The first step, preparatory to settlement, was the survey of the public lands as the government secured them. The system adopted was one that was elaborated for the public domain of the nation and dates back to 1785. It is known as the "rectangular system" and consists of series of east-and-west and north-and-south lines intersecting each other so as to cover the face of the country with squares of an equal size called Congressional Township. These rectangles, six miles square, are subdivided into thirty-six square miles of "Sections." The measurements are made from base and meridian lines, each township being numbered in its relations to these two lines. As numbered north or south from the base line they are described as a given number of townships. East or west from the meridian they occupy a certain range. The sections are numbered from 1 to 36, beginning in the norhteast corner of each township, running westward to 6, then eastward on the second tier to 12, and so on. Anything less than a Section is described as a fraction of a specified Section and its exact location given within the Section. By this admirable system any tract in the state can be easily and accurately located and its boundaries defined, thus avoiding the confusion and troubles that have arisen in some of the states, notably Kentucky, by reason of overlapping claims.

The Indiana base line, which was run in 1804, crosses the southern counties about the latitude of Vincennes. Our meridian runs a few miles west of the longitudinal center of the state, extending form the Ohio River to the Michigan line. The location of these two principal lines was determined by the fact that the first tract to be surveyed by the general system west of Ohio was one adjacent to Vincennes, extending eastward to the point where the intersection of the lines was established. The surveys of the various tracts shortly followed the purchases. Vincennes and its immediate surroundings and Clark's Grand show irregular surveys owing to the work being done before the introduction here of the government system.

The government surveyors not only established their measurement, but also, incidentally, gathered much valuable information about the natural features and resources of the country, which was carefully recorded in their field notes.

"In the land office at the Statehouse in Indianapolis may still be seen the drawings, together with the 'field notes' made by these early surveyors of our state. They are in excellent condition, and not only show the surveys as they were made, but also the location of lands purchased form the Indians from time to time, the locations of the roads and canals through the state, and many other interesting things connected with the history and development of Indiana.