its a stone.

ekparian wrote:Thanks Dave, I will give him a call on monday.

In Fresno County I did find a Scott McCay Monument Section Corner. He is LS 359, although he did not put his number on it. It was about an 8" steel disk with his name raised. I believe he was a Fresno County Surveyor at one time.

Does anyone have a picture of his Monuments?

Here is a Scott McKay monument near Coalinga...

LS 656 - William E. Bedesen

I have found a few of his around the Merced area...

I found a bunch of these monuments in the "North Tustin" (Unincorporated Area) of Orange County. I aslo found a 2 digit RE number in stamped lead in Beverly Hills, years ago.

RE 94 Clarence D. Conway........Los Molinos Land Company, Tehama County

LS 656 Mr Bedesen in Merced County In fact, I just found another one of his pipe and tags in Los Banos earlier this year