[PLUG-TALK] For Portland natives

[John Jason Jordan]

On Mon, 12 Jul 2021 14:24:14 -0700 (PDT)
Rich Shepard <rshepard at appl-ecosys.com> dijo:

>And Portland's Division Street is the survey boundary line for the
>Willamette Meridian.

The Willamette Meridian runs north and south through the Willamette
Stone, located just off Skyline Blvd. Its baseline also runs east and
west through the Willamette Stone. Meridians aim at the poles, like the
sections of an orange. Unlike meridians, baselines do not converge;
rather, they are like slices of a tomato. (It's easier for me to think
in terms of food.)

This is our local implementation of the Federal System of Rectangular
Surveys, which began in Ohio. None of the Indian cultures in the
Americas ever developed the concept of private ownership of land. When
the US government acquired (stole) a new territory the first step was
to send in surveyors, who generally started at a place of early
settlement. Today all lands in Oregon and Washington (originally 'the
Oregon Territory) are measured from the Willamette Meridian and its
Baseline. From Ohio westward there are numerous additional meridians
with their baselines, each defining a starting point for the grid..

My understanding is that Burnside runs pretty much along the Baseline.
But I don't think we have any nice straight north-south streets along
the Willamette Meridian, although I believe there are several 'Meridian
Avenues' in other towns on the way up to Canada and down to California.

All contracts involving real property (except rental agreements) must
contain an accurate description of the land. You can dig out the
paperwork for your own house, and usually find a reference to a
starting point referencing the Willamette Meridian and its Baseline.