.
Historians, surveyors, sociologists, math majors, city planners, and many other readers will enjoy this well-written book about measurement as a social construct and the physical structure of America as we know it.
Linklater's chronology begins in 1086 A.D. with William the Conqueror's Domesday Book which measured land according to the amount of soil needed to support one person. By 1585, Dutch engineer Simon Stevin became the first European to publish an account of decimals as a system of measuring in 1585. It was not until 1620 method of surveying land accurately with low technology equipment was developed in Europe. Gunter's Chain, composed of 100 links, was 66 feet long. Combining new ideas about a ten-unit measuring system with the much older system based on sets of four, Gunter's Chain standardized land measurement in both England and the British colonies.
After the Revolutionary War, Americans began to move westward. In "Measuring America," Thomas Jefferson is presenting as a likeable, shambling, clear-thinking fellow who becomes an early proponent of the metric system. By 1785, Thomas Hutchins, first Geographer of the United States, had begun the "Geographer's Line of the Seven Ranges." Hutchins wrote: "For the distance of 46 chains and 86 links West, the land is remarkably rich with a deep, black mould, free from stone." He was Robinson Crusoe, landed in an uncharted wilderness, and his purpose was to measure the land so it could be sold.
Linklater tells us that It is easy to miss the significance of what Hutchins proposed to do. Hutchin's Survey began at a critical moment in the history of ideas, when for the first time in 10,000 years traditional measurements were challenged by systems derived from scientific discoveries about gravity and the size of the earth.
As the tale moves closer to us in time, the book reads like an adventure story as more and more geologists, surveyors, land grabs and accidents are presented.
Later in the book, Linklater focuses on the importance of the railroads in setting up towns and cities along the grid, using Gunter's Chain to create standardized land parcels. The very American idea that anyone could buy and sell land soon caught the attention of Germans, Scandinavians, Russians and other 19th century immigrants, who found this a novel concept and the land grid became an effective marketing tool.
By 1906, President Teddy Roosevelt, entranced by the Badlands and worried about rapid development felt compelled to preserve nearly 200 million acres of the remaining public domain for forest and national parks.
Linklater's chronology ends c1966 when developers began to create the concept of suburban living Three centuries after Gunter had developed his chain, real estate was still being bought by the square 40-acre lot, house plots were sold in 10, 5, or more commonly 2.5 acre parcels, and streets tended to measure 66 feet or two chains in width. As one Illinois developer observed in 1966, "Underneath all these contemporary trappings, our basic thinking is still geared to a gridiron block system."
Fascinating book. Worth the time to read, ponder, and take notes.
Kim Burdick
Stanton, Delaware
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club?
Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Flip to back
Flip to front
Follow the Author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
-
Apple
-
Android
-
Windows Phone
-
Android
To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
Hardcover$30.68FREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Friday, Aug 20Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Customers who bought this item also bought
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
- Hardcover$30.68FREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Friday, Aug 20Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Videos
Customer reviews
Top reviews from other countries
Mr. Charles J. Calderone
a very detailed account of the mapping and surveying of ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 8, 2018Verified Purchase
