Survey Magic (Part One) – A History of Land Surveying

Professional surveyor Paul Walla shows how the art and science of surveying started and how surveyors mapped what became the United States. This is part one of a two-part program on land surveying.

Land surveyors are land historians: They have measured and marked every piece of land in Arkansas. They waded through swamps, climbed mountains, and crossed rivers to establish a reliable system of boundaries that is still in use today. Professional land surveyor Paul Walla explains the origins of surveying in colonial America and Arkansas. He demonstrates the tools and techniques of his trade and discusses the ongoing importance of accurate land measuring. This is the first in a two-part series of presentations and workshops on land surveying. 

Paul Walla has been a licensed professional land surveyor since 1992 in Arkansas and Oklahoma. He ran his own surveying company for nine years and has been working for McClelland Consulting Engineers since 2010. Walla is an avid historian, reader, and gardener. 

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