What was the purpose of the public land survey?
The Public Land Survey System of the United States was established by Congressional legislation in 1785, in order to provide an orderly mechanism for opening the Northwest Territory for settlement. The ordinance directed the Geographer of the United States, Thomas Hutchins, to survey an initial east-west base line. Hutchins began in 1786, using as his starting point a stake on north bank of the Ohio River placed by a 1785 survey team from the states of Virginia and Pennsylvania to fix their common north-south boundary (now the boundary between Pennsylvania and the northern tip of West Virginia ). Hutchins' work, completed in 1787, established the Seven Ranges, with a baseline about 45 miles (72 km) line. This survey is believed to be "the first mathematically designed system and nationally conducted cadastral survey in any modern country."
What was the first cadastral survey?
This survey is believed to be "the first mathematically designed system and nationally conducted cadastral survey in any modern country.".
Where is the cadastral survey located?
The survey is claimed to be the first major cadastral survey undertaken by any nation. The point now lies underwater on the state line between Ohio and Pennsylvania. Because it is submerged, a monument commemorating the point is located on the state line between East Liverpool, Ohio and Ohioville, Pennsylvania, adjacent to the nearest roadway.
Where is the survey point on the Ohio River?
The monument commemorating the survey point is located on the north side of the Ohio River, on the south side of the road designated Ohio State Route 39 to the west and Pennsylvania Route 68 to the east.
Who was the first person to survey the east-west base line?
The ordinance directed the Geographer of the United States, Thomas Hutchins to survey an initial east-west base line. This Hutchins began in 1786, using as his starting point a stake placed on north bank of the Ohio River by a 1785 survey team from the states of Virginia and Pennsylvania to fix their common north-south boundary ...
When was the NHL established?
Designated NHL. June 23, 1965 . The Beginning Point of the U.S. Public Land Survey is the point from which the United States in 1786 began the formal survey of the lands known then as the Northwest Territory, now making up all or part of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Who issues the survey of public land?
For detailed information on the public land survey system in the United States see the Manual of Instruction for the Survey of the Public Lands of the United States issued by the Bureau of Land Management | U.S. Department of the Interior.
When was the rectangular survey system created?
The system of rectangular surveys was inaugurated in 1785 and the laws governing its establishment have, with various modifications, been applied to all of the United States with the exception of the states listed above.
What is PLSS survey?
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. Also known as the Rectangular Survey System, it was created by the Land Ordinance of 1785. There are two separate and distinct systems of land surveys in the United States: ...
What are the base lines of a township called?
The base lines running north and south are known as “Principal Meridians”, while the east and west base lines are called simply “Base Lines”. The township numbers east or west of the Principal Meridians are designated as ranges; whereas, the numbers north and south of the Base Line are tiers.
Why was the Northwest Ordinance set up?
The Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 allowed U.S. citizens to buy farmland from the government, and thus a system was set up to divide the land.
What is the importance of knowing how to read maps and write descriptions correctly?
Knowing how to read the maps and write descriptions correctly is crucial to proper land surveying.
Introduction
If you have ever had to identify the legal location assigned to a particular piece of land--that is, the section, township, and range, and smaller divisions--then you have encountered the Public Land Survey System.
History
The U.S. Public Land Survey System (PLSS) became official government policy shortly after the Revolutionary War, with the passing of the Land Ordinance of 1785. This ordinance grew out of a political movement led by Thomas Jefferson and John Adams that held that an essential part of a democracy was the right to own property.
