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Samuel Sewell Greeley, the founder of our business: b. 1824 in Boston, Mass., passed away 3-08-1916 in Winnetka, IL. Education: Harvard College in 1844 and, later, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in Troy, NY.

Mr. Samuel S. Greeley started his long engineering and surveying career at the end of 1844 by working as rodman and chainman on the “Water Works Project” that was built to supply the city of Boston with water from Lake Cochituate. There he was employed under Ellis S. Chesbrough, then one of the engineers in charge of the work.

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 Shortly after that project in Boston was completed, Mr. Chesbrough was invited by the City of Chicago counsel to come to Chicago and solve the sewer problem. Later he became City Engineer for the City of Chicago. In this capacity, Mr. Chesbrough planned and supervised the construction of the Chicago’s first sewer system, raising of the city [buildings] as much as 18-20 feet off the ground [which project is one of the Engineering Marvels of the World] & the first lake tunnel and crib in the 1850s - 1860s.

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We believe, Mr. Chesbrough invited some of the Engineers & Surveyors, who worked with him on the “Water Works Project”, to come to work with him in Chicago on solving the Chicago’s sewer problems. That is how Mr. Samuel S. Greeley came to Chicago. Mr. Chesbrough remained one of Mr. Greeley’s most revered and honored friends until the death of the former.

Mr. Samuel Greeley moved to Chicago permanently in October of 1853 and in March of 1854, opened his own office under the name Samuel Greeley, Surveyor.

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Mr. Greeley, as surveyor, surveyed/measured a lot of properties in the metropolitan area, helping to build many of Chicago’s most important/famous buildings and laid out many subdivisions which are now thickly populated parts of the city. He was one of the few Surveyors who worked in the City BEFORE and AFTER the Great Chicago Fire, helping to rebuild the city after that disaster.

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Mr. Greeley, also, was a loyal son of Harvard and started (with four others) the Harvard Club of Chicago in 1857; he was, at one time, its president and at the time of his death – its president emeritus.

He also was one of the early members of the Western Society of Engineers and of the Illinois Society of Engineers and Surveyors.

In his youth Mr. Samuel Sewell Greeley accepted the abolitionist cause, influenced, no doubt, by his uncle, the Rev. Samuel Joseph May, one of the great abolitionist leaders.

The last Greeley, involved with the family’s Land Surveying business was Morris Larned Greeley, a graduate of the Massachusetts’s Institute of Technology [MIT].

 

Traditionally, Morris got engaged as engineer and surveyor in Chicago since the early age; 

later became the President of Greeley-Howard-Norlin Co. [since 1914 until his death in 1945].

Licensing of Land Surveyors in Illinois began in 1939; [per Bob Church, former IPLSA President.]; Morris Greeley was huge supporter of the licensing law [same as Samuel S. Greeley], for his efforts in establishing licensing (first in the City of Chicago and, then, in the entire State of Illinois) Morris L. Greeley was assigned the Illinois Professional Land Surveyor’s License No. 1!

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How the Smith’s came into picture:

Earl M. Smith: Land Surveyor, Illinois PLS # 108, also was licensed in Wisconsin and Indiana.

Earl started working career at the age of 16 at the Ford’s Plant in Chicago – was sent by his parents to work & help the family financially. Earl saw surveying crews working and wanted to learn that trade. To do so, he first had to learn more mathematic subjects. In 1920 he became an apprentice with W.G. Bonham, Surveyor & Engineer; then in 1930 took over the business when Mr. Bonham retired.

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The family legend says that Earl’s wife, Lucille, was distantly related to the Greeley’s family; during the Great Depression Ms. Lucille came to Chicago and started working as a secretary with the Greeley-Howard- Norlin company, where, at some point, she met Earl M. Smith [who was, at the time, the owner of the Associated Surveyors & Engineers]. They got married, even thought, Lucille, at first, did not want to date Earl as he had such a red face [she thought, it was red from drinking, but later learnt that it was red from working outside all year around]; and the rest is history…

Lucille was the 1st  woman in our family history, who started working with the family land surveying & map making business, opening the door to many other females to follow…

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When Mr. Morris Greeley was retiring [shortly before his death], he transferred his business to Earl and Lucille Smith, as he knew that Earl M. Smith was a really good surveyor and would be able to continue the high work standards and exceptional quality of his predecessors and thus would be able to preserve the legacy of the family business.

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Besides all Earl’s children, several of his brothers, nephews & nieces were working with the family business over the years as well.

Earl M. Smith taught his sons surveying from a very young age. Later in their lives, Charles, Donald & John became very good knowledgeable land surveyors and were managing, for many years GHNS’ satellite offices. Many prominent Illinois’ surveyors learned their trade from the younger generation of the Smiths: Marchese family, Raimondi family, George Thomas Green (Chicago Guarantee Co.), Anthony Smierciak, Bradley Luerdes, to name the few.