, 1861-04-19
Report Of James TiltOn, Esq.,, Surveyor General
for lS5g-6O,

/ DN Nv FL Ok OENEKAL : OEElCE,
Olympia, Washington Territory,
September 20, 1860
SR:--In conformity with custom, l pre-
ceed to make my annual report of Ihe sui
veying district under my charge.
The field work for the past year has bee
satisfactorily and faithfully performed an,
the office work kept fully up with the SUI
veys.
Closings upon the work of former year
demonstrate the general accuracy of lorme
surveys, and, with single exception, tn
ability and honorable dealing of the gentle
men employed as deputies
Eleven surveying parties have been EN-
ployed upon the extension of the public
surveys during the past year, and all tht
work which was reported as under contrac
at the date Of my last annual report, witt
the exception Of four townships, has beer
finished, and the plats, field notes, and ac
counts forwarded to your Office
The difficult and tedious work of survey
ing the private lands claimed under the 10
nation laws has been going steadily on
There are claim surveyors, commissioned
and instructed by this office, in all parts o
the Territory, to which the public survey;
have been extended.
The public surveys executed during the
past year include seven townships south o.
the forty-ninth degree of north latitude
near the northern boundary of the Terrific
ry and on the eastern shore of Pugets
Sound; seven townships on the eastern
shore Of the Sound, between Bellinghan
Bay and the sixth standard parallel; all the
settled lands on the large and fertile island
of WILDLY; the whole of Camauo Island;
most of the lands lying between the OHm-
pic range Of mountains and the western
shores of Pugets Sound that are now set
tied; also, fertile lands lying upon Chehalis
river and Gray's harbor.
Surveys have been commenced in that
part of the Territory lying east of the Cas-
cade range Of mountains; about AGO miles
of guide meridian and standard parallel
lines have been run, as preliminary to the
subdivision Of the country lying upon the
Upper Columbia and between the Cascade
and Blue mountains and north Of the forty
sixth degree of north latitude, or the south
cru boundary Of that part Of the Territory.
Three efficient parties of approved sur
veyors are now at work, under contructs
for the subdivision of fourteen townships,
in the desirable valleys Of the Walla Walla
and CIickatat.
Some six hundred preemption settlers
have taken claims in that region, and emi-
grafton from the Atlantic States, now rap
idly coming in to that part of the Terrific
ry, together with the certainty Of good
gold. bearing country on the eastern slope
Of the Cascade mountains, and along the
forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, rem
ders it imperative that there should be a
large amount of subdivisional surveying in
the country east OF the Cascades at as early
a season as possible.
There will be, at least, one thousand pre-
emptors upon unsurveyed lands in that re-
gion, by the last Of November.
/ have contracted for the whole Of the
small appropriation made for this year, and
could have employed four or FIVE more sur
veying parties with signal advantage to the
II NhO
had been sufficient.
7 l beg to reiterate the urgent request Of
iormer years, that the department decide
upon the vast body of land claimed by the
Pugets Sound Agricultural Company
These lands have now upon them some -four
hundred American settlers, and justice to
them requires their title to be settled, as
they are making valuable farms, and q
Aourishing town, Steilacoom, is springing
up thereon.
The principal body Of land in the claim
is prairie, lying south of and adjacent to 0
fertile but densely-timbered tract, including
the valleys of Puyallup, White, Green and
Duwamish rivers. Upon these bottom
lands there are two hundred settlers, in
cluding many old donation claimants, also
the important town of Seattle.
/ have long endeavored to contract fol
the survey of these lands, but the exceed
ing difficulty of tho work, the denseness o.
the forests, and luxuriance Of the under
growth has prevented any deputy surveyor
from encountoring the almost certain pecu
illul 100 iS hOutu iuNult Bub IOuiu L ~
tach to the contract the prairies now claim
ed by the Pugets Sound Agricultural Com
pany, it would, as whole, afford a reason
able compensation.
With regard to the Status Of the Puget,
Sound Agricultural Company's lands, l beg
to refer you to the report, with accompany
ing diagrams, &C., which l had the honOl
to make and forward to your Office on tht
sth Of December, 1859, and which here
by make part Of this annual report.
In accordance with your orders dated
September 30, 1859, have, to the grea
satisfaction of the settlers, subdivided thl
land (about 3S, 900 acres claimed by tht
Hudson's Bay Company, on the lower Co
lumbia, which included the town Of Van
couver, Fort Vancouver, and some sixty o.
seventy donation claims.
Last May, in accordance With your or
ders, proceeded to Vancouver TO hear ant
determine some contested land claims, viz
the town site Of Vancouvor tho miiitar-