Daily AncestorSurveyor
A surveyor measured land with chain and instruments, fixing boundaries and corners and laying out lots, roads and public land.
A surveyor determines the position of points on the earth's surface and the distances and angles between them. From 1620 the Gunter's chain let surveyors measure plots accurately for legal and commercial purposes.
In the United States, the Land Ordinance of 1785 created the Public Land Survey System, which divided western lands into townships and sections before sale. Surveyors also laid out canals, roads and railroads, and the 1900 census lists civil engineer or surveyor among the professions.
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Daily Ancestor. "Surveyor." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/occupations/surveyor. Last checked 2026-10-10.