Daily AncestorBase line
A base line is the east-west line, run along a parallel of latitude from an initial point, from which townships are counted north and south in a federal survey.
The base line and the principal meridian cross at the initial point of a federal survey. Townships are numbered north or south of the base line (Township 3 North, Township 1 South), while ranges are counted east or west of the meridian.
Ohio's earliest surveys had several separate meridians and base lines, so the same numbers can point to different places there. Some roads named Baseline Road follow these old survey lines.
As seen in a recordLegal land description in a patent, 1800s
S.W. 1/4 of Sec. 13, T. 1 S., R. 20 E.
Sources
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Base line." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/base-line. Last checked 2026-10-10.