BOUND AKIES OF THE UNITED STATES 

AND THE SEVERAL STATES
Mount McKinley, Alaska. The highest peak in North Am
Boundaries of the 

United States and the 

Several States

By FRANKLIN K. VAN ZANDT

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 1212

With miscellaneous geographic 

information concerning areas, 

altitudes, and geographic centers

This publication is a revision of 

U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 

817 y by Edward M. Douglas, 

issued in 1930

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1966
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Thomas B. Nolan, Director

Library of Congress catalog-card No. GS65-321

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price $1.75 (paper cover)
PEEFACE

The first Geological Survey record setting forth the history of the 

boundaries of the United States and the several States and Territories 

was prepared by Henry Gannett, assisted by Franklin G. Butterfield, 

and was published as Bulletin 13 of the Geological Survey in 1885. 

The second edition, revised and enlarged by Henry Gannett, was published as Bulletin 171 in 1900. The third edition, also revised by 

Gannett, was published as Bulletin 226 in 1904. A revision and enlargement of Bulletin 226, which included additional matter incidentally connected with boundaries, was -prepared by Edward M. 

Douglas and issued in 1923 as Bulletin 689. It was again revised by 

Douglas in 1930 as Bulletin 817.

The present bulletin, prepared in 1964, is a revision of the 1932 

edition of Bulletin 817. The revisions include clarification and 

modification of descriptions of certain boundaries, some of which are 

based on court decisions or international agreements; they also include more accurate figures for certain statistical data and numerous 

minor additions and deletions as appropriate.

Many Government agencies and officials, particularly the following, supplied useful information: Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior; Office of Territories, Department of the 

Interior; Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce; Coast 

Guard, Department of the Treasury; Coast and Geodetic Survey, 

Department of Commerce; Oceanographic Office, Department of the 

Navy; U.S. Antarctic Programs, Department of Defense; The 

Geographer, Department of State.

Special acknowledgment should be made to Mr. William H. 

Richards of the Bureau of Land Management and Messrs. H. S. 

Lewis, W. E. Baird, and A. T. Munson of the Geological Survey for 

their substantial contributions that greatly facilitated the preparation 

of the volume.

To aid in the maintenance of current data for this publication, 

readers are requested to report ;any errors or obsolete information 

that comes to their attention.

CONTENTS

Page

Preface_ _ _________________________-_-________-----_---_-_--__-__ v

Expansion and growth of the United States.----.-.------------------- 1

Boundary problems.___________--_-__-_-____--___----_-____---_____ 2

How boundaries are established and changed______--___-_-__----__-_ 4

Boundaries of the United States.____________________________________ 14

Provisional treaty with Great Britain, 1782_______________________ 14

Treaty with Great Britain, 1783____________--________ 16

Treaty of London, 1794______._________________________________ 16

Treaty of Ghent, 1814_-_-______._____-_.-.....____.. 17

Convention with Great Britain, 1818___________--__-___--____-_ 20

Arbitration by King of the Netherlands._________-----_--_.______ 24

Webster-Ashburton treaty with Great Britain, 1842______________ 25

Treaty with Great Britain, 1846 _-_-____-__-____-___-------____ 28

Treaty with Great Britain, 1908__-._____...---____.....-_ 29

Treaty with Great Britain, 1910__...__.__.____________ 29

Survey and marking of the northern boundary ____________________ 29

Treaty with Great Britain, 1925_______-___._____________ 32

Treaty with Spain, 1795_____________________________ 32

Distances along the boundaries of the United States_______________ 33

Additions to the territory of the United States__-____.---_-___-___-____ 34

Louisiana Purchase____________________________________________ 34

Florida Purchase______________________________________________ 41

Texas accession_______________________________________________ 43

First Mexican cession.________-_-__-_-___--____----__-_________ 43

Gadsden Purchase_____________________________________________ 45

Alaska Purchase______________________________________________ 46

Hawaiian Islands._____________________________________________ 51

Palmyra Island_-________-___________--_-___-_---____-_..____ 53

Puerto Rico_________________________________________________ 54

Guam.._ _____________________________________________________ 55

American Samoa.____________________________________________ 55

Wake, Midway, and Johnston Islands_____________.______________ 56

Canal Zone ___________________________________________________ 58

Virgin Islands of the United States ______________________________ 60

Guano islands.._______________________________________________ 61

Interests of the United States beyond its borders ______________________ 64

Antarctica.___________________________________________________ 64

Military and naval base leases __________________________________ 65

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands-______-__------_---___.____ 66

Territorial waters and the Continental Shelf._____________________ 67

The public domain and the changes made therein._____________________ 70

Cessions by the States.________________________________________ 70

Territory northwest of the Ohio River_________________________ 74

Territory south of the Ohio River. ______________________________ 77

Louisiana, the areas formerly belonging to Mexico, and the Oregon

region..____________________________________________________ 77

Payments to the States_____._____________________^_____________ 80

VII
CONTENTS

	Page 

The boundary lines of the States.___________________________________ 81

Maine___ _____________.__________-__-_----____________------ 81

New Hampshire--------.--.----------------------------------- 86

Vermont-_ ____^____________-__-_-_-____-_---____-______--_-__ 91

Massachusetts._ _________-_---__-----__-_-_-_____-____-_------ 95

Rhode Island..____._.___._.._._.__._.___.____._.__. 106

Connecticut__ _ -__________-___-_-_-_____-_---_-_-___-__--_.__ 108

New York__....__________-__________-_______- 112

New Jersey__________-___--_---__-_-_-_--_---____---__--_----- 121

Pennsylvania ____________-_________-__--_-_-____-__-____-_.--- 123

Delaware_--__----_-_-_-_---------------------.--------------- 130

Maryland.___----------_-.-------------------------.--------- 132

District of Columbia..---------.- ____________ _____----_. 137

Virginia _____-_-_________-_____-_-_--------_--_-----_-------.- 143

West Virginia.___________---_____-_-_____-_---__-______----__- 150

North Carolina.__.______---_-_-_-----_-_-----_____-_-__----_- 151

South Carolina._______________________________________________ 158

Georgia ______--_-_____-_-_-_____--______---____.-_______-_-__ 159

Florida_____-__________________1_____________ 166

Mississippi__ _ -_-______________..---___-_-_-_____________---_- 168

Louisiana__ -----_-_-_-________..---_-__-__---___-______--_--- 170

Alabama---------------_------__-_-----------_-_------------- 173

Tennessee._ __________________________________________________ 175

Kentucky. _______________________-_____________ 179

Ohio___________-_______________._____________________________ 179

Indiana ______-__-_-_____-_-_-____--_-_-_---____.-_______---__ 183

Illinois ____---_-_-_---_-_---_-_-_------__------__-______-_--_- 186

Missouri__ _________________________________________________ 188

Arkansas __---_-_-_-_____-_-___-__--__-__--______________-____ 191

Texas...____________-__________________________ 195

Michigan._---_____-_-_-_-_-_____---_-_____-.-__..___.________ 205

Wisconsin.____-_-___-.__-_-_____-_-.-__ -._.._______.__._____ 208

Iowa..__._..________________________________.-___ 212

Minnesota.___________________________________________________ 214

North Dakota and South Dakota_____________________________ 216

Nebraska_ ___.--______.-----___-_-_-_-_---.___._._._._--_-__ 219

Kansas______________________________________ 223

Oklahoma.____._-_-___________________.___._____ 225

Colorado..___________________________________ 228

Wyoming...._________________________________________________ 233

Montana.......________________________________ 234

California. __________________.____________________ 237

Oregon.....___________________________________ 241

Washington.._________________________________________________ 243

Idaho..._____________________________________________________ 245

Nevada...___________________________________________________ 247

Utah.......__________________________________________________ 250

New Mexico__________________________________________________ 252

Arizona ____.-_____-_____-__--____-____-_--_-____-___-._--_--- 257

Alaska._____________________________________________________ 258

Hawaii....,......---.....- _______ __._______.____________.. - 259
CONTENTS IX

	Page 

General statistics relating to the United States______--_---_____---_-__ 260

Keferences.-_-___________--__-__--_-_---____-_--_----_..------_ 260

Organization of the U.S. Government_____-_-__-_--______----___- 260

The U.S. flag.__.....---_.----_-.-.-..--.--.-------..-.--.---- 261

Early sessions of Congress..----.-----.------------------------- 261

Areas of the States and overseas territory_____-_-_______-_____- 262

Geographic -centers of the continental United States and of the

several- States _-____---_---_-_-_--_--_.---------_---.-----_--- 265

Extreme and mean altitudes of U.S. territory and the continents. _ 266

Facts of geographic interest concerning U.S. territory....__________ 273

Bibliography___________--___--_-_-_-_---_-__-_--_-_______--._--- 275

Index.._____________________._..._.--_.___..-..._. 285

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page

EBONTISPIECE. Photograph of Mount McKinley, Alaska. 

