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✧ Membership ✧ Education Opportunities ✧ Career Advancement ✧2025 Chapter Meeting Schedule – Expandable sections
Summer Membership Meeting - June 18th, 2025
Our June 18th Membership meeting will be held at B. Halls 2 – The Event Space of the Family Grill.
3752 Monticello Plaza Drive, O’Fallon, MO 63304.
We will be in the private room and attendees may order dinner and drinks from the regular menu.
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
The presenter will be Matt Winkler & John Schaeffer, on behalf of Arch City Title, St. Louis Title, Benchmark Title and Security Title. The PDF outline for the evening’s presentation is HERE. The will be discussing title research related to surveys and the title research industry looking ahead, it is sure to be an informative and interesting evening. This will also be a great opportunity for surveyors from multiple counties, in MO & IL to meet the title company representatives.
Past Meetings
Spring Membership Meeting - March 26th 2025
Outline for MSPSSTL – 2025 Spring Membership Meeting
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Office of TWM, Inc. 3701 S Lindbergh Blvd Suite 100, St. Louis, MO 63127
6:00 – 6:30 PM – Business Meeting, Non-Profit organization status, Scholarship Foundation, website updates, Ongoing St. Louis City/County limits original stones located and updated database and calculations by companies on website.
6:30 – 7:00 PM – New Survey Technician program, certified by the DOL and administrated by the StL Construction Forum. St. Louis Community College’s involvement, and a description of survey courses offered, career advancement and tuition paid for by St. Louis County Workforce Development.
Presentation to membership and open discussion with Tom McGovern from St. Louis County Community College, Tom Finan & Diana Wilhold from StL Construction Forum will present.
7:00 – 7:30 PM – AI in Surveying Presentation. Daily routines with AI, short-cutting work-flows. Walk-through Microsoft Office apps with AI assistance. Thoughtful prompting for precise outputs. Surveyor’s perspectives on AI questioning, input and liability during day-to-day use.
Demonstration showcasing useful AI platforms that can create detailed presentations and deliverables for projects.
Demonstration showcasing detailed prompting to create a Python app that allows coordinate data entry and calculates results in a user created input/output form or file.
Winter Membership Meeting / Surveyor's Roundtable - Dec. 11th, 2024
The Winter Membership Meeting / Holiday Survey Party will be held on December 11th at the offices of Clayton Engineering – 2268 Welsch Industrial Ct., St. Louis, MO 63146.
6-8pm. We have requested 1.5 PDUs for attendance of this meeting.
There will be a Hot Dog & Bratwurst Bar catered by Steve’s Hot Dogs
We will be presenting the family of Richard J. Barr with his Final Point, commissioned by NSPS.
We will be announcing our 2024-2025 St. Louis Chapter MSPS Scholarship recipient!
And the main discussion of the evening will be the surviving stones from the 1876 St. Louis City Charter, according to a survey by Julius Pitzman & Re-Survey by Thomas Featherson followed by a surveyor’s roundtable.
The full meeting outline can be found here.
Click Here for the 1.5 PDU Certificate
Golf Outing w/ IPLSA Southwest Chapter 2024
Summer/Fall Membership Meeting - August 21st, 2024
James W. Rennick Riverfront Park, Washington, MO.
6:30 – 7 PM – St. Louis Chapter Business Meeting, Scholarship Fundraiser Tickets and presentation about a new survey credit program by Midwest Geospatial Academy, while enjoying BBQ along the Missouri River by BFA, Inc.
7-8 PM – Presentation by Judge Ike Lamke of a court case that resulted in a decision about the location of the North-South section line between Section 4 and Section 5, Township 43 N., Range 2 W of the 5th PM.
Click here for Meeting Outline
Click here for all of the Case Files & Judge Ike Lamke Introduction
2024 Surveyors Cup Golf Tournament
Click here for Board Approved 1.5 PDU Certificate
Summer Membership Meeting - July 17th, 2024
The Summer Membership Meeting will be a presentation by County Planning and GIS Officials from our region to discuss their offices and procedures.
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm at 201 N. 2nd Street, St. Charles, MO 63301
Click Here for Board Approved 1.5 PDU Certificate
Spring Membership Meeting - March 27th 2024
Seiler Instruments – 3433 Tree Court Industrial Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63122
6:30pm- 8pm
The Spring Membership Meeting will include a presentation about the St. Louis Chapter 2024 Scholarships available for SIUE, State Tech & Optional other programs with presentations about that. Surveyors in Training and Associate members are strongly encouraged to attend!
The main presentation will discussion AI implementation in the Surveying Profession: Rapidly evolving software integrations, benefits and downsides, Surveyor’s responsibilities and awareness and preparedness of the unknown.
MSPS-STL March 2024 Meeting Program
Copilot ChatGPT4 DALL-E 3 Presentaion
StLSurveyor - Facebook Posts
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June 11th, 1803.
Dr. Rush's Recommendations.
In Philadelphia, DR. BENJAMIN RUSH writes eleven rules of health for MERIWETHER LEWIS to follow on the expedition. He recommends purging, wearing flannel, moderation in eating and drinking of alcohol, and taking good care of the feet.
Above is a page from Rush’s “commonplace book”—a blank book in which notes, reflections, quotes, or other matters of importance were written down and perhaps organized for easy reference.[1] Rush may have used this page as a reminder during his conversations with Lewis in 1803, or may have given him a clean copy of it. This version of his directions, as printed in Donald Jackson’s Letters of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (No. 43, 1:54-55), is believed to be Jefferson’s copy of Rush’s original.
