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Developed by Edmund Gunter in 1620, Gunter’s chain sought to reconcile traditional English land measurements, based on the number 4, with the decimal system. Each chain was composed of 100 links, measuring 66 feet total (each link measures 7.92 inches long). A chain is subdivided into four parts—each made up of 25 links measuring 5 ½ yards, or 16 ½ feet—called “rods,” “perches,” or “poles.” These quarter intervals are marked on the iron or steel chain by brass tags.  Chainmen would use this device to measure the length of a vector sighted by surveyor’s compass.  As they moved along, the leader marked the ground with an “arrow,” or metal pin each time they reached the full length of a chain.  When the following chainman reached this “arrow.”  By keeping count of the number of “arrows” passed from leader to follower, as well as the number of left over links, distances could be directly measured in harsh conditions with certainty.

10 chains	1 furlong
80 chains	1 mile
10 square chains	1 acre

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