Plano Automatic Gate Repair Service owner Sean Eubanks is President of Texas State Fence Co. In this article Sean offers a brief history of fencing.
As a modern society the concept of a fence as a privacy barrier and as a tool to screen out prying eyes seems like a very ordinary concept. The well established right to fence your private property seems almost inherently obvious, yet, throughout history the evolution of property rights and the usage of fencing has changed dramatically. What is now considered a normal and accepted expression of private property ownership was once considered a radical and dangerous affront to the communal rights of society.
Of course homo-sapiens grew up as hunters and gatherers. Human society gradually moved from a purely tribal to a more community based social organization. By the time of the middle ages in Europe the population density was beginning to reach the point that communities were beginning to struggle with the concept of private versus public property.
Medieval farmers needed draft animals to efficiently till the soil where crops were grown. Clearing fields was labor intensive work that often continued generation after generation. There were lots of rocks to remove and the only labor available was humans and draft animals. Fields used for crops were not available as pasture for the draft animals. Communities tended to have common ownership of pasture lands but farms often were owned by the people that worked the land, or by their feudal lords.
In any event, as medieval societies grew in complexity and density there was a tendency to establish ownership of what had been perceived as common pastureland by rival communities through the use of fencing to establish ownership. Many of the wars that were fought were fought over what was a developing system of private land ownership as opposed to communal land usage.
The materials used to build fences depended upon the nature of the land. In some areas the field stones removed from the growing areas were simply piled along the sides of the fields creating fences. In other areas that were dense with brush fences were built using logs and brush piles. In some places a combination of these two materials were used resulting in interesting mixed material fences.
In our next articles I will discuss the evolution of fencing materials and techniques. I hope you enjoy this brief history of fences.
Plano Automatic Gate Repair Service owner Sean Eubanks installs all types of fences and automatic gates. Sean Eubanks and his team at Texas State Fence Company have over 15 years experience installing all types of fences and automatic gates. He provides quality fencing to both residential and commercial clients in North Texas. Sean builds fences and Automatic Gates in Plano and also serves the Frisco, Allen, McKinney and general Collin County area. Please give Sean Eubanks a call at 972-898-1307 for more information.