The surveyor literally shaped the development of the early American city. Prior to the late 1700s, Albany's surveyors generally lacked formal training.

This important activity will be treated extensively in the future. Those who surveyed property within the city limits; externally on behalf of the city corporation; and those surveyors who may have lived in early Albany but surveyed real estate beyond Albany will be considered in this exposition. We plan to treat cartographers and other map artists separately. For now, here are some of early Albany's Surveyors:

Following the end of the colonial wars, the surveying function became more institutionalized. Albany mainstay John R. Bleecker may have been the first Albany native to produce survey maps - the most outstanding being a map of the Manor dated 1767.

The Revolutionary War brought a number of more able surveyors marking the beginning of the profession in the city. Simeon De Witt, the first New York State Surveyor-General, heads this list. The surveys and maps of Albany native John Randall, Jr. stood out during the nineteenth century.

Follow this link to more on surveyors and their work on this website.

Roster of the first City Surveyors:
Henry Bogert
John Bogert
Abraham Oakey - city engineer in 1800
Philip Hooker - city surveyor maybe 1819-32

Sources:

need relevant and working definitions of the surveyor!

Sources online: For maps, the work of David Y. Allen is of great value!