OVERVIEW
Minnesota Historical Society
Minnesota. Secretary of
State.
Land Survey Plats.
1847-2011 (bulk 1847-1870s).
Materials in English.
Plat drawings of Minnesota townships made by the U. S.
surveyor general's office in St. Paul from the field notes of deputy surveyors. The
records include a set of microfiche reproductions of the plats (1847-1984),
including an index created in circa 1984; the official set of plats (1848-2002),
which are ink on paper and linen and vary in size; and resurvey plats
(2006-2011).
29.1 cubic feet (20 map case drawers);
2608 microfiche.
See [Detailed Description](a9) for shelf
locations.
HISTORICAL NOTE
The Office of Surveyor General of Minnesota, established by Act of Congress of March
3, 1857, was responsible for conducting the original government survey of the public
domain in the territory and state of Minnesota.
The earliest surveys of land in Minnesota were conducted under the jurisdiction of
the Surveyor General of Iowa and Wisconsin, headquartered at Dubuque, Iowa. These
surveys, completed between 1848 and May, 1857, were primarily on land located
between the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers or in the southeastern corner of
Minnesota. After the establishment of the Office of Surveyor General of Minnesota,
copies of the field notes, plats, and other records relevant to these surveys were
transferred from Dubuque to St. Paul.
The Office of Surveyor General of Minnesota continued in operation until December,
1907, when the survey of Minnesota was essentially complete. After 1907 the
commissioner of the U.S. General Land Office served, ex officio, as Surveyor General
of Minnesota, and handled any requisite surveying activities and questions. A
congressional act of 1940 provided that the records of the Office of Surveyor
General of Minnesota be turned over to the Minnesota secretary of state.
SCOPE AND CONTENTS
Plats for each township show section and subdivision markers; acreage of some
subdivisions; rivers, lakes, swamps, major land elevations, and other natural
features; location and identification of any settlements or settlers' claims
established prior to the completion of the survey; and any roads or railroads in
existence at the time of the survey. Some plats include names of streams and lakes,
notes on topography and vegetation, meander notes, and related data.
The plats also list the total acreage of the township; name of the surveyor(s); date
of contract or special instruction under which the township was surveyed; date the
survey was completed; and date the plats were approved by the surveyor general. Some
townships that are divided by a major watercourse have two plats, one for each bank.
There are additional plats for some townships in which subsequent surveys were made
to correct or reestablish section or subdivision markers, or for surveys of islands
that were not included in the original government survey.
ARRANGEMENT
The collection is organized into the following sections:
Index (Microfiche SAF 8-I)
Official Set (Microfiche SAF 8)
Official Set (Closed Originals)
Resurvey Plats (Open Originals), 2006-2011
Within each section the plats are arranged by principal meridian, then range, then
township.
CATALOG HEADINGS
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the
Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics
should search
the catalog using these headings.
Topics:
Surveying -- Public lands -- Minnesota.
Townships -- Minnesota -- Maps.
Organizations:
United States. Office of Surveyor
General of Minnesota.
Places:
Minnesota -- Surveys.
Document Types:
Indexes -- Minnesota.
Maps -- Minnesota.
Plats -- Minnesota.
Functions:
Mapping.
Surveying.
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Access Restrictions:
The original land survey plats are closed to the public. Requests to use the
original plats should be directed to the Minnesota State Archivist.
Preferred Citation:
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here].
Minnesota. Secretary of State. Land Survey Plats. Minnesota Historical
Society.
See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional
examples.
Alternate Form Available:
Digital version of the official set of original land survey plats, with a detailed history and origin of the Public Land Survey System in Minnesota and the United States, is available on the web: http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/glo/index.html
Accession Information:
Accession numbers: 985-3; 985-87; 2008-30; 2009-60; 2011-39; 2011-72; 2012-26;
2012-36; 2012-67
Processing Information:
Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project
grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
(NHPRC).
Catalog ID number: 001714092
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Index (Microfiche SAF 8-I)
SAF 8-I
Circa 1984.
