History Overview
The National Geodetic Survey, our Nation's first civilian scientific agency, was established by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807 as the Survey of the Coast. Its mission was, and still is, to survey the U.S. coastline and create nautical charts of the coast to help increase maritime safety. As the nation grew westward surveys of the U.S. interior began. In 1878 the agency was given a new name, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS), which it maintained until 1970.
In 1970 a reorganization created the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Ocean Service (NOS) was created as a line office of NOAA. To acknowledge the geodetic portion of NOAA mission, the part of NOS responsible for geodetic functions was named the National Geodetic Survey.
Milestones A timeline of the major events and breakthroughs in the last 200 years of the Survey's history, as of 2007.
Sketch of the First Field Work A sketch of New York Harbor showing the first field work of the Survey of the Coast (1816-1817).
The Oldest USC&GS Triangulation Station
The Foundations of the National Spatial Reference System
Geodetic Surveys in the US: The Beginning and the Next 100 Years 1807-1940, by Joseph Dracup, NGS
