How were property lines known / created back in the old days when huge lots of land were owned / claimed?

Question

How were property lines known / created back in the old days when huge lots of land were owned / claimed?

In: 89

Answer 1

The most accurate way to know how land was divided in the old days is to look at old deeds. These define the boundaries of ownership, and the descriptions are precise enough that land surveyors can still find those boundaries today, even if the original markers are gone. Thus, the simplification in the words you quoted.

For example, here’s a deed for part of my land (I’m using this description because it’s a short one, and because the land in question changed ownership at some point in the past, so it had to be resurveyed to clarify the boundaries):

>That certain Tract or Parcel of land situate in the County of [my county], State of [my state], being a part of two parcels conveyed to James Blaine from Louis J. Rodriguez by deed dated 25th November, 1974, and more particularly described as follows:

>Beginning at a point on the Northwesterly side of [road name] Road, said point being the Southwesterly corner of lands now or formerly of Joseph J. Kramer, Jr; thence along the Northeasterly line of said Kramer land North 37 degrees 29 minutes 01 seconds West, 306.83 feet to a point, North 22 degrees 13 minutes 17 seconds West, 362.43 feet to a point, which is also a corner of lands now or formerly of the Trustees of the [university]; thence along the Westerly line of said Trustees’ land, South 61 degrees 41 minutes 27 seconds West, 77.05 feet to a point at the Southeasterly corner of lands now or formerly of Joseph J. Kramer, Jr.; thence along the Southeasterly line of said Kramer land, South 37 degrees 28 minutes 06 seconds East, 234.24 feet to a point; thence along the Northeasterly side of said [road name] Road, North 62 degrees 31 minutes 54 seconds East, 109.42 feet to the point of beginning.

If you look at that description a few times, you’ll get a picture of the shape of this little piece of land. If you’ve got a good map for reference, you should be able to spot the boundaries of my property on that map.