Crookston Buchanan.. Portland Duluth Ojibway Otter Tail City. Mississippi.... Augusta... Missouri... Montana Nebraska Nevada New Mexico Ohio. Paulding Washington Jackson Pontotoc... Boonville Jackson Ironton Lexington Clinton When established. Mar. 17, 1870 July 15, 1878 July 8, 1856.. Act Feb. 17, 1818.. Act Mar. 23, 1823 Act May 26, 1824.. Norfolk Brownsville Beatrice July 7, 1868. Nebraska City July 3, 1868. Lincoln July 3, 1868.. Dakota City Niobrara Grand Island North Platte Lowell Bloomington Carson City Austin Eureka Belmont Sept. 3, 1868. Oct. 1, 1875.. Act July 2, 1862. May, 1873. Act Mar. 3, 1819.. Act Mar. 3, 1819.. Removed or discontinued. To Tracy. To Fergus Falls To Detroit. To Cambridge. To Saint Cloud. Name changed to Duluth. To Otter Tail City. List of existing local land offices (96 in number) and names of officers, November 10, 1880. State or Territory. Land district. Register. Receiver. Alabama Arkansas Arizona California.. Colorado Dakota Florida Idaho.. Iowa.. Kansas Huntsville Dardanelle Prescott Florence Marysville Shasta Central City. Gainesville. Boisé City Salina Wichita John M. Cross Pelham J. Anderson Thomas M. Gibson Gustavus A. Wetter. Jonathan M. Howe W. H. Tancre. Lemuel T. Crane. Solomon Cooper. Charles H. Chamberlain. Henry O. Beatty. Charles A. Brastow. William J. Anderson. John F. Rollius. James Stout. Richard J. Monroe. II. II. Griffiths. State or Territory. Louisiana.... Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska.. Nevada.. ADMINISTRATION OF THE LAND SERVICE. List of existing local land offices and names of officers-Continued. New Mexico... La Mesilla. Oregon.. Washington. Wisconsin Wyoming.. Utah. Santa Fé Le Grand. Vancouver Bayfield.. Eau Claire Falls of Saint Croix Menasha Wausaw Salt Lake City.. Register. George Baldy. Ferdinand A. Husher. George W. Fay. Stephen H. Alban Receiver. William M. Burwell. Alexis E. Lemee. John M. Farland. Fred. J. Burton. James M. Wilkinson. Paul C. Sletten. Thomas II. Pressnell. John H. Allen. C. N. Baird. James Stott. William B. Lambert. John Taffe. Samuel C. Wright. James M. Adams. William M. Garvey. Henry R. Crosby. Moses M. Bane. Registers and receivers are paid an annual salary of $500 each, and are allowed fees up to and including $3,000 per annum each. 12 L O-VOL III CHAPTER VII. SURVEYS OF THE PUBLIC LANDS. The cessions of the several States were organized from time to time into geographical divisions by the laws creating them and the lands were ordered to be surveyed, including lands to which the Indian title had been or would be extinguished. The same proceeding took place with purchased territory in 1803, 1819, 1848, 1850, and 1853. The extension of the surveys being authorized by Congress over a district of country, the Commissioner of the General Land Office directs the surveyor-general of the district, whose office is created by the law prior to extending the surveys, to begin the same. THE RECTANGULAR SYSTEM. The land surveys under the United States are uniform and done under what is known as the "rectangular system." This system of surveys was reported from a committee of Congress May 7, 1784. The committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, chairman; Messrs. Williamson, Howell, Gerry, and Reas. This ordinance required the public lands to be divided into "hundreds" of ten geographical miles square, and those again to be subdivided into lots of one mile square each, to be numbered from 1 to 100, commencing in the northwestern corner and counting from west to east and from east to west continuously; and also that the lands thus subdivided should be first offered at public sale. This ordinance was considered, debated, and amended; and on the 3d of May, 1785, on motion of Mr. Grayson, of Virginia, seconded by Mr. Monroe, the size of the townships was reduced to six miles square. It was further discussed until the 20th of May, 1785, when it was finally passed. The origin of this system is not known beyond the committee's report. There had been land surveys in the different colonies for more than a hundred years; still the method of granting land for settlements in vogue in all the colonies was in irregular tracts, except in the colony of Georgia, where, after 1733, eleven townships of 20,000 square acres each were divided into lots of 50 acres each. The act of cession of the State of Virginia of her western territory provided for the formation of States from the same not less than one hundred nor more than one hundred and fifty miles square. This square form of States may have influenced Mr. Jefferson in favor of a square form of survey, and besides the even surface of the country was known, the lack of mountains and the prevalence of trees for marking it also favoring a latitudinal and longitudinal system. Certain east and west lines run with the parallels of latitude, and the north and south township lines with the meridians. The system as adopted provided for sale in sections of 640 acres, one mile square. In 1820 a quarter-section, or 160 acres, could be purchased. In 1832 subdivisions were ordered by law into 40-acre tracts or quarter-quarter-sections to settlers, and in 1846 to all purchasers. On May 18, 1796, the ordinance of May 20, 1785, was amended; also on May 10, 1800, on the introduction of land offices and credit sales, and on February 11, 1805; April 24, 1820; April 5, 1832; and May 30, 1862. (For existing laws on surveys 178 see chapter IX, United States Revised Statutes, "Survey of the public lands," sections 2395 to 2413.) Since the inauguration of the system it has undergone modification in regard to the establishment of standard lines and initial points, the system of parallels or correction lines, as also of guide meridians, having been instituted, contributing largely toward its completeness. SURVEYS OF BOUNDARY LINES BETWEEN STATES. Surveys of boundary lines between States are done by special contract under special laws authorizing the same, the Secretary of the Interior awarding the contracts thereunder. Since 1862 the following boundary lines have been run at rates per mile as stated: Oregon and Washington, at $46 per mile. North part of east boundary of New Mexico and part of east part of south South part of the west boundary of Dakota, $50 per mile. Colorado and Utah boundary, $53 per mile Arkansas and Indian Territory boundary. Aggregate The boundary surveys were made by authority of various acts of Congress appropriating money for that purpose from year to year. SURVEYS OF ISLANDS. Surveys of islands and keys on the sea-coast are made by the Coast Survey, under special laws. All other lands of the United States and classes of surveying are done by the surveyors-general and their contract or mineral deputies under direction of the Commissioner of the General Land Office. SURVEYS OF INDIAN RESERVATIONS. Surveys of Indian reservations by the act of April 8, 1864, now devolve upon the General Land Office. Prior to that act the surveys of Indian lands under treaty stipulation were made by direction of the Indian Office. METHODS AND SYSTEM OF LAND PARCELING SURVEYS. Preliminary to surveying a district, a surveying meridian and base line must be established. GEOGRAPHICAL POSITIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL SURVEYING MERIDIANS AND BASE-LINES. Since the adoption of the rectangular system of public surveys, May 20, 1785, twenty-four initial points, or the intersection of the principal bases with surveying meridians, have been brought into requisition to secure the certainty and brevity of description in the transfer of public lands to individual ownership. From the principal |