How to Read Township Maps

1. How to Read Township Maps Early Township Maps of Sedgwick County, KansasSpecial Collections and University Archives, Wichita State University Librarieshttp://specialcollections.wichita.edu/wcf/townships/index.asp (Early)

2. The Township and Range system, sometimes called the “Public Lands Survey System,” was developed to help parcel out western lands as the country expanded. The system takes many western states and divides them using a base line and a principal meridian. Early Township Maps of Sedgwick County, KansasSpecial Collections and University Archives Wichita State University Libraries (Shelton)

3. (Vasilev) As you go to the east or west of the principal meridian, the range increases in that direction. If you go north or south of the base line, the township increases. This system divides the land up into townships and ranges that are 36 square miles each. In the diagram above, the square with the X in it would be defined as township 2 south (T.2S), range 3 east (R.3E). Early Township Maps of Sedgwick County, KansasSpecial Collections and University Archives Wichita State University Libraries

4. Each township and range is then subdivided into 36 sections. Each section is one mile square. Individual sections are then subdivided into half sections and quarter sections and so on. Early Township Maps of Sedgwick County, KansasSpecial Collections and University Archives Wichita State University Libraries (Vasilev)

5. These areas are called sections and are numbered within a township from the upper right to the lower right in an alternating manner (1 to 6 are numbered from right to left, 7 to 12 from left to right, etc.).  The squares are quartered, and then the quarters are quartered again, as shown here.  The location of the star in the figure would be described as the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter, section thirteen, township two south, range two west.  The shorthand for this is: SE1/4, SE1/4, NE1/4, sec. 13, T2S., R2W Early Township Maps of Sedgwick County, KansasSpecial Collections and University Archives Wichita State University Libraries (Vasilev)

6. Historical Atlas of Sedgwick County, Kansas. Shows townships, cities and towns, post office, rivers and creeks, roads, north boundary of Osage Indian Lands and names of adjoining counties. Early Township Maps of Sedgwick County, KansasSpecial Collections and University Archives Wichita State University Libraries (Early)

7. Same map, zoomed in (Early) Early Township Maps of Sedgwick County, KansasSpecial Collections and University Archives Wichita State University Libraries

8. Shows city of Wichita. Shows Arkansas River and islands, Little Arkansas River, Chisholm Creek and Dry Creek. Shows Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad and St. Louis-San Francisco railroad. Also noted are schools, cemetery, wind mill, slaughter house, fairgrounds, iron works, water mill, roads, residences and other structures, property divisions and names of land owners. (Early) Early Township Maps of Sedgwick County, KansasSpecial Collections and University Archives Wichita State University Libraries

9. Plat map shows subdivisions, residences and some named structures, property divisions, names of land owners, street names, roads, railroads, rivers, islands, bridges, wards and corporation lines (city limits). (Early) Early Township Maps of Sedgwick County, KansasSpecial Collections and University Archives Wichita State University Libraries