NORWAY-L Archives

Archiver > NORWAY > 1997-11 > 0878372012


From: "Kent V. Anderson" <>
Subject: RE: ADM. AND GEOGRAPH. UNITS IN NORWAY
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 1997 00:13:32 -0800


That is the most common use of the word in the United States as well. Almost everywhere west of the Appalachians was mapped out like this by the government. If I remember correctly this started with the Northwest Territories Act in 179_, which covered Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and some other states. The system was then carried over into all subsequent territories. Even a city the size of Los Angeles would be be mapped out in townships and ranges. However, the only time most people in a city that size would see the term is if they looked on the deed for their property or they wanted to look up a piece of property in the county recorder's office.

Sincerely,
Kent Anderson

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From: Tom Chan
Sent: Friday, October 31, 1997 10:08 AM
To:
Subject: Re: ADM. AND GEOGRAPH. UNITS IN NORWAY

I guess I'll get into the mix here. I just learned about townships this
summer from my country cousins. From my understanding, the only difference
between Canada and the United States regarding townships is the size. In
the city, there is never any reference to townships, and I thought the word
was archaic. Not so. In the western provinces and, I presume, the American
mid-West, all land is mentally scored into strips. In Canada the strips are
36 sections (i.e., miles) wide and extend the length or width of the
province. The strips travelling north/south are townships, the strips
travelling east/west are ranges. Each are numbered. A township then is the
block formed by the intersection of the two strips. It is kind of like
reading a map. In the index you are told that a certain street or place is
at G2. You follow the G and the 2 until they meet. Then you look in the
square for the place you need. The townships are squares which fill up the
map. There may or may not be a town in the township. If there is a town, it
may be in parts of more than one township. In rural areas, addresses can be
given by township and section numbers. For those in the know, one can then
find the exact location within a quarter square mile, of a house or farm.

Sincerely,
Debbie Chan
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

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Norway: Haugland, Humborstad, Hamre
England: Howard, Hall, Christmas
Canada: Hirtle, Meisner, Wallace,
Ireland: Switzer
Scotland: Wallace
Germany: Hirtle, Meisner

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> >Township is both a survey designation, as someone else explained, and
> >a synonym for a very small town.
>
> I've never personally heard of the word township being applied to any
> town, but America is a big place and it may be true in some places.
> However, townships do survive as an administrative unit in some states,
> governed by township supervisors with legal and fiscal responsibilities.
> They cover geographic areas within counties.
>
> Mark
>
> ______________________________
>
> I haven't heard the term used very often and probably most of the time
it was in a historical context. However, I have heard it used on rare
occasions to refer to Western and Mid-Western towns.
>
> I was not aware that township was still an administrative unit anywhere.

>
> Sincerely,
> Kent Anderson
>

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