Understanding Land Records: Introduction to Land Platting Agenda: 8:30am 9:45am 10:15am 11:30am 1:00pm 2:15pm Introduction Basics of rectangular survey platting Platting one owner s land (fictional) Platting Group #1 (Boulder neighborhood) Platting Group #2 (Reichenecker) Placing Reichenecker land on topo map Kits for metes and bounds platting Basics of metes and bounds platting Equipment and materials Hollinger plats #1 and 2 2:45pm 4:00pm Hollinger plats #3, 4 and 5 Placing Hollinger cluster on topo map Note: This Agenda is provided to give an overall outline of topics to be covered. We will need to be flexible in following the schedule, but will try to arrange for breaks to occur at the times indicated.
Introduction to Land Platting: Rectangular Survey Public Lands: The Rectangular Survey System The thirty-eight public land survey districts References George W. Knepper, The Official Ohio Lands Book (Columbus, Ohio: Auditor of State, 2002). (Available for purchase or online at <www.auditor.state.oh.us/publications/>.) C. Albert White, Initial Points of the Rectangular Survey System (Westminster, Colo.: Produced for Professional Land Surveyors of Colorado, Inc. by the Pub. House, 1996). 2005 Birdie Monk Holsclaw, CG SM Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, 15 June 2005
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 3 Public Lands: The Rectangular Survey System (cont.) (Illustrations adapted from Form 9180-34, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management). TOWNSHIP GRID North Principal Meridian West R4W R3W R2W R1W Initial Point T3N T2N T1N R1E R2E R3E R4E East T1S Base Line T2S, R3W T2S T3S South TOWNSHIP 2 SOUTH, RANGE 3 WEST SECTION 14 6 5 4 3 2 1 7 8 9 10 11 12 18 17 16 15 Section 14 13 19 20 21 22 23 24 30 29 28 27 26 25 NW¼ NW¼ SW¼ NW¼ NE¼ NW¼ SE¼ NW¼ N½ SW¼ Lot 1 Lot 2 West Half of Southeast quarter Northeast quarter (NE¼) E½ SE¼ 31 32 33 34 35 36
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 4 Rectangular Survey Platting One Owner s Land Township 2 South, Range 3 West (1) Number the sections, then (2) shade in these areas: Southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 13, Township 2 South, Range 3 West South half of the southeast quarter of Section 14, Township 2 South, Range 3 West East half of the northeast quarter of Section 23 of Township 2 South, Range 3 West
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 5 Platting in the Public Lands Group #1 Multiple Tract Owners in a Neighborhood On the worksheet (page 6), plat the following pieces of land, all in Boulder County, Colorado (6 th Principle Meridian, Township 1 South, Range 69 West): Date Owner Tract(s) 20 Jul 1866 Waeneche, Adolf SE¼ SE¼ Sec8 E½ NE¼ Sec17 10 May 1870 Truett, Christopher C. SW¼ NE¼ Sec17 SE¼ NW¼ Sec17 NE¼ SW¼ Sec17 NW¼ SE¼ Sec17 20 Jun 1870 Boon, Josiah & John Jones NW¼ Sec8 20 Sep 1870 Niver, Robert SW¼ SW¼ Sec17 10 Feb 1871 Brewster, William C. NE¼ Sec8 10 Feb 1871 Cook, Lowe P. SW¼ Sec8 24 Apr 1875 Union Pacific Railway Company N½ NW¼ Sec17 S½ SE¼ Sec17 NW¼ NE¼ Sec17 SW¼ NW¼ Sec17 NW¼ SW¼ Sec17 NE¼ SE¼ Sec17 1 Dec 1875 Eggleston, Albert L. W½ SE¼ Sec8 5 Nov 1878 Nawatny, Louis NE¼ SE¼ Sec8 10 May 1883 Union Pacific Railway Company SE¼ SW¼ Sec17
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 6 Sections 8 & 17, Township 1 South, Range 69 West, 6 th P.M. Section 8 Section 17
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 7 Platting in the Public Lands Group #2 Platting Multiple Tracts for a Single Owner On the worksheet (page 8), plat the following pieces of land, all in Park County, Colorado (6 th Principle Meridian, Township 9 South, Range 76 West): Date Owner Tract(s) 3/21/1881 Reichenecker, Albert SW¼ SW¼ Sec 15 N½ NE¼ Sec 21 SE¼ NE¼ Sec 21 NW¼ NW¼ Sec 22 7/20/1881 Reichenecker, Albert SW¼ SW¼ Sec 14 NE¼ NW¼ Sec 15 7/20/1881 Reichenecker, Albert SW¼ NE¼ Sec 21 NE¼ SE¼ Sec 21 7/20/1881 Reichenecker, Albert SW¼ SE¼ Sec 21 NW¼ NE¼ Sec 28 7/20/1881 Reichenecker, Albert NW¼ SW¼ Sec 14 NE¼ SE¼ Sec 15 7/20/1881 Reichenecker, Albert W½ NW¼ Sec 15 7/20/1881 Reichenecker, Albert NE¼ SW¼ Sec 15 NW¼ SE¼ Sec 15 7/20/1881 Reichenecker, Albert SW¼ NE¼ Sec 15 SE¼ NW¼ Sec 15 7/20/1881 Reichenecker, Albert S½ NW¼ Sec 14 7/20/1881 Reichenecker, Albert SE¼ NE¼ Sec 15 NW¼ SW¼ Sec 15 8/22/1892 Reichenecker, Albert N½ NW¼ Sec 21 SE¼ NW¼ Sec 21 NE¼ SW¼ Sec 21 12/30/1905 Reichenecker, Albert NW¼ SE¼ Sec 21
