How to Research
the History of Your
Old House
Part One:
Land and the Law
Primary Topics
- Legal Descriptions
- Conveyances
- Using the Recorders' Office
1. Legal Descriptions
What's an "acre?"
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
-
Not to be confused with a political township
- 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
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/9636896/theoreticalTownship.png)
e.g. Medaryville is in Sec 4, Twp 30N,R4W
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/9636529/inILPLSS.png)
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
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/9636894/numberExample.png)
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.
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/9636502/medaryvilleOriginalPlat.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/9636919/medaryPlatCloseUp.png)
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
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/9636913/bentonYork1909Map.jpg)
![](https://s3.amazonaws.com/media-p.slid.es/uploads/353104/images/9636914/bentonYork1909.png)
Detail from York Twp. Plat Map
workshop-demo
By capouch
workshop-demo
- 323