Hey Trev, How do the metes and bounds work in Illinois, statewide, countywide, etc. Where is the base meridian where range and township measures start from? For instance, in Arizona, where I live, the base is at Basline Road near I-10 in Phoenix and everything in the state measures east-west, north-south from there. I remember in Saline County in the 1950s they used to have package liquor stores in some strange locations. One I recall was out in the sticks between Galatia and Thompsonville as I recall. I was told then that it was because they were in a different township and that sometimes liquor was voted in by township rather than by county and city. If you've lived around Eldorado a long time I, or my brothers, Jake and Don, would probably know you. Thanks, Ernie Heltsley/ex-Eldoradoan

----- Original Message ----- From: <HELTSLEY@aol.com> To: <ILSALINE-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, 14 November, 2000 10:23 PM Subject: Re: [ILSALINE-L] Re: land coordinates > Hey Trev, > How do the metes and bounds work in Illinois, statewide, countywide, etc. > Where is the base meridian where range and township measures start from? Hello Ernie, Metes & Bounds is a description of a tract of land by starting at a given point, running so many feet a certain direction, so many feet another direction etc., back to the point of beginning. In most cases, the same tract of land may be described in different ways, this being just one..... another is in terms of degrees (combined with M's & B's), of which this mail could not illistrate properly.... The rectangular system of describing land (like the description I gave Steve) is the most simple and almost always used when possible (Pre 19th century land records are a little more complicated, and yet another form of description). Just from memory (I haven't looked at this in a some time), the Principle Meridian line runs north and south thru the state of IL at the west edge of the Franklin Co line, all Range numbers east of this of course will have an E(ast) (all ranges in Saline). I can't remember exactly where the Base line is, but I know that the townships on the north edge of Saline are T5, and those at the north edge of Hamilton Co are T3, and I believe it is Wayne Co just north of Hamilton, so the Base line shoud run east and west thru wayne (and the state of IL). So all the township descriptions in IL below this are for ex. T7S..... so this will be the same as your home in AZ... > For instance, in Arizona, where I live, the base is at Basline Road near > I-10 in Phoenix and everything in the state measures east-west, north-south > from there. > I remember in Saline County in the 1950s they used to have package liquor > stores in some strange locations. One I recall was out in the sticks between > Galatia and Thompsonville as I recall. I was told then that it was because > they were in a different township and that sometimes liquor was voted in by > township rather than by county and city. TN is the same way, it goes be township.... but till have a couple dry counties, where they don't let it get to the township level yet (let's have a recount on that vote, ha).... Best Regards, Trev