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 8 Portion of Township 9 South, Range 76 West, 6 th P.M. 8 9 10 11 12 17 16 15 14 13 20 21 22 23 24 29 28 27 26 25 30 31 32 33 34 Trace this group onto transparency film. Place the group onto the printed topo map (portions of Fairplay East and Como quadrangles). Notice nearby geographical features; can you draw a conclusion from this?
Introduction to Land Platting: Metes and Bounds Review of Land Platting Equipment The essentials: Land measure compass, ruler, graph paper, calculator The Land Measure Compass On the illustration above, circle or mark the following: The crosshairs (for the beginning of every line) North, south, east, and west North 45 east South 36 west North 62½ west North 90 west (same as?) Using your graph paper, make a beginning point, then mark the 8 directions above.
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 10 The Engineers Ruler For most of the exercises in this course, be sure to use the 10ths (tenths) side of the ruler! Why? On a typical USGS topographic map, the scale is 1:24000. This means that 1" on the map is equal to 24,000 inches (2000 feet) on the ground. 1 perch, rod or pole = 5½ yards or 198 inches 1" on map = 24,000" on ground 1/10" on map = 2,400" on ground (divide 2400 by 198) = 12.1 poles on ground Round off 12.1 to 12! Thus our scale: 1/10" = 12 perches Using your calculator and ruler, draw lines on your graph paper for each:: 36 rods = ruler units (tenths) 360 perches = ruler units 250 poles = ruler units 230 rods = ruler units 54 poles = ruler units
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 11 Platting Metes and Bounds Tracts Remember: Draw your arrow pointing north Write the scale (for this exercise 1/10" = 12 perches) In the deed, read the description in advance and number calls in the text On your plat, circle the beginning point and draw an arrow in the direction you will be going Metes and Bounds Tract #1 Patent to Jacob Ebersold 1761 366¼ acres beginning at marked black oak thence by land of Thomas Bradshaw N 228 perches to a black oak marked thence by land of David Gilson S 80 W 66 perches to a marked black oak and S 70 W 228 perches to a small black oak then by land of Henry Bailey S 154 perches to a marked chesnut [sic] oak; S 80 E 68 perches to a marked white oak and S 50 perches to a marked black oak thence by land of David Wilson N 70 E 226 perches to beginning... Corner/point Line Direction Distance Ruler units 1. Beg. at bl/o then by land of Thomas Bradshaw N 228p 19.0 2. 5.5 3. 19.0 4. 12.8 5. 5.6 6. 4.2 7. 18.8
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 12 Metes and Bounds Tract #2 Patent to Nicholas Hollinger 1766 110 ½ acres in Donegal Twp., Lancaster Co., Pa. Beginning at a marked white oak thence by lands of the Widow Bower & David Wilson N 48 E 147 perches and a half to a post; thence by the said Wilsons land N 20 W 37 perches to a post; thence by Jacob Limes land S 68 W 72 perches to a marked black oak; N 52 perches to a marked white oak; and N 80 W 70 perches and a half to a chesnut [sic] oak; thence by land of the heirs of John Brubaker deced S 49 W 62 perches and a half to a marked spanish oak; S 20 E 100 perches to a marked white oak; and S 57 E 62 perches & a half to the place of beginning... Corner/point Line Direction Distance Ruler units 1. 12.3 2. 3.1 3. 6.0 4. 4.3 5. 5.8 6. 5.2 7. 8.3 8. 5.2
