Archival Resources
The documents created during the rectangular land surveying process in Minnesota, which lasted from 1847 until 1908, can be found in the collections of three repositories; the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul, Minnesota - containing the documents created from 1857 until 1908; the Iowa State Historical Society Library in Des Moines, Iowa - containing the documents created from 1847 until 1857; and the National Archives in Washington DC containing documents created throughout the sixty years, 1847-1908. There is little duplication between the Minnesota and Iowa collections but probably considerable duplication between both of these and the National Archives collections.A Preliminary Bibliography of Documents Relating the Public Land Surveys of Minnesota Territory, Located at the Iowa State Historical Library. Dis-closures no.4 (Fall, 1993)
Minnesota’s public land survey records. Minnesota Surveyor v.20 no.1 (Spring 2012)
Digital Records for the History of the Rectangular Land Surveys. v.30 no.1 (Winter 2022)
United States. Office of Surveyor General of Minnesota
Minnesota. Office of Secretary of State
An Inventory of its Land Survey Plats - these have been scanned and can be viewed at Original Public Land Survey Plats of Minnesota
The Commissioner's plat, the copy of the plat that was sent to the Commissioner of the General Land Office in Washington DC, can be seen at BLM GLO Records
An Inventory of its Land Survey Field Notes - these have been scanned and can be viewed at Original Public Land Survey Plats of Minnesota and BLM GLO Records.
Land Survey Miscellaneous Records. Of unknown origin and probably incomplete.
Other Records
State Historical Society of Iowa
Secretary of State Land Records
RG 081 Secretary of State - Land Records: Surveyor General's Office
Account Books 1847-1866
Correspondence, Commissioner of the General Land Office 1843-1884
Correspondence, Deputy Surveyor General to Surveyor General 1832-1858
Correspondence, Surveyor General Letter Books 1828-1866
Survey Records, Administrative - Contracts and Bonds of Deputy Surveyors
Survey Records, Administrative - Recommendations for Positions
Description of Lands on the Interior Sectional Lines