PLATE 1. Map of the conterminous United States showing routes of

the principal explorers from 1501 to 1844______._ Facing 34

FIGURES 1-2. Photographs:

1. Boundary monuments-___--_-----__-____-__-._- 11

2. State'boundary monuments.____________________ 12

3-5. .Maps:

3. Conterminous United States, showing accessions of 

territory from 1803 to 1853____--_-_-.___________ 15

4. Maine, showing claims of the United States and 

Great Britam_____-__-_.____.________________ 23

5. Acquisitions of territory since 1853______________ 48

6. Photograph of Arctic Ocean terminus of Alaska-Canada

boundary__ _ _____________________________________ 49

7. Map showing relative size of Alaska and the conterminous United States____-______-__-_____________- 52

8. Photographs of northernmost and southernmost points in

U.S.territory.___________________________________ 57

9-10. Maps:

9. Canal Zone___-__-_-_.-.._-.--___...-.__-_. 60

10. The Gore, at the northeast corner of Vermont _..- 92 

11-12. Historical diagrams:

11. NewYork_________________________ 114

12. Pennsylvania.________________________________ 125

13. Photograph of a section of a.tree that had been used as a

.boundary mark________________________________ 138

14-25. Historical diagrams:

14. Virginia__--__---_-______-__-_-_______-___- 144

15. Georgia _________________________________ 161

16. Mississippi-_____-___--_____--_________-____-_ 169

17. Louisiana..._________________________________ 172

18. Indiana_-_-___-_-_--__-_-__.-__.____-__--_- 184

19. Missouri_____.._._-_.____________. 189
X CONTENTS

FIGURES 14-25. Historical diagrams Continued page

20. Arkansas_____.--_-.--__---_______-___.____ 192

21. Texas..._-___-_.-- ___ _ ___. 196

22. Michigan------.-------------------------.--- 206

23. North and South Dakota^..._-___.--._____._.. 218

24. Nebraska.----------------------------------- 220

25. Oklahoma..---------_____.._..__._..___.._ 226

26. Photograph of junction of four States:

Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico._________ 232

27-29. Historical diagrams:

27. Washington-.--------.-------.-----------.--- 244

28. Idaho---.--------.--------- --------------- 245

29. Utah...-.---.------------------------------- 250

30. Photograph of State Line Butte on Utah-Arizona line.__ 252

31. Historical diagram of New Mexico ____._____--____._- 253

32. Photograph of Ship Rock, N. Mex., point of departure for

Arizona-New Mexico boundary survey__-____-____-_ 257

33. Diagram of the marks on the tablet at the southeast

corner of New Mexico___________________________ 258

34-37. Photographs:

34. Mount Rainier, highest point in the State of

Washington______________________________ 267

35. Highest and lowest points in the conterminous

United States.----.--_____.___------- 271

36. Dead Sea, lowest point on earth.__--_____._.___ 272

37. Mount Everest, highest point on earth.____.___- 273

TABLES

Page 

TABLE 1. Outlying areas of the United States.._________________ 54

2. Date and order of admission of the 50 States into the

Union___"______ ________________________________ 261

3. Land and water area of the United States, by States _ _ _ 263

4. Area of the United States.-----------.-------------- 265

5. Geographic centers of the several States.-------------- 266

6. Extreme and mean altitudes in the United States and its

overseas territory..______-_________-______-_-_-__- 268

7. Extremes of altitude in the continents__ ------------- 270

8. Points of extreme latitude and longitude of the United

States________________________-___ 274
BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE 

SEVERAL STATES

By FRANKLIN K. VAN ZANDT

EXPANSION AND GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES

The original territory of the United States, as defined by the 

treaties of November 30, 1782, and September 3, 1783, with Great 

Britain, was bounded on the north by Canada, on the south by the 

Spanish Colonies of East and West Florida, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, and on the west by the Mississippi River. It included 

the Thirteen Original Colonies and the areas claimed by them.

One of the difficult problems of the new nation was the existence 

of extensive unoccupied territory between the Thirteen Original 

Colonies and the Mississippi River. Seven of the Colonies claimed 

large parts of this territory and some of the claims were conflicting. 

Recognizing the possibilities for dispute in this situation, the Continental Congress on October 30,1779, passed a resolution recommending to Virginia and the other interested States that they refrain from 

granting the unappropriated lands in the western territory during 

the continuance of the Revolutionary War.

The seven States claiming these areas responded favorably to this 

action and during the period from 1781 to 1802 ceded the lands to the 

Federal Government. These lands, which became the nucleus of the 

public domain, included the area that is now Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, 

Michigan, Wisconsin, part of Minnesota, Alabama, and Mississippi. 

The United States continued to hold title to the unappropriated lands 

and to administer the laws relating to them.

The remainder of the original territory, embracing what is now 

included in the States of Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, 

and Vermont, was claimed by various States as being within their 

original limits. Kentucky was part of Virginia and Tennessee a part 

of North Carolina. Maine was a part of Massachusetts until it entered the Union in 1820. Vermont was the subject of conflictingclaims of the States bordering upon it. The parent States all relinquished their claims and consented to the admission of the new 

States. West Virginia was separated from Virginia in 1863 and be-
came a State by act of Congress. All these new States retained title 

to the vacant unappropriated lands within their limits.

Additions to the original territory the acquisitions of Louisiana 

from France in 1803 and of Florida from Spain in 1819, the Texas 

annexation in 1845, the establishment of American title to Oregon 

Territory in 1846, the Mexican cession of 1848, and the Gadsden Purchase from Mexico in 1853 brought the aggregate area of the 

conterminous 1 United States within its present boundaries to 3,022,387 

square miles. All the vast area west of the Mississippi except the 

State of Texas became a part of the public domain, the United States 

retaining the ownership of the public lands. Congress made an exception for Texas, consenting to its admission into the Union with the 

provision that Texas should hold title to all vacant unappropriated 

lands within its limits.

The Thirteen Original States organized the Federal Union under 

the name of "The United States of America" by ratifying- the Articles 

of Confederation and, subsequently, the Constitution. The boundaries 

of these States were not defined in the Acts of ratification, but in 

general the States maintained their claim to their colonial boundaries 

which had been established by royal decree or by agreement. Some 

overlapping territorial claims were not finally settled until many years 

later by decision of our highest court.

The other States were admitted into the Union by acts of Congress, 

usually upon petition of the citizens residing in the territories in 

question. The boundaries of these States were defined in the enabling 

acts. However for some States, notably Missouri and Texas, the 

boundaries were changed by subsequent legislation.

Information about the Philippine Islands is omitted from this 

bulletin because independence was granted by the United States in 1946 

(58 Stat. 625); Philippine Independence Day was made the same as 

that of the United States. A discussion of the acquisition of the 

Philippines from Spain can be found in the Geological Survey's 

Bulletin 817.

BOUNDARY PROBLEMS

The boundaries of the United States and of the several States were 

determined as a result of treaties, purchases, colonial charters, and 

Acts of Congress. The actual location of the boundary on the ground 

has frequently been a difficult problem because of lack of knowledge 

of the physical features of the topography by those who defined the 

course of the boundjary, lack of clarity in the description, and errors 

in surveying the prescribed lines.

1 The word "conterminous" is used to refer to the 48 States, excluding Alaska and 

Hawaii. "Continental" United States includes Alaska.
BOUNDARY PROBLEMS 3

These difficulties are understandable. The need for a determination 

of jurisdiction arises early in the settlement of a new country, frequently before much exploration has been done. Old maps show many 

mistakes easily recognizable from our knowledge of geography today. 

Often the remarkable thing about these maps is how accurate they 

are.2 The mapmaker knows that much data and many position determinations enter into making an accurate map. The historian has given 

us a picture of the vast regions unexplored in the 18th century, the 

lack of roads, the hostile Indians, and the small population for so 

large an area. It is little wonder, then, that the treatymakers found 

it difficult to define the limits of national sovereignty, and that it is 

even more difficult to mark them on the ground.

Inexact wording has frequently made ambiguous the intent of the 

signers of the document fixing a boundary. Disputes over the meaning of treaties have led to long negotiation and sometimes to war. 

Court records are full of suits brought to settle ownership of property. 

