Klamath Falls, Oregon – At an upcoming event sponsored by the Klamath County Museum, the fascinating background of land surveying and its influence on the American West will take front stage. Set for Thursday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m., the presentation will explore the stories, challenges, and oddities accompanying the dividing of the American frontier into orderly parcels of land.
Under the title Land Surveyors – Organizing the American West, Joe Young, a professional land surveyor and vice president of the Klamath County Historical Society, will lead the program . Young will lead participants through the U.S. Public Land Surveying System (PLSS), a mechanism designed to provide organization to large, wild areas even before Oregon attained statehood in 1859.
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One very fascinating subject will be the existence of a “Section 37” in Klamath County, an anomaly in a system meant to arrange land into orderly, 36-square-mile townships. Young aims to unravel the mystery behind this rare feature, delving into its historical context and the decisions that led to its creation.
The program will also include well-known people whose names live on the Oregon landscape. From William S. Moore, whose family left a legacy including Moore Park, to geographic names like Fremont, Williamson, Sprague, Drew, and Warner, the show promises to bring these important figures to life.
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Young will also discuss the platting of Linkville town and Linkville Cemetery, providing analysis of how early surveyors prepared the foundation for future communities.
This educational and engaging event is free and open to the public. For those unable to attend in person, the program will be accessible via Zoom online. Interested participants may send an email to [email protected] asking for a Zoom invite.
Whether your interests are in history, land surveys, or just the oddities of Oregon’s past, this event is an exceptional opportunity to explore the tale of how the ground we know today was carefully mapped and organized.
