Reading the PLSS threads brought to mind a question regarding the township and section construction. From what I've read the system was a work in progress, as different ranges were opened for surveying by contractors, and throughout the years several iterations of the manual of instruction were implemented.?ÿ
Question: When was it a matter of practice to set the 1/16th corners, or was that the responsibility of the surveyors of private land ??ÿ
Around here 1/16 corners were only set if the land was to be?ÿdispersed?ÿinto 40 acre parcels.?ÿ?ÿPlenty of sections in Oklahoma?ÿwere divided into 40 acre tracts for?ÿNative Tribal Allotments.?ÿ Some sections were surveyed that way initially and some were further subdivided by setting the 1/16 corners at a later date.?ÿ
Most, if not all 40 acre allotment surveys around here?ÿwere?ÿperformed using what we now call the "three mile method"?ÿand require a slightly different?ÿapproach?ÿfor proper retracement.
It was never ordinary practice to set the 16th corners during the original GLO surveys.
It did happen under extraordinary circumstances. For example, a lot of Oklahoma ("Indian Territory" at the time) was surveyed by the "three mile" method, as Paden says. I understand that this happened in Oregon Territory as well, although I've never run across any examples.?ÿ
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I have found GLO 1/16ths by both 3 mile and regular subdivision in Idaho. Both were unusual (as others have pointed out). You have to pull the notes and plat to know.?ÿ