3913 Garfield Avenue
Minneapolis, MN, USA

Government Land Office Maps

Government Land Office Maps for Minneapolis in 1854.

Surveying in Minnesota

The earliest land surveys in Minnesota were overseen by the Surveyor General of Iowa and Wisconsin, based in Dubuque, Iowa. Conducted between 1848 and May 1857, these initial surveys focused on lands located between the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers and in the southeastern corner of Minnesota.

In 1857, the Office of Surveyor General of Minnesota was established, just one year before Minnesota achieved statehood. This office was tasked with conducting the original government surveys in both the Minnesota Territory and the state itself. The Surveyor General's primary responsibilities included awarding contracts for surveying specified tracts, supervising the fieldwork of deputy surveyors, preparing official plats, and managing office accounts.

Minnesota's land was subject to two different surveys due to its historical ties to both the Northwest Territory and the Louisiana Territory. Land east of the Mississippi River was platted under a survey that originated from the Galena Base Line, near the Wisconsin-Illinois border, and was controlled by the 4th Principal Meridian. Meanwhile, land west of the Mississippi was surveyed starting from the Clarendon Base Line, which runs through Clarendon, Arkansas, and was controlled by the 5th Principal Meridian.

The Office of Surveyor General of Minnesota operated until December 1907, by which time the survey of Minnesota was largely complete, except for some northern areas. After 1907, the Commissioner of the General Land Office (GLO) served ex officio as Surveyor General of Minnesota, responsible for completing the survey and addressing any related questions.

Creating the Plats

The survey process in Minnesota was both continuous in some areas and discontinuous in others. The Surveyor General and the Commissioner of the GLO determined which tracts would be surveyed each fiscal year, often prioritizing lands with commercial value that could be sold immediately. Additionally, the settlement of Indian lands influenced the survey schedule, with reservation lands frequently being surveyed significantly later.