John Mullett

John Mullett (1786–1862) was a prominent surveyor based in Detroit, Michigan in the early 19th century.

Under the Public Land Survey System, 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," In 1807, the family moved to Genesee 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. Mullett came to Detroit from Buffalo, New York in 1818, and moved from tailoring to mathematics and surveying. Mullett surveyed the plank road between Detroit and Grand Rapids In 1828, Mullett published a survey of private property claims on Mackinac Island. In 1829-1830 Mullett surveyed Southwest Michigan including the area around Niles, Michigan. survey, Improving on Hervey Coke Parke's 1827 survey, Mullett surveyed the final route through the swamp between Detroit and Fort Gratiot in 1831. 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 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.

Later life In 1849, he moved with his family to a farm near Williamston in Ingham County.