2 microfiche.
A computer-generated index to the official set of Minnesota township
plats filed in the Minnesota secretary of state's office. Although not
needed to locate the plat for a given township, it contains summary data
on each plat.
Each entry gives township and range, sections surveyed, month and year of
survey, surveyor's code number, lines surveyed, comments, plat type
(original, resurvey, or copy), and file reference (microfiche number).
There may be several index entries for a single township or range if
portions were surveyed, resurveyed, or annotated at different times.
There is one fiche for the 4th prime meridian and one for the 5th. Each
is arranged by township number, then range number, within groups of
ranges: 4th p.m. ranges 12-21, 21-32; 5th p.m. ranges 3-28, 28-34,
35-41, 41-51.
The index was generated from a file residing at the University of
Minnesota Computer Center.
Official Set (Microfiche SAF 8)
SAF 8
1847-1984 (bulk 1847-1870s).
2606 microfiches.
Microfiche reproductions of the plat drawings of Minnesota townships made
by the U.S. surveyor general's office in St. Paul from the field notes
of deputy surveyors.
Filmed with each plat is a certificate of authenticity signed by the
Minnesota secretary of state.
The plats are arranged by principal meridian, then range, then township;
one township per fiche. Each microfiche has an alphanumeric
identification symbol that reflects the initial filming order of the
plats.
Comparison of these plats with a plat index held by the Natural Resources
Department, Land Bureau, indicate that the following plats are missing:
R19 T33; R20 T27; R24 T32; R32 T40; R35 T122; R49 T141.
The following missing plats are housed in the Township Survey Plats:
Supplemental Set (cataloged separately in the U. S. Surveyor General of
Minnesota records as Township Survey Plats: Supplemental Set): R6 T66
W4th PM; R38 T147; R49 T141.
Official Set (Closed Originals)
Closed. Researchers should use the online
version: http://www.mngeo.state.mn.us/glo/index.html
102.B
1-19
1848-2002.
Circa 3606 items. Ink on paper; ink on linen.
Vary in size, mostly 22.5 in. x 16 in. to 24 in. x 19
in.
West of the 4th Principal Meridian, Range Nos. 1-27
(Arrowhead Region).
5 oversize folders.
West of the 5th Principal Meridian, Range Nos. 1-50.
14 oversize folders.
Resurvey Plats (Open Originals), 2006-2011
Duplicate, dependent resurvey plats received by the Secretary of State from
the Bureau of Land Management.
While these plats interfile geographically with those reproduced on the
microfiche and in the digital set, the work done postdates both sets and,
therefore, they are OPEN for use.
102.B
20
Folder 1.
5 sheets.
4th Principal Meridian, Range 27 West, Township 42,
Subdivision of Section 5, Mille Lacs County,
2008.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 42 West, Township 146,
Subdivision of Sections 21 and 24, Mahnomen County,
2008.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 37 West, Township 144,
Subdivision of Section 33, Clearwater County,
2008.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 39 West, Township 141,
Subdivision of Sections 4-8, Sheet 1 of 2, Becker County,
2006.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 39 West, Township 141,
Subdivision of Section 30, Sheet 2 of 2, Becker County,
2006.
102.B
20
Folder 2.
6 sheets.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 39 West, Township 146,
Subdivision of Sections 23-24, Sheet 1 of 3, Mahnomen County,
2008.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 39 West, Township 146,
Subdivision of Sections 25-26 and 35, Sheet 2 of 3, Mahnomen County,
2008.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 39 West, Township 146,
Subdivision of Sections 31-32, Sheet 3 of 3, Mahnomen County,
2008.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 37 West, Township 142,
Subdivision of Section 6, Sheet 1 of 3, Becker County,
2006.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 37 West, Township 142,
Subdivision of Sections 25 and 35, Sheet 2 of 3, Becker County,
2006.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 37 West, Township 142,
Subdivision of Section 32, Sheet 3 of 3, Becker County,
2006.
102.B
20
Folder 3.
