What was to become Wheatland and later Greenfield Township was surveyed in 1879.  I will try to relate the method of surveying as it was written in the Divet Story published by the Fargo Forum in 1950.  They were bonanza farmers in the Wahpeton area.  We have all wondered how in a land of nothing but prairie they could pick the quarter sections of land to be their future property.  Some of you may have heard your fathers or grandfathers tell how this was done, but I will try to explain it for the benefit of those who may not know.

Now days, it would be no problem to locate a certain place, with roads, sections and townships all marked out.  But, with no roads, the traveler took off in a direction until he thought he had gone far enough.  In those days, everyone carried a sectional map.

They were informed that the surveyors left a mound of earth at the corner of each section.  In this mound would be found a square stake 2" x 2" in size.  Near the top of the stake would be found the township and the range number carved in the stake, and also carved on each side of the stake would be a number, such number representing the section number of a section the number faced.  For instance, if the traveler wanted to find Section 4, he would look around to find such a mound of dirt.  The stake would show you to be in the right township or range.  You would find on the stake four numbers: 4, 5, 8 and 9, assuming that the stake had not been disturbed, the 4 would be facing northeast and 5 facing northwest, etc.  Looking at the map again, you would know you were in the northwest corner of section 4.

Many people may have been over the ground in search of a certain location, sometimes they carelessly pulled the stake for easier reading and replaced it with the four facing southwest instead of northeast, or possibly just throwing it on the ground.

In such a case, a person would need a compass or some might have been able to tell directions by the sighting of the sun.  Then they could lay down a map to the north and you could see Section 4 should be northeast, and the stake might show it southwest.  You could then properly set the stake.  There might have been instances where the stake had been carried away.  Then you might have to find another mound to determine the section.

This may be of help to know how surveying was done on the prairies of the states and what an early settler had to know before acquiring a homestead.

When they had picked the quarter section of land they wanted, they were advised to make a Straddlebug that was a tripod built of wood with their name carved on it to show others that land had been taken.  A traveler then hurried to the nearest land office to report his request for that certain piece of land.

Source:  Hannaford Area History North Dakota Centennial 1889 - 1989 Page  10