The same type of disagreements arise over limits of political divisions: 

nations, -states, and even counties. Unfortunately, in the case of 

nations, there usually exist no courts that can make a decision and 

enforce it. Bitter quarrels have arisen over boundaries and some surprising claims have been advanced, such as the cry of "Fifty-four forty 

or fight." Yet almost always cooler judgment has prevailed and the 

matter was settled fairly. The surrender to the Federal Government 

of land in the Northwest Territory claimed by some of the Thirteen 

Original States illustrates the concessions that were made which 

permit ted the, orderly development of the new nation.

Surveying methods and practices have been greatly improved since 

the days when most of our State and national boundaries were located. 

Latitude and longitude determinations are made with greater accuracy 

today, as are angle and distance measurements. This accuracy is due

a A map of the colonial period, the "Map of the British and French dominions In North 

America," by Dr. John Mitchell, was possibly printed between' 1762 and 1775 but retained the original publication date, 1755.

Copies of Mitchell's map were used at different stages of the negotiations in Paris be 

tween the American and British framers of the peace treaties of 1782-83.

John Adams wrote regarding this map: "We had before us, through the whole negotiations, a variety of maps; but it was the Mitchell's map upon which was marked out the 

whole boundary lines of the United States." No particular copy has so far been identified 

as the one thus referred to.

A copy of the Mitchell map used by John Jay, one of the American commissioners, on 

which a red line was drawn to indicate one of the preliminary boundary proposals, is 

now in the library of the New York Historical Society.

 In the British Museum there is a heavily annotated copy of Mitchell's map that has on 

it a red boundary line, which differs from that on the Jay copy (Moore, 1898, p. 154, 161).

The Library -of Congress has many copies of the Mitchell map" besides those published 

in England, including 7 French, 2.Dutch, 2 Italian, and 2 Spanish issues, as well as 40 

or more reproductions of parts of the map.

Although there are many errors in this map, in 1782-83 it was the best available. 

Martin (1927) stated, "It appears to be the most important map in American history.""
4 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

to better instruments and higher requirements. The early surveyor 

had to endure many hardships. Sometimes it is surprising that his 

work was as good as it was.

It is legally well established that a boundary or property line once 

marked on the ground and accepted by the interested parties becomes 

the true line, whether or not it follows the written description. The 

surveyor who reruns the line must find where it is rather than move it 

to conform to the wording of the original document (148 U.S. 503; 103 

U.S. 316; 137 U.S. 584; 267 U.S. 39). Conflicting boundary claims 

and lack of knowledge as to the exact location of the boundary have 

presented problems to the courts and to the surveyor until very recently. As late as 1936 a commission made a report to the Supreme Court 

as a basis for its decision on the Vermont-New Hampshire boundary.

The following discussion on how boundaries are established and 

changed, on the boundaries of the United States and additions to its 

territory, and on the formation of the various States and the establishment of their boundaries are presented for their historical and geographical interest and for a reference to those who do not care to take 

time to go to original source material. Certain factual information 

concerning areas, altitudes, and geography is presented at the end of 

the book with the thought that it is of general interest and is readily 

available to the Geological Survey.

HOW BOUNDARIES ARE ESTABLISHED AND CHANGED

Boundaries between countries are established by treaties made by the 

sovereign powers concerned (Brigham, 1919, p. 201-219).

A boundary between two States of the United States may be 

changed by agreement of the State legislatures, but this agreement 

must be approved by Congress. The U.S. Congress cannot change a 

State boundary without the consent of the State, nor can two States 

by mutual agreement change their common boundary without the 

consent of Congress. The consent of Congress to a change in a boundary need not be granted by a special act but may be inferred from 

subsequent legislation. 3 Several times Congress has given its consent

3 U.S. Supreme Court Repts., 11 Wallace, p. 39-59 (78 U.S. 39-59); 148 U.S. 502 

et al. (Prior to 1875 the volumes of the U.S. Supreme Court reports were designated 

by the name of the official reporter and a number. Some sets of these early reports are 

now numbered serially also. In order of issue there are 4 reports by Dallas (serial Nos. 

1-4). covering the years 1790 to 1800; 9 by Cranch (serial Nos. 5-13), 1801 to 1815: 

12 by Wheatoii (serial Nos. 14-25), 1816 to 1827; 16 by Peters (serial Nos. 26-41), 1828 

to 1842 ; 24 by Howard (serial Nos. 42-65), 1843 to 1860; 2 by Black (serial Nos. 66-67), 

1861 to 1862 ; and 23 by Wallace (serial Nos. 68-90), 1863 to 1874. Beginning with No. 

91, for 1875, the volumes have been numbered serially only. References to these reports 

are customarily made thus: "6 Cranch 24," "10 Howard 40." The serial number of the 

volume is sometimes given also. Beginning with v. 91, the references are given in the 

form "97 U.S. 271," meaning v. 97 of the U.S. Supreme Court reports, p. 271, the page 

number always being given last.)
HOW BOUNDARIES ARE ESTABLISHED AND CHANGED 5

in advance for adjoining States to fix an indefinite water boundary 

between them.4

A boundary between a State and a Territory was fixed by joint 

action of Congress and the State. Boundaries between Territories 

were fixed by congressional action alone. Disputes between States 

regarding boundaries must be settled by the U.S. Supreme Court, 

whose decisions are final. (148 U.S. 503. For reference to the pro- 

.cedure for submitting boundary disputes to the U.S. Supreme Court, 

see Martin, 1930, p. 113.)

Long acquiescence in the possession of territory and in the exercise 

of dominion and sovereignty over it is conclusive of the Nation's title 

and rightful authority (136 U.S. 510; 202 U.S. 1; 270 U.S. 295; 4 

Howard 639).

The statute of limitations in the possession of land does not operate 

against the United States or a State, and title to Government land 

cannot be acquired by adverse possession.5

When original boundary marks have been destroyed, "the law, as 

well as common sense, must declare that a supposed boundary line long 

acquiesced in is better evidence of where the real line should be than 

any survey made after the original monuments have disappeared" 

(Stewart v. Carleton, 31 Mich. Repts. 270; Diehl v. Zanger, 39 Mich. 

Repts. 601).

An original monument determines a point on a boundary with 

greater certainty than courses and distances. "Errors in courses are 

immaterial" (23 Wallace 46; 103 U.S. 316). When courses have not 

been marked, a line long recognized as a boundary must be accepted 

as such (103 U.S. 316).

Three of the most common means of defining a boundary are: 

By a water boundary, such as a stream, lake, or other body of water, 

By a divide between two drainage basins, 

By a meridian of longitude or a parallel of latitude.

The last of these depends for its exactitude on the work of the 

surveyor. There is no doubt as to the intent of the wording when

4 35 Stat. L. 1160-1161; 36 Stat. L. 881; see also 41 Stat. L. 1447. . .(References in this 

volume to acts of Congress, joint resolutions,- and presidential proclamations, contained In 

the U.S. Statutes at Large are given in the form used here, or In the later references, the 

' ! L" is dropped. "36 Stat. L. 881" (36 Stat. 881), for example, means v. 36, p. 881.) 

See Article IV, sec. 3, of the Constitution of the United States. The conditions under 

which ratification by Congress is essential are described at length in 148 U.S. 620-522. 

See also an excellent review of this question In the opinion, dated June 17, 1929, rendered 

by the attorney general of Texas to a joint legislative committee of that State, regarding 

the 100th meridian boundary.

5 39 Fed. 654 ; 95 Pac. 278. References given here are from The Federal.Reporter and 

The Pacific Reporter. The former source has to do with Federal cases In courts below 

the Supreme Court, and the latter with State supreme court cases in .the western part of 

the United .States. See Act of Dec. 22, 1928, Public No. 645, 70th ong., for conditions 

under which a patent may be obtained to United States land held for 20 years under 

"color of title."
6

a parallel of latitude is specified, because the numbering always begins 

with zero at the equator. The numbering of the meridians now 

generally accepted increases from zero to the east and west of Greenwich. This has not always been so, and even today in some countries 

the initial meridian is the one passing through their capital. In the 

United States the Washington meridian was used as a point of departure in much of the 19th century.

The act of September 28, 1850 (9 Stat. 515), provided, among 

other things, "That hereafter the meridian of the observatory at 

Washington shall be adopted and used as the American meridian for 

all astronomic purposes and * * * that the meridian of Greenwich 

shall be adopted for all nautical purposes." This act was repealed 

August 22, 1912 (37 Stat. 342).

The Washington meridian passes through the center of the dome of 

the old Naval Observatory at 24th Street and Constitution Avenue, 

NW., Washington, D. C. It is 5 hours, 8 minutes, 12.15 seconds or 

77°03'02.3" west of Greenwich.

