The Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association (IPLSA) is pleased to announce the opening of the IPLSA Museum of Surveying. The museum is located in the old Frackelton Bank Building at the Southwest corner of the square in Petersburg, Illinois. The Menard County Historical Society and the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce offices are also housed in the building.
The Museum of Surveying displays antique surveying instruments, historical survey plats, prints depicting the profession of land surveying and information on early land surveying. Prints of original drawings by the noted Lincoln artist, Lloyd Ostendorf (1921 – 2000) of Lincoln’s surveying career are on display.
Bob Church, executive director of IPLSA says, “We are excited to have a land surveying museum in Petersburg, a town that Abraham Lincoln laid out and surveyed in 1836, during his career as Deputy County Surveyor.” Church also pointed out that the purpose of the Museum of Land Surveying is to educate the public on the importance of the land surveying profession and little known aspect of Lincoln’s life as Deputy County Surveyor from 1833 to 1837.
The museum is open to the public Monday thru Friday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at no cost to the public, but a donation would be appreciated.
IPLSA Museum of Surveying Receives Donation
The Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association (IPLSA) Museum of Surveying has received a donation of antique surveying equipment. The items were donated by the Nancy Baber McNeill Living Trust., of California. Mrs. McNeill was the daughter of Adin Babaer of Kansas, Illinois who was the author of A. Lincoln With Compass and Chain, which is the only book that explains Lincoln surveying career as Deputy Surveyor of Sangamon County, Illinois. Mr. Baber passed away in 1974 and Mrs. McNeill passed away in February 2005.
The surveying equipment was owned by Mr. Baber, who surveyed in Edgar County, Illinois. Included in the donate equipment is Vernier Transit Compass, Manufactured by William J. Young (1800 – 1870) of Philadelphia, PA, a Four-Vane Compass, Manufactured by Aloe-Hernstein & Company (1860 – 1940) of St. Louis, MO, a 18” Wye Level, Manufacturer and Date Unknown, a Surveyors Cross Transit, Manufactured by A. S. Aloe Company (1860 – 1940) St. Louis, MO, a 33 feet, 2-pole Gunter’s Chain (1830s) and a set of 11 – 18” Marking pins (1830s)
The IPLSA Museum of Surveying opened June 25, 2005 in a building owned by the Menard County Historical Society, which is located on the Southwest corner of the Square in Petersburg, Illinois. Lincoln laid out Petersburg in 1836.
The Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association currently has 1172 members and is the only statewide organization that represents land surveying and the public when it comes to land surveying issues in Illinois.
The newly acquired surveying equipment came be seen along with other surveying items at the museum 125 S. 7th Street, Petersburg, Illinois, Monday through Friday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.