This past April, the High Plains Experience boundary retracement seminar (HPE) held its 8th annual class in the Texas Panhandle on the historic LIT Ranch near Channing. This ranch makes for a great training locale, having original surveys and retracement surveys made by several well known 19th and early 20th century surveyors such as Summerfield, Munson, Mabry, Twichell and including several types of surveys such as Capital leagues, tracts sold under the 50-cent Act, sections, river sections, and the Canadian River for gradient boundary classes to boot. It’s the perfect training ground and its rich history and scenic rolling hills always have me looking forward to a break from my office routine and my desk to relight the fire of boundary surveying that runs through my veins. The opportunity to share knowledge and learn from other great surveyors always takes me back to the days when I was young and eager to learn everything I could about this profession that I fell in love with. Late night round-table discussions with maps and field notes spread out and both old and young looking on, cussing and discussing the virtues of those that came before us set the stage for the classes and field exercises that await us, it truly is an experience for land surveyors at every level.

There are others; Brady, Concan, and I’m sure the instructors for those all feel the same way I do. There’s a passion about land surveying that brings out the best in all of us. The curiosity, the intellect, the desire to solve the puzzle of the original footsteps, the complexity of the legal issues, the detective in us is inescapably drawn to it.

The HPE was the brainchild of Craig Alderman. I first met Craig many years ago. I don’t even remember exactly when, but he seemed quiet. Friendly, but just a nice guy that came to the board meetings. Craig lived in Midland, which is close to Lubbock, where I live, at least in terms of the size of Texas, but our paths didn’t cross too often. Over the years, Craig got more and more involved in TSPS. He became a Chapter President, then the West Texas Area Director, and I started seeing him doing a lot of committee work at the state level. Before I knew it, Craig was working very hard, mostly behind the scenes, but he seemed to be everywhere at TSPS meetings and functions. I began to develop a strong respect for his work ethic. It was showing.

Then, one day, Craig called me up and he had this wild notion of doing a 3-day seminar, one similar to the ones being done down state. He wanted a group of Licensed State Land Surveyors from this area to give a seminar showcasing the pioneer surveyors of West Texas. When he asked me if I’d team up with Stan Piper, Maxey Sheppard, and Michel Newton, it was a no-brainer…I said, “I’m in.”

J.D. Davis, LSLS, a HPE instructor from Amarillo had been doing some survey work on the LIT Ranch for Bill O’Brien, the owner. Bill is a history buff and a bit of an amateur surveyor who loves the lore of the land. J.D. had developed a good relationship with Bill and when he spoke to him about our idea, he granted us permission to use his ranch for the seminar. What I had thought would be impossible started to take shape. This thing was going to happen!

Anyone who’s ever been an instructor or a seminar speaker knows the preparation that goes into that and we all worked hard to get our classes teachable, but the logistics of putting together a successful seminar like HPE are enormous. Craig had a vision though, and in his true fashion, behind the scenes, he worked tirelessly to make it exactly as he had envisioned. We joked about how Craig would crack the whip on us to get things done. Not only was he making arrangements for lodging, classrooms, meals, skeet shoots, supplies, registration, etc., he was out in the field on the ranch with his GPS looking for original monuments for us to use in our classes. When it was time for the seminar to start, all we had to do was show up and teach. We have other team members for support, but Craig was behind all of it.

We all knew Craig worked hard to make our HPE run smoothly, we just didn’t realize how hard…..until this year.

Craig lost his battle with cancer in July of 2017. At his last HPE only a few weeks earlier, we knew he didn’t feel well, but he wouldn’t show it. It was just part of his character.  We gave Craig an award at that time, all of us hoping for the best but fearing the worst. When Craig passed, we lost a valuable team member. He was the reason we were doing this in the first place and we soon found out just how much he did in the background to make HPE successful. We had to pull even closer together as a team to do all the “dirty work” that goes with a seminar like this. But more than that, we lost a dear friend. You couldn’t know Craig and not like him. His humble, gentle spirit and his dogged determination was infectious, and he left a hole in all our lives.

After Craig’s funeral, we all knew we wanted to do something special, and the Final Point seemed like the perfect way to honor his contributions to us, and to all the Texas surveyors that had been influenced by his work in some fashion. We found a spot on the LIT Ranch, a place that Craig loved, and with the generosity of Bill O’Brien and his family, we were given permission to put Craig’s marker on top of a hill overlooking the Canadian River valley.

At this year’s HPE, we had a ceremony at Craig’s Final Point marker where everyone who wanted to speak was given the opportunity to share their memories and thoughts. It was a bittersweet moment, but it gave us some closure and I think Craig would’ve approved. It was a small, humble offering to a man who had a positive impact and touched so many, in a quiet and beautiful place. A marker that we can return to each year and hopefully, pass along some of the kindness that Craig always had to offer.

We’ll keep going as long as we can. We’ve all come to love the High Plains Experience and as long as folks keep showing up, we’ll be there. We have to work a little harder now, but we try to do it without complaining. Craig never did. We’re all just feathers in the wind, but we are grateful for our time with people like Craig Alderman who inspire us to be better. 

For more on the NSPS Final Point program, visit: https://nsps.site-ym.com/general/custom.asp?page=FinalPoint

TSPS: How/why did you get into surveying?

John: In a cold Ohio November with a foot of snow on the ground, I started as a chainman. Frozen toes and hands were thawed by joining the Air Force, where I was trained in surveying and drafting. I made it to south Texas by way of Germany and this area has been my home for years now. I have enjoyed learning our profession from some of the best surveyors in San Antonio. The interconnection of our history with surveying is fascinating and I continue to be amazed at facts that are uncovered. 

TSPS: Why did you join TSPS?

John: I joined TSPS long ago to attend the surveyors’ rodman training that was offered by the society. As I moved up the ranks and continued my training, I attended a class or seminar now and then. I more recently became involved at a higher level due to my desire to give back to the profession and help keep it vibrant and growing. I believe that TSPS is a valuable asset to our profession and a huge part of our continued success.

TSPS: What is your most memorable surveying moment?

John: I have prepared a few boundary surveys along the historic San Antonio Riverwalk. The amount of research that went into these projects was incredible. Following the chain of title back one hundred or more years taught me quite a bit about the history of our city.  Surveying an entire city block and beyond was usually the standard in order to come up with a resolution. A whole range of situations were addressed, party walls, different monuments called for on neighboring deeds, and the fact that the City of San Antonio actually owns the river within the downtown area.

John's Favorites:

Color: Blue
Food: Pizza (no not pizza hut or papa johns)
Animal: Dog
Singer: Led Zeppelin and Stevie Ray Vaughan
Hobbies: Travel

Photos:

Above: John participates in a historic survey demonstration on the Alamo grounds
Right: One of John's favorite places to visit - Breckenridge, CO

John is currently the TSPS Chapter 11 - Alamo Representative and works for TGD Surveying LLC in Garden Ridge, TX.