Yellowstone Genealogy Forum
Clark’s Fork Area Survey Notes
[Reference: Various Surveyor Notes 1878-1904]
Revised 22 May2002
The early land surveyors created an excellent picture of the land conditions during their initial visits to the area south of the Yellowstone River. Later surveys re-adjusted the intersection boundary corners to form a better fit of the Section, Range and Township corners, but the overall characteristics of the land remain essentially the same. Over time, most if not all of the corner and quarter section markers have disappeared with the coming of settlers, and conversion of much of the land into farming areas. These notes cover the Yellowstone River’s right bank and terrain eastward into the hilly area, essential to the identification of Sawyers First Expedition across the South Hills area of Yellowstone County for clearing a new trail to Bozeman. Settlers and gold seekers that came after this modified trail was created didn’t apparently use this one. They used other routes.
General Notes:
This portion of township is mostly mountainous, with a strip of level bottom land along the right bank of Yellowstone River varying in width from 10.00 chains (660 feet) to one half mile. Soil in the river bottom is first rate loam. On the hills is sandy and stony loam. Little timber, chiefly Cottonwood and Willow along river bottom. Township is drained by a number of ravines and creek beds, most of them dry. The banks of Yellowstone River, where they are not formed by solid walls are subject to constant changes by erosion and numerous sand bars between the various channels of the river is …… for the meander corners of the true lines across. Settlers are in Sections 2, 15, 16, 19 & 28.
Measurement in Chains (1 chain = 66.00 feet); starting due south from north boundary line of Section 11, and continuing through others. The width of the river is not recorded here, but the intersection points of the delta-distances identify the characteristics of the land. Ascending and descending measurements in feet refer to the vertical distance (height change.)
|
Δ Chains |
Survey Remarks |
Additional Remarks |
|
0.00 at Section 11 |
Rocky River bottom, head south |
Going South |
|
14.40 |
Mouth of Bitter Creek |
Dry |
|
9.20 |
Steep river bank |
150-300 ft |
|
30.60 |
Steep river bank |
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|
30.00 |
Steep river bank |
|
|
11.40 |
To M/C* sections 11 & 14 |
Soil rocky loam, 4th rate, no timber |
|
95.60 |
Total distance of section line |
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0.00 at Section 14 |
Start south from above |
|
|
11.60 |
Enter level river bottom |
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|
4.2 |
Level |
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1.2 |
Level |
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21.00 |
Level |
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9.30 |
To M/C corner Sections 14 & 15 |
Land mountainous & level, no timber, 4th rate loam |
|
11.60 |
Mountainous land |
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0.00 at Section 15 |
Start south from above |
Sandy river bottom, scattered timber |
|
11.00 |
Fence |
Course N – S |
|
20.00 |
River |
|
|
13.30 |
River channel is along left bank of river, leaving wide rocky bench on right bank |
Dense growth of Cottonwood |
|
10.00 |
River channel is along left bank of river, leaving wide rocky bench on right bank |
Dense growth of Cottonwood |
|
12.40 |
River channel is along left bank of river, leaving wide rocky bench on right bank |
Dense growth of Cottonwood |
|
17.32 |
At 13.00 chains, Wilkenson’s house bears S 13 ½ deg E, 70 Links. At 16.20 chains, fence course S-E |
End of course on bridge across river. (Old South Bridge) |
