Mike Vouri gave islanders a lesson last week about the sacrifices, equipment and techniques of the early surveyors of the Puget Sound.

“[I hope] They will gain an understanding of just how difficult it was to pioneer here. You know, the sacrifices that were made not just by the people who settled, but also by government people whose sole job was to make the place safe,” Vouri said. “In other words, safe for commerce, safe for people transiting at sea. And, I think that’s really important to know.”

Many don’t think of surveyors when they think of the early pioneers and settlers. However, these people were some of the first to travel this far west, and they often did their jobs at their own detriment.

“George Davidson would be one example, the land surveyor, the one who did the topographic surveys and did the directory of the Pacific coast. It ruined his health. I mean he actually had to go back to the East Coast to regain his health, to rest. It killed William McArthur. He gave his life to this. I mean he didn’t survive it!” Vouri points out. “There were a couple of other surveyors, one guy that was in a row boat. The row boat flipped, and he went to the bottom and drowned. It was between Cape Flattery and Tatoosh Island.”

These sacrifices can be seen today through things we take for granted every day. The way our cities function today was laid out by men over 100 years ago. Something as simple as having an address wouldn’t be possible unless these sacrifices were made.

“People that did the township surveys that created the grid system, on which all of our cities are based they were out there way ahead of civilization, they were on the pale of it, and it wasn’t romantic stuff. It wasn’t like fighting Indians or apprehending outlaws, or anything like that. It was making the place safe for people.”