The original Corps of Topographical Engineers, which existed as an independent Branch of the Army from 1838 until it was abolished in 1863 at the beginning of the Civil War, was responsible for the surveying and mapping of the American West, as well as civil works such as roads, rivers and harbors.

The original Ohio Land Surveying Company is a living history group affiliated with the university of Akron's Surveying and Mapping Program. It's Topographical Engineer Unit will set up a surveyors' camp and demonstrate the equipment and techniques of the original Corps. The Topogs uniforms represent eras of western exploration, the Mexican War and the early Civil War.