Downtown in Cleveland in Cuyahoga County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Surveyors' Landmark
Mapping and Planning the City of Cleveland
Photographed by Craig Doda, March 8, 2026
1. Surveyors' Landmark Marker
The Story of the Witness Tree in Surveying the Western Reserve
Early surveyors Amos Spafford and Seth Pease came to the Western Reserve in 1796, each producing maps of the new settlement. The first map of Cleveland was a manuscript pieced together from sections of paper, drawn by Spafford and titled "Original plan of the town and village of Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 1st, 1796." A year later, in 1797, Pease created the first published map of the Western Reserve-shown here.
Near this corner, stood a distinctive tree from which surveyors started to layout the city's grid - known as a plat map. Before permanent markers or monuments, surveyors relied on natural features known as "witness trees" to fix survey points and property lines. These living landmarks guided the creation of Cleveland's first street grid.
Surveyors began numbering Cleveland's original town lots on this very corner-designating this site as Lot 1 at Water and Lake Streets, marked with a red circle-as they transformed wilderness into the framework of a future city.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Historic Trees series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1796.
Location. 41° 30.027′
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Regionally, this marker is on Ohio’s Lake Erie Shore and in the Western Reserve. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Lighthouse Park (within shouting distance of this marker); The Early Years (within shouting distance of this marker); Peter Weddell / Levi Johnson / Charles Otis (within shouting distance of this marker); Warehouse District Anthology (within shouting distance of this marker); Nowy Port Lighthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); William Bingham (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Hardware Industry (about 500 feet away); The Garment Industry (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cleveland.
Photographed by Craig Doda, March 8, 2026
2. Surveyors' Landmark Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on April 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 5, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 18 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 5, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