During the period of nearly 62 years that the act was in force, the 

meridional boundaries of the Territories and States of Arizona, Colorado, Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming and the States 

of Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah were referred to the 

Washington meridian.

The use of a divide or ridge summit for a boundary has considerable logic to support it. It is a natural barrier and tends to confine 

political and economic activity to some extent. The intent of the document defining the boundary is clear, and the topographer can mark 

the line on the ground within very close limits.

If by treaty or statute a nonnavigable river or smaller stream is 

named as a boundary between States or nations and neither the bank 

nor the main channel is specified, the line midway between the two 

banks is the actual boundary. .A treaty, statute, or cession may 

specify that one bank or the other is the boundary; in that case 

either the high-water or the low-water mark may be the line, according to the wording of the agreement. For example, the north 

boundary of Kentucky is the low-water mark on the north bank of 

the Ohio (see p. 179), as fixed by the act of session by Virginia, and 

the high-water mark on the west bank of the Chattahoochee River 

forms part of the west boundary of Georgia (13 Howard 380).

If a boundary line described as following the middle of a river 

intersects an island, it is the usual policy to give the entire island to 

the State or Government to which the greater part would fall. This 

rule was followed by the commission acting under Article VI of the
HOW BOUNDARIES ARE ESTABLISHED AND CHANGED 7

treaty of Ghent in fixing the St. Lawrence River boundary, and also 

by the Rhode Island and Massachusetts commissions.6

No land can be considered an island unless it is surrounded by water at all 

times. The same tract of land cannot be sometimes in Kentucky and sometimes 

in Indiana, according to the rise and fall of the river. It must be always in 

the one State or the other. 7

Where running streams are the boundaries between States, * * * when 

the bed and channel are changed by the natural and gradual processes known 

as erosion and accretion, the boundary follows the varying course of the stream 

[see 265 U.S. 499]; while if the stream from any cause, natural or artificial, 

suddenly leaves its old bed and forms a new one, by the process known as 

avulsion, the resulting change of channel works no change of boundary, which 

remains in the middle of the old channel [or on one bank if so fixed by statute], 

although no water may be flowing in it [246 U.S. 173].

So long as that channel [as it was previous to avulsion] remains a running 

stream the boundary marked by it is still subject to be changed by erosion and 

accretion; but when the water becomes stagnant * * * the boundary then 

becomes fixed in the middle of the channel [246 U.S. 1751.

Thus a line described by statute or treaty as a river boundary may 

later run across dry land, where it remains fixed unless the river returns to its former channel and changes the channel by slow action. 

There are many illustrations of this rule in the United States for 

example, along the Missouri River between Missouri and Kansas 

and between Missouri and Nebraska, and on the Mississippi between 

Tennessee and Arkansas.

If after an avulsion the boundary is again moved by new accretions, 

a Supreme Court rule (18 Howard 150; 1 Black 209. See also 48 

Mich. 88) requires that the boundary be so placed that each State (or 

individual) shall have a water frontage proportional to what it was 

immediately after the avulsion occurred, general directions only being 

considered.8

When a navigable river constitutes the boundary between two independent 

States, the line defining the point at which the jurisdiction of the two separates 

is well established to be the middle of the main channel of the stream.6 * * *

0 For reference to the use of the water of rivers that cross State lines, abstract of laws, 

and bibliography of 70 entries relating to that subject, see Hinderllder and Meeker, (1927, 

v. 90, p. 1035-1051). See also 206 U.S. 46, 259 U.S. 419, 206 U.S. 4&-9S (Arkansas 

River), 259 U.S. 419 (Laramie River), 282 U.S. 660 (Ware River, Mass.), 283 U.S. 336 

(Delaware River), 283 U.S. 423 (Colorado River).

7 5 Wheaton 374. See decision regarding Wolf Island, Mississippi River, 11 Wallace 

395.

8 Many examples of the application of this rule are shown on the maps accompanying 

the reports of the commissioners who established the boundary between Oklahoma and 

Texas along the Red River. See report 4, Jan. 31, 1927, U.S. Supreme Court.

9 This general rule has no application to a case governed by convention or by a special 

right based on prior possession. (See 202 U.S. 29.)

776-664 O-66 2
8

The controlling consideration which fixes the jurisdiction between neighboring 

States bordering on a navigable stream "is that which preserves to each State 

equality in the right of navigation in the river." 10

The rule as to what constitutes a navigable stream or lake was reaffirmed in a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court dated February 1, 

1926 as follows:

Streams or lakes * * * are navigable * * * when they are used or susceptible 

of being used in their natural or ordinary condition as highways for commerce 

* * * whether by steamboats, sailing vessels, or flat boats [270 U.S. 49].

By common law, only arms of the sea and streams where the tide 

ebbs and flows are deemed navigable. (140 U.S. 383.)

The terms "thalweg," "fairway," "midway," or "main channel" are 

used in the definition of water boundaries between States, meaning the 

middle or deepest or best navigable channel. They are applied to 

water boundaries in sounds, bays, straits, gulfs, estuaries, and other 

arms of the sea, also to boundary lakes 'and land-locked seas in which 

there is a deep-water sailing channel.

The middle of the channel refers to the space within which ships can and 

usually do pass. This may be and often is midway between the two banks. It 

is not necessarily the deepest channel, which may be.d&o crooked that it can not 

be used.11

The true water boundary lines for Mississippi River States are lines along 

the middle of the main channel of navigation as it existed in 1783, subject to 

such changes as have occurred since that time through natural and gradual 

processes [246 U.S. 158].

For States bordering on the Mississippi the tenns "middle of the Mississippi 

River," "middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River," "the center of the 

main channel of that river" are synonymous [147 U.S. 11].

Changes in rivers caused by the works of man do not change 

boundaries.

The building of docks or other structures in a river does not work an alteration 

in a boundary line, nor does it affect the sovereignty of the State over the area 

occupied by such structures. * * * He who owns submerged land owns the land 

reclaimed.12

Each State may establish rules of property over land which emerges on either 

side of an interstate boundary stream, but such rules extend to the interstate 

boundary line only [246 U.S. 176],

10 143 U.S. 359-367; 147 U.S. 7-13; 202 U.S. 149; 211 U.S. 127-134; 214 U.S. 205, 

215 ; 246 U.S. 158 ; 247 U.S. 461 ; 250 U.S. 39 ; 252 U.S. 282 ; 259 U.S. 572. Convention 

with Mexico, Nov. 12, 1884, Art. I. See Opinions of the Attorney General, 1856, v. 8, 

p. 175-180, for many references to these rules in international law.

u 147 U.S. 1. For many references to court decisions regarding water boundaries, see 

Hyde (1922, v. 1, p. 243-248) and Clark (1922, p. 38 and chap. 14).

13 See brief for the United States in Marine Railway & Coal Co. v. the United States, 

U.S. Supreme Court, October term, 1920, p. 70, 155.
HOW BOUNDARIES ARE ESTABLISHED AND CHANGED 9

In a case regarding title to land along a tidal stream in a newly 

created State, the U.S. Supreme Court decided (3 Howard 212; 9 

Howard 471; 13 Howard 25) that the shores of navigable rivers and 

the soil under them up to high-water mark belong to the adjoining 

State, not to the United States, but this general rule may be modified 

by treaty, by statute, or by agreement between States when approved 

by Congress.13

Grants of land by the United States bordering on navigable waters 

extend to the mean high-water line, but State laws differ in this respect.

When a State is admitted to the Union it becomes vested with the 

title to lands under navigable waters up to mean high-water mark,14 

but title to the beds of nonnavigable rivers remained in the United 

States when new States were organized from areas that were formerly 

public land (283 U.S. 66). State laws cannot affect titles vested in the 

United States (283 U.S. 75).

What constitutes the high-water line on the shores of oceans, lakes, 

and rivers has been the subject of a great many court decisions (156 

Wisconsin 261,272. See also 258 U.S. 574), which may be summarized 

as follows (Johnson, 1919, p. 160) :

The point on the 'bank or shore 15 up to which the presence and action of the 

water is so continuous as to leave a distinct mark either by erosion, destruction 

of terrestrial vegetation, or other easily recognized characteristic.

