1913 Taney Map
Public Land/Rectangular Survey System borders
(Township & Range Numbers)

Putting It All Together

Missouri was a Public Land State; the Rectangular Survey System was used to
determine boundaries used on land ownership deeds and homestead patents. These public boundary lines do not change. You can learn more about this at
Rootsweb's Lesson 29--Land Records
Political townships--named townships such as "Jasper", "Beaver", "Swan"--can and do change sometimes after census counts. These are the townships which elect
county, state, and national officials. They don't change as often in the present as
They did during the 1800s, although "redistricting" does occur.

Sometimes a town or cemetery will appear in more than one township; this will happen if it cannot be determined exactly where boundaries occurred in relationship to the town or cemetery.

Key
Individual Township Number
PLS (Public) Township Number
Possible/Probable Political Township Name Before 1880
Possible/Probable Political Township Name After 1880

6 T 24 N R 22 W Jasper Jasper	5 T 24 N R 21 W Jasper, Swan Jasper, Swan	4 T 24 N R 20 W Swan Swan	3 T 24 N R 19 W Swan, Beaver Swan	2 T 24 N R 18 W Beaver Beaver	1 T 24 N R 17 W Beaver Beaver
7 T 23 N R 22 W Jasper Branson	8 T 23 N R 21 W Jasper, Swan Oliver	9 T 23 N R 20 W Swan Swan	10 T 23 N R 19 W Swan, Beaver Swan	11 T 23 N R 18 W Beaver Beaver	12 T 23 N R 17 W Big Creek Beaver
18 T 22 N R 22 W Jasper, Newton Branson, Oliver	17 T 22 N R 21 W Scott, Swan Oliver, Swan	16 T 22 N R 20 W Scott Scott, Cedar Creek	15 T 22 N R 19 W Scott, Swan Cedar Creek	14 T 22 N R 18 W Swan Beaver	13 T 22 N R 17 W Big Creek Beaver
19 T 21 N R 22 W Newton Oliver	20 T 21 N R 21 W Newton, Scott Oliver, Scott	21 T 21 N R 20 W Scott Scott	22 T 21 N R 19 W Scott Cedar Creek	23 T 21 N R 18 W Scott Cedar Creek	24 T 21 N R 17 W Big Creek Big Creek