The East Boundary of the
Original Kanza Reservation
Kansas Society of Land
Surveyors
The geocache
EAST BOUNDARY OF THE KANZA RESERVATION
This geocache is right on the original 1857 east boundary of the
original reservation for the Kanza Native Americans.
This image is a copy of the 1857 survey showing how the land was
subdivided by the government so that private individuals could
purchase new land on the western frontier. Notice the little
squares all over the place. Each numbered section measured a mile
on a side, like those shown on the left, and each parcel of land
was a quarter of a section, measuring a half-mile on a side, like
those shown on the right. The subdivisions continued west up until
the "East Boundary of Kansas Indian Reservation" was reached. You
can see these words on the map. Parcels up against this line were
subdivided into even smaller lots. In 1857, the land to the east
was getting prepared for settlers. The land to the west was
dedicated for the use of the Kanza. Then in 1860 this border was
pushed about 6 miles farther west and the north boundary was moved
farther south, thereby diminishing the Kanza Reservation to make
room for more settling of the western frontier.
When you are at the posted coordinates you can look to the north
and to the south and see fence lines that were erected along old
property lines that originated from this ancient border. The
outside of the numbered sections typically became horse-and-wagon
trails, then later were used as buggy roads, then even later
developed as ditches with gravel roads and paved streets. When you
look at your DeLorme "back roads" street maps, you can see lots of
little squares. These squares are the numbered sections, just like
the ones in the above 1857 survey. Hedge rows and fence lines
typically followed the interior "quarter-section lines" where many
can still be found today as you drive from place to place.
KANSAS SOCIETY OF LAND SURVEYORS
Breaking the boundaries between surveying and
geocaching!
"Kanza Cache" is part of the national NSPS Geocaching
Project (http://tinyurl.com/yz6r2q),
sponsored at the state level by the Kansas Society of Land
Surveyors, KSLS (http://www.ksls.com), and placed on
the Flint Hills Nature Trail with permission from, and cooperation
with, the Kanza Rail Trails Conservancy (KRTC) (http://www.krtc.blogspot.com).
The NSPS Geocaching Project is an excellent opportunity to promote
the profession of land surveying as a viable career choice.
Geocachers use GPS to find and set things that are not obvious to
the eye. Land surveyors also use GPS (among lots of other cool and
expensive toys) to find and set things that are not obvious to the
eye. Geocachers try to get the best GPS accuracy possible;
surveyors use GPS equipment with accuracy that boggles the mind.
Geocachers may look for bench marks, whereas surveyors often set
bench marks. The two activities have many similarities.
For more information on surveying, select any of the
following:
Check out the new
careers website: SurveyingCareer.com
The NSPS
Geocaching Project
List of KSLS geocaches
home page for
KSLS
home page for NSPS
- NATIONAL Society of Professional Surveyors
THE GEOCACHE
You are looking for a 50-cal ammo box filled with logbook, pen,
pencil, pencil sharpener, swag and some miscellaneous
surveying-related trade items. Take care when searching for
geocaches on the trails, so that you don't reveal the whereabouts
to anyone who might come back later to plunder the contents or take
the container.
REMEMBER
- Make the fair trade.
- Log your visit.
- Leave the site better than you found
it.
- Protect the environment —
always.
- Educate those around you.
- Find another cache!
Good luck, and may all your cache dreams
come true.
—cantuland
Congratulations to Pullings for being First To Find.