So here is a helpful tip I thought I would pass along. One of my colleagues recently brought this cool online tool to my attention. This site allows you to view township and range grids on Google Earth maps.

Land records are often times used when tracing your ancestry, but sometimes the information is not all that helpful in being able to make ancestral connections. However, if you are able to locate a legal land description, and specifically a township and range location, you can use this feature to see a satellite image of your ancestor’s property!

Here is the link: http://bit.ly/mLeqc. The tool was created by Earth Point.

Now, it can be a little tricky to use the first time around and so Earth Point has created a very helpful step-by-step guide on their blog, which can be found here: http://earthpoint.blogspot.com/2007/05/township-and-range.html

I have often found it rewarding to view ancestral property on a satellite image. Sometimes the property may still be located in a rural area and it’s neat to be able to see that it probablyly hasn’t changed much since your ancestors were there. Plus, if you ever wanted to take an ancestral trip, this feature can help you see exactly where you would need to go to visit the property in person.

Keep in mind that not all states used the township & range system. This measurement standard was instituted with the Northwest Ordinance Survey of 1783 and so states that were settled before that year operated under the old English system of “Metes and Bounds.” A classic example is “Beginning at the old oak tree then 55 rods SW 47 degrees, etc…” Those types of measurements don’t work with this feature, unfortunately.

Have fun using this great research tool!