Thoreau's Survey of the Edward Damon Factory Site, 1859

Henry David Thoreau’s work as a surveyor provided him with a modest income that allowed him to pursue his interests as a writer and naturalist. He did surveying jobs for private property owners, such as Edward Damon, and also worked for the town of Concord, assisting in laying out roads and walking the town bounds. Several hundred of his surveys and field notes were given to the Concord Free Public Library after his death by his sister Sophia. Among the surveys is the work he did for Edward Damon in May of 1859. The survey here shown is a draft of the finished survey of Damon’s mill property.

The following are Thoreau’s journal entries for the days he was surveying the Damon property. The Willis Thoreau refers to in his May 6 entry is Samuel A. Willis, whose house and woodlot he also surveyed on that day:

“May 6. Surveying for Willis & Damon at the factory. Hear the tea-lee of the white-throat sparrow. It is suddenly very warm and oppressive, especially in the woods with thick clothing. Viola pedata begins to be common among white pine woods there.

May 7. Saturday. Surveying Damon’s Acton lot. It is hotter still, —88 [degrees] or more, as I hear in the afternoon. I frequently see pigeons dashing about in small flocks, or three or four at a time, over the woods here. Theirs is a peculiarly swift, dashing flight. The mayflower is still sparingly in bloom on what I will call Mayflower Path in this lot. It is almost the prevailing undershrub here. I think I hear the redstart.

To-day and yesterday the sunlight is peculiarly yellow, on account of the smoky haze. I notice its peculiar yellowness, almost orange, even when, coming through a knot-hole in a dark room, it falls on the opposite wall. Such is the first hot weather.

May 13. Friday. Surveying Damon’s Acton lot. Hear the pe-pe and evergreen-forest note, also night-warbler (the last perhaps the 11th).

May 14. Saturday. Surveying for Damon.

Rhodora out, says C. Yorrick heard the 12th. Did I hear a bobolink this morning? C. says he heard a yellow-legs yesterday.

Bought a black sucker (?), just speared at the factory dam, fifteen inches long, blacker than I am used to, I think; at any rate a very good fish to eat, as I proved, while the other common sucker there is said not to be. This had very conspicuous corrugations on the lips. I suspect that their other one is the horned chub. They have speared the former a long time there, and it is getting late for them.

Vernal grass quite common at Willis Spring now.

May 16. Monday. Surveying Damon’s farm and factory lot.

Our corydalis was out the 13th. Hear a tanager to-day, and one was seen yesterday. Sand cherry out. Ranunculus abortivus well out (when?), southwest angle of Damon’s farm. Hear a bobolink and kingbird, and find sparrows’ nests on the ground.