Surveyor’s Transit Serial No. 7969
Title
Surveyor’s Transit Serial No. 7969
Description
A surveyor’s transit is used to measure horizontal and vertical angles (The Surveyor’s Basic Tools). It was invented in 1831 by William J. Young. Designs varied throughout the 1800s, but were generally standardized by 1885. The transit was a highly versatile tool and with modifications was used not only for surveying, but also for astronomy, mining, and tunneling (Beeks).
Young & Sons made this specific surveyor’s transit in the United States sometime between 1906 and 1908 (Miller). It likely came to Grinnell to be used in the class “Surveying and Plotting”, offered from 1905 to 1909, and then in the class simply titled “Surveying” from 1910 to 1923 after which the class was no longer offered. The transit was likely used directly by students and not just professors for demonstration as the course description says it is about “the theory of different instruments and practice in their use” as well as that students should expect to perform six hours of field work each week. Some of the earlier descriptions of the course explicitly mentioning using the transit during the first half of the course, and although the transit is no longer explicitly mentioned in some of the later course descriptions it is still likely that it was included in the instruments used for field work (Grinnell College Catalogs).
-Andrew Lieman (2019)
Probably used between 1906 and 1908
References
Beeks, D. Evolution of the Transit. Retrieved from http://www.surveyhistory.org/evolution_of_the_transit1.htm
Grinnell College Catalogs from 1905 to 1923.
Miller, R. How Old is my Young & Sons?. Retrieved from http://www.surveyhistory.org/how_old_is_my_young_&_sons.htm
The Surveyor’s Basic Tools. Retrieved from http://www.surveyhistory.org/the_surveyor%27s_basic_tools.htm
Young & Sons made this specific surveyor’s transit in the United States sometime between 1906 and 1908 (Miller). It likely came to Grinnell to be used in the class “Surveying and Plotting”, offered from 1905 to 1909, and then in the class simply titled “Surveying” from 1910 to 1923 after which the class was no longer offered. The transit was likely used directly by students and not just professors for demonstration as the course description says it is about “the theory of different instruments and practice in their use” as well as that students should expect to perform six hours of field work each week. Some of the earlier descriptions of the course explicitly mentioning using the transit during the first half of the course, and although the transit is no longer explicitly mentioned in some of the later course descriptions it is still likely that it was included in the instruments used for field work (Grinnell College Catalogs).
-Andrew Lieman (2019)
Probably used between 1906 and 1908
References
Beeks, D. Evolution of the Transit. Retrieved from http://www.surveyhistory.org/evolution_of_the_transit1.htm
Grinnell College Catalogs from 1905 to 1923.
Miller, R. How Old is my Young & Sons?. Retrieved from http://www.surveyhistory.org/how_old_is_my_young_&_sons.htm
The Surveyor’s Basic Tools. Retrieved from http://www.surveyhistory.org/the_surveyor%27s_basic_tools.htm
Identifier
te_043
Collection
Technology
Creator
Young & Sons
Source
Storage Location Prep Room