The following are Supreme Court definitions:

The bed of the river includes * * * all of the area which is kept practically 

bare of vegetation by the wash of the waters of the river from year to year 

* * *; although parts of it are left dry for months at a time. * * * The bank 

of the river [the Bed River] * * * is the water-washed and relatively permanent elevation or declivity [commonly called a cut bank] at the outer line of the 

river bed which separates the bed from the adjacent upland * * * and serves 

to confine the waters within the bed * * *. The boundary intended is on and 

along the bank at the average or mean level attained by the waters when they 

reach and wash the bank without overflowing it. [Oklahoma v. Texas [Red 

River boundary case], 260 U.S. 632, 645.]

The shoreline is "the line which is washed by the water wherever it 

covers the bed of the river within its banks" (13 Howard 418. See 

also 5 Wheaton 379). It lies "along the bank at the mean level attained by the waters of the river when they reach and wash the bank 

without overflowing it." 16

13 See Opinions of the Attorney General, 1856, v. 8, p. 443; 94 U.S. 324; 138 U.S. 226; 

255 U.S. 56 ; and Clark (1922, p. 295).

14 140 U.S. 371 ; 94 U.S. 325. Riparian rights of individuals differ in different States 

and are not well defined. Riparian rights in England and Canada are ably described in 

Canadian Surveyor, July 1931, p. 7-16.

15 For references to.the meaning of shore and shoreline, see 224 Illinois 43; 79 North 

Eastern 296, 1907 ; 12 Lawyer's Reports Annotated, new ser., 687, 1908; 53 Arkansas 

314, 1890; 13 South Western 931, 1890; 8 Lawyer's Reports Annotated, 559, 1890.

18 See opinion of the attorney general of the State of New York, Sept. 30, 1925, on the 

meaning of the "line of high water" ; which includes references to many decisions.
10 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

The question has often been asked whether a boundary defined by 

statute or treaty, as on a specified parallel of latitude or meridian of 

longitude, should be located by direct astronomic observations or from 

geodetic computations giving a mean position derived from a great 

number of observations. It has generally been agreed that an astronomic location is the proper one, but astronomic and geodetic positions 

may differ materially. For example the astronomic stations on the 

49th parallel boundary east of the Rocky Mountains vary from 6 seconds north to 8 seconds south of the mean parallel of latitude a range 

of more than a quarter of a mile. It seems likely that for future surveys geodetic positions will be used wherever available.17

Differences between astronomic and geodetic values for the same 

position on the earth's surface are often a cause of confusion. An 

adjustment of the triangulation net across the United States, connecting many accepted astronomic stations, resulted in the .adoption of the 

U.S. Standard Datum. When this horizontal datum was accepted by 

Canada and Mexico, and their own positions connected to it, it was 

renamed the North American Datum.

After a general adjustment by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, 

a new datum was adopted, called the 1927 North American Datum, 

usually referred to as 1927 N.A.D. A point in Kansas was held fixed. 

The shift necessary to convert geodetic coordinates from the old to the 

new datum varies from zero to about 100 feet in latitude and a similar 

amount in longitude. The displacement increases with the distance 

from the fixed point.

In this publication, 1927 N.A.D. values are so labeled. They are 

used where they are available or where the conversion is practical. 

No change is made where it is desirable to retain the historical value 

or where the accuracy of the original determination does not warrant 

it.

All boundary lines should be well marked, the size and character 

of the marks depending on the importance of the line. (See figs. 1.2.) 

Many State boundaries, even some run in recent years, have been 

very inadequately marked, by blazes on trees or by stones so small that 

they could be easily carried off. Hundreds of thousands of dollars 

spent in litigation and in the resurvey of old lines would have been 

saved had the lines been properly marked when first run. Many 

lines have marks at intervals of 1 mile. A better rule to follow is 

to place the marks in such a way that from any one of them two 

others may be seen; therefore, all obstructing trees and brush should 

be cleared away. Marks should also be placed at road crossings and 

other important points.

"For a discussion of this subject, see U.S. Cong. (1877, p. 260, 261, 267). See also 

Hodgson and others (1926, p. 1699) and Sweitzer (1927, p. 428)t.
HOW BOUNDARIES ARE ESTABLISHED AND CHANGED H

£,..* 

i^sjTp»iW^W ^ *.-. * ' '. vv ". , ^ :«,-3i*^R ;- ! . L-t:. ., - -^ . : - ~ ~ *.-^---*r* ,ra*,*»

FIGURE 1. Boundary monuments. A, The mark farthest north on the Lake of 

the Woods meridian boundary; B, monument on the Mexican boundary; C, 

monument at the "four corners": Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, 

1031. : /,:, .; ': .." .:,-.; : ." '-., /: : .. - 
12 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

FIGURE 2. State boundary monuments. A, Northeast corner of Connecticut; 

B, corner between llhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut; C, north 

end of line between New York and Pennsylvania ; D, monument 20 on Mason 

and Dixon Line.
13

A State-line mark should project not less than 3 feet above ground 

(4 feet is better) and should be so firmly set that it cannot be easily 

overturned nor disturbed by frost. These conditions are most easily 

met by constructing monuments of concrete or of metal posts set on 

concrete bases. Each monument should have the State names on 

opposite sides; it should bear also the year of survey, an identifying 

number, and, if practicable, a reference to the treaty or act in accordance with which the line was run. The" following specifications were 

prepared for the monuments on the New York-Connecticut boundary, survey of 1909-10, and are quoted as affording examples of 

adequate marks:

The monuments are to be of good-quality light-colored granite, free from 

seams or other defects, straight and of full size throughout, not less than 9 nor 

more than 10 feet in length, 12 inches square 4 feet down from the top, tapering 

from 12 inches square to not over 15 inches square in the next 1% feet and not 

less than 12 inches nor more than 20 inches on any face the rest of the distance. 

The top and the four sides of each monument for a distance of 4 feet from the 

top are to be cut smooth at right angles with each other and finished with 6-cut 

work. The tapering portion to be pointed to a smooth even surface to conform 

to the dimensions given. The remaining portions to be left as split, but full 

size, not less than 12 inches square throughout, the bottom to be not less than 12 

inches square and substantially at right angles to the sides, and every point of 

the lower 5 feet of the stone must lie outside the planes of the smooth-cut portion. On one side will be cut the letters "N. Y."; on the opposite side will be 

cut the letters "CONN." On the third side will be cut the figures 

"1909." * * * Additional similar letters shall be cut as may be ordered. * * * The 

letters "N. Y." and "CONN." are to be 5 inches high; the figures to be 4 inches 

high. All letters to be cut with V-shaped indentations at least % inch deep.

These monuments were set in concrete bases 4 feet square and 5 feet 

deep.

The most recent practice in marking curved or crooked boundaries 

is to make them a series of connected straight lines; for water boundaries, suitable reference marks are set on shore. This plan was 

authorized by the British treaty of 1908 for the rivers on the Canadian 

boundary and was adopted in marking the Massachusetts-Rhode 

Island line.

The boundary marks should be protected by law and should be inspected frequently and repaired whenever necessary. Some States 

provide for such attention New York at 3-year intervals, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts at 5-year intervals.18

A U.S. statute, approved March 4, 1909, makes it a misdemeanor to 

molest any monument or witness tree on a Government survey. It 

provides as follows:

18 See New York laws for 1887, chap. 421, and for 1892, chap. 678; Pennsylvania act 

approved May 4, 1889 ; and Massachusetts! Revised Laws, chap. 1, sec. 4.
14 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Whoever shall willfully destroy, deface, change, or remove to another place 

any section corner, quarter-section corner, or meander-post, on any Government 

line of survey, or shall willfully cut down any witness tree or any tree blazed 

to mark the line of a Government survey, or shall willfully, deface, change, or 

remove any monument or bench mark of any Government survey, shall be fined 

not more .than two hundred and fifty dollars, or imprisoned not more than six 

months, or both [Grim. Code, sec. 57 ; 35 Stat. L. 1099].

The necessity for preserving boundary marks was recognized by 

Moses, who wrote (Deuteronomy xix, 14) : "Thou shalt not remove thy 

neighbor's landmark."

Many references to court decisions regarding boundaries can be 

found in the following publications:

Clark, F. E., 1922, A treatise on the law of surveying and boundaries: Indianapolis, Bobbs-Merrill Co., chap. 21.

Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Co., 1928, Digest of U.S. Supreme Court reports, Boundaries : Rochester, N.Y., v. 3, p. 1339-1357.

Mack, William, 1910, Cyclopedia of law and procedure: New York, American 

Law Book Co., v. 36, p. 842.

Mack, William, 1910. Cyclopedia of law and procedure: New York, American 

Law Book Co., v. 36, p. 842.

McKinTey, W. M., and Rich, B. A., Ruling case law, 1934, Boundaries, v. 4, 

p. 77-132; 1916, States, v. 25, p. 373-376.

