Daily AncestorDraftsman
A draftsman made precise technical drawings and plans for engineers, architects and builders, working by hand at a drawing board.
Drafters turned the designs of engineers and architects into detailed drawings for building machines, buildings and other works. Before computers they stood or sat at drawing boards with pencils, pens, compasses, rulers, protractors and triangles.
The 1900 census listed draftsman beside designer, engraver and civil engineer among pursuits to be named exactly. Draughtsman is the British spelling, and the word can also mean someone who drafts legal documents.
As seen in a recordOccupation column of the 1880 to 1940 census
Carl Ström, 28, Draftsman, Bridge works
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Draftsman." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/draftsman. Last checked 2026-10-10.