The adoption of any survey system should take into consideration access, present and future, potential isolation of settlers and cost of survey. The washington meridian runs north on a longitude of 9109. The united states of america, to all to whom thefe prefents fhall come, greeting. May 01, 2017 these letters, when compared with those published in c. Albert white please note this is a large file approx 46mb it might best to right click and save to your hard drive. Hoosiers benefit from two excellent land survey systems. It is mainly used to divide the public domain lands that are owned by the federal government for the benefit of the citizens of the united states. A history of the rectangular survey system pdf version u. The rectangular survey system is also known as public land survey system. The public land survey system plss is the surveying method developed and used in the united states to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling.
Albert whites compilation a history of the rectangular survey system published by the bureau of land management in 1983 is a valuable source of detailed information on the public land survey system. This was modified to the presentday size of 6 miles by 6 miles. Now known as the public land survey system plss, this system divided what is now cass county into townships, sections and smaller tracts called quarter quarters and government lots. Preston as oregon territorys first surveyor general. National geodetic survey national geodetic survey ngs defines and manages a national coordinate system. Public land survey system plss 3206563694 surveyor. A history of the rectangular survey system by white, c.
Department of the interior bureau of land management pdf version modified from scans by. Dec 12, 2019 history of the rectangular survey system pdf searchable pdf version of the book by c. Als first book, history of the rectangular surveying system, published in 1983, is a definitive look at the history of surveying in the united states, from the most famous surveyor, thomas jefferson, to present day. Albert white is a retired land surveyor that spent the bulk of his career with the bureau of land management. History of surveying a history of the rectangular survey system by c. Governments rectangular survey system are the basis for the establishment of land titles and boundaries within oregon. The washington meridian is the basis of cadastral surveys in southwestern mississippi, south of the choctaw meridian base line and west of the territory of the saint stephens meridian.
The importance of this and other like books of this era is in the history of the filling in of the original federal government rectangular surveys. The history and origins of survey items for the integrated. It is known that jefferson proposed a rectangular survey system, although his system was based on the decimal system townships 10 miles by 10 miles. He paints a picture of the difficulties encountered by the pioneers of the modernday rectangular survey system, as well as an. The rectangular survey system devised for the plss is often credited to thomas jefferson. Publications available from cadastral consulting, llc. The appendices reprint portions of old plats, manuals, and other correspondence.
Land was systematically surveyed into square congressional townships, six miles 9. In 1850, president millard fillmore appointed john b. Albert, 1926publication date 1983 topics surveying, surveying publisher. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. Jun 14, 20 rowlett real estate school, government survey system, florida real estate in this second video of the legal description series we will introduce you to the government survey system, ranges, and.
A history of the rectangular survey system mafiadoc. Albert whites a history of the rectangular survey system pdf version make for very interesting reading of surveying history. The landslide report pdf is an indepth look at manmade and natural movement of the earth, and the surveying problems that this movement presents. Also known as the rectangular survey system, it was created by the land ordinance of 1785 to survey land ceded to the united states by the treaty of paris in 1783, following the end of the american revolution. Survey related links oklahoma society of land surveyors.
W from the base line, which is the mississippilouisiana border at latitude 31 north. The public land survey system plss is a surveying method designed to divide real property into defined plots. Full text of a history of the rectangular survey system. This is a musthave resource for every surveying office. The land ordinance of 1785 established the public land survey system.
The manual of instructions for the survey of the public lands of the united states, 1973 documents current official procedures for plss surveys. Rowlett real estate school, government survey system, florida. The principal unit of the rectangular government survey system. A rectangular grid system such as the dominion township grid system of 160 acre quarter sections with road allowances, is the cheapest method of producing the most surveyed acres in the shortest time. The book covers the political and economic events leading to the passage of the first land ordinance, the development of the rectangular. The rectangular survey is a substitute term for the public land survey system. The initial point for the land surveys in oregon is referred to as the willamette stone. Albert white and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
In the united states public land survey system, a baseline is the principal eastwest line i. Key events in the evolution of ipeds and the different survey components are detailed below. The baseline meets its corresponding principal meridian at the point of origin, or initial point, for the land survey. These tools will help you assess your knowledge of concepts pertaining to the rectangular survey system. Public land survey system county surveyor property. The rectangular survey system was enacted by the land ordinance act of 1785. Political and economic events leading to the passage of the first land ordinance development of the rectangular system of surveys the general land office within the department of the interior the direct system to end of the general land office surveyors general of the public lands states. A rectangular system would survey all the land, with no gaps or gores, make the buyer take the poor land along with the good land, and make every mans land have a common boundary with his neighbor. A history of the rectangular survey system ebook, 1983. The rectangular public lands survey system was generated in the us west of the appalachians through the innovative genius of thomas jefferson. Jun 16, 2012 a primer on the rectangular survey system by thomas jefferson for use in describing land among the public lands.
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