Note 072 — {29} CHAPTER II

A township is a square, whose sides (limited by true meridians and parallels to the equator) are each 6 miles in length: area 36 square miles, or sections, each containing 640 acres. Each township contains 23,040 acres. A quarter-section is a square whose sides (bounded by meridians and parallels), are each half a mile, and contain 160 acres. The corners of each section are distinctly marked by the United States' deputy-surveyors. The sections are numbered from 1 to 36, beginning at the N. E. corner of the township, and going from right to left, to the N. W. corner; and then returning from left to right to the east boundary of the township, and so on.

The act of February 22. 1817, authorizes the sale, in half quarter sections, or (80 acres) of the sections 2, 5, 20, 23, 30, 33, of each township. The subdivision of the quarter section is made by true meridians.

The section No. 16. in every township, is by law reserved for the support of schools; the S. E. corner of that section is the centre of each township. More than 60 million acres of United States' land, have already been surveyed:— ¹⁄₃₆ of 60 millions is 1,666,666 acres, reserved by law for the support of schools. The section No. 16. will unquestionably be reserved in all future surveys and disposals of public lands.

For colleges and seminaries of a higher grade, thirteen whole townships have already been granted by the United States to Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, &c. Thirteen townships are equal to 299,520 acres.

By section 2. of the act of April 18. 1806, relative to Tennessee, 200,000 acres are in that state reserved for colleges and academies.

The reservations for schools, colleges, &c. are—

Section No. 16. 1,666,666

Thirteen townships 299,520

Reservation in Tennessee 200,000

2,166,186 acres;

which, at the minimum price established previous to the year 1820, of two dollars per acre, is $4,332,372.

The area of the whole state of Ohio (the eldest of the states north of the Ohio) is about 25 millions of acres; of this about 14,400 had been surveyed anterior to the late cessions, which embrace the N. W. part of that state: ¹⁄₃₆ of 14,400,000 is 400,000.

The free spirit of Ohio, united with signal industry and economy, has already given to section 16. in the surveyed portion of the state, a value of at least four dollars per acre, or of 1,600,000 dollars. There are instances, in which section 16. in Ohio, is worth from twenty to thirty dollars per acre.—National Intelligencer of November 10. 1819.—James.