The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-05-05
INTERESTING INFORMATION.
Origin of the Meridian and Base
Line Used in Surveying.

The system Of rectangular surveying
which governs the division Of govern
ment lands was authorized by congress
May 20, 1875. At that time lands in the,
state of Ohio were occupied by the
early settlers and a survey was made
necessary. In order to establish the
system of townships and sections an
initial point was established 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 townships
six miles square We're laid out off on the
meridian and on the base line and the
system thus built up and extended in
definitely to meet the requirements of
the settlers. The first row of townships
north of the base line was designated
town north, and the first row south
was designated town l south, each sue
ceeding row being numbered progress
lively.
The first tier east or west of the prin-
cipal meridian was designated range 1
east or range west, and each succeed
ing row being numbered progressively.
AS the country developed these sur
veys were extended to meet the de-
mands of the settlers, but when de-
mand was created too far away to be
embraced in the surveys already made a
second system was necessary and the
initial point established for the second
principal meridian near the confluence
of the Little Blue and Ohio rivers.
Whenever the settlement Of the country
progressed beyond the reach of the
existing survey new meridian and
base line must be established, and there
are now twenty-seven principal merid-
ians in the United States. Hennepin
county lands are covered partly by the
fourth meridian surveys, but mostly by
the fifth. The fourth meridian surveys
carried up from the south and east were
originally intended to stop at the
Mississippi river, while the fifth meri-
dian was intended to cover all of the
lands west of the river, but the demands
for land entries on the land now covered
by the city of Minneapolis and the
necessity for establishing the boundar-
les of the old Fort Smelling reservation
made it necessary to carry the fourth
meridian surveys across the river,
owing to the fact that such surveys
could be made sooner than by carrying
up those made from the fifth principal
meridian. Townships y, IS and 20 OF
range "a west were the ones thus
carried across in advance in 1858. In
the following 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 large portion Of
North and South Dakota.
The location of the principal meridian
may be determined by the number O
the range multiplied by six and the
location Of the base line by the number
of the townships multiplied by the same
, number. Thus Minneapolis is i'll tow
,, 30 N. range "a w, of the fourth prin
cipal meridian. Therefore the initia
, point from which these surveys were
made would he ia miles south and Ia
miles east, and is the intersection OF thu
principal meridian, due north ant
south line and the base line, due cas-
and vest Immediately west ofthe cit.
!, is town II. N. Of range q w, of the fiftl
., principal meridian. That initial poin
: therefore would be approximately 10
!; miles south and 126 miles east of tn
!, city.
Maps issued by the general lane
. Office, copies of which may be seen a
q the office Of the county surveyor, shoN
:, the location of the principal meridian
= and base lines.
All government surveys are mad
under the authority of the general Ian
office, and under the immediate super
: vision of the surveyors general of th
- different states. Minneapolis Journa