RANGE - TOWNSHIP - SECTION

Have you looked at a Fairfield County deed and wondered what the legal description referred to? Does Range, Township, Section confuse you? We hope the following information will help you.

The Land Ordinance of May 20, 1785, was the foundation for the orderly surveying, sale and settlement of public lands in Fairfield County. The ordinance established a rectangular survey and provided that the land be divided into townships of 6 miles square containing 36 sections. (A number of townships do not contain the standard 36 sections because of the formation of new counties, etc.) Each section was to be 1 mile square (640 acres). The sections within the 6 square mile township were numbered starting with number one in the northeast corner, and proceeding west and east alternately through the township, with progressive numbers, ending with thirty-six in the southeast corner of the township. Townships were numbered northward from the Ohio River on the south and each strip townships, called a range, were numbered east to west beginning at the Ohio River on the east.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY:

Township Name, Range, Township #, Sections

Rushcreek 17 16 1-36

Richland 17 17 3-10, 15-22, 27-34

(Sections 1-2, 11-14, 23-26, 35-36 belong to Reading Township, Perry County)

Berne 18 14 1-36

and Berne-Gore (South Berne) 13 1-12

Pleasant 18 15 1-36

Walnut 18 16 1-36

and Refugee Tract 17 19-30

Madison 19 13 1-30

(Sections 31-36 belong to Perry Township, Hocking County)

Hocking 19 14 1-36

Greenfield 19 15 1-36

Liberty 19 16 1-36 and Refugee Tract

Clearcreek 20 12 1-36

Amanda 20 13 1-36

Bloom 20 14 1-36

Violet 20 15 1-5, 8-17, 20-29, 32-36

(Sections 6-7, 18-19, 30-31 belong to Madison Township, Franklin County)

and Refugee Tract 16 19-30

These townships in other counties border on Fairfield County and so parts may be included in a Fairfield County deed description:

Licking County: A different baseline was used in Licking County and so only the very southern part of Licking County has townships and ranges which are continuous with those in Fairfield County. When you get north of that baseline all of the numbers change. Included here are the numbers only for the land south of the baseline.

Township Name, Range, Township #, Sections

Etna 20 16 1-5, 8-17

(western part of 5, 8 and 17) 19 17 2-11, 14-18

(eastern part of 2, 11 and 14)

Harrison 19 17 1, 2, 13

(western part of 2, 11 and 14

Licking 17 19 3-10, 15-18

Union 18 18 2-18

Hocking County:

Township Name, Range, Township #, Sections

Perry 19 13 31-36 and

19 12 1-36

Good Hope 18 13 13-36

Marion 17 15 1-36

Perry County:

Township Name, Range, Township #, Sections

Thorn 17 18 1-36

Jackson 16 15 1-36

Reading 16 16 1-36 and

17 17 1-2, 11-14, 23-26, 35-36

Monday Creek 16 14 1-24

Franklin County:

Township Name, Range, Township #, Sections

Madison 20 15 6-7, 18-19, 30-31 and

21 11 1-36

Truro 20 16 Southern parts of 5 & 6, all of

8 & 10, western part of 9 and

western part of 17

21 12 7-30 and southern part of 1-6

Pickaway County: The numbering of townships in Pickaway County along the Scioto River is different and entire section may not even be included within the same township.

Township Name, Range, Township #, Sections

Madison 21 10 13-36

Pickaway 21 10 1-36 and

22 3 1-2, 4-16

Saltcreek 20 11 1-36

Walnut 21 9 1-5, 8-36, and

22 2 13-14, 23-27, 34-36

Washington 21 11 1-4, 9-16, 21-28, 33-36

These townships were formerly in Fairfield County:

Township Name, Range, Township #, Sections

Auburn (1840-1850) 17 15 1-12

(now Marion Township, Hocking County)

17 16 25-36

(now Rushcreek Township, Fairfield County)

Perry Township(1816-1850):

(now Perry Township, Hocking County)

19 13 31-16 and

19 12 1-36