Hello my good friends,
I have been absent from this forum for several months. My apologies as I missed you all. Two nights ago, I signed off on the final galley proof for the Curt Brown Chronicles. This has been an incredible journey and one that has consumed me for many years. The final book is more than 700 pages in length and given the magnitude of the project, there have been many hurdles to overcome. Many of these involve copyright issues, releases, and searches. It has taken me ten years to compile Curt's papers and lectures as well as to organize them. In spite of the immense challenges, this has been a very rewarding effort and I am delighted to be able to share this material with everyione.
In addition to the pleasure I have in sharing Curt's prescient efforts and activities with everyone, I am especially delighted with the support Curt's family has given me. It is also a special delight to have the endorsement of my friends Walt Robillard, Don Wilson and Ted Madsen. To all thank you!
As I mentioned earlier, many of the articles will be made available through LSACTS (
www.lsacts.com). Assuming the final hard copy is acceptable (I will for final approval in 10 days), the book will be available for purchase shortly thereafter.
For those of you who may question Curt's significance and importance to the land surveying profession, I offer the following from my old friends and Curt's peers:
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If there ever was a figure in the land surveying arena who deserved to be chronicled, it is without a doubt Curtis Brown, a real pioneer in bringing rules of law and proper procedure to the profession. Mike Pallamary has done a remarkable job in helping to continue his legacy.
Mr. Brown did great service to the profession with his many writings and lectures, and by doing so created an awareness among professionals. Mike Pallamary has also done a great service to the profession by re-introducing these contributions and making them available to today’s surveyor. I was particularly taken by comments from a variety of knowledgeable surveyors on particular issues.
- Donald A. Wilson, LLS, PLS, RPF
Co-Author, Boundary Control and Legal Principles
Co-Author, Evidence and Procedures for Boundary Location
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Curtis Maitland Brown’s work is well known to surveyors. Although he was not an attorney and had no authority to define rules of law, his writings have been used for decades as the most authoritative statement of boundary law in print. My teachings began in the mid-1970’s and I found my legal training to be in conflict with Curt’s conclusions. Accordingly, at a “Meet the Authors†conference at the University of Florida, I invited Curt to appear with me as my guest at a series of three three-day seminars to debate our opinions about the surveyor’s duty and obligation as regards ownership.
As always, Curt was very gracious and accepted my invitation. We appeared together in Houston, Texas, Reno, Nevada, and Corvallis, Oregon. After several days of vigorous debate and input from surveyors in attendance, Curt and I concluded that surveyors actually do render opinions of ownership, regardless of their disclaimers. I was always impressed with Curt’s integrity, character, and willingness to accept new ideas. He is sorely missed in our profession.
My sincere thanks to Mike Pallamary for compiling this work and tracing Curt’s thoughts and ideas.
- Ted Madson
Director, LSS Seminars
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There are many pioneers in all profession. We read about Madame Curie, Sir Isaac Newton; and many others; but in surveying we like to refer to Lewis and Clark and a few others; but actually they were essentially cartographers. I guess one could consider cartography as part of surveying, but we cannot name a true surveyor. When we define Pioneer, I consider it as a person who “breaks new ground†a phrase that came along from the pioneers of the western expansion of America. When the Pioneer, while pulling a plough, because he had no horse, would physically pull the plough into prairie soil breaking it for receiving the seeds of life. This in my opinion what Curt Brown was “A pioneer of Surveying†in that he took an area of surveying that transcended the manual manipulation of instruments and formed and expanded a new area of surveying, namely the law. Curt never intended surveyors to be lawyers, but what he did intended that surveyors understand the law so that they could better understand their place in the profession, in placing boundary lines on the ground that would meet the needs of the courts and the clients. From humble articles he started writing as aids to surveyors to his now famous textbooks, of which I have the pleasure and honor of being selected to carry on his tradition, Curt wanted surveyors to “understand the law†and apply the law, but to let the lawyers practice the law.
I first met Curt in 1963 when he was President of ACSM. His first book had just been published. I was 33 years old and liked the law. We became instant friends. We spent many hours discussing cases and philosophies. Although we were distant by miles, we occupied the same house of realizing, that to have a full rounded surveyors, we must develop a group on young men and women who understand our full potential is not in our abilities to manipulate instruments but in our abilities to place the law on an equal footing with technology. Thus in my opinion Curt was as much of a pioneer as were those many surveyors who trudged the open prairies and woods placing their millions of monuments as tribute to their work. Curt has influenced many young men and women to express their full potential in the legal aspects of surveying. Is that what a pioneer does?
- Walter Robillard
Co-Author, Boundary Control and Legal Principles
Co-Author, Evidence and Procedures for Boundary Location
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Thank you all for your kind comments about Curt. He was a remarkable man and his legacy warrants historical accredidation.
Michael Pallamary, PLS