JANET, Thanks Janet for this thorough explanation! I`ll include the R,T, and S with my post,great way to locate land purchased by ancestors.(and perhaps a private family cemetery). It sure is interesting learning the finer details of systems, devised so long ago. Take Care, Sue Fogle/Sisk Hitti@ecr.net jlconn@lex.infi.net wrote: > > Sue, > R stands for range, t stands for township and s for section; > the Monroe, Belmont, Washington county areas plus other surrounding > counties was the first place in the U. S. to have this type of land > description in use. Ohio was "an experimental" state with these system > devised by the federal government; It does making for locating > property quite easy. After this trial period in Ohio the federal > government used it in all the states west of Ohio--so locating where > your ancestor's property was/is quite easy. > > Each township was divided into 36 sections of 640 acres; one section > being reserved for what is called "school lands"--sometimes this was > sold to raise money for schools. Exception to the 640 acres is if your > ancestor purchased land along the Ohio River--the sections were partial > sections with less than the 640 acres. > > If one knows the R T and S of the ancestor's property from a deed > record, one can go to the engineer's office in Woodsfield purchase a map > of the township and pinpoint who owns that property today. From there > it is easy to ask enough questions of the residents to lead you to the > property. The maps are very nominal in fee--less than five dollars. > > These maps also detail the county and township roads, but I don't think > that cemeteries are marked. > > However, there is something called the U.S. Geographical Maps that list > streams, and various other things and I think locations of some > cemeteries; these are available in Ohio at the Dept. of Natural > Resources. Sue, I forget the name of the road, but Natural Resources > is located in Columbus fairly close to Northland Mall or Rte 161--not > far from Knox county. These maps are probably the basis for the > website referred in another posting, but I'm not sure. > > Sorry to be so long in my answers, but it is my librarian mind at work > and the fact that I have been doing genealogy for 20 years--pre > computer. Please someone correct me if I am wrong in my explanation of > the RTS system. > > Regards, > Janet Conn