Michie, T. J., 1909, The encyclopedia of Supreme Court reports : Gharlottesville, 

Va., v. 3, p. 494-507.

Moore, J. B., 1906, A digest of international law: 56th Gong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 

551, v. 1, p. 272, 273, 618, 619, 747.

Skeleton, R. E., 1929, The legal elements of boundary surveying: Indianapolis.

Taylor, R. H., 1874, A treatise on the law of boundaries and fences: Albany, 

William Gould & Son.

BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES

PEOVISIONAL TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN, 1782

The original limits of the United States were first definitely described 

in the provisional treaty concluded with Great Britain November 30, 

1782. The second article of that treaty defines them as follows (see 

fig. 3) 19 (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 581) :

ARTICLE II. From the northwest angle of .Nova Scotia, viz, that angle which 

is formed by a line drawn due north from the source of St. Croix River to the 

highlands; along the highlands which divide those rivers that empty themselves into the river St. Lawrence, from those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, 

to the northwesternmost head of Connecticut River; thence down along the 

middle of that river to the 45th degree of north latitude; from thence by a line 

due west on said latitude until it strikes the river Iroquois or Gataraquy [St. 

Lawrence] ; thence along the middle of said river into Lake Ontario, through the

19 The north end of the western boundary of the Louisiana Purchase, as shown In figs. 

3, 19, 23, 24, and 27, is slightly in error. From a point on the boundary 30 miles south 

of the 49th parallel, the line should run northeastward instead of northwestward, so as to 

exclude the St. Mary River drainage basin from the Louisiana Purchase area.
BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES 15

a 

60

I
16 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

middle of said lake until it strikes the communication by water between that lake 

and Lake'Erie; thence along the middle of said communication into Lake Erie, 

through the middle of said lake until it arrives at the water communication 

between that lake and Lake Huron; thence along the middle of said water communication into the Lake Huron ; thence through the middle of said lake to the 

water communication between that lake and Lake Superior; thence through Lake 

Superior northward of the Isles Royal and Phelippeaux, to the Long Lake; thence 

through the middle of said Long Lake, and the water communication between it 

and the Lake of the Woods, to the said Lake of the Woods; thence through the 

said lake to the most northwestern point thereof, and from thence on a due west 

course to the river Mississippi; thence by a line to be drawn along the middle of 

the said river Mississippi untD it shall intersect the northernmost part of the 31st 

degree of north latitude. South, by a line to be drawn due east from the determination of the line last mentioned, in the latitude of 31 degrees north of the 

equator, to the middle of the river Apalachicola or Catahouche; thence along the 

middle thereof to its junction with the Flint River; thence straight to the head 

of St. Mary's River; and thence down along the middle of St. Mary's River to 

the Atlantic Ocean. East, by a line to be drawn along the middle of the river 

St. Croix, from its mouth in the bay of Fundy to its source, and from its source 

directly north to the aforesaid highlands which divide the rivers that fall into 

the Atlantic Ocean from those which fall into the river St. Lawrence; comprehending all islands within twenty leagues of any part of the shores of the United 

States, and lying between lines to be drawn due east from the points where the 

aforesaid boundaries between Nova Scotia on the one part and East Florida on 

the other, shall respectively touch the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean; 

excepting such islands as now are, or heretofore have been, within the limits of 

the said province of Nova Scotia. [See p. 166 for a separate article attached 

to this treaty.]

TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN, 1783

The definite treaty of peace with Great Britain, concluded September 3, 1783 defines the boundaries of the United States in terms 

similar to those of the provisional treaty.

The northern boundary became at once a fruitful source of dissension between 'the two countries. From the time of the conclusion of 

peace almost to the present day the definite location of this line has 

been the subject of a series of treaties, commissions, and surveys. An 

outline history of the settlement of this dispute follows.

TREATY OF LONDON, 1794

The fourth article of the treaty of London, signed November 19, 

1794, provided that

Whereas it is uncertain whether the river Mississippi extends so far to the 

northward as to foe intersected toy a line to be drawn due west from the Lake of 

the Woods, in the manner mentioned in the treaty of peace between His Majesty 

and the United States: * * * the two parties .will proceed, 'by amicable 

negotiations, to regulate the boundary line in that quarter.

This matter was not settled, however, until 1818.
BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES 17

The fifth, article of the same treaty makes provision for settling 

another doubtful point, as follows:

Whereas doubts have arisen what river was truly intended under the name 

of the river St. Croix, mentioned in the said treaty of peace, and forming a part 

of the boundary therein described; that question shall he referred to the final 

decision of commissions to he appointed in the following manner, viz, * * *.

Here follow provisions that His Majesty and the President of the 

United States should each appoint a commissioner, and that these 

two commissioners should agree on a third, or if they should fail to 

agree on the third, he was to be chosen by lot in their presence.

Which was the true St. 'Croix River had been a matter of controversy between the governments of Massachusetts and Nova Scotia 

since the year 1764.

The commissioners appointed under the foregoing provisions decided, on October 25, 1798, that the river called Schoodiac and the 

northern branch thereof (called Cheputnaticook) is the true River 

St. Croix, and that its source is at the northernmost headspring of 

the northern branch aforesaid (Gallatin, 1840, p. 5). A monument 

was erected at that spot under the direction of the commissioners.

TREATY OF GHENT, 1814

By the treaty of peace concluded at Ghent December 24, 1814, it 

was agreed to provide for a final adjustment of the boundaries described in the treaty of 1783 that had not yet been determined. The 

boundaries in question embraced certain islands in the Bay of Fundy 

and the whole of the boundary line from the source of the River St. 

Croix to the most northwestern point of the Lake of the Woods (Malloy, 1913, v.l, p. 615).

By the fourth article, provision was made for the appointment of 

commissioners to settle the title to several islands in the Passamaquoddy Bay, which is a part of the Bay of Fundy, and the island of 

Grand Manan, in the Bay of Fundy. The fifth article made provision for the appointment of commissioners to settle the boundary 

from the source of the River St. Croix to the Iroquois or Cataraquy 

(St. Lawrence) River. The sixth and seventh articles provided for 

commissioners to continue the line to the Lake of the Woods.

It was provided by this treaty that in case.any of the boards of 

commissioners were unable to agree they should make separately or 

jointly a report or reports to their respective governments stating 

the points on which they differed and the grounds on which they 

based their respective opinions. These reports were to be referred to 

some friendly sovereign or State for arbitration.

The first and third boards of commissioners mentioned above came 

to agreements, and the parts of the boundary referred to them were
18

thus finally determined; but the commissioners appointed under the 

fifth article, after sitting nearly five years, could not agree on any of 

the matters referred to them, nor even on a general map of the country exhibiting the boundaries respectively claimed by each party. 

They accordingly made separate reports to their governments, as 

provided in the treaty.

The first of these commissions awarded Moose, Dudley, and Fred- 

.erick Islands to the United States and all other islands in Passamaquoddy Bay and the island of Grand Manari to Great Britain.

The following is the text of the report (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 621) 

of the third of these commissions, which had under consideration that 

part of the northern boundary between the point where the 45th 

parallel of north latitude strikes the St. Lawrence and the point 

where the boundary reaches Lake Superior:

Decision of the commissioners under 'the sixth article of the treaty of Ghent, 

done at Utica, in the State of New York, 18th June, 1822

[We] do decide and declare that the following-described line (which is more 

clearly indicated on a series of maps accompanying this report, exhibiting correct surveys and delineations of all the rivers, lakes, water communications, 

and islands embraced by the sixth article of the treaty of Ghent, by a black line 

shaded on the British side with red, and on the American side with blue; and 

each sheet of which series of maps is identified by a certificate, subscribed by 

the commissioners, and by the 'two principal surveyors employed by them), is 

the true boundary intended by the 'two before-mentioned treaties, that is to say:

Beginning at a stone monument, erected by Andrew Ellicott, esq., in the year 

of our Lord 1817, on the south bank, or shore, of the said river Iroquois or 

Cataraqua (now called the St. Lawrence), which monument bears south 74°45' 

west, and is 1,840 yards distant from the stone church in the Indian village of St. 

