Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey, Land Survey Program
Missouri Office of Administration, Information Technology Services Division, Missouri Department of Natural Resources
20100726
MO 2010 Public Land Survey System (SHP)
1.2
vector digital data
Missouri Spatial Data Information Service
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
ftp://msdis.missouri.edu/pub/Administrative_Political_Boundaries/MO_2010_Public_Land_Survey_System_shp.zip
The Missouri Public Land Survey System is a 1:24,000 scale geographic information systems (GIS) polygon layer based on the 7.5' United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps.
This data set was created to provide a more accurate depiction of the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) sections and land grants within the state of Missouri. It is designed to provide a more up to date and consistent PLSS product for all users.
The metadata content associated with this data set was reviewed by Michael Hill on 20100917. The metadata content review is intended to ensure that all of the required content is present. The components comprising the metadata document were reviewed by Michael Hill on 20100917. The metadata component review is intended to ensure that required metadata components are consistent and understandable to data consumers.
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) was created by the enactment of the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. These two ordinances provided for the systematic survey and monumentation of public domain lands with the intent of transferring these lands to private citizens through sale. To this day the PLSS forms the basis for the delineation of lands and transfer of ownership in Missouri (The Public Land Survey System (PLSS), 2009).
The system as laid out in the laws called for a rectangular system of Townships six (6) miles square arranged in a grid of ranges and divided up into 36 sections of 640 acres each. The Township and Range lines were to be surveyed first and the Townships divided up into section starting in the south east corner. Once a line and its associated corners were surveyed, this original survey was regarded as the basis for all subsequent work (White, 1983). This practice meant that any error in the surveying of the Township lines would result in the final sections along the west and north boundaries of the Townships being either smaller or larger than one square mile. It also meant that where a Township or section line did not parallel the meridian or baseline but had been approved, the corners as marked were considered authoritative. This has resulted in areas where sections are not rectangular in shape.
The system also calls for the beds of navigable bodies of water to be omitted from the surveys as well as specifying that Townships shall be closed against the surveyed state lines (White, 1983). This has resulted in partial, or fractional, townships along the edges of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and along the state boundaries. In Missouri, the General Instructions to Deputy Surveyors indicated that "Whenever your course may be obstructed by insuperable obstacles you will prolong the line across such obstacles by a traverse or trigonometrical operation, until you regain the line on the opposite side" which has resulted in Townships along the Missouri river that have sections with the same number on both sides of the river due to errors in the survey of the Township lines (White, 1983). This has also resulted in fractional sections along the rivers and other water bodies which were deemed to be navigable at the time of the survey.
While the system began in the late 1780s, it was not until the early 1800s that the system was extended into what is now the State of Missouri. The office of Deputy Surveyor for the Missouri territory was established in 1806 but the Fifth Principle Meridian, which was to control the surveys in Missouri, was not established until November of 1815. By this time numerous private land claims had been established and surveyed, typically based on the old French and Spanish titles and grants. Where these "surveys of private confirmed claims" were encountered, the Deputy Surveyors were instructed to follow the old lines or at least conform to the lines of the original survey. These surveys were to be based on information provided to the surveyor by the claimant and it was up to the surveyor to determine the correctness of the information that he was provided (White, 1983). This practice has created numerous situations where the rectangular grid system is interrupted by one or more land grants.
In other cases where a private claim had not previously been surveyed but the claimant could provide sufficient evidence of a claim, the surveyor was instructed to survey it in a manner so as not to interfere with an older surveyed prior claim. If the new claimant had made improvements to his property which were found to be on land already surveyed by a previous claim the new claim was allowed to "interfere with said old survey, so much as may be necessary to include the improvement upon which it is founded." (White, 1983). This has resulted in many instances where a piece of land is considered as part of multiple land grants. Other situations that may have evolved out of this situation are areas where the land was surveyed as sections and then a land grant resurveyed afterwards, resulting in pieces of land that are considered both part of a section and part of a land grant.
White, C. Albert, (1983). A History of the Rectangular Survey System. Washington, D.C.: United State Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management.
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS). (2009). Retrieved May 22, 2009, from http://www.nationalatlas.org/articles/boundaries/a_plss.html
20100726
publication date
As needed
-95.774888
-88.898013
40.620695
35.962590
None
Public Land Survey System
Lands
boundaries
boundary
surveys
PLSS
st_plss10_shp
None
Missouri
None. This is a publicly funded data set.
Although all data in this data set have been compiled by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the department as to the accuracy of the data and related materials.