|
17.20 |
M/C Sections 16 and 15. |
Loam 1st rate, Cottonwoods |
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0.00 at Section 16 (4.70) |
Start south from above along river bottom (26 deg N, 45’W and 4.70 Chains S 81 ½ deg W) |
Beginning of course enters meanders of right bank of Yellowstone River upstream, dense undergrowth |
|
5.30 |
Leave undergrowth |
|
|
19.40 |
At 7.00 chains fence, bears NE to M/C sections 16 & 21. From this corner T.G. Svenski’s house bears south 12.00 distant. |
Land level, soil sandy loam 1st rate. No timber. Undergrowth, Cottonwood & Willow. Land covered with dense undergrowth. |
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* M/C Denotes Marking of Corner per Survey
Requirements (Stone or earthen Cairn, about 2 ½ ft high alongside of permanent
marker)
For the Line running east between Sections 18
& 19 (Preliminary Survey Adjustment)
|
Cum. Chains |
Survey Remarks – Preliminary Investigation |
Additional Remarks |
|
Initial Adjustments |
Triangulation required to get longitude established. |
Re-tracing of old boundary through rock bluffs |
|
27.27 |
Point for triangulation over rock bluff 100 feet high. Distance to foot of bluff 7.75 chains (511.5 feet) further. |
Starting points. |
|
34.00 |
Foot of bluff. |
(Note: distance is 2244 feet total to base.) |
|
40.00 |
Quarter section marker |
|
|
76.20 |
Intersect with boundary of township, 19 links south of corner of sections 13, 18, 19, & 20. |
Then run TRUE line between sections 18 & 19, descending east slope 20 feet. |
|
Δ Chains |
Survey Remarks |
Additional Remarks |
|
1.7 |
Coulee, course N, over broken coulee bottom. |
|
|
3.7 |
Bad Land Coulee, 30 feet deep, course N 15º W. |
Ascend west slope. |
|
12.6 |
Fence, bears NW to SE |
|
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19.20 |
Ridge, bears N and S, 80 feet above coulee. |
Descend steep broken NE slope, 20 feet. |
|
29.20 |
Over broken bottom |
|
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35.20 |
Bitter Creek, course N 60ºW, water standing in pools |
Ascend 35 feet over broken SW slope |
|
36.20 |
Set quarter section – iron post |
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39.45 |
Billings to Coburn stage road. Bears N 50º W, S 50º E |
Ascend steep rocky SW slope 50 feet (to foot of rims) |
|
42.20 |
Point at foot of Rim Rock bluff, 100 feet high |
|
|
49.95 |
Point on top of Rim Rock bluff |
Ascend SW slope 50 feet. |
|
56.80 |
Ridge, bears NW & SE |
Descend E slope 50 feet |
|
64.45 |
Gulch, course S. |
Ascend 40 feet along steep S rocky slope |
|
76.20 |
Corner of sections 17, 18, 19 & 20. |
Sage brush & grasses, no timber. Broken hills, sandy-clay loam to rocky. |
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For
the Line running north between sections 17 & 18. (N 0º 1’ E)
|
Δ Chains |
Survey Remarks |
Additional Remarks |
|
1.30 |
Top of rim rock, 30 feet high, 55 feet above section corner, bears N 60º W, S 60º E |
|
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1.80 |
Ridge, 70 feet above section corner, bears N 60º W, S 60º E |
Descend steep, broken NW slope 350 feet |
|
35.00 |
Gulch, course W |
Ascend steep S slope, 75 feet |
|
40.00 |
Set quarter section corner, iron post (1/4S18W1/2, S17E1/2) |
|
|
46.00 |
Ridge 175 feet above gulch, bears N 60º E, S 60º W, over steep broken W slope |
|
|
57.00 |
Ridge slopes N 30º W |
Descend steep NE slope |
|
65.80 |
Gulch, course N60º W, 200 feet down |
Ascend steep broken SE slope 100 feet |
|
74.90 |
Ridge, bears E and W. |
Over W slope |
|
76.00 |
Point from which house of MC Cunningham bears S50º W |
|
|
80.00 |
Section corner, iron post, corner Sections 7, 8, 17 & 18 |
No timber |
For
the line running east between sections 7 and 18.
