Uyless, I am sure there is someone else out there who can explain this much better than I. Two lines are supposed to be run through a territory to be surveyed. The base line= east and west, and the meredian line= north and south. They are supposed to intersect at right angles. the townships were surveyed from this point of intersection. Each township is 6 miles square (36 square miles) and is divided in 36 sections of 640 acres ( one square mile) each and all townships are numbered with reference to the base line and meridian line. They are numbered first from the base line north and south and then from the meridian line east and west. In the east/west numbering they are refered to as ranges. Yours would be 19 townships south and 15 west of the Baseline. The baseline being Huntsville. The sections are then divideby running lines through their centers north and south & east and west.. The divisions are called half sections and quarter sections. The township section numbering starts in the uper right of the square and moves to the left for 6 "squares and then down for number 7--to the right to 12 and straight down for 13 and back to the left--and so on for 36 squares. ------------------------------------- 6 5 4 3 2 1 ------------------------------- 7 8 9 10 11 12 -------------------------------------- 18 17 16 15 14 13 I'm sorry if I am making this more confusing--but I don't know how to make it plainer and this may not really be what you wanted at all. For a much clearer explanation and the diagrams to go along with it--check the RRESEARCHERS GUIDE TO AMERICAN GENEALOGY. I have tried to condense what they say and have only succeeded in confusing myself. You can find a copy of this at your local library. Stephanie