Regis, and indicates the point at which the forty-fifth parallel of north latitude 

strikes the said river; thence running north 35°45' west into the river, on a line 

fit right angles with the southern shore, to a point 100 yards south of the opposite 

island, called Cornwall Island; thence turning westerly and passing around the 

southern and western sides of said island, keeping 100 yards distant therefrom, 

and following the curvatures of its shores, to a point opposite to the northwest 

corner, or angle, of said island; thence to and along the middle of the main 

river, until it approaches the eastern extremity of Barnhart's Island; thence 

northerly, along the channel which divides the last-mentioned island from the 

Canada shore, keeping 100 yards distant from the island, until it approaches 

Sheik's Island; thence along the middle of the strait which divides Barnhart's 

and Sheik's islands to the channel called the Long Sault, which separates the 

two last-mentioned islands from the lower Long Sault Island; thence westerly 

(crossing the center of the last-mentioned channel) until it approaches within 

100 yards of the north shore of the Lower Sault Island; thence up the north 

branch of the river, keeping to the north of, .and near, the Lower Sault Island, 

and also north of, and near, the Upper Sault (sometimes called Baxter's) Island, 

and south of the two small islands, marked on the map A and B, to the western 

extremity of the Upper Sault, or Baxter's Island; thence passing between the 

two islands called the Cats, to the middle of the river above; thence along the 

middle of the river, keeping to the north of the small islands marked C and D;
BOUNDARIES OP THE UNITED STATES 19

and north also of Chrystler's Island and of the small island next above it, marked 

E, until it approaches the northeast angle of Goose Neck Island; thence along 

the passage which divides the last-mentioned island from the Canada shore, 

keeping 100 yards from the island to the upper end of the same; thence south 

of, and near, the two small islands called the Nut Islands; thence north of, and 

near, the island marked F, and also of the island called Dry or Smuggler's 

Island; thence passing between the islands marked G and H, to the north of the 

island called Isle au Rapid Platt; thence along the north side of the last-mentioned island, keeping 100 yards from the shore to the upper end thereof; thence 

along the middle of the river, keeping to the south of, and near, the islands called 

Cousson (or Tussin) and Presque Isle; thence up the river, keeping north of, 

and near, the several Gallop Isles numbered on the map 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 

10, and also of Tick, Tibbets, and Chimney islands; and south of, and near, the 

Gallop Isles, numbered 11, 12, and 13, and also of Duck, Drummond, and Sheep 

islands; thence along the middle of the river, passing north of island No. 14, 

south of 15, and 16, north of 17, south of 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 28, and 

north of 26 zo and 27; thence along the middle of the river, north of Gull Island, 

and of the islands No. 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, Bluff Island, and No. 39, 44, and 45, and 

to the south of No. 30, 31, 36, Grenadier Island, and No. 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 

47, and 48, until it approaches the east end of Well's Island; thence to the north 

of Well's Island, and along the strait which divides it from Rowe's Island, keeping to the north of the small islands No. 51, 52, 54, 58, 59, and 61, and to the south 

of the small islands numbered and marked 49, 50, 53, 55, 57, 60, and X, until it 

approaches the northeast point of Grindstone Island; thence to the north of 

Grindstone Island, and keeping to the north also of the small islands No. 63, 

65, 67, 68, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78, and to the south of No. 62, 64, 66, 69, 

and 71, until it approaches the southern point of Hickory Island; thence passing 

to the south of Hickory Island, and of the two small islands lying near its southern extremity, numbered 79 and 80; thence to the south of Grand or Long Island, 

keeping near its southern shore, and passing to the north of Carlton Island, until 

it arrives opposite to the southwestern point of said Grand Island, in Lake Ontario; thence, passing to the north of Grenadier, Fox, Stony, and the Gallop 

islands, in Lake Ontario, and to the south of, and near, the islands called the 

Ducks, to the middle of the said lake; thence westerly, along the middle of 

said lake, to a point opposite the mouth of the Niagara River; thence to and 

up the middle of the said river to the Great Falls; thence up the Falls through 

the point of the Horse Shoe, keeping to the west of Iris or Goat Island, and of 

the group of small islands at its head, and following the bends of the river so 

as to enter the strait between Navy and Grand islands; thence along the middle 

of said strait to the head of Navy Island; thence to the west and south of, and 

near to, Grand and Beaver islands, and to the west of Strawberry, Squaw, and 

Bird islands, to Lake Erie 21 ; thence southerly and westerly, along the middle 

of Lake Erie, in a direction to enter the passage immediately south of Middle 

Island, being one of the easternmost of the group of islands lying in the western 

part of said lake; thence along the said passage, proceeding to the north of 

Cunningham's Island, of the three Bass Islands, and of the Western Sister, and 

to the south of the islands called the Hen and Chickens, and of the Eastern and 

Middle Sisters; thence to the middle of the mouth of the Detroit River, in a direction to enter the channel which divides Bois-Blanc and Sugar Islands; thence up

20 The line Is drawn south of No. 26 on the map filed in Washington.

21 Horseshoe Reef, which is near the outlet of Lake Erie, was ceded to the United States 

Dec. 9, 1850, as a site for a lighthouse.
20 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

the said channel to the west of Bois-Blanc Island, and to the east of Sugar, 

Fox, and Stony islands, until it approaches Fighting or Great Turkey Island; 

thence along the western side, and near the shore of said last-mentioned 

island to the middle of the river above the same; thence along the middle of 

'said river, keeping to the southeast of, and near, Hog Island, and to the 

northwest, of and near the island Isle a la Pache, to Lake Saint Clair; thence 

through the middle of said lake in a direction to enter that mouth or channel 

of the river St. Clair, which is usually denominated the Old Ship Channel; 

thence along the middle of said channel, between Squirrel Island on the 

southeast, and Herson's Island on the northwest, to the upper end of the lastmentioned island, which is nearly opposite to Point aux Chenes, on the American shore; thence along the middle of the river St. Clair, keeping to the west 

of, and near, the islands called Belle Riviere Isle, and Isle aux Cerfs, to Lake 

Huron; thence through the middle of Lake Huron, in a direction to enter the 

strait or passage between Drummond's Island on the west, and the Little 

Manitou Island on the east; thence through the middle of the passage which 

divides the two last-mentioned islands; thence turning northerly and westerly, around the eastern and northern shores of Drummond's Island, and proceeding in a direction to enter the passage between the island of St. Joseph's 

and the American shore, passing to the north of the intermediate islands No. 

61, 11, 10, 12, 9, 6, 4, and 2, and to the south of those numbered 15, 13, 5, and 

1; thence up the said last-mentioned passage, keeping near to the island St. 

Joseph's, and passing to the north and east of Isle a la Crosse, and of the 

small islands numbered 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, and to the south and west of 

those numbered 21, 22, and 23, until it strikes a line (drawn on the map with 

black ink and shaded on one side of the point of intersection with blue, and 

on the other side with red), passing across the river at the head of St. Joseph's 

Island, and at the foot of the Neebish Rapids, which line denotes the termination of the boundary directed to be run by the sixth article of the treaty of 

Ghent.

And the said commissioners do further decide and declare that all the islands 

lying in the rivers, lakes, and water communications, between the beforedescribed boundary line and the adjacent shores of Upper Canada, do, and each 

of them does, belong to His Britannic Majesty, and that all the islands lying 

in the rivers, lakes, and water 'communications, between the said boundary 

line and the adjacent shores of the United States, or their territories, do, and 

each of them does, belong to the United States of America, in conformity with 

the true intent of the second article of the said treaty of 1783, and of 'the sixth 

article of the treaty of Ghent.

In accordance with the terms of the treaty of Ghent a survey was 

made of the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, from which a map 

was drawn. This map was photolithographed and was published in 

29 sheets by the U.S. Lighthouse Board in 1891. (See reference to 

resurvey under treaty of 1908, p. 29.)

CONVENTION WITH GREAT BRITAIN, 1818

The convention with Great Britain concluded October 20, 1818, 

extended the boundary line westward along the 49th parallel of 

latitude to the "Stony" (Eocky) .Mountains and provided that the 

country beyond these mountains should for 10 years remain open to
BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES 21

both parties. Two articles of the convention are as follows (Malloy, 

1910, v. 1, p. 632) :

ARTICLE II. It is agreed that a line drawn from the most northwestern point 

of the Lake of the Woods, along the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, 

or if the said point shall not be in the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, 

then that a line drawn from the said point due north or south, as the case 

may be, until the said line shall intersect the said parallel of north latitude, 

and from the point of such intersection due west along and with the said 

parallel shall be the line of demarkation between the territories of the United 

States, and those of His Britannic Majesty, and that the said line shall form 

the northern boundary of the said territories of the United States, and the 

southern boundary of the territories of His Britannic Majesty, from the Lake 

of the Woods to the Stony Mountains.

