Daily AncestorPrincipal meridian
A principal meridian is the north-south line from which ranges are counted east and west in a federal land survey, such as the Fifth Principal Meridian.
In the federal rectangular survey each large region has its own principal meridian. It crosses its base line at the initial point, and townships are numbered from that point.
Some meridians are numbered (First through Sixth), others named, such as the Mount Diablo or Willamette Meridian. A full land description names it, because "Township 2 North, Range 3 West" means different places under different meridians.
As seen in a recordLand patent or deed, 1800s
N.E. 1/4 of Sec. 14, T. 2 N., R. 3 W. of the 5th P.M.
How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "Principal meridian." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/legal-land/principal-meridian. Last checked 2026-10-10.