I need to locate a land grant
If you have not located a land grant for your ancestors you may want to search the Saskatchewan Homestead Database. The information contained in a land grant application can assist you in finding area resources for the community in which your ancestors resided. If you search the online database and find a land grant for your ancestor, make note of the land reference numbers before returning to this page. Search for Homestead Records....
The information on this page will assist you in identifying where in Saskatchewan your ancestors land grant was located. You will need your land grant reference information before you proceed. If you have not located a land grant for your ancestors you may want to Search for Homestead Records....
Understanding Land Grant Reference Numbers
If you have already located a Land grant for your ancestor please have ready the grant location reference which includes, a range number, township number and a meridian location . Using these references one is able to determine the location of your ancestors land grant and determine if this site is the best of the Saskatchewan GenWeb sites for you to find resources to further your research.
Understanding Meridians
Saskatchewan is roughly divided down the middle by the 3rdMerdian. Land on West Side of Saskatchewan is referred to as being to the west of the 3rd and land on the East side of Saskatchewan is referenced as being West of the 2 nd. In physical location the 3rd Merdian which divides Saskatchawan lies just east of Saskatoon. The 4th Merdian marks the Alberta Saskatchewan border and the 2nd Merdian marks the Saskatchewan Manitoba border. A diagram of these divisions is provided below.
Understanding Ranges
Each half of Saskatchewan referred to as West of the 3rd
and West of the 2nd is further divided into 29 ranges running north south.The ranges are numbered from 0 to 29 going from East to West. This bring particular empahsis to the importance of knowing your land grant meridian loaction as there are two of each range number in Saskatchewan. Range 29 West of the 2 nd is located in Central Saskatchewan and Range 29 West of the 3rd is locatated along the Alberta Border. If the diagaram below does not clarify this for you you many want to read the Locating Homesteads Information provided by Saskatchewan Land Grants site. The information is a little difficult to find so I have located a link to the information here ....
If you feel you have a good grasp of Meridian references and Ranges locations we will proceed with addressing the use of Township references to locate the exact location of your ancestors Land Grant.
Understanding Land Grant Locations
Once you have established a general location in terms of which side of the province in terms of West of the 2nd or 3 rd meridian and whether you are looking toward the center of Saskatchewan or towards one of the provincial borders of Manitoba or Alberta you are ready to determine the exact location of your land grant based on township numbers.
Townships designations run north to south and are numbered from 0 to 128 increasing as you move south from the US border towards the Northern Pole. Townships with a higher number are located in Northern Saskatchewan with townships having a small number being located in Southern Saskatchewan. The row of little arrows on the left hand side of the diagram designate the placement of Township lines running west to east. across Saskatchewan.
If you feel comfortable with your understanding of the above information you may want to take a look at the PDF map which is highly zoomable to 600% using the + and - symbols at the top of the file once you open it. You will need Adobe PDF reader installed to view this file. This is a wonderful map which lets you zoom into the exact location of your ancestors land grant so you may see which communities in Saskatchewan are located near by. This map opens in a new window to allow you to refer back to this information without reducing the size of the map.Click here to View the Map
After looking at the map you will have your bearings and may want to take a look at the Battleford Places page to see which Rural Municipality name is currently used for the location that your ancestors resided in. Make note of the information that you have gleened thus far in terms of the location of your ancestors in Saskatchewan. Then you can start checking out all of the Resources provided by the network of Saskatchewan GenWeb sites.
If the Range number of your land grant is between 17 and 29 in the West 3rd and your township numberis between 26 and 43 the Battleford GenWeb site is where you will find resources to assist you in your research. If I can be of assistance please send me an email and I will do what I can to assist you in finding resources to further your research.
If your Range Number is between
17 and 29 in the West 3rd and your township number is less the 17
you will need to look southward in the Kindersley or Swifth Current GenWeb
sites depending on how close to the US border your township is located. Click
here to access the clickable Saskatchewan GenWeb Map.
If your Range Number is between 17 and 29 in the West 3rd
and your township number is greater then 29 you will need to look in the
Lloydminster GenWeb site for resources to assist you. Click here to access the
clickable Saskatchewan GenWeb Map.
If you need assistance in locating the Saskatchewan GenWeb site that will provide resources and assistance in your research in Saskatchewan please drop me an email and I will be pleased to assist you in any way possible. An email link is located at the bottom of most of the Battleford GenWeb site pages. Written by Marilyn Lamont.