Some of Dr. Rush's suggestions include:
1. When you feel the least indisposition, do not attempt to overcome it by labour or marching. Rest in a horizontal posture. Also fasting and diluting drinks for a day or two will generally prevent an attack of fever. To these preventatives of disease may be added a gentle sweat obtained by warm drinks, or gently opening the bowels by means of one, two or more of the purging pills [Rush’s Bilious Pills].
2. Unusual costiveness [constipation] is often a sign of approaching disease. When you feel it take one or more of the purging pills.
3. Want of appetite is likewise a sign of approaching indisposition. It should be obviated by the same remedy.
4. In difficult & laborious enterprises & marches, eating sparingly will enable you to bear them with less fatigue & less danger to your health.
5. Flannel should be worn constantly next to the skin, especially in wet weather.
6. The less spirit you use the better. After being wetted or much fatigued, or long exposed to the night air, it should be taken in an undiluted state. 3 tablespoonfuls taken in this way will be more useful in preventing sickness, than half a pint mixed with water.
..... ... See MoreSee Less
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June 9th, 1803.
Jefferson's Surprise.
PHOTO: This is roughly the shape of the Louisiana that JEFFERSON thought he had bought. As large as the portion west of the Mississippi appears, it was the long dog-leg of land east of that line, reaching into the northeast quarter of today’s state of Florida, that was of far greater concern to him, and to the many Americans who had already moved west of the Allegheny Mountains by the end of the 18th Century.
In Washington City, THOMAS JEFFERSON receives the news that France wishes to sell their entire Louisiana colony. Unknown to anyone in the United States, the purchase treaty has also been signed in Paris. In Philadelphia, MERIWETHER LEWIS has a painted chest made to hold his scientific instruments.
On 11 April 1803, Napoleon decided to rid France of the entire Louisiana colony. Three days later, French Minister of Finance, Barbé de Marbois, offered to sell that colony for approximately 125 million francs. Livingston immediately wrote a letter that reached Thomas Jefferson on this day.
"Paris 14. April 1803
Dear Sir
When I cast my eye upon the Map, and consider the vast and rich Country that lays before us, when I look forward one hundred years & see that Country improved & settled by Millions who will either be ranged in hostile array against us, or enlisted under our banners as we now decide. I think the weal, or woe of our Country lays in our hands, & depends upon the determination of a moment—
The reflection contained in Mr. Ross’es speach on the subject of the distribution of two millions of dollars in bribes has been much noticed here. . . .
Believe me to be Dear Sir with the highest Respect & Esteem your Obt. Hube Sert
Robt R Livingston" ... See MoreSee Less
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Current River, Cedar Grove 2023 ... See MoreSee Less
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June 6th, 1803.
The Philadelphia Shipment.
MERIWETHER LEWIS writes to WILLIAM LINNARD to arrange the shipment of the expedition’s supplies. Tools, hardware, and tailored goods are purchased from Philadelphia merchants, and in Washington City, President THOMAS JEFFERSON'S new secretary—Lewis’s replacement—arrives.
June 6
Mr. Harvie arrives.
—THOMAS JEFFERSON
LEWIS HARVIE replaced MERIWETHER LEWIS as the President’s secretary. Of Harvie, Jefferson scholar DUMAS MALONE wrote:
HARVIE could hardly been as impressive a courier as MERIWETHER LEWIS, being of only average height and inclined to corpulency . . . . it need not be assumed that HARVIE was arrogant in manner because a hyper critical British diplomat said he was, and no doubt he helped with the guests as LEWIS had. Along with the two sons-in-law, he was regularly at the President’s bountiful table.
Philadelphia June 6th 1803.
Sir [WILLIAM LINNARD],
Mr. ISRAEL WHEELIN [ISRAEL WHELAN], the Pur. of Pub. Supplies, has in charge certain stores, which have been prepared under my direction by order of the Secretary at War and which are to be transported from hence to Pittsburgh with all convenient dispatch. ... You will be pleased to employ for this service a strong effective team, with a driver in whose fidelity, sobriety, and discretion you can place the necessary confidence: ... to Harper’s Ferry in Virginia; and from thence to Pittsburgh by whatever way he may think best, presuming it will be that, by which he can perform the journey with the most ease and facility. At Lancaster he will call on Mr. ELLICOTT for any article that I may think proper to leave there with a view to be taken up by the waggon; he will in like manner call on COLO. CUSHING at Fredericktown for the same purpose.
A Box containing my Mathematical instruments which Mr. WHEELIN will point out to the driver, is to be particularly attended to, nothing heavy is to be put on it in loading the waggon, and it must be placed in a situation the least liable to accidental injury, observing always to keep the proper side up.
........
MERIWETHER LEWIS, Capt.
1st US REGT. INFANTRY ... See MoreSee Less
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June 3rd, 1803.
Tobacco Purchase.
On behalf of MERIWETHER LEWIS, U.S. Army purchasing agent ISRAEL WHELAN buys sixty-three pounds of pig tail tobacco from Philadelphia tobacconist THOMAS LEIPER, JR.. Tobacco will be an essential ration for the expedition soldiers and a critical part of diplomatic entreaties with the Native Nations they encounter.
A "pig tail" or "hog tail" weighed between a few ounces to a pound.
Thomas Leiper, Jr., had a tobacconist shop at 274 Market Street in Philadelphia.
Historical interpretation by John W. Fisher. Photo © 2010 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. ... See MoreSee Less
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PHOTO: © 2017 by Kristopher K. Townsend. Permission to use granted under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
MAY 31st, 1803
NAVIGATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
In Philadelphia, Thomas Whitney, "mathematical instrument maker, 95 S. Second, " provides nearly all the expedition's navigational instruments at a cost of $162.20. This includes a Surveyor's Chain, Compasses, Log Line, Reel, and Ship; quadrant or Octant: Sextant; and several related items. ... See MoreSee Less
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