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Tonight: the man who measured the McDowells

Posted: Jan 16 2018 3:55 pm
by Crzy4AZ
Sharing info about a lecture tonight in Tempe (Tues Jan 16th) from 6-7pm ($5 admission) at the Arizona Heritage Center

The Story of Sidney E. Blout, the Man Who Measured the McDowells, by Doug Watson
(Presented as part of the 25th anniv of the McDowell Preserve Sonoran Silver series.)
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Sidney Edwin Blout is known as the man who measured the McDowells. Blout conducted the first complete surveys of the McDowells between 1914 and 1919. Facing many challenges, including rattlesnakes, triple-digit temperatures, and nearly chopping off his foot with an axe, Blout prevailed and plotted the McDowells with determination and derring-do. His 1919 survey of the McDowells spanned hundreds of miles, providing invaluable maps and field notes used by mapmakers, historians, and scientists alike.
Blout’s adventures are instructive of the challenges faced by men and women who performed the down and dirty tasks of surveying rugged Arizona landscapes in the era before GPS devices. Doug Watson (pictured), McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Steward and Surveyor, and career surveyor himself, has conducted many hours of research on Blout and his work.

Cost is $5
AZ Heritage Center at Papago Park
1300 North College Ave., Tempe, AZ 85281
480-929-0292

Re: Tonight: the man who measured the McDowells

Posted: Jan 17 2018 8:12 pm
by Nighthiker
Was he also involved in surveying Arizona when they did the Township and Range Surveys ?