Bruce Wilson
Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey, Land Survey Program
Technical Assistant IV
physical address
111 Fairgrounds Road
Rolla
Missouri
65401
United States
mailing address
P. O. Box 250
Rolla
Missouri
65402
United States
(573) 368-2327
800-735-2966
(573) 368-2379
bruce.wilson@dnr.mo.gov
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time
Bruce L. Wilson, Missouri Department of Natural Resources- Missouri Land Survey; ProgramBryan D. Mayhan, CARES-UMC; M. Kathleen Philbrick, NRCS; Eric E. Bohl, NRCS;Funding provided by Missouri Department of Natural Resources- Soil and Water Conservation Program
Microsoft Windows XP Version 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 3; ESRI ArcCatalog 9.3.1.4000
Shapefile
Accuracy comparable to USGS 7.5' Topographic Map Digital Raster Graphics Series
+- 2 pixels (~5.2 meters)
Section corners were placed at the center of the section corners as shown on the USGS 7.5' Topographic Map Digital Raster Graphics Series
Based on 1:24,000 scale source data.
+-5.2 Meters
N/A
1:24,000
U.S.G.S. 7.5' Topographic Map Digital Raster Graphics
Location of section corners and section lines
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) 1:100,000 scale PLSS coverage was used as a base. The coverage was split into 37 manageable pieces and all polygon attributes were deleted. Each corner (node) was reviewed and moved to match the DRG image. Lines and nodes were moved to create offsets where appropriate.
The pieces were reassembled into a statewide coverage. County and state boundaries comprised by water bodies were "heads-up" digitized and attributed.
Sections were labeled with Meridian, Township/Direction, Range/Direction, and Section.
Land grants were numbered using oldest reference available in the Missouri Historical Society Collection.
County attributes were added.
A "UNIQUE" column was utilized where two sections exist along the Missouri River, we established which section was originally north and which was south of the Missouri River. Where two identically numbered land grants exist, they were differentiated first by county in which they were located, and then by an "A" or "B" notation if both are located in the same county.
October 2002 - July 2003
Bryan Mayhan
Center for Agricultural, Resource and Environmental Systems
Research Associate/Project Manager
mailing and physical address
130 Mumford Hall, University of Missouri
Columbia
Missouri
65211-6200
USA
(573) 884-5138
N/A
(573) 884-2199
MayhanB@missouri.edu
8:00 - 5:00 Monday through Friday
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) grid was adjusted to surveyed points taken from the DNR, DGLS, Land Survey Program, Corner Master database. The points from the Corner Master database are current as of 20070831. During this adjustment, no attempt was made to create gaps in the PLSS grid where it crosses major rivers and waterways.
The PLSS grid was further adjusted along the Missouri - Nebraska State line, the Ray - Lafayette county line, and the Dunklin county line. The Missouri - Nebraska state line was adjusted to a set of points provided by Bruce Wilson of the DNR, DGLS, Land Survey Program. These points were generated by a legal agreement between the two states and signed into law by President Clinton. The Ray - Lafayette county line was adjusted to a series of surveyed points, also provide by Bruce Wilson. Where this adjustment resulted in a redrawing of the PLSS grid without surveyed points to go by, a reference file provided by Bruce Wilson was used to make the required adjustments. Two areas of the PLSS grid along the western and southern borders of Dunklin County were adjusted according to a reference file based on Government Land Office plats, which was provided by Bruce Wilson, and existing USGS 7.5 minute Quadrangles for the state of Arkansas. These two areas were originally left off the PLSS grid in error.
After all adjustments and corrections were made, updated county and state boundaries were generated from the PLSS grid.
20071116
Michael Hill
Missouri Office of Administration, Information Technology Services Division, Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Geographic Information Systems Specialist
physical address
111 Fairgrounds Road
Rolla
Missouri
65401
United States
mailing address
P. O. Box 250
Rolla
Missouri
65402
United States
(573) 368-2376
800-735-2966
(573) 368-2111
michael.hill@dnr.mo.gov
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) grid was adjusted to surveyed points taken from the DNR, DGLS, Land Survey Program, Corner Master database. The points from the Corner Master database are current as of 20090831. During this adjustment, no attempt was made to create gaps in the PLSS grid where it crosses major rivers and waterways.
The PLSS grid was further adjusted along the Missouri - Illinois State Line in Ste. Genevieve County Missouri. This adjustment was based on the Ste. Genevieve County tax mapping and Government Land Office plats.
The Platte - Buchannan county line was adjusted to a series of surveyed points that were based on a survey performed under contract with the Missouri Land Survey Program, August 18, 2003. Missouri Land Survey microfilm location - 165/1047 - 165/1048.
