John Mullett

John Mullett (1786 - 1862)^[1] was a prominent^[2] surveyor based in Detroit, Michigan in the early 19th century.

Under the Public Land Survey System, he was surveyor-general for the Northwest Territories^[3] and as such, assisted or led "in many of the government's original surveys of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana,"^[2] and especially in Michigan.^[4]

Early life

Mullett was born to a large family in Halifax, Vermont on July 11, 1786.^[5] In 1807, the family moved to Genessee County, New York and dabbled in farming and the craft of tailoring. Mullett served as an officer in the War of 1812, but only saw action in the Battle of Buffalo. Col. Mullett came to Detroit from Buffalo, New York in 1818, and moved from tailoring to mathematics and surveying.^[2]

Notable Accomplishments

• In 1821, Lewis Cass appointed him surveyor of Michigan.
• In 1822, he surveyed the route from Pontiac, Michigan to Saginaw, Michigan.
• In 1822, Edward Tiffin 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.^[6][7]
• Mullet surveyed the plank road between Detroit and Grand Rapids^[2]
• In 1825, Mullet was among the first white settlers in Climax, Michigan^[8]
• In 1828, Mullet published a survey of private property claims on Mackinaw Island.^[9]
• In 1829-1830 Mullett surveyed Southwest Michigan including the area around Niles, Michigan.^[9]
• Following his 1830 "Plan of Detroit"^[10] survey,^[9] he had two roads in Detroit named after him: Mullet Street (1835) and Catherine Street (1835).^[11]
• Improving on Hervey Coke Parke's 1827 survey, Mullett surveyed the final route through the swamp between Detroit and Fort Gratiot in 1831.^[12]
• From 1831 to 1834 he surveyed in Wisconsin. His efforts to survey the Fox River and Wisconsin River in Wisconsin were ultimately driven out of Wisconsin by the Black Hawk War.
• Along with surveyors William Austin Burt^[13] and Charles W. Cathcart, he surveyed much of Northern Michigan between 1840 and 1843. Mullet became the namesake of Mullett Township, Michigan and Mullett Lake in Northern Michigan, while Burt named Burt Lake after himself.
• In 1843, 1844, and 1845, Mullett was elected Grand Master of Michigan's Masonic Grand Lodge that met in Detroit.^[14]

Later life

In 1849, he moved with his family to a farm near Williamston in Ingham County.^[2] He had a large family, and his family papers are in the University of Michigan Library.^[2] Mullet's Son in Law Frank Hall died in the 1860 PS Lady Elgin disaster.^[4]

References

1. Mullet, John. "39N 29W - Survey Map of Norway Township, Dickinson County". seeking Michigan. Mullett, John (1786 - 1862)
2. Michigan Historical Collections staff. "Mullett Family papers: 1665-1924 (bulk 1825-1924)". Bentley Historical Library. University of Michigan. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
3. "1827 Palmer". Clarke Historical Library. Central Michigan University. ohn Mullett, surveyor-general of the Northwest Territory,
4. Palmer, Friend; Hunt, Harry P.; June, Charles Mills (1906). Early Days in Detroit. Detroit Michigan: Hunt & June. p. 379. Retrieved 29 November 2016. "He surveyed most of the land in Michigan and the northwest... He was at one time surveyor-general of the northwest, being at the head and front in his calling... One of his daughters married Frank Hall... lost on the steamer Lady Elgin
5. Forster, John (1893). Michigan Engineeris' Annual 1880 - 1881 -- Memoir of John Mullett. Kalamazoo MI: Kalamazoo Publishing Co. pp. 107–108. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
6. Herman, Jennifer (1999). Michigan Encyclopedia Vol I. St. Clair Shores, MI: Somerset Publishing. p. 163. ISBN 0-403-09322-8. Retrieved 29 November 2016. Colonel John Mullet's survey party named the river in 1825 when two surveyors had a small confrontationwith two Indians on the bank of a creek
7. Ratner, Jane Faux. "The Battle Of The Creek". Heritage Battle Creek. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
8. Clarence Miller Local History Room article on Climax. Kalamazoo Public Library http://www.kpl.gov/local-history/towns/climax.aspx. Retrieved 29 November 2016. First known white settlers were John Mullett (1825), Calvin White (1831), and the Farnsworth brothers in 1832. Missing or empty |title= (help)
9. De Bruler Jr., Ray. "Land Use and Settlement Patterns in Michigan, 1763-1837". scholarworks at WMU. Western Michigan University. pp. 125, 179, 231. Retrieved 29 November 2016. A map from 1830 by John Mullett perhaps depicts Detroit as he wanted it to look, not as it was"...." Detail from John Mullett’s 1828 “Michilimackinac Showing the Survey of Private Claims”" ... "Lucius Lyon and John Mullett surveyed southwest Michigan in 1829-1830. Their map of Niles Township shows how fast the land was being sold,
10. Ruderman, Barry Lawrence. "John Mullett: Plan of Detroit by John Mullett. 1830". Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps, Inc. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
11. administrator, website. "Origin of Street Names - Detroit". Michigan Roots. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
12. Szewczyk, Paul. "Radial Avenues Part IV: Gratiot". Detroit Urbanism. blogspot. Retrieved 29 November 2016. In 1831, he suggested to Col. Gratiot that a better path be found. Later that year, surveyor John Mullett was hired to do just that. Beginning at Parke's thirty-seventh mile post, Mullett's new line immediately turned toward the St. Clair River.
13. KONSTANTIN, LYNNE (September 11, 2014). "Living History A local couple has seen to it that a historic wedding cake-style house in Washington Township lives happily ever after" (Fall 2014). Detroit Home Magazine. Retrieved 29 November 2016. Early in the 1840s, Burt, along with fellow surveyor John Mullett, made a federal survey of northern Michigan’s Cheboygan and Emmett counties, where there are now two lakes, one named after each man
14. Sands, Richard. "BEYOND THE NORTHEAST CORNER". BEYOND THE NORTHEAST CORNER. Richard H. Sands. Retrieved 29 November 2016. John Mullet was elected Grand Master in 1843, 1844 and 1845.