[3] The 6-mile (10 km) squares that would become Sampson were first surveyed in June 1852 by a crew working for the U.S. government.

That fall other crews marked all the section corners of the six mile squares, walking through the woods and wading the swamps, measuring with chain and compass.

[4][5][6] When done, the deputy surveyor filed this general description of the western six miles: This Township contains numerous small ponds many of them have no outlet the bottoms are sand or gravel the water clear and abound in fish, The Lake superior Trail comes in in section 34 with a N.N.W.

cours passes over a divideing ridge between the waters of Oneals creek and those of Duncans Creek and goes out of sec 6, West of this Trail is a large swamp unfit for cultivation, the largest portion of this Township is well Timbered with Pine & Hard Wood[7]A different crew surveyed the eastern six miles of the town, describing it thus: This Township contains a great many Lakes and Swamps one Stream of water on the East Side.

[8]The town is named for Rear Admiral William T. Sampson, a hero of the Spanish–American War.