The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-20
WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK
Meridian and Base Line.
To the Editor Of The Journal:


desire information in regard to the terms |
used in describing lands in this country; or, more
In this state and North Dakota. The
usual form is something like this: Section No. |
4, in township No. g. north; range No. Z, west
from the fifth principal meridian. I should like
to know where this fifth principal meridian is
located, and by whom was it established; and
how far apart are these meridian lines. Also
the township numbers In this state run from
south to north. would like to know what and
where is the base line that the townships are
numbered from, and Is it straight line, running
east and west and across all the different states
Of the west? By looking at map of this state
should think that the base line from which the
townships are numbered from IS not straight
and regular one, for the townships in Hennepin
county numbered from % upwards, while in
the western part Of the state, and straight west
Of us they are numbered 1T and upward
VIII you kindly assist me.
Minneapolis, April IA.
IT. J ourn a is indebted to Mr..
Cooley, county surveyor for the following
satisfactory explanation.l
The system Of rectangular surveying
which governs the division Of govern
ment lands was authorized by congress
May 20, 1855. At that time lands in the
state of Ohio We're occupied by the early
settlers and a survey was made necessary.
In order to establish the system Of town
| ships and sections an initial point was
established at the junction Of the Ohio
| and Big Miami rivers. From this initial
point line was run due north and south
called the first principal meridian, and a
line also run due east and west called
| the base line. From this initial point
| townships six miles square were laid off
on the meridian and on the base line and
the system thus built up and extended
indefinitely to meet the requirements of
| the settlers The first row Of townships
north of the base line was designated
| town 1 north, and the first row south was
designated town I south, each succeeding
row being numbered progressively.
! The first tier east or west Of the princi.
| pal meridian was designated range east
| or range west, and each succeeding tier
was numbered progressively.
| AS the country developed these surveys
were extended to meet the demand Of the
| settlers, but when a demand was Gre
ated too far away to be embraced by
the surveys already made a second system
was necessary and the initial point es-
tablished for the second principal meri.
dian near the confluence of the Little
Blue and Ohio rivers. Whenever the set
tlement of the country progresses beyond
, the reach Of any existing survey a new
meridian and base line must be estab
lished, and there are now twenty sever
principal meridians in the United States
Hennepin county lands are covered partl.
: by the fourth meridian surveys, but most
ly by the fifth. The fourth meridian sur
veys carried up from the south and cas-
were originally intended to stop at tn
) Mississippi river, while the fifth meridian
: was intended to cover all lands west o
the river, but the demands for land en-
, tries on the land now covered by the cit
of Minneapolis and the necessity for es
tablishing the boundaries Of the old For
e Smelling reservation made 1t. necessary t
j, carry the fourth meridian surveys acros
0 the river, owing to the fact that such sur
S vey could be made sooner than by carry
ing up those made from the fifth principe
meridian. Townships 27, % and 20 {
s range "a west were the ones thus carrie
d across in advance in 1858. In the follow
n ing year the surveys were extended fror
o the south on the fifth meridian system
d which governs nearly all the lands in Min
r nesota west Of the Mississippi river an
. a large portion OF North and South ia
h kota.
j. The location Of the principal merida
# may be determined by the number of tn
e range multiplied by six and the locatio
Y Of the base line by the number Of til
: township multiplied by the same numbe
is Thus Minneapolis Is in town 20 N, rane
n "a w, Of the fourth principal meridian
!, Therefore the initial point from Whic
i, these surveys were made would be L
r. miles south and 144 miles east, and is tt
e intersection of the principal meridian,
II due north and south line, and the has
N line, due east and west. Immediate
: west Of the city is town 1T N, Of ranf
j. q w, Of the fifth principal meridian. TIL;