From 1832 to 1866 the federal General Land Office set off across Wisconsin to undertake a public land survey. During these three decades, they walked around bogs, marshes, prairies, forests, lakes, and streams to survey every inch of the state. The work helped established the township, range and section grid, which is the pattern upon which land ownership and land use is based. After the survey was finished the records were transferred to the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, and recently they were digitized for use on this site. First-time visitors would do well to read the "Land Survey Information" area, as it contains material on the measurement system used for the survey and on the notes compiled by the surveyors. After that, visitors can use the "Search" feature to look for survey records by county or township, range and section. Students of landscape history and those with a curiosity about Wisconsin will find much to keep them busy on the site.