Public Land Survey System (PLSS)

 

http://www.fairview-industries.com/standardmodule/mn-exmpl.htm

     A PLSS is a reference scheme for recording property ownership by section, township, range, and aliquot parts in the United States. It is surveying method used historically over the largest fraction of the United States to survey and spatially identify land parcels before designation of eventual ownership, particularly for rural, wild or undeveloped land. The system divides up the land into relatively equal partition which is easier to manage. It also helped  to facilitate the urbanization of areas by using a square block system for the road design. the example shown is a portion of the Minnesota's statewide PLSS base map; this view is a small part of the 1:100,00 scale Worthington quadrangle. This example makes it very clear to see the different numbered sections showing which land parts belong to which section.