It will be easier to find and understand the land records of ancestors if you learn something about the Public Lands Survey System and its records. Sections are organized into a 6 x 6 square to form each township. A township consists of 36 sections of one square mile each. In almost all these cases the land was surveyed and described as part of the Public Lands Survey System, which divided the land into Congressional townships on a township and range grid based on rectangular surveys. The sections are further divided up into quarter sections of 160 acres.The National Archives in Washington, DC has over 10 million land entry case files of individuals trying to obtain a private claim to some of the public land in 30 federal land states from 1820-1908. Thus there are 36 sections in a township. They are further divided up into areas of 1 square mile called sections. The lines running North-South are called range lines. lines running East-West are called township lines. They are 6 miles by 6 miles, thus have an area of 36 square miles. Each of these squares are called townships. Beginning at these points, the surveyors established lines every 6 miles North, South, East and West of the crossing point. In Florida for instance, they cross at a point in Tallahassee. The principal meridians running North-South and East-West intersect at these locations. There are geographical locations all over the US that serve as a base reference in land surveys.
It is used in all states except for the original 13 colonies, the states created from these colonies and Kentucky, West Virginia and Texas. The rectangular land survey system was adopted by the federal government in 1785. For example “the North West ¼ of the 14th section of Newtown Township”. A parcel of land is described by using township names and section numbers, then specific portions of each section. These townships are further divided into 1 by 1 mile blocks called sections. The grid is broken down into 6 mile by 6 mile blocks called “Townships”. This system uses Meridian (North and South lines) and Base (East and West lines) lines to create a grid. Commonly referred to as the “Rectangular Survey System”.
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