Congress Lands, Historical land parcel system in Ohio, United States.
Congress Lands is a land survey system spread across Ohio and organized under the Public Land Survey System into townships and ranges. Each township divides into 36 one-mile square sections that form a structured framework for land ownership and settlement.
Congress established these lands after 1785 as a systematic way to organize and sell territory in the Northwest Territory. This early surveying method became the model for land measurement across much of the United States.
Section sixteen in each township was set aside specifically for public schools, showing how early Americans wanted to support education in new settlements. This deliberate choice shaped how communities developed across the region.
The boundaries and designations of these lands are documented on historical maps and survey records available in local archives. Understanding the township-range structure helps orient yourself to the larger system if you are researching specific parcels.
The system uses Ellicott's Line, the boundary between Ohio and Pennsylvania, as the eastern meridian for range numbering. This geographic reference shows how early surveyors linked natural and political borders together.
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