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Living Legend... continued from previous page
This one resulted in the repair of a von Schmidt state
boundary monument, also near Verdi. In 1872, Allexey von
Schmidt set an iron obelisk on the Nevada-California line
about two miles west of Davidson’s astronomic station.
It was (and still is) highly visible and over the years it was
vandalized. When I first saw it in the 1990’s it was in a
sorry state, punctured by several bullet holes and another
much larger hole of unknown origin that was bigger than
a football. It was enclosed with an ugly, dilapidated pipe
and chain link fence. In 2006, Paul, Matt Gingerich, PLS,
and their colleagues began work that culminated in the
2014 repair of the historic monument. Paul coordinated
with Sierra County, California, area businesses, and NALS
to repair the obelisk, and he, Matt, and others assisted
in the development of Von Schmidt Monument Historic
Park. Sierra County contributed substantially to the
project with help from NALS. The park has interpretive
plaques that explain the history of the monument and
surrounding area, and the unsightly, chain link mess
has been replaced with a custom-built fence. Von
Schmidt Monument Historic Park is on the state line
west of Dog Valley Road in Verdi. You can read about
the restoration effort in Paul’s article “Saving What Is
Left” in the 2014 Nevada Traverse, Vol. 41, No. 4, at
www.nvlandsurveyors.org.

Readers of the Nevada Traverse don’t need to be re-
minded of Paul Pace’s extensive catalogue of historical
writing because he has been educating us for decades.
He is a giant when it comes to surveying history. His work
is based on original research; his papers are not book
reviews. Look at his bibliographies and you will see what
I mean. You won’t find his perspectives and insights any-
where else. I admire the way Paul transforms historical
information into an engaging narrative that engrosses
readers from the start. He is both historian and sto-
ryteller with a talent for bringing history to life. His
work is important and should be preserved for future
generations of surveyors.
Before wrapping up, I’d like to add that Paul is also a
gifted speaker. He is, I would say, the Ken Burns of
land surveying. If you ever get the chance to attend
one of his lectures, don’t miss it. He spoke in Auburn,
California several years ago for the Gold Country
Chapter of the California Land Surveyors Association.
His topic was an 1840’s mapping expedition led by
John C. Fremont. It was a 5-star show, as expected, and
even though I am somewhat familiar with the topic, I
learned new and interesting details that improved my
understanding of that historic event. We had eight or ten
people in the room that night, which is a big turnout for
the Gold Country Chapter. I felt bad that he drove such
a long way on a Thursday night to deliver a PBS-quality
slide show to such a small audience. But Paul didn’t mind
one bit. He is by nature gracious and generous with his
time and talent. It’s a pity we did not make a video so oth-
ers could benefit.

Thank you, Paul Pace, PLS for your enduring contributions
to the land surveying profession and congratulations on
your inductioninto the Nevada Association of Land Survey-
ors “Living Legends” hall of fame.

16 The Nevada Traverse Vol.50, No.2, 2023