Hello Cassandra (and other Clarke Co. folks who might be interested)! You said, >I have been looking at real estate sales. I am lost. >This is a how property is referenced. >"northwest quarter of northeast quarter and >northeast quartern of northwest quarter of >section 10 Township 12 Range 2 East >containing 80 acres or less" Another researcher and I were discussing land records recently and I was asking some of the same questions you are asking. Here are some of the things I learned. The way I understand it, a township is a square that measures six miles on each side. Each township is divided into equal sections numbered 1 through 36. Beginning at the top right corner count six squares left, then for the next row begining at the left, count squares 7 thru 12 from left to right, etc (a zig-zag pattern). Each section is 640 acres. For the "northwest quarter..." stuff (it's really called the Aliquot Part), imagine a section divided into four parts, labeled northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast. Each of those parts can be further divided into four more parts (approx. 40 acres each) called the northwest corner of the northwest square (NW of NW or even NW/4 of the NW/4), northwest corner of northwest square (NE of NW), southwest corner of the northwest square (SW of NW), etc. The best way to see it might be to draw a diagram -- at least it helped me visualize it. OK, the next part would be how to locate a particular Township and Range. To pinpoint it exactly, you need to know what the "principle meridian" for the township and range you are referring to. There are a several meridian points that are used, but if the land records you are looking at are for Clarke County, AL, I would guess that it would be the St. Stephens Meridian. The townships are identified as north or south of a horizontal line running through the meridian (St. Stephens.) The ranges are identified as east or west of a vertical line running through the meridian. Based on the info in your message, "section 10 Township 12 Range 2 East" I would guess that the land listed is near the Clarke Co and Marengo Co. line, possibly near Nicholsville in Marengo Co. I don't have a map of those counties that shows the township and ranges, but that would be my guess. The Aliquot Parts you list would be two parts at the top and center of a section of 16 parts. A good place to look at land records is: www.glorecords.blm.gov I haven't read their explanation of land records, but it might explain it a little better than I did. They have records of original land patents, the item you list from the Clarke County Democrat probably was a later sale of the land. Hope some of this helps! Janis