 In 1749, at the age of 17, Washington began his career as a professional surveyor. He subsequently received a commission and surveyor's license from the College of William and Mary and became the official surveyor for the newly formed Culpeper County. Thanks to his older brother Lawrence's connection to the prominent Fairfax family, Washington had been appointed to this well-paid official position. In less than two days he completed his first survey, plotting a 400 acre parcel of land and was well on his way to a promising career. He was subsequently able to purchase land in the Shenandoah Valley, the first of his many land acquisitions in western Virginia. For the next four years Washington worked surveying land in Western Virginia and for the Ohio Company, a land investment company funded by Virginia investors. Thanks to Lawrence's position as commander of the Virginia militia, Washington came to the notice of the new lieutenant governor of Virginia, Robert Dinwiddie. He was hard to miss: At over six feet, he was taller than most of his contemporaries. In October 1750, Washington resigned his position as an official surveyor, though he continued to work diligently over the next three years at his new profession. He continued to survey professionally for two more years, mostly in Frederick County before receiving a military appointment as adjutant for southern Virginia. By 1752, Washington completed close to 200 surveys on numerous properties totaling more than 60,000 acres. He would continue to survey at different times throughout his life and as late as 1799.
