Burt was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, and lived in Michigan from 1822 until his death in 1858. He was a member of the Michigan Territorial Legislature, 1826–7. He served as Mount Vernon's first postmaster from 1832 to 1856. He was a Macomb County Circuit Court judge in 1833, a state legislator in 1853, and a deputy U.S. surveyor from 1833 to 1853.Tuttle, Charles Richard (1873). General History of the State of Michigan, pp. 515–518. Detroit: R.D.S. Tyler & Co. While surveying, he won acclaim for his accurate work on public land surveys. In 1857, Burt moved to Detroit, where he died a year later.Tuttle (1873), p. 523.

Among Burt's numerous inventions were the typographer in 1829, which was a predecessor to the typewriter.Martin, John Bartlow (1986). Call It North Country: The Story of Upper Michigan, p. 47. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 081431869X. He also invented the solar compass, a surveying tool used in the Michigan Survey, employed in regions which had an abundance of minerals that would interfere with accurate readings when using ordinary instruments. While out surveying on September 19, 1844, in what is today Marquette County, Michigan, Burt discovered one of the largest iron ore deposits in the United States.Tuttle (1873), p. 520. His solar compass and adaptations of it became standard instruments for the government land survey in much of the western US, and were used until GPS was available in the late 20th century. A historical plaque commemorates Burt at Stony Creek, near his home in Mount Vernon, Michigan.

He was awarded the John Scott Medal by The Franklin Institute in 1834.

References

{{reflist|refs=

}}

Sources

{{cite book |last = Adler |first = Michael H. |title = The Writing Machine: A History of the Typewriter |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=uQB5QgAACAAJ |date = 1973 |publisher = George Allen & Unwin |isbn = 0-04-652004-X }}
{{cite book |last = Bingham |first = Stephen |title = Michigan Biographies |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Q2jhAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22William+Austin+Burt%22++Sault+Ste.+Marie+Canal.Michigan&pg=PA132 |date = 1924 |publisher = Michigan Historical Commission }}
{{cite book |last = Bonior |first = David E. |title = Walking to Mackinac |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pLiQ3FEHEfUC&dq=%22In+1829+he+patented+a+%22typographer,%22+later+renamed+%22typewriter.%22&pg=PA210 |date = 2001 |publisher = University of Michigan Press |isbn=978-0472-08797-6 }}
{{cite book |last = Cutter |first = William Richard |title = New England Family Genealogical and Memorial |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ofcsAAAAYAAJ&dq=%22William+Austin+Burt%22+1844+Michigan+survey+found+iron+ore&pg=PA780 |date = 1913 |publisher = Lewis Historical Publishing }}
{{cite book |last = Fuller |first = George Newman |title = Michigan History |volume = 6 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=0qA_AQAAMAAJ&q=Fuller+%22Michigan+history%22 |date = 1922 |publisher = Michigan Department of State|oclc=983255566 }}
{{cite book |last = Hannan |first = Caryn |title = Michigan Encyclopedia |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=NbaF0SWvRJIC&dq=%22Burt,+township%3B+Alger+County%3B+Pop.+508%22&pg=PA195 |date = 2008 |publisher = State History Publications|isbn=978-1878592941 }}
{{cite book |last = Kidder |first = Harry M. |title = Transactions of New York Shorthand Reporters of December 28, 1920 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=lWDPAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22William+Austin+Burt%22++Transactions+of+the+%22New+York+State+Shorthand+Reporters%27+Association%22&pg=PA11 |date = 1920 |publisher = Boyd Printing |oclc=7772514 }}
{{cite book |last = Smart |first = Charles E. |title = The Makers of Surveying Instruments in America Since 1700 |url = http://www.compleatsurveyor.com/resources/eReference-Library/Surveying-Instruments-Knowledge/Compasses-&-Transits/SmartOCRWaterRestricted.pdf |date = 1962 |publisher = Martino Publishing |isbn = 978-15789-8488-6 }}
{{cite book |last = Traver |first = Robert |title = Laughing Whitefish |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=m95VlbDL4iUC&q=%22Dr.%20Houghton%22 |date = 2014 |publisher = Michigan State University Press |isbn = 978-16091-7219-0 }}
{{cite book |last = Tuttle |first = Charles Richard |title = General History of Michigan Biographical Sketches |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=X4mVrti7ccIC&q=William%20Austin%20Burt |date = 1873 |publisher = R. D. S. Tyler & Company |isbn = 978-1425569792 |oclc=646929780 }}
{{cite book |last = Vrooman |first = John Wright |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=rN9EAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22The+first+American+patent+on+a+typewriter+was+granted+in+1829+to+William+Austin+Burt+of+Detroit+afterwards%22&pg=PA18 |title = The Story of the Typewriter, 1873–1923 |publisher = Press of A. H. Kellogg Company |year = 1923 |isbn = 978-0598711168 |oclc = 936927259 }}
{{cite book |last = University of Michigan |first = Board of Regents |title = Proceedings of Board of Regents |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=H8swAQAAMAAJ&q=as+an+heirloom+to+navigation+and+engineering+from+his+heirs&pg=PA457 |year = 1906 |publisher = University of Michigan|oclc=904199723 }}
{{cite book |last = White |first = James T. |title = Cyclopedia of American Biography |volume = 18 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=vPEpAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22Burt%27s+solar+compass%22+%22American+biography%22&pg=PA375 |year = 1922 |publisher = J. T. White |oclc = 164589128 }}

External links

[http://www.geo.msu.edu/geogmich/iron.html Burt's work in the Iron range]
[http://www.geo.msu.edu/geogmich/burt.htmL MSU biographical information]

William Austin Burt

See also

References

Sources

External links

Further reading