644
HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
of Kane County number north from the Base Line; and the Ranges east from the Third Principal Meridian. The south line of townships in the county is No. 38 North, which should be 228 miles north of the Base Line, and the north line of townships is No. 42 North. The ranges number east from the Third Principal Meridian, and the west line of townships is in Range 6 East, which should be thirty-six miles east of the meridian line, while the east row of townships is in Range 8 East. Knowledge of this enables a person to readily locate any properly described tract of land situate in the county. The township and range lines were first surveyed, cutting the county into fifteen townships.
Then another set of surveyors came, and, by east and west and north and south lines, one mile apart, divided each township into thirty-six sections, each one mile square, and containing 640 acres of land. These sections were numbered consecutively, beginning at the northeast, corner of the township and numbering west to six, then dropping south bringing seven under six, and numbering east to twelve, and so continuing, back and forth, to number thirty-six in the southeast corner of the township. These surveyors also ran half-section lines, cutting the sections into quarters, and at each quarter-section corner they drove a stake properly marked to designate the number and the quarter of the section.
This beautiful system of land-surveys was devised by Thomas Hutching, the first Government Surveyor, and was adopted by the United States in 1788. It is the best ever yet suggested; but, like all human theories, it is not perfect in practical application. The second party of surveyors rarely, if ever, found the township surveys strictly accurate, and con-consequently there would be minus or plus thirty-six even sections in a township. They carried these inaccuracies to the west and to the north sections of the township. But larger errors were made by the first surveyors, who, in running their township lines north from the Base Line, would vary from an exact northerly course and, to get back upon the true line, were compelled to make an offset, like that which projects the north tier of townships of this county, about a mile and a quarter east of the other townships.
The convergence of exactly due north lines, as they proceed toward the pole, also affects the range lines as they run from meridian to meridian. The surveyors running the range lines east from the established meridian would likewise find their lines deflecting, compelling them at intervals to run more carefully a true "correctional line" like that between Townships Forty-one and Forty-two, locally called a "base line," and which causes the fraction in each of the north sections of Township Forty-one.
As soon as these surveys were made, enabling the settlers to locate the sections and quarters, the claimants began adjusting their claim-lines and fences to the Government lines, as far as practicable; and, when that could not well be done, agreeing with each other to exchange and convey lands after they had respectively obtained title from the Government, in such manner that each should finally retain the boundaries of his original claim. It was a task thick with perplexing difficulties and long delays, and full of tedious arguments and disputes. That agreements were reached amicably in most cases and fairly executed, is highly creditable to the good sense and just spirit that prevailed. Settlers also began filing their preemption notices with the Register of the Land Office at Chicago, in compliance 'with the act of Congress of February 5, 1813, providing preemption rights to settlers in "Illinois Territory." This act authorized "every person, or legal representative of every person who has actually inhabited and cultivated a tract of land lying" within the Land District, to acquire a preference in the purchase of "no more than one quarter-section to any one individual," which shall be bounded "by the sectional and divisional line run under the direction of the Surveyor General." To obtain this preference the person was required to "make known his claim by delivering a notice, in writing, to the Register of the Land Office, wherein he shall particularly designate the quarter-section he claims." When it was made to "appear to the satisfaction of the Register and Receiver of public moneys of the Land Office," that the claimant was entitled to such preference, he could "enter" such quarter-section "with the Register of the Land Office on producing his receipt from the Receiver of public moneys for at least one-twentieth part of the purchase money." The act
