John Mullett (1786–1862) was a prominent

surveyor Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...

based in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

in the early 19th century. Under the

Public Land Survey System The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the surveying method developed and used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling. Also known as the Rectangular Survey System, it was created by the Land Ordinance of 1 ...

, he was surveyor-general for the Northwest Territories and as such, assisted or led "in many of the government's original surveys of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana," and especially in Michigan.

Early life

Mullett was born to a large family in

Halifax, Vermont Halifax is a town in Windham County, Vermont, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 771. History Halifax was the second town chartered, west of the Connecticut River on May 11, 1750 by New Hampshire Governor Benni ...

on July 11, 1786. In 1807, the family moved to

Genesee County, New York Genesee County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,388. Its county seat is Batavia. Its name is from Seneca word Gen-nis'-hee-yo, meaning "the Beautiful Valley".THE AMERICAN REVIEW; A WHIG JO ...

and dabbled in farming and the craft of tailoring. Mullett served as an officer in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, but only saw action in the

Battle of Buffalo The Battle of Buffalo (also known as the Battle of Black Rock) took place during the War of 1812 on December 30, 1813, in the State of New York, near the Niagara River. The British forces drove off the American defenders and destroyed many buil ...

. Col. Mullett came to Detroit from Buffalo, New York in 1818, and moved from tailoring to mathematics and surveying.

Notable accomplishments

* In 1821,

Lewis Cass Lewis Cass (October 9, 1782June 17, 1866) was an American military officer, politician, and statesman. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He w ...

appointed him surveyor of Michigan. * In 1822, he surveyed the route from

Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac ( ') is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 61,606. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Pontiac is about northwest of Detroit. Founde ...

Saginaw, Michigan Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

. * In 1822,

Edward Tiffin Edward Tiffin (June 19, 1766August 9, 1829) was an American politician from Ohio. A member of the Democratic-Republican party, he served as the first governor of Ohio and later as a United States Senator. Biography Sources indicate that he was ...

appointed him United States Deputy Surveyor, and he was engaged in surveying public lands until 1849. * In 1824/25 surveys of lower Michigan, the survey team he was leading had a small incident with Native Americans over the marking of trees the natives were using for making maple syrup. This "battle" became the origin of the name of

Battle Creek, Michigan Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, Michigan, Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle C ...

. * Mullet surveyed the plank road between Detroit and Grand Rapids * In 1825, Mullet was among the first white settlers in

Climax, Michigan Climax is a village in Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 767 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Climax Township on the northern boundary with Charleston Township, and is roughly west of Battle ...

* In 1828, Mullet published a survey of private property claims on

Mackinac Island Mackinac Island ( ; french: Île Mackinac; oj, Mishimikinaak ᒥᔑᒥᑭᓈᒃ; otw, Michilimackinac) is an island and resort area, covering in land area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac an ...

. * In 1829-1830 Mullett surveyed Southwest Michigan including the area around

Niles, Michigan Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near the Indiana border city of South Bend. In 2010, the population was 11,600 according to the 2010 census. It is the larger, by population, of the two principal cities ...

. * Following his 1830 "Plan of Detroit" survey, he had two roads in Detroit named after him: Mullet Street (1835) and Catherine Street (1835). * Improving on Hervey Coke Parke's 1827 survey, Mullett surveyed the final route through the swamp between Detroit and

Fort Gratiot Fort Gratiot was an American stockade fort in Fort Gratiot, Michigan, in Saint Clair County, Michigan. The former location of the fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. History The Army constructed Fort Gratiot in ...

in 1831. * From 1831 to 1834 he surveyed in Wisconsin. His efforts to survey the Fox River and

Wisconsin River The Wisconsin River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At approximately 430 miles (692 km) long, it is the state's longest river. The river's name, first recorded in 1673 by Jacques Marquette as "Meskousi ...

in Wisconsin were ultimately driven out of Wisconsin by the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", crosse ...

. * Along with surveyors

William Austin Burt William Austin Burt (June 13, 1792 – August 18, 1858) was an American scientist, inventor, legislator, millwright, justice of the peace, school inspector, postmaster, judge, builder, businessman, surveyor and soldier. He first was a builder o ...

and Charles W. Cathcart, he surveyed much of

Northern Michigan Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan (known colloquially to residents of more southerly parts of the state and summer residents from cities such as Detroit as " Up North"), is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. A popul ...

between 1840 and 1843. Mullet became the namesake of Mullett Township, Michigan and

Mullett Lake Mullett Lake is a lake in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The lake is named after John Mullett, who, together with William A. Burt, made a federal survey of the area from 1840 to 1843. A neighboring lake was named after Burt. Hist ...

in Northern Michigan, while Burt named

Burt Lake Burt Lake is a 17,120 acre (69 km2) lake in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The western shore of the lake is on the boundary with Emmet County. The lake is named after William Austin Burt, who, together with John Mullett, ma ...

after himself. * In 1843, 1844, and 1845, Mullett was elected Grand Master of Michigan's Masonic

Grand Lodge A Grand Lodge (or Grand Orient or other similar title) is the overarching governing body of a fraternal or other similarly organized group in a given area, usually a city, state, or country. In Freemasonry A Grand Lodge or Grand Orient is the us ...

that met in Detroit.

Later life

In 1849, he moved with his family to a farm near Williamston in

Ingham County Ingham County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 284,900. The county seat is Mason. Lansing, the state capital of Michigan, is largely located within the county. (Lansing is the only ...

. He had a large family, and his family papers are in the University of Michigan Library. Mullet's Son in Law Frank Hall died in the 1860

PS Lady Elgin The Paddle steamer, PS ''Lady Elgin'' was a wooden-hulled Paddle steamer#Sidewheeler, sidewheel steamship that sank in Lake Michigan off the fledgling town of Port Clinton, Illinois, whose geography is now divided between Highland Park, Illinois ...

disaster.

References

1786 births 1862 deaths People from Halifax, Vermont Surveyors General of the Northwest Territory People from Genesee County, New York People from Williamston, Michigan {{US-bio-stub