This data is provided by Van Buren County or Municipalities therein. This data was prepared from publicly available information and should be used for reference purposes only. Any other use or recompilation of this information is the sole responsibility of the user. This data cannot be used to establish legal title, boundary lines, setback compliance, locations of improvements or utilities. It will not be accepted as a substitute for ground site survey information during the planning/engineering process of project development. Van Buren County expressly disclaims all liability regarding accuracy or completeness of this data.

Van Buren County Surveyors: A Digital Archive

The role of County Surveyors in Van Buren County, Michigan, has been pivotal since the early days of settlement and development. Tasked with the crucial responsibilities of land division, infrastructure planning, and boundary dispute resolution, these professionals have laid the groundwork for the county's development. Their detailed Field Books and notes have served as the primary source of geographic information, offering a unique glimpse into the past.

We are pleased to announce that digital versions of these historic Surveyor's Field Books are now accessible through the Van Buren County Remonumentation Program Status Viewer. This internet mapping application allows users to explore the rich surveying history of our county with ease.

Accessing Digital Field Books

To view the digital archives, simply activate the "Town-Range" layer within the legend of the mapping application and click on an area of interest. You can then view the available Field Books interactively and even download them in .pdf format. They may also be accessed via the Surveyor's Field Book Page. This feature provides an invaluable resource for surveyors, historians, researchers, and anyone interested in the land development history of Van Buren County.

Van Buren County Elected Surveyors

• Blackman (1847-1848)
• Simmons (1849-1864)
• C.J. Monroe (1865-1866)
• C.D. Lawton (1867-1868 & 1881)
• A.J. Pierce (Appointed by C.D. Lawton in 1868)
• A.J. Pierce (1869-1872)
• A.J. Teed (1873-1881)
• A.A. Fosdick (1882-1888)
• F. Lawton (1890)
• George Mutchler (1890-1902)
• W.H. Goss (1901-1908)
• Clare Goss (1907)
• W.V. Ackley (1909-1913)
• W.H. Goss (1914-1922)
• T.A. Smith (1923-1952)
• W.Q. Smith (1953-1971)
• Donald R. Gilchrist (1972-2020)
• Charles D. Lossie (2020- )

This list represents the legacy of surveying in Van Buren County, highlighting the individuals who have contributed significantly to its geographic and infrastructural development over the years.

Van Buren County Remonumentation Program

The Survey and Remonumentation Act, 1990 PA 345 was formed to coordinate and implement the monumentation and remonumentation of property controlling corners in the state. For the first time since the original government surveyors established and monumented these initial corner positions in Michigan, a concerted effort has been made to identify and remark these historic markers. All land ownership in Michigan, both public and private, was originally determined from these public land survey corners which are required to be publicly recorded (see Corner Recordation Act, 1970 PA 74).

This program is designed to address the loss, destruction or difficulty in locating many of the original survey markers and monuments set in the 1830 government survey of Van Buren County. There are an estimated 2333 government corners in Van Buren County. The goal for the program is to restore all the government corners, assign coordinates to each monument and to maintain the system once completed.

Van Buren County has established a Peer Group of Surveyors, which is a group of licensed surveyors who meet generally 6 to 8 times in a year to review and reach consensus on the location of the original public land survey corners.

The elected County Surveyor is primarily responsible for overseeing all remonumentation activities within the county. The GIS Department administers the annual State of Michigan Remonumentation Grant that funds a majority of this important work.

Van Buren County Remonumentation Plan (Revised 2020):