Old becomes new
Historic surveyor book and plat map finds new home at the Municipal Archives

A San Antonio gem once thought to be lost has been found and now has a new home. The Office of the City Clerk announced the discovery of the City Surveyor Book One (December 7, 1847 through February 14, 1882.)

The 474-page book contains the earliest and most detailed surveys produced of the Alamo and the land surrounding it during the nineteenth century. Historians, archeologists, history enthusiasts and scholars from across the country will now have access to this priceless historical record with the click of their finger tip as the Office of the City Clerk is digitizing the book and will make it accessible through the Municipal Archives Digital Collections in late March.

The earliest maps and field notes in the book were produced by François Giraud, the first city surveyor from 1847 – 1853. Giraud's 1849 Map of the Alamo is particularly valued for the details of compass degrees, pitches, metes, lines and corners that it presents. The book also includes the work of city surveyors: R.R. Clemens, Gustav Freisleben, Louis Giraud, C. Hartnett, and Charles P. Smith.

The original book was lost during the late 1980s and for years information contained in it was only available on microfilm that was of poor quality. The book will now join Survey Book 3 (1883-1890), Survey Book 5 (1884-1909), and Survey Book 7 (1914-1925) in the Municipal Archives Digital Collections at http://www.sanantonio.gov/clerk/ArchiveSearch.