Boustrophedonical – Part Two

Part two of a two-part episode, on this edition of Lanstories, host David Siwik continues his exploration of the namesake of Meridian Township, the land survey of Michigan conducted during the territorial and early statehood period of Michigan history. In this part two, Host Siwik takes a deep dive into the methods by which early land surveyors conducted their craft and the long-term implications for the land survey and sales systems that came out of this period of Michigan’s past. Other topics explored include the impact the land survey had on Michigan becoming a state, including the historical significance of the boustrophedonical section number system both short and long-term.

Related Podcasts: Lanstories - Indigenous Mid-Michigan Lands, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Tags/Keywords: Michigan History, United States History, Northwest Territory, Ordinance of 1784, Land Ordinance of 1785, Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Township, Township Section, Boustrophedonical Section Number System, Michigan Territory, Statehood

Part one of a two-part episode, on this edition of Lanstories, host David Siwik explores the namesake of Meridian Township - the land survey of Michigan conducted during the territorial and early statehood period, centered around the Meridian survey line, and the establishment of the boustrophedonical section number system. Topics covered include an overview of the establishment of the Northwest Territory, the Ordinance of 1784, Land Ordinance of 1785, and how these early laws laid the foundation for virtually all land surveys and sales in Michigan, with the principal survey meridian located where Meridian Township lies now.

Related Podcasts: Lanstories - Indigenous Mid-Michigan Lands, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Tags/Keywords: Michigan History, United States History, Northwest Territory, Ordinance of 1784, Land Ordinance of 1785, Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Township, Township Section, Boustrophedonical Section Number System, Michigan Territory, Statehood, Survey Point State Park

In this third part of a three-part episode, Lanstories host David Siwik concludes his look at Lansing during the childhood of Malcolm X in the 1920s and 1930s. Topics discussed include housing discrimination, foster care, the death of Malcolm X's father and the threats the Little family faced from the state authorities and local white supremacist terrorist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Black Legion.

Topics/Tags/Keywords

• Malcolm X
• Malcolm Little
• Earl Little
• Louis Little
• Ella Little
• Lansing
• Michigan
• Michigan History
• United States History
• 1920s
• 1930s
• Housing Discrimination
• Grand River Avenue
• Pleasant Grove Elementary School
• Pleasant Grove Avenue
• Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC)
• Mason
• Kalamazoo Regional Psychiatric Hospital
• Ku Klux Klan
• Black Legion