Vermont Puts Land Surveying Maps Online

I think that one area of concern for Professional Land Surveyors, Lawyers, Title Examiners and land owners, alike, is the historical journey they take in researching land records. And no, I’m not talking about the thrill of diving into old records and land surveying maps and plats, which I certainly do enjoy, but instead, I’m talking about the fact that to accomplish your work you essentially do the work like it’s been done for hundreds of years; manually by hand and record by record.

It would be nice if the record systems could catch up to modern times and put technology to work for all of us. Well, it looks like the State of Vermont has done just that by getting their old land surveying maps online. The Minnesota Historical Society has also done this. Not only does this makes for a better storage and distribution system, but also opens up other possibilities (think GIS) that can benefit users of this data, like Professional Land Surveyors, but also should reduce costs and travel required to get a job done for any industry that relies on these important documents.

While we pour billions of dollars into the “Cash for Clunkers” program (with little discussion and in a snap of the fingers) for what are used cars the minute they’re driven of the lot, why can’t we invest in our society and public services with a major, and long overdue, overhaul to our land records systems? Our systems of land records worked for their times, but with technological advancements providing improvements to every other aspect of our lives and society, it is high time that our land records systems be updated, too.

I know others are also doing this, so if the area where you work is using technology to improve its services and delivery, please let us know below in the comments giving them the recognition they deserve.

Follow the links below to see the online map collections (and more):

• Vermont State Archives
• Minnesota Historical Society

Professional Land Surveyor Source:

Sun Journal