each section in the township and range system is

Understanding Each Section in the Township and Range System

The United States government first surveyed the State of Kansas, beginning in 1855 and continuing into the 1880s. As a result, the township and range system was developed to help identify specific areas of land within the state. This system is still used today for legal descriptions on Kansas land deeds.

At its core, each section in the township and range system is a six-mile square piece of land that can be identified by its unique combination of township and range numbers. Townships are 6 miles tall and are numbered north to south starting from the Nebraska-Kansas border. Ranges, on the other hand, are 6 miles wide and begin numbering from the 6th prime meridian, which roughly follows the path of Highway 81 and bisects Wichita.

A plat map is a visual representation of this system, showing the township and range grid superimposed over the landscape. These maps typically include various features such as existing roads and trails, drawn as two parallel lines (sometimes ending abruptly wherever the surveyor stopped), green outlines of banks and riparian areas around streams, and squares with squiggly lines to represent cultivated land.

The plat map provided below shows an original survey plat map for a township located at 12 south, range 20 east, which was surveyed in December 1855 to April 1856. This particular map includes the names of tribal members whose farms appear on it, as well as the Delaware Diminished Reserve land.

While most original survey plat maps do not show the names of land owners, this map is an exception. It provides a unique glimpse into the history and development of the area, highlighting the importance of understanding each section in the township and range system.

Each section in the township and range system is