Essential Land Surveying & Mapping, LLC

06/05/2026

Fun Fact Friday!

What is adverse possession?

In Tennessee, adverse possession is the possession of land for 7 years with a form of “Color of Title” or the possession of land for 20 years without any “Color of Title.” “Color of Title” refers to a non-legal document that wasn’t recorded, but may claim that a person has the right to use a certain tract of land; it gives the appearance of ownership without a clean legal claim. For a parcel of land to be considered adverse possession, the following 5 statutes must apply: 1) actual possession - using the land like an owner would (farming, building structures, etc.) 2) open and notorious possession - shows the true owner and public that the property is being used. 3) exclusive possession - the land is only used by the person claiming to own it. 4) hostile possession - using the land without permission. 5) continuous possession - the use of the land is for a consecutive time frame. Adverse possession is only resolved under the Court of Law.

For more information:
https://bridgelegal.org/adverse-possession-tennessee-legal-requirements-process/

05/22/2026

Another... Fun Fact Friday!

Mount Everest was named after the British Surveyor General of India, Sir George Everest.

The name “Mont Everest” was recommended by Everest’s successor, Andrew Waugh, before the Royal Geographic Society announced the official name “Mount Everest.” Sir Everest was actually against naming the peak after himself, citing the importance of using existing, local names. However, Waugh, when proposing the name, claimed that Tibet and Nepal were closed to foreigners, and local names were “unknown.” Documents were later found disproving Waugh’s claim, the local name for Mount Everest being “Chomolungma” (also spelled Qomolangma) which means “Goddess Mother of the World.” Today, the name Mount Everest is most commonly used to refer to the tallest mountain in the world (above sea level).

05/22/2026

It's that time of the year again! Main Street Maury has opened their voting ballots until June 14th. You can vote once an hour and you must vote for at least 5 categories. You'll find us listed in the "Specialty Contractor" tab under the "Services" category. We would really appreciate your vote! Thank you for your support last year which earned us the Winner status... help us keep that title!

https://mainstreetmaury.secondstreetapp.com/2026-Maury-County-Main-Street-Awards/

05/08/2026

Fun Fact Friday…

Did you know that three U.S. presidents were land surveyors? George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln were all land surveyors before their rise to fame as presidents. Today, many refer to Mount Rushmore as “the three surveyors and the other guy.”

04/24/2026

Welcome to Fun Fact Friday! The fact today is…

The Mason-Dixon Line (or “Mason and Dixon’s Line”) was surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon between 1763 and 1767.

Charles Mason, an assistant astronomer at Greenwich Observatory, and Jeremiah Dixon, an astronomer, mathematician, and surveyor, were hired to settle a land dispute between Maryland and Pennsylvania. The survey cost $75,000 (roughly $3 million in today’s dollar) and took four years to complete, totaling 233 miles with crownstones marking every five miles. Later, during the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Line was used as the beginning of the demarcation between free and slave states and went on to define the North and South as we know it today.

For more information visit — History of the Mason-Dixon Line https://www.risingsunmd.org/department/division.php?structureid=51

04/23/2026

Surveying along the Duck River today.

04/16/2026

Check out our Project Gallery on www.elsm-llc.com to see weekly updates of what we have been surveying…

https://www.elsm-llc.com/project-gallery

04/05/2026

04/03/2026

Sometimes you just need a little assistance.

Members of the U.S. Marshals Service on Tuesday accompanied land surveyors for the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project power line onto private property in Carroll County, according to the sheriff’s office.

The surveyors, from the utility company PSEG, are conducting preliminary surveys across Carroll, Baltimore and Frederick counties for the proposed power line.

After several landowners threatened to physically harm PSEG’s surveyors if they entered their land, the U.S. District Court of Maryland ruled on March 5 that U.S. marshals can accompany land surveyors onto three specific properties in Carroll County, and that they can “use reasonable force” to help PSEG carry out the surveys.

📸: Courtesy of Carroll County Sheriff's Office

03/27/2026

Go checkout our website photo gallery to see what we’ve been up to….
https://www.elsm-llc.com/project-gallery