The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-05-20
INTERESTING INFORMATION.
Origin Of the Meridian and 5ase Linz
Used in Surveying.

Il VttestH OF the Meridian ana DdSS es'''s
Used in Surveying
Minneapolis Journal:
10 the Editor7ef the Journal; / desire
Information IN regard TO the terms used
In describing lands in this country; or
4. more particularly in THIS state and North
< Dakota. The usual form IS someth sI
like this: Section No. 4. in township - 90 q;
range No west f ron t IN Know now
where this 'ffth principal meridlan -
located, and by whom was II cstapiisiil a1,,
and how far, apart are these d mei, nc fbis
lines. Also the township NUMBERS III ,itis
II state run from south to. north "ou.u
n like to know what and where Is the pase
Inc that the townships are ,re nu rnnnins
east and west, and across all the diller,
eat. states of the west? BY looking at a
map ct this state should . tn mRsb 5ha are are
numbered from is not a straight ana reg
ulars one for the townships IN Hcnncnili
county are numbered from Is up"afos;
wilhelm thn western part Of the sta te, an NJ
6 straight west OF US they are NUMBERED ~
Z and upward.
VIII you kindly assist me?
minneapolis, April IA.
tI'hc Journal Is indebted To Mr. Cooley,
county surveyor. for the following salts
3 factory explanatory:
9 The system of rectangular surveying
s which governs the division of government
lands was authorized by congress May 20.
3785 At, that time lands In the state Of
Ohio were occupied by the early settlers
and survey was made necessary. In or
der to establish the system of townships
q and sections an initial point was estab-
lished at the junction OF the Ohio and
Big Miami rivers From this initial point
a line was run due north and south called
the first principal meridian, and line
also run due east and west called the
base line. From this initial point town
ships six miles square were laid off on the
4, meridian and on the base line and the
system thus built up and extended indit1-
nitcly to meet the requirements OF the
settlers. The first row of townships north
OF the base lire was designated town
north, and the first row south was desis-
mated town south each succeeding row
y being numbered progressively
The first tier cast or west of the prin-
cipai meridian was designated rangcl l
east OF, range west. and each succeeding
4 tier was numbered progressively.
AS the country developed these surveys
were extended to meet the demand OF the
settlers, but when a demand was created
too far away to be embraced by the sur
veys already made a second system was
necessary and the initial point established
iisted for the second principal meridian
near the confluence of the Little Blue
and Ohio rivers. Whenever the settle
neut of the country progresses beyond
the reach of any existing survey a ne"
meridian and base line must be cstab-
Ashed, and there are now tWenty-seven
principal merldians In the United States
diennepin county lands are covered part
III by the fourth meridian surveys, but
mostly by the fifth. The fourth meridian
surveys carried up from the south and
cast were originally intended to stop at
tho mississippi river, while the flfth
meridian was intended to cover all
n hn In nf he
but the demands for land entries on
the land now covered by the city of Min
neapolis and the necessity for establishing
tho boundaries of the old Fort Smelling
reservation made 1t necessary to carry
the fourth meridian surveys across tho
river: owing to the fact that such survey
could be made sooner than by carrying
up those made from the NTH principal
meridian. Townships q. 2S and 20 of
& range "a west were the ones thus carried
across I'm advance in 1858. In the follow
+ Ing year the surveys were extended from
the south on the fifth meridian system,
which governs nearly all the lands in
Minnesota west of the Mississippi river
and n large portion of North and South
Il Dakota
The location OF the principal meridian
may be determined by the number of the
! range multiplied by six and the location
of tho base line by tho number OF the
Thus Minneapolis is IN town 20 N, range
"a w, of the fourth principal meridian
Therefore the initial point from which
4 these surveys were made would be IA
miles south and IA miles east, and is the
intersection of the principal meridian, a
due north and south line and the base
limo, due east and west. Immediately
westof the city is town III N, of range q
w. of the fifth principal meridian. Tha,
Initial point would therefore be approx
Inately 702 miles south and 12G miles east
Of the city.
Maps issued by the general land office
copies of which may be seen at the office
Of the county surveyor, show the locatio
of all tho principal mcrdians and base
lines
All government surveys are made under
the authority OF the general land office
and under the immediate supervision OF
the surveyors general Of the different
states.