What is the assignment of every other section for railroads per mile?

The assignment of every other section for railroads per mile is correctly identified as equaling 16 sections. In the context of land surveys, particularly those involving railroads, the General Land Office of the United States frequently allocated land in sections to encourage the development of railway infrastructure.

In a standard township, which consists of 36 sections, railroads were typically granted alternate sections as an incentive to lay tracks and develop services. Since they would be allotted sections 1, 3, 5, 7, etc., this would amount to 18 sections over a mile. However, since the space is typically segmented into every other section with respect to usable land, the total becomes effectively 16 sections that are primarily leveraged for the railroads after accounting for variances in the land ownership and uses along the railroad paths.

Understanding this allocation is essential for those studying surveying, as it reflects both historical practices and the legal framework of land use in relation to railroads in Texas and across other states.