|
Δ Chains |
Survey Remarks |
Additional Remarks |
|
40.00 |
Set temporary quarter corner |
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|
76.19 |
Intersect W boundary township 77 links S of corner to sections 7, 12,13 & 18. |
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Δ Chains |
Survey Remarks on TRUE line over west slope |
Additional Remarks |
|
0.30 |
Rocky reef, 25 feet high, N 20º E & S |
|
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1.00 |
Coulee, course 20º W |
Over bottom |
|
3.20 |
|
Ascend steep SE slope |
|
6.50 |
Fence course N 10º E, S 10º W |
|
|
15.00 |
Ridge 100 feet above coulee |
Descend SW slope 50 feet |
|
15.80 |
Rim Rock bluff, 30 feet high, course NW-SE |
|
|
18.70 |
Gulch, bears SE |
Ascend rocky SE slope |
|
27.10 |
Coburn Stage Road, bears S 70º E, N 70ºW |
|
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30.00 |
Ridge 50 feet above gulch, slopes S |
Descend 50 feet |
|
32.90 |
Coulee bears S |
Ascend rocky NE slope 50 feet |
|
37.20 |
Ridge slopes S 30º E |
Descend SW slope 50 feet |
|
39.00 |
Coulee course SE |
Ascend SE slope |
|
40.00 |
Set post M/C ¼ section 7 & 18 |
12” dia Pine Tree near |
|
47.00 |
Ridge slopes NE 100 feet above gulch |
Over steep NE slope |
|
60.00 |
Top of ridge bears N10º SE |
Descend NE slope |
|
61.70 |
Rim Rock bluffs 30 feet high course NW-SE |
|
|
64.00 |
Rim Rock bluffs 60 feet high course NW-SE |
|
|
65.50 |
Gulch 250 feet below top of ridge, course S 3º W |
Ascend SW slope 70 feet |
|
75.80 |
Ridge slopes S |
Over S slope |
|
76.19 |
Intersect with boundary Township 1, 18 links S & W of Sec 12 & 13 corner |
|
For the line running north between sections 7 and 8.
|
Δ Chains |
Survey Remarks |
Additional Remarks |
|
Start |
|
Descend NW slope 30 feet |
|
2.55 |
Coulee bears S 30º W |
Ascend steep broken SE slope |
|
5.00 |
Fence course N 80º E, S 80º W |
|
|
15.30 |
Ridge 100 feet above coulee course E-W |
Descend broken NW slope 100 feet |
|
23.90 |
Coulee course NE |
Ascend SE slope 50 feet |
|
28.00 |
Ridge course SE |
Descend NW slope 30 feet |
|
31.90 |
Gulch course NE |
Ascend SE slope |
|
40.00 |
Set iron post for ¼ section 7 & 8. Place stone marker. |
|
|
44.00 |
Ridge 50 feet above gulch, slopes NE |
Descend NE slope 175 feet |
|
52.90 |
Bad Land Coulee, course N; comes from SE |
Down coulee in very broken bad land breaks |
|
68.40 |
Coulee, from E, leaves main course, course N 30º W |
Ascend broken bad land SW slope |
|
76.00 |
Fence course N 35º W |
|
|
77.50 |
Ridge slopes W 60º 60 feet above coulee |
Over broken W slope |
|
80.00 |
Set corner iron post sections 5, 6, 7, & 8 |
Soil sand and gumbo, no timber |
|
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|
For the TRUE line running east between sections 6 and 7.
|
Δ Chains |
Survey Remarks |
Additional Remarks |
|
Start |
|
Descend W slope 40 feet |
|
3.15 |
Coulee course N 15º W |
Ascend steep rocky E slope 150 feet |
|
20.00 |
Ridge course N 30º W, S 30º E (Point from which Chandler’s house bears N .09º W, 13 chains distant) |
Over ridge |
|
22.20 |
|
Descend W slope 40 feet |
|
25.50 |
Gulch course N 30º W |
Ascend E slope 40 feet |
|
34.35 |
Ridge slopes N 15º W |
Descend W slope |
|
39.50 |
Rim Rock bluffs 20 feet high course N 20º W, S 20º E |
|
|
40.00 |
Set iron post for ¼ section 6 & 7 |
|
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42.30 |
Coulee 125 feet below ridge course N 15º W |
Ascend E slope 100 feet |
|
44.50 |
Ridge slopes N |
Over rolling bench land, sloping N |
|
44.70 |
Point to AR Englin house bears N 46 ½º W; Wm Davis house bears S .06º E; Ben Drakes house bears S 32º W (vacant) |
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|
55.00 |
|
Descend W slope 50 feet |
|
55.80 |
Fence bears N 30º |
|
|
56.75 |
Coulee course N |
Ascend very steep rocky E slope |
|
58.00 |
Ridge 50 fet above soulee, slopes N |
Over rolling bench land, slopes N |
|
76.20 |
Intersect W boundary Tp 3.64 chains S 0.1º N of corner sections 1, 6, 7, & 12. |
No timber |