The society was built on volunteers who had the idea and concept to collect and display surveying artifacts used to build the infrastructure that developed Northern California and Nevada, from the Mount Diablo Initial Point.
These efforts include various display booths at public events, festivals, and professional surveying conferences, which include the California Land Surveyors Association, Nevada Association of Land Surveyors, and California State University, Fresno Geomatics Conference. The society has also assisted in public service projects, which include the Kelly Park, Living History Museum in San Jose to survey their rear land and deliver a topographic survey they could use to design a rear (lower) parking lot for their visitors. Special events at local festivals, museums, and displays at public buildings have also been an avenue to display and educate the public about the history of land surveying.
The Society is saving for a building fund, in a long term goal to purchase or build a suitable home to display our artifacts and further educate the public, which have been donated over the years. Funds have been raised through past raffles, donations and memberships dues. To date, we have been able to acquire a two-construction trailers to store our “treasures” and looking for a long-term secure site with electricity for equipment storage. If you know of a site or can suggest one on the east side of San Francisco Bay, please contact us.
Major donations to date have been a collection of the instruments and papers of Albert J. Givan, R.C.E. 1, and an original member of the California Engineer's Licensing Board; the records of John A. Mancini, R.C.E. 1592; Leroy Martin, P.L.S. 2578 and R.C.E. 7996 which also include the records of Thomas B. Russell, C.E. and Robert H. Goodwin, R.C.E. 473.
The society was instrumental in the placement of the bronze plaque commemorating the establishment in 1851 of the Mt. Diablo Initial Point by Leander Ransom of the General Land Office (G.L.O.) (Now the Bureau of Land Management or BLM) and its recovery in 1984 by John W. Pettley, P.L.S. while he was a student at California State University, Fresno.
The Society's treasures are presently being stored in various locations thanks to the generosity of public agencies with space. But because the locations are not readily available for public viewing or use. When a building has been acquired, it is the society's goal to convince retired surveyors to donate time as docents and caretakers, allowing for proper public access. To make this dream a reality, the society needs members, donors and corporate sponsors. If you are not a member, please join. If your firm has old instruments or artifacts just gathering dust in a closet, please consider donating them. This will make you feel good and provide for a tax write-off. Your firm might also wish to make a corporate donation to the building fund. Gifts are acknowledged and memorialized in the societies newsletter, and identified on the artifact.