About the Collections
Minnesota's Original Land Survey Maps
Minnesota's original Public Land Survey plats are housed at the Office of the Secretary of State. The plats were created during the first government land survey of the state conducted by the U.S. Surveyor General's Office during the years 1848-1907. The survey was conducted in anticipation of subdividing the land and selling it to settlers moving into the area. The plats made it easier to locate and legally describe the parcels being purchased. This collection of more than 3,600 maps also includes later General Land Office (GLO) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) maps up to the year 2001.
Minnesota's survey plat maps serve as the fundamental legal records for real estate in the state; all property titles and descriptions stem from them. They also serve as an essential resource for surveyors and as a rich source of information about the state's physical geography prior to European settlement. Finally, they serve as a testimony to years and years of hard work by the surveying community, often under challenging conditions.
Plat Books and Atlases
The Minnesota Historical Society's 1,350 county atlases and plat books showing land ownership comprise the largest part of the atlas collection. Some of Minnesota's 87 counties have atlases dating to the 1860s; others are not covered until the 20th century. The collection also includes atlases and plat books for counties in the surrounding states.
Currently, the following volumes are available for searching:
Minnesota Maps Online was partially funded by the Minnesota Digital Library project through grants provided by the Library Services and Technology Act and the State Library Services and School Technology unit of the Minnesota Department of Education.