The Montgomery - Gasconade county line was adjusted based on the tax mapping from both counties and the use of aerial photography. There is a slight difference between the two counties with the discrepancy appearing to be where Quick Creek enters the Missouri river.
Adjustments were made based on the following series of government surveys. Town of St. Louis, Town of Carondelet, Town of St. Charles, Town of Ste. Genevieve, Village of New Bourbon, Village of St. Ferdinand, Village a Robert (or Marais des Liards), Village of Portage Des Sioux, Village of New Madrid, Village of Little Prairie, and the Village of Mine a Breton.
Other adjustments throughout the state were made based on a combination of Government Land Office plats, County tax mapping, aerial photography and subsequent survey plats.
20090722
Bruce Wilson
Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey, Land Survey Program
Technical Assistant IV
physical address
111 Fairgrounds Road
Rolla
Missouri
65401
United States
mailing address
P. O. Box 250
Rolla
Missouri
65402
United States
(573) 368-2327
800-735-2966
(573) 368-2379
bruce.wilson@dnr.mo.gov
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) grid was adjusted to surveyed points taken from the DNR, DGLS, Land Survey Program, Corner Master database. The points from the Corner Master database are current as of 20100722. This includes 1349 new or updated coordinate values since the previous adjustment.
Corrected a digitizing error in New Madrid County that was discovered from the addition of the above coordinates. The section lines were digitized at the location of a drainage ditch instead of their true location. Corrections were made to sections 2, 3, 10, 11, 14, and 15, in Township 21 North, Range 11 East, and sections 34 and 35 in Township 22 North, Range 11 East.
During this adjustment, no attempt was made to create gaps in the PLSS grid where it crosses major rivers and waterways.
20100722
Bruce Wilson
Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Land Survey, Land Survey Program
Technical Assistant IV
mailing address
111 Fairgrounds Road
Rolla
Missouri
65401
United States
mailing address
P.O. Box 250
Rolla
Missouri
65402-0250
United States
(573) 368-2300
800-735-2966
(573) 368-2379
bruce.wilson@dnr.mo.gov
Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm Central time
Dataset moved.Z:\Geoportal\GPpublish\hold\PLSS2011060314292800
Vector
G-polygon
71774
Label point
72343
GT-polygon composed of chains
72343
Node, planar graph
98714
Point
1632
Universal Transverse Mercator
15
0.999600
-93.000000
0.000000
500000.000000
0.000000
coordinate pair
0.000000
0.000000
meters
North American Datum of 1983
Geodetic Reference System 80
6378137.000000
298.257222
0.000100
Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates
PLSS
FID
Internal feature number.
ESRI
Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.
Shape
Feature geometry.
ESRI
Coordinates defining the features.
AREA
Area of feature in meters squared.
ESRI
PERIMETER
Perimeter of feature in meters.
ESRI
Shape_Area
Area of feature in internal units squared.
ESRI
Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.
TWP_NUM
Survey township number.
0
Indicates a land grant, not part of the rectangular survey.
1 - 67
Indicates the township number.
TWP_DIR
Direction from survey baseline.
N
North of survey baseline.
S
South of survey baseline.
Blank
Land grant, not part of the rectangular survey.
RNG_NUM
Survey range number.
0
Indicates a land grant, not part of the rectangular survey.
1 - 43
Indicates the range number.
RNG_DIR
Direction from principal meridian.
E
East of principal meridian.
W
West of principal meridian.
Blank
Land grant, not part of the rectangular survey.
SEC_NUM
Survey section and land grant numbers.
1 - 36
Rectangular survey section number, Township and Range > 0.
1 - 3344
Land grant number, when Township and Range = 0.
0
Land grant number unknown, see (GRANT_NAME) and (COMMENTS), when Township and Range = 0.
TWP_TEXT
Concatenated string of TWP_NUM and TWP_DIR or the word "Land" indicating a land grant.
RNG_TEXT
Concatenated string of RNG_NUM and RNG_DIR or the word "Grant" indicating a land grant.
GRANT_NAME
Named land grant that is contained within a GLO_SERIES of towns and villages surveyed by the General Land Office that is not part of the General GLO Series.
OTHER_IDS
Provides additional identification information where land grants overlap the PLSS grid and/or other land grants
SEC_TEXT
Concatenation of the SEC_NUM field with preceding zeros where applicable.
01 - 36
Section number
00001 - 00993
Land grant number
00000
Parcel is within a land grant that is not numbered (see COMMENTS field)
LABEL
Concatenated string of TWP_TEXT, RNG_TEXT, and SEC_TEXT.
