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During
his life, Abraham Lincoln held many jobs including lawyer, tavern
keeper, rail splitter, storekeeper, postmaster and surveyor. His
career as a surveyor began in 1833 when John Calhoun, Sangamon County
Surveyor (Illinois), offered Lincoln a job as his assistant.
Upon accepting the appointment,
Lincoln's first task was to learn about surveying. He borrowed two
text books - A System Of Geometry And Trigonometry With A
Treatise On Surveying by Abel Flint (1804) and The
Theory And Practice Of Surveying by Robert Gibson (1814) - and
proceeded with his studies assisted by Mentor Graham, a
schoolmaster. As he concluded his studies, he purchased some
second hand equipment with which he started his practice.
Lincoln's career as a surveyor
lasted only a few years. His projects included government surveys,
road surveys, town lots, and private surveys. Financially, there
were difficulties and at one point his equipment was sold at auction to
satisfy a debt. A farmer named John Short bought the items for
$120 and returned them to Lincoln.
The instruments passed through
several owners and are now on display at "Lincoln's
New Salem State Historic Site". Permission was recently
granted to photograph the instruments and they are featured here.
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