Compass, Surveyor's - Julius H. Adams

Object number2015.002.01.1-9

Date1905

MediumBrass, Glass, Wood, Metal, Liquid, Velvet, Paper

DimensionsBox: 2 × 12 3/4 × 6 in. (5.1 × 32.4 × 15.2 cm) Compass: 1 × 12 × 5 in. (2.5 × 30.5 × 12.7 cm)

Credit LineOld State House Museum Collection

Terms

DescriptionA Surveyor’s Compass used by Julius H. Adams, a self-taught surveyor who helped distinguish land lines in Bradley and Calhoun counties, Arkansas. Adams was born March 6, 1847 in Coosa County Alabama. In 1864, he joined Company "B" Flippin's Battalion and served in the Civil War until the surrender in 1865. After the Civil War, Adams married Nancy Hargis on January 4, 1866 in Bradley County, Arkansas and worked as a self-taught surveyor and eventually as a Timber Estimator for the Arkansas Lumber Company in Warren, Arkansas. He and his family lived in a residence built by Adams near Warren. Adams Died January 27, 1927 in Bradley County.

The compass is made of brass, glass, liquid, and metal, and is stored in a mahogany box with a brass handle and knobs. The compass is composed of a circular brass box containing a magnetic needle, which is designed to move freely around the circle that has been divided into 360 degrees. The needle and a brass bar are protected by a glass covering, and a pair of sights is located at the North-South axis of the compass. The box features green velvet lining and compartments designed for the storage of the compass and supplementary equipment. Compasses were typically mounted on tripods or staffs and rotated on a ball and socket joint. The Surveyor’s Compass is an instrument used to measure horizontal angles and for determining the magnetic bearing of a line sight. Surveyors would use this type of compass to help determine land lines, property boundaries, and other information useful to mapmaking, construction, and engineering.

This compass was manufactured by the Keuffel and Esser Company in 1905, as indicated by the "Keuffel & Esser Co. 10708 New York" trademark on the face of the instrument. Keuffel and Esser Co. was founded by William J.D. Keuffel and Herman Esser in 1867 in New York City. The company began manufacturing surveying instruments the same year and was also in the business of drawing materials and slide rules. Eventually, the company expanded to Keuffel and Esser Manufacturing Complex in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1906. This compass is Model Number 5306 with the Serial Number 10708, which places its production year as 1905.

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Not on view

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