NORTHEAST CORNER OF SECTION 15, T. 110N, R. 17W, 5TH
P.M.
Statement of Evidence:
November 1853 Thomas Simpson, U.S. Deputy Surveyor, set a post and marked three aspen trees and Jack oak trees for reference.
1877 The plat of Wanamingo Township indicates the corner is at the intersection of east-west and a property division line to the north, also indicated on the plat is the Northwest corner of the Northeast quarter of the Northeast quarter section 15 being at the intersection of east-west road and property division line to the south.
April 1967 McGhie and Bett’s Inc., conducted a survey of a 3 acre parcel for a tower site in the southwest quarter section 11. The field notes of the survey indicated they dug for the corner monument, but did not find anything. Also noted was testimony from nearby farmers who said “They never saw a corner here.” The notes indicated a 3/8 inch rod was set in the road.
March 1977 Vince Benson, P.E. 5729, conducted a survey in the southwest quarter section 11. Mr. T.O. Thompson, long time landowner in the NE ¼ section 15 and NW ¼ section 14, told Mr. Benson a stone was at the corner location. A bulldozer was brought in and the search produced a granite stone which had been pushed out by the bulldozer. Mr. Benson found the impression where the stone came from, he also found rotted wood under the stone. Vince Benson put the stone back in place and placed a spike over the stone.
September 1989 Norbert J. Rehder, Land Surveyor with Johnson & Scofield, Inc., searched the area with an electronic metal locator but found no monuments. A 12 x 20 foot area was excavated 2 feet deep with a backhoe, but no corner evidence was found.
September 1989 Adjoining landowner Ken Lee informed Norbert Rehder that he found a stone 15 to 20 years ago at a depth of 3 feet. The found stone was disputed as not authentic by adjoining landowner Jackson. Another excavation was made with a backhoe. The excavation was made 12 feet wide by 50 feet long and 4 feet deep but the stone was not recovered. As every alternative location was searched, it was assumed that the stone was removed. The corner was remonumented using obliterated methods. A Goodhue County monument was installed on the centerline of the East-West Township Road so that the centerline of the Township Road along the North-South centerline of the Southeast quarter of Section 10 would be midway between the south quarter corner and the southeast corner of section 10. This position was confirmed by the measured distance made to the south quarter corner of Section 11. It was felt that this position best perpetuates the original Public Land Survey Corner.
Continued…
NORTHEAST CORNER OF SECTION 15, T. 110N, R. 17W, 5TH
P.M. continued pg. 2 of 2
June 2000 Dennis L. Robinson, Goodhue County Deputy Surveyor, conducted a search for the corner. A Goodhue County Monument was found and the north lines of section 14 and section 15 were measured. When compared to the survey conducted in 1989, it was found the monument set by Norbert Rehder had been moved about 17.67 feet to the east. Because of all the controversy over the monuments location, a thorough investigation was conducted. Field notes from McGhie & Bett’s survey were obtained, Vince Benson was contacted along with David A. Johnson. Mr. Benson was brought on site and the stone he found in 1977 was located with a sq. ½ x 7 inch long drag tooth spike on top. The stone was a 12 x 19 x 14 inch granite stone at a depth of 6 inches. This stone was about 4.07 feet east and 6.4 feet north of the 1989 position. The iron rod set by McGhie & Bett’s was not found and the only evidence in the field notes was that it was set in a road and was 1254 feet west of a north-south line. The 1989 survey drawing of Johnson & Scofield shows a fence line 1284.56 feet east of their corner position. This would indicate McGhie & Bett’s position would be 30.5 feet east of the 1989 location. A search was conducted at the Northwest corner of the NE ¼ of NE ¼ section 15, which produced a 1 x 36 inch iron pipe at depth of 20 inches.
An analysis of the record and field evidence indicates the iron rod set in 1967 is missing. The field notes do not indicate what type of evidence was used to set the iron rod other than it was set in the road and the testimony from nearby farmers who never saw a corner here. The granite stone found by Vince Benson in 1977 was disputed as not being authentic by a adjoining land-owner, and after finding the stone it has the appearance of an ordinary boulder. The monument set by Norbert Rehder in 1989 was moved by unknown persons about 17.67-feet to the east. This was most likely done because of a dispute over the corner location. It was determined the method Mr. Rehder used for setting the corner was appropriate but the 1-inch by 36-inch iron pipe monument should be used at the 16th corner instead of the centerline of the inplace roads. This 16th corner is indicated on the 1877 plat book and the iron pipe found at the corner is considered a monument set in the distant past by an unknown surveyor. On August 14, 2000 a Goodhue County monument was set so that the found iron pipe would be midway and on line between the North quarter corner and the Northeast corner of section 15. This location is 13.16 feet east of the 1989 position and is accepted as the best evidence to the location of the original PLS corner.