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 13 Water and Other Unknown Boundaries When we encounter a creek or ridge as one of the boundaries of a tract - for instance, along Little Sinking Creek - the deed will often not give us a precise call for that line. We can still estimate a direction and distance for that line by leaving it till last, and assuming that the leftover gap is about the same as the line of the creek or ridge. Follow the usual instructions, except: Find the imprecise boundary ( Susquehanna River ) and circle it. Beginning with the call after the imprecise boundary, underline the calls and put a number by each one. e.g. (1) by Peter Bowers land N 47½ E 54p When you reach the end of the deed, go to the beginning and continue numbering from there. e.g. (7) by Jacob Limes s land N 1 W 75p Metes and Bounds Tract #3 Patent to John Brubaker et al. 1769 238½ acres... Beginning at a marked chesnut oak, thence by Jacob Limes s land N 1 W 75 perches to a marked white oak thence by John Kornhass s land W 110¾ perches to a black oak thence by the same SW 176 perches to a marked Black Oak standing at the side of the Susquehanna River, thence down the same two hundred and sixty four perches to a marked white hickory standing at the side of Susquehanna aforesd, thence by Peter Bowers land N 47½ E 54 perches to a post SE 8½ perches to a post N 47½ E 47 perches to a marked white oak, thence by Nicholas Hollingers land N 57 W 62½ perches to a marked white oak N 20½ W 100 perches to a marked Spanish Oak N 49½ E 62½ perches to the place of beginning... Corner/point Line Direction Distance Ruler units 1. wh/hick by Peter Bowers land N47½E 54p 4.5 2. 0.7 3. 3.9 4. 5.2 (Tract #3 continued on next sheet)
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 14 Tract #3 (cont.) Corner/point Line Direction Distance Ruler units 5. 8.3 6. 5.2 7. 6.25 8. 9.2 9. 14.7 10. 22.0 Metes and Bounds Tract #4 Patent of Samuel Wilson 1789 237¼ acres... Beginning at a Corner Black Oak of John Sharps land thence by the same S 69 W 141½ perches to a maple thence by the same and land of Christian Derr and Widow Bower N 42½ W 192 perches to a white oak thence by land of Nicholas Hollinger N 48 E 15 perches to a post and N 20 W 37 perches to a post thence by land of Jacob Lime and Jacob Eversol N 68 E 197 perches to a post thence by land of John Jameson and other land of said David Wilson S 21 E 224½ perches to the Place of Beginning. Corner/point Line Direction Distance Ruler units 1. 11.8 2. 16.0 3. 1.25 4. 3.1 5. 16.4 6. 18.7
Understanding Land Records: Land Platting Page 15 Metes and Bounds Tract #5 Patent to Peter Bauer 1772 162½ acres... Beginning at a marked white oak at the side of Susquehanna River thence by the heirs of John Brubecker Decd land north forty seven degrees and a half east fifty four perches to a post south east eight perches & a half to a post thence by said Brubeckers heirs land and Nicholas Hollingers land north forty seven degrees east one hundred and sixty seven perches to a marked white oak thence by Samuel Willsons land south forty two degrees and a half east one hundred and fifty three perches to a marked white oak thence by Baltzer Lauers land south fifty degrees west eighty five perches to a post north twenty six degrees west fifteen perches to a marked black oak sapling south sixty seven degrees west one hundred and forty three perches to a marked white hickory at the side of Susquehanna aforesaid thence up said river ninety four perches to the place of beginning... Corner/point Line Direction Distance Ruler units 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Putting the Neighborhood on the Map To locate one particular tract on a modern topographic map, it is often necessary to assemble a group of tracts in order to see enough boundary and geographic features to match those on the modern map. Rivers and creeks, roads, fence lines, and more - use all these features within the cluster of neighbors to pinpoint the exact position of your ancestor s tract. Try it!