COMMENTS
Provides additional descriptive information about the polygon such as its position relative to the Missouri river (e.g. same section found on either side of the river), the type of land grant (i.e. school, road, town, military reservation), or land surveyed based on a different grid origin (i.e. 6th principal meridian)
Shape_Leng
GLO_SERIES
Towns and villages surveyed by the General Land Office, each "Series" is numbered separately so that a tract is referred to as "Survey # ___" of the ___ Series. This provides information about which set of General Land Office surveys can be used to find a particular land grant.
General
A set of surveys of land grants that are platted in the general series of surveys conducted by the General Land Office
Blank
A set of surveys excluding land grants that are platted in the General series of surveys conducted by the General Land Office
Town of St. Louis
A set of surveys that are platted in the Town of St. Louis
T45N - R07E
Land Survey microfilm location;
721/1169 - 721/11688 (F-8) Explanations - St. Louis Lots (listed in Block order)
721/12008 - 721/12057 (F-24) Field Notes Surveys in St. Louis
721/12508 - 721/12558 (F-48) Brown's surveys in Old Town of St. Louis
721/12084 - 721/12124 (F-26) Record of St. Louis Surveys
Town of Carondelet
A set of surveys that are platted in the Town of Carondelet
T44N - R07E
Land Survey microfilm location;
721/11742 - 721/11760A1 (F-13) J.C. Brown's Plats & Descriptions of Carondelet
721/12164 - 721/12176 (F-30) Record Book Surveys Carondelet Lands
Town of St. Charles
A set of surveys that are platted in the Town of St. Charles
T46N - R05E, T47N - R05E
Land Survey microfilm location;
721/12351 - 721/12402 (F-39) Brown's surveys in and near St. Charles
Town of St. Genevieve
A set of surveys that are platted in the Town of St. Genevieve
T38N - R09E
Village of New Bourbon
A set of surveys that are platted in the Village of New Bourbon
T37N - R09E, T38N - R09E
Land Survey microfilm location;
721/4419 - 721/4466 (F - 15) Brown's Surveys of Ste. Genevieve & New Bourbon,
720/1957 - 720/1987 Surveys of Ste. Genevieve & New Bourbon. Roll #6
720/2031 - 720/2063 Surveys of Ste. Genevieve & New Bourbon. Roll #7
Village of St. Ferdinand
A set of surveys that are platted in the Village of St. Ferdinand
T47N - R06E
Land Survey microfilm location;
721/11812 - 721/11830B1 (F-15) Surveys of St. Ferdinand
721/11852B2 - 721/11865 (F-16) Record of Surveys - St. Ferdinand
721/11866 - 721/11877 Record of St. Ferdinand Surveys
Village a Robert
A set of surveys that are platted in the Village a Robert (or Marais des Liards)
T46N - R06E
Land Survey microfilm location;
721/11830B2 - 721/11835 (F-15) Surveys of Village a Robert
721/11847A3 - 721/11852B1 (F-16) Record of Surveys - Village a Robert
721/0126E06 Volume 21, pages 133-139
Village of Portage Des Sioux
A set of surveys that are platted in the Village of Portage Des Sioux
T48N - R06E
Land Survey microfilm location;
721/11714 - 721/11731 (F-11) Brown's Surveys of Portage Des Sioux
721/11773 - 721/11805A (F-14) Final Copies of Brown's Surveys of Portage des Sioux (Surveys 1-91)
721/12058 - 721/12083 (F-25) Surveys of Portage des Sioux (Surveys 92-173)
Village of New Madrid
A set of surveys that are platted in the Village of New Madrid
T22N - R14E
Land Survey microfilm location;
721/11732 - 721/11741 (F-12) J.C. Brown's Surveys of New Madrid
Village of Little Prairie
A set of surveys that are platted in the Village of Little Prairie
T18N - R13E
Village of Mine a Breton
A set of surveys that are platted in the Village of Mine a Breton
T37N - R02E
Land Survey microfilm location;
721/11836 - 721/11847A2 (F-16) Record of Surveys - Mine a Breton
Downloadable Data
Although all data in this data set have been compiled by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the department as to the accuracy of the data and related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the department in the use of these data or related materials.
37.900
20101018
Missouri Office of Administration, Information Technology Services Division, Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Michael Hill
Geographic Information Systems Specialist
physical address
111 Fairgrounds Road
Rolla
Missouri
65401
United States
mailing address
P. O. Box 250
Rolla
Missouri
65402
United States
(573) 368-2376
800-735-2966
(573) 368-2111
michael.hill@dnr.mo.gov
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time
FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
FGDC-STD-001-1998
local time
http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html
ESRI Metadata Profile
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