4 sheets.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 36 West, Township 148,
Subdivision of Section 9 North of West Four Legged Lake, Clearwater
County,
2007.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 38 West, Township 141, Section
29, Becker County,
2006.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 40 West, Township 141,
Subdivision of Sections 10-12 and 15, Sheet 1 of 2, Becker County,
2007.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 40 West, Township 141,
Subdivision of Sections 24-25 and 36, Sheet 2 of 2, Becker County,
2007.
102.B
20
Folder 4.
10 sheets.
4th Principal Meridian, Range 27 West, Township 43 North,
Section 33, a portion of the south boundary and a portion of the
subdivisional lines, designed to restore the corners in their true
original locations; a subdivision of section 33; a reestablishment
of the original meander line,
2009.
4th Principal Meridian, Range 17 West, Township 48 North,
Section 4, a portion of the north boundary and a portion of the
subdivisional lines, designed to restore the corners in their true
original location,
2009.
4th Principal Meridian, Range 18 West, Township 49 North,
Section 6, a portion of the north boundary, a portion of the west
boundary, a portion of the subdivisional lines and the subdivision
of section 6,
2010.
4th Principal Meridian, Range 21 West, Township 69 North,
Sections 25-26, Survey of an Island,
2009.
4th Principal Meridian, Range 20 West, Township 69 North,
Sections 24-26, Survey of an Island,
2009.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 41 West, Township 143 North,
Section 30, a portion of the west boundary and a portion of the
subdivisional lines; resurvey and survey of the subdivision of
section 30,
2009.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 37 West, Township 145 North,
Section 34, portion of the subdivisional lines; resurvey and survey
of the subdivision of section 34,
2009.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 38 West, Township 145 North,
Sections 8-10, 18-19, portion of the west boundary, a portion of the
subdivisional lines and the subdivision of sections 8-10, 18-19; the
survey of four tracts in section 8 and the reestablishment of a
portion of the record meander lines in section 19,
2010.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 40 West, Township 146 North,
Sections 13, 15, 25, 33, a portion of the east boundary and a
portion of the subdivisional lines; the dependent resurvey and
survey of the subdivision of sections 13, 15, 25, 33, Sheet 1 of 2,
2009.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 40 West, Township 146 North,
Section 33, portion of the east boundary and a portion of the
subdivisional lines; the dependent resurvey and survey of the
subdivision of sections 13, 15, 25, 33, Sheet 2 of 2,
2009.
102.B
20
Folder 5.
1 sheet.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 15 West, Township 114 North,
Sections 28-33, 31, 32, a portion of the south and west boundaries,
a portion of the subdivisional lines, the subdivision of sections
28-33and the survey of a tract of land in section 31, and adjusted
record meanders in sections 31 and 32,
2009.
102.B
20
Folder 6.
1 sheet.
4th Principal Meridian, Range 19 West, Township 52 North, a
portion of the subdivisional lines and survey of the subdivision of
section 34,
2011.
Includes corrective dependent resurvey.
102.B
20
Folder 7.
1 sheet.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 40 West, Township 141 North,
portions of the East and West boundaires, a portion of the
subdivisional lines, a portion of the section subdivisions, and the
subdivision of sections 31, 34, 35,
2011.
102.B
20
Folder 8.
3 sheets.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 41 West, Township 141 North,
portions of the South, East, and West boundaries and a portion of
the subdivisional lines; the dependent resurvey and survey of
portions of the subdivision of sections 6, 12, 16, 32; the dependent
resurvey and survey of portions of Rham’s Subdivision in section 32;
and the survey of two unnamed parcels in section 32,
2011.
102.B
20
Folder 9.
2 sheets.
5th Principal Meridian, Range 38 West, Township 144 North,
corrective dependent resurvey of a portion of the west boundary and
the dependent resurvey of a portion of the east and south boundaries
and a portion of the subdivisional lines and the survey of the
subdivision of sections 21, 25, 28, 30, 31, 33, and 36,
2010-2011.