12 NEW HAMrSHIRE EXPERIMEXT STATION (Bulletin 261 



Eoscawen 



The gfeneral methods of tht- Boscawcn survey differed from those 

 used in l-'rcmont chiefly in the manner of obtaininj^: property data. 

 In this town the records - deeds, plans and niajis - for a larg-e ])art of 

 the town were available and were used as the chief l)asis for the mai> 

 instead of working;- the lines out on the jjround. A copy of the orij^i- 

 nal proprietor's record map was secured, and an enlargement of the 

 U. S, G. S. topographic map was made to the same scale. This j^ov- 

 ernment map is the most accurate obtainable, and was used as the 

 base map on which to plot the properties. 



Several Aveeks were spent at the County Court House lookinjr ui> 

 and copyins" deeds of all known properties. Then all tracts which 

 were described in the deeds well enouj;h to be located accurately 

 were n;a])ped as well as those of which old maps were obtainable. 

 The ^proprietor's record map was used as a check, as many of the 

 deed descriptions referred to it. Where present deed descriptions 

 w^ere vaji^ue and unintelligible, the deeds were traced back for a per- 

 iod of years ; and. in many cases, j^ood survey descriptions or refer- 

 ences to the orig-inal allotment were found. 



When the supply of records was exhausted, the areas still 

 unaccounted for were mapped with a hand compass and pacin.q;. 

 Land-owners and all others who were able to o;We helpful informa- 

 tion were interviewed. Where lines or corners were not known it 

 was often possible to locate them by a process of elimination where- 

 by the adjoining- owners' lands were mapped, leaving- the land in 

 question as the remainder. No attempts were made to indicate by 

 symbols the different types of fences or corners, as it was consid- 

 ered an added expense and would necessitate checking lines on the 

 ground which would not otherwise have to be examined, particularly 

 where recent accurate survevs had been made. 



RESULTS 

 Maps 



The most important result of each survey was a property map. 

 The roads, rivers, important brooks. i)onds. swamps, buildings, rail- 

 roads, etc. formed the base, with the network of projierty lines 

 superimposed. On the Fremont mai), any identifying markers, such 

 as fences, walls, changes in the growth or ditches were indicated by 

 symbols. Established corner bounds - stone, stakes, iron pins, 

 pil)es, trees, etc. - were similarly represented. Woodroads, or ])aths. 

 brooks, or other features, or any description which seemed necessary 

 to identify and help locate bounds were also included. 



It was felt that such a map would be the most convenient method 

 of dealing: with any property problem which might come up, either 

 by avoiding the need of actually going; onto the lot, or, when this 

 was necessary, by helping in finding the lot and its boundaries. 



In form, the Fremont map was drawn up in sheets each represent- 

 ing one s(|uare mile (eight inches square, the scale being- 1 inch to 

 1-8 mile, 10 chains, 40 rods or 660 feet). These sheets were then 

 mounted on cloth so that the map could be hung: on a wall or folded 

 up for convenience in storing. 



