William austin burt quotes
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William Austin Burt
American politician (1792–1858)
William Austin Burt | |
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sketch, before 1873 | |
| Born | William Austin Burt June 13, 1792 Petersham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | August 18, 1858(1858-08-18) (aged 66) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Resting place | Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Surveyor |
| Employer | United States government |
| Known for |
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| Title | Hon. Wm. A. Burt |
| Political party | Jeffersonian Republican |
| Spouse | Phoebe Cole |
| Children | 5 sons |
William Austin Burt (June 13, 1792 – August 18, 1858) was an American inventor, legislator, surveyor, and millwright.
Burt was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and lived in Michigan from 1822 until his death in 1858. He was a member of the Michigan Territorial Legislature, 1826–7. He served as Mount Vernon's first postmaster from 1832 to 1856. He was a Macomb CountyCircuit Court judge in 1833, a state legislator in 1853, and a deputy U.S. surveyor from 1833 to 1853.[1] While surveying, he won acc
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William Austin Burt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids William Austin Burt | |
|---|---|
sketch, before 1873 | |
| Born | William Austin Burt June 13, 1792 Petersham, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | August 18, 1858(1858-08-18) (aged 66) Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Resting place | Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Surveyor |
| Employer | United States government |
| Known for |
|
| Title | Hon. Wm. A. Burt |
| Political party | Jeffersonian Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Phoebe Cole |
| Children | 5 sons |
| Signature | |
William Austin Burt (June 13, 1792 – August 18, 1858) was an American scientist, inventor, legislator, millwright, justice of the peace, school inspector, postmaster, judge, builder, businessman, surveyor and soldier. He first was a builder of sawmills, but his main interest was that of surveying. Burt built sawmills in an area that is now the city of Port Huron, Michigan. He built an excellent reputation for his accurate surveying work on public lands. He became a government deputy surveyor and trained many young men in
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William Austin Burt (below) was one of the most active and leading of the surveyors in Michigan. He was a man who personified the rugged early American pioneer. He led many a survey team through the Michigan wilderness, and today Burt Lake stands in his remembrance.
Burt's inventions included America’s first writing machine ("typographer"), but it was his solar compass that earned him fame as one of the most accurate of the early pioneer surveyors. At age 52, Burt had been working as a deputy surveyor for 11 years when he and his party first encountered iron ore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Although quiet and unassuming, he was an articulate conversationalist who often talked with his men long after the campfires had died out.
In the fall of 1834, Burt was required to subdivide 13 townships in what became Wisconsin Territory in 1836. He soon faced a dilemma that had plagued surveyors since the federal surveys began---the preexisting township lines did not meet properly with his "new" lines.
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