| The Public Land Survey System, or PLSS, is a | | | | such as land in the west being sold to speculators. |
| surveying method used in the United States. Its | | | | The Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest |
| purpose is to identify separate parcels of land, | | | | Ordinance of 1787 controlled the survey and |
| especially rural or undeveloped land. The Public | | | | settling of new lands. According to these |
| Land Survey System divides land into townships | | | | ordinances, the western land of the United States |
| and sections, and is sometimes called the | | | | would be surveyed using a new, rectangular |
| rectangular survey system because these areas | | | | system, the Public Land Survey System. The first |
| of land are usually rectangular, although this is not | | | | area surveyed using this system was in eastern |
| always the case. | | | | Ohio; today, the area is a National Historic |
| The PLSS has been described as both the first | | | | Landmark. These first lands were surveyed |
| mathematically designed land survey system, and | | | | somewhat haphazardly, with an eye towards |
| the first cadastral survey conducted nationwide in | | | | speed rather than accuracy. To the west, land |
| any modern country. The methods used for PLSS | | | | surveys were typically more accurate. In each |
| surveys are described by manuals produced by | | | | area, typically covering a state or even more, a |
| the General Land Office of the United States. | | | | major north-south line (meridian) and east-west |
| Today, Public Land Survey System guidelines are | | | | line (base) provide the basis for land descriptions. |
| still used to survey public lands across the nation. | | | | In the west, many county lines follow these |
| These principles are also being considered or | | | | surveying lines, which is the reason why many |
| adopted. by countless foreign nations. | | | | counties are rectangular. |
| The Public Land Survey System was created by | | | | Under the Public Land Survey System, the |
| the Land Ordinance of 1785, though it has been | | | | meridian and base lines are used to divide the land |
| expanded and modified considerably over the last | | | | into intervals of about 24 or 30 miles, forming a |
| two centuries. The system was needed because | | | | lattice pattern. Each township is a square of |
| the original colonies used the British surveying | | | | approximately 36 square miles. These townships |
| system of metes and bounds, describing | | | | are divided further into 36 sections, each 1 square |
| boundaries based on local markers, often | | | | mile. For the purpose of selling land, these sections |
| manmade. Points were described in terms of their | | | | can also be further divided into quarter-sections, |
| location when compared to nearby creeks, trees, | | | | each 0.25 square mile. If necessary, private |
| rocks, and other landmarks. The system was | | | | surveyors can survey this land to further divide it, |
| often supplemented with town plat maps. The | | | | though most government surveys stop at |
| issue with this system is that irregularly-shaped | | | | quarter-sections. Each section is labeled using a |
| properties make extremely complex descriptions. | | | | system of numbers and letters, precisely |
| As streams erode or dry up, trees die, boulders | | | | pinpointing where this section of land lies in relation |
| move, and homes are built, the landmarks used | | | | to other sections. Homesteading depended in the |
| to conduct the survey may no longer be in the | | | | PLSS, which provided the basis for assigning land |
| same place. Plus, it was not very useful to those | | | | to settlers. |
| who could not actually see the land in question, | | | | |