Survey

General Information

Beginning in 1839 and concluding in 1857, nine U.S. Deputy Surveyors surveyed all of Oconto County and placed wood posts at approximately 1/2-mile intervals to control the location of the boundary lines and legal description of every parcel of real estate.

The office of the County Surveyor is to carry out the statutory duties of reconstructing and perpetuating this system of physical monuments by researching and evaluating the record evidence and its relationship to the physical evidence of the original survey.

The location of the monuments are tied together by angles and distances to the adjacent corners by means of a geodetic framework so that latitude and longitude can be defined for each and every corner of the PLSS, thus establishing an accurate map of the PLSS and Oconto County.

This Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is also perpetuated by the private surveying firms as they are required by Statute to document their work on land boundary surveys and subdivisions, in the County Surveyors Office. All these records are filed geographically and made available to the public through regular office hours at the courthouse.

The County Surveyor also acts as an approving authority by reviewing survey maps required by the County, and provides technical and/or professional assistance to other Departments and the public concerning issues related to land ownership and/or location.

This department also provides surveying services for other county departments. In addition, the department assists and provides additional mapping services for physical address mapping and other department requests.