The end, and so on until they ran "out" of ten stakes. When counting out long lines, the chainĬarriers would put a stake at the end of a chain, move the chain and put a stake at It represented the amount of land that could Used in Germany, Holland and South Africa, and was derived from the German Link - Unit of length equal to 1/100 chain (7.92 inches).Also,Ī unit of length- approximately three miles. League (legua) - Unit of area used in the southwest U.S.,Įqual to 25 labors, or 4428 acres (Texas), or 4439 acres (California).In Texas itĮquals 177.14 acres (or 1 million square varas). Labor - The labor is a unit of area used in Mexico and Texas.In England it was 100 hides in size, and the term was used for early settlements in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Hundred - An adminstrative area larger than a village and smaller than a county.After the NormanĬonquest in 1066 it became standardized at around 120 acres. Land to support a family, and ranged from 60 to 180 acres. Hide - A very old English unit of area, a hide was of variable sizeĭepending on locale and the quality of the land.Hectare - Metric unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters, or 2.471 acres,.Mile redefined from the old Roman value of 5000 feet to 5280 feet in order for it to be anĮven number of furlongs. Gunter's chain was 22 yards long, one tenth of a furlong, a common unit of length in the old days.Īn area one chain wide by ten chains long was exactly an acre. Developed byĮnglish polymath Edmund Gunter early in the 1600's, the standard measuring chain Gunter's Chain - Unit of length equal to 66 feet, or 4 poles.Ground - A unit of area equal to 2400 sq."furrow long", the length of a furrow that oxen can plow before they are rested and turned. Furlong - Unit of length equal to 40 poles (220 yards).Engineer's Chain - A 100 foot chain containing 100 links of one foot.Cuerda - Traditional unit of area in Puerto Rico.Colpa - Old Irish measure of land equal to that which can support a horse or cow for a year.The name comesįrom the heavy metal chain of 100 links that was used by surveyors to measure property bounds. A 100 foot chain is also sometimes used by American surveyors.
Chain - Unit of length usually understood to be Gunter's chain, but possibly variant by.The (square) arpent is a unit of area, approximately. Arpent - Unit of length and area used in France, Louisiana, and Canada.Īs a unit of length, approximately 191.8 feet (180 old French 'pied', or foot).It derives from a plowing area that is 4 poles wide andĪ furlong (40 poles) long. Acre - The (English) acre is a unit of area equal to 43,560 square feet,ġ60 square poles.If you don't see your favorite obscure units or terms, please Surveyors' slang and abbreviations, water Here is our list of units of measure, surveying terms,