How to Research

the History of Your

Old House

pchs-presents.org/house-history

Part One:

Land and the Law

Primary Topics

• Legal Descriptions
• Conveyances
• Using the Recorders' Office

1. Legal Descriptions

What's an "acre?"

About the PLSS

Key Points

• Based on Cartesian (X-Y) coordinates
• Basic unit is a section, one square mile, 640 acres
• A 6x6 array of sections is called a legal township
  • ​Not to be confused with a political township
    • One has a name, the other a number
  • Pulaski County's unique situation
• Each township has a unique identifying number
  • Range (East/West of meridian)
  • Township (North/South of baseline)
• Each section in a township has a number, 1-36

e.g. Medaryville is in Sec 4, Twp 30N,R4W

Normal references are to

"aliquot parts"

• Based on halves and quarters
• "Nested," e.g. S1/2 NE1/4 NW1/4
  • 20 acres
• Unwind from left to right

Land areas can also be platted

• A plat is a cadastral map, mapping geography to ownership
• Plats are always named
  • e.g. "Medary Ville," "Elston's Second Addition"
• Broken up into blocks and/or lots
  • Also show streets, alleys, public spaces, etc.
• Usually must be accepted by local government
• Descriptions will not include secion/township/range, etc.

Detail from Medaryville Plat

A Plat Book shows land ownership

• Land ownership is very dynamic
• Town and Country Publishing, LaPorte IN
• Old plat books are an enormously valuable resource

Detail from York Twp. Plat Map