Land Description for Kent County, Michigan that will also help to explain the references in my Cemetery and School lists.
Snake map showing the snake configuration of section numbers for every township.
1. Land 1 Background - NW ordinance
2. Land 2 Township divisions - County divided into townships, townships divided into sections
3. Land 3 Section Lines - streets run along section lines
3 A Horizontal 3A East West
3 B. Vertical 3B South North
4. Land 4 Quarter Sections, Quarter-Quarter sections, Quarter-Quarter-Quarter sections
5. Land 5 How to Read Legal Descriptions
6. Land 6 The Permanent Parcel Number
7.Sidwell The Sidwell Maps
For specific explanations covering the broader area: Legal Land Descriptions in Federal Township and Range System
For Michigan http://www.michigan.gov/documents/IC4008_47977_7.pdf
Another site in color: http://www.homestead.org/Land/Legals/HowtoReadYourDeed.htm
Jim Mulder
From Heading Geography and the City of Grand Rapids
From web site: MyCityofGrandRapids.info