ARTICLE III. It is agreed, that any country that may be claimed by either party 

on the northwest coast of America, westward of the Stony Mountains, shall, 

together with its harbours, bays, and creeks, and the navigation of all rivers 

within the same, be free and open, for the term of ten years from the date of the 

signature of the present convention, to the vessels, citizens, and subjects of the 

two Powers: it being well understood, that this agreement is not to be construed 

to the prejudice of any claim, which either of the two high contracting parties 

may have to any part of the said country, nor shall it be taken to affect the 

claims of any other Power or State to any part of the said country; the only 

object of the high contracting parties, in that respect being to prevent disputes 

and differences amongst themselves.

The initial point of this boundary, which the convention fixed as 

"the most northwestern point" of the Lake of the Woods, was selected 

in 1824 by Dr. J. L. Tiarks, astronomer, and David Thompson, surveyor, who were employed by the British Government for this purpose, 

and their report was accepted by the U.S. commissioners. The point 

selected was about 27.5 miles north of the 49th parallel, in a swamp, 

where it was not feasible to establish a permanent mark, but astronomical observations were made at a reference point about 4,600 feet 

farther south. A pile of logs 12 feet high and 7 feet square was erected at this point, the remains of which were identified by the commissioners of 1872, who established an iron monument on the boundary 

a short distance from its site.22

This monument was recovered by the commission of 1912 and reset 

in concrete. It is now known as boundary mark 925, and its position 

is lat 49°22'39.6" N., long 95°09'11.6" W. (See fig. 1A.) Two reference marks were established in 1912, in lat 49°23'04.49" N., to 

fix a point which falls in water about half a mile north of boundary 

mark 925. This point was adopted by the treaty of 1925 as the north 

limit of the United States in the Lake of the Woods, in place of the 

north westernmost angle. There are 13 metal monuments on the north23 See U.S. Cong. (1877, p. 80-82), Internat. Joint Comm., United States and Canada 

(1917, p. 138; this book contains a bibliography of publications for the Lake of the 

Woods region), White (1914a, p. 886), and Hinks (1921, p. 438-441).
22 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

south boundary line from this point to the 49th parallel, of which 

No. 925 is the farthest north.

In 1824 negotiations were resumed between the two countries for 

the settlement, among other things, of the boundary west of the Rocky 

Mountains, but no conclusion was .reached; the British Government 

claimed that the boundary line should follow the 49th parallel westward to the point where this parallel strikes the great northwestern 

branch of the Columbia River, thence down the middle of that river to 

the Pacific Ocean.

In 1826 negotiations were resumed, and several compromises were 

proposed by both parties, but without satisfactory results. After 

this the whole matter remained in abeyance until the special mission 

of Lord Ashburton to this country in 1842.

Meanwhile the unsettled questions regarding the eastern part of 

the north boundary again came up. The case having reached that 

stage at which it became necessary to refer the points of difference to 

a friendly sovereign or State, the two powers found it expedient to 

regulate the proceedings and make provisions in relation to such 

reference, and on September 29, 1827, they concluded a convention 

to that end (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 646; Moore, 1898, chap. 3, 4).

The respective claims of the United States and Great Britain were 

as follows (see fig. 4):

Boundary claimed by the United States: From the source of the 

River St. Croix (a point of departure mutually acknowledged) the 

boundary should be a. due north line for about 140 mileSj:.crossing 

the River St. John at about 75 miles. At about 97 miles it reaches a 

 ridge or highland which divides tributary streams of the River St. 

John, which falls into the Bay of Fundy, from the waters of the 

River Ristigouche, which falls through the Bay des Chaleurs into 

the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In its further course the said due north 

line, after crossing several upper branches of the River Ristigouche, 

reaches, at about 140 miles, the highlands which divide the waters 

of the said River Ristigouche from the tributary streams of the 

River Metis, which falls into the River St. Lawrence. Thence the 

line should run westerly and southwesterly along the highlands 

which divide the sources of the several rivers (from the Metis to the 

St. Francis) that empty themselves into the River St. Lawrence 

from the sources of the tributaries of the Rivers Ristigouche, St. 

John, Penobscot, Kennebec, and Connecticut, all of which either 

mediately or immediately fall into the Atlantic Ocean.

Boundary claimed by Great Britain: From the source of the River 

St. Croix the boundary should be a due north line about 40 miles to 

a point at or near Mars Hill; then it should run westerly about 115
BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES 23

FIGURE 4. Maine, showing the claims of the United States and Great Britain in 

1827 and the present boundary.

776-664 O-66 3
24 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

miles along the highlands that divide the sources of the tributaries of 

the River St. John from the sources of the River Penobscot to a 

spot called Metjarmette Portage, near the source of the River 

Chaudiere.

From this point the line coincides with the line claimed by the 

United States as far as the northwesternmost head of the Connecticut 

River. Great Britain claimed one of several small streams to be 

the northwesternmost tributary of the Connecticut River, and the 

United States another.

The territory in dispute comprised an area of about 12,000 square 

miles. The British claims were based principally on a possible 

uncertainty as to the identity of the River St. Croix and the proper 

location of the "highlands."

The location of the source of the St. Croix was officially fixed by 

the declaration of commissioners in October, 1798. Its position as 

determined in 1899 is lat 45°56''37.007" N. and long 67°46'54.715" W. 

(U.S. Coast Geod. Survey, 1918, p. 30).

ARBITRATION BY KING OF THE NETHERLANDS

The King of the Netherlands was selected in 1829 by the two Governments as the arbiter, and each laid before him, in conformity with 

the provisions of the convention, all the evidence intended to be 

brought in support of its claim and two separate statements of the 

respective cases. His award, made in 1831, was as follows (Moore, 

1898, p. 13^-136) :

We are of the opinion: That it will be suitable (il conviendra) to adopt, 

as the boundary of the two States, a line drawn due north from the source 

of the river St. Croix to the point where it intersects the middle of the 

thalweg of the river St. John; thence, the middle of the thalweg of that river, 

ascending it, to the point where the river St. Francis empties itself into the 

river St. John; thence, the middle of the thalweg of the river St. Francis, ascending it to the source of its southwesternmost branch, which source we indicate 

on the Map A 23 by the letter X, authenticated by the signature of our 

Minister of Foreign Affairs; thence, in a line drawn due west to the point where 

it unites with the line claimed by the United States of America and delineated 

on the Map A; thence, by said line to the point at which, according to said 

map, it coincides with that claimed by Great Britain; and thence, the line 

traced on the map by the two Powers to the northwesternmost source of 

Connecticut 

*******

River.

We are of the opinion that the stream situated farthest to the northwest, 

among these which fall into the northernmost of the three Lakes, the last of 

which bears the name of Connecticut Lake, must be considered as the northwesternmost head of Connecticut River.

23 The New York Public Library has a facsimile copy, 62 by 63 In., of the signed original 

map. Moore (1898) gives a corrected copy on a small scale.
BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES 25

We are .of the opinion that it will be suitable to proceed to fresh operations 

to measure the observed latitude in order to mark out the boundary from river 

Connecticut along the parallel of the 45th degree of north latitude to the river 

Saint Lawrence, named in the treaties Iroquois or Cataraquy, in such a manner, 

however, that, in all cases, at the place called Rouse's Point the territory of the 

United States of America shall extend to the fort erected at that place, and shall 

include said fort and its Kilometrical radius.

However disposed the Government of the United States might 

have been to acquiesce in the decision of the arbiter, it had not the 

power to change the boundaries of a State without the consent of the 

State. Against that alteration, the State of Maine entered a solemn 

protest; by resolution of January 19, 1832, and the Senate of the 

United States accordingly refused to give its assent to the award.

The arbitration of the King of the Netherlands having failed, 

fruitless negotiations ensued for .a period of 11 years. Unsuccessful 

attempts were made to conclude an agreement preparatory to another arbitration. The subject became a matter of great irritation, 

collisions occurred in the contested territory, and for a time it seemed 

certain that the controversy would result in war between the two 

powers.

The Legislature of Maine placed a large sum at the disposal of the 

governor for the defense of the State's rights, and a bill was passed 

by Congress providing funds for the use of an army.

Massachusetts, being an interested party in the location of this 

boundary, appointed a committee to investigate the matter; its report 

Avas published March 20, 1838, as Senate Document 67.24 Gallatin 

(1840) presents an excellent discussion of this dispute from the point 

of view of the United States; his book presents a small-scale copy of 

"Map A." White (1914a) treats of this boundary from the British 

viewpoint.25

WEBSTER-ASHBURTON TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN, 1842

In 1842, however, Great Britain gave proof, by the special mission 

of Lord Ashburton to the United States, of her desire for the preservation of peace and an amicable arrangement of the matter at issue. 

The subject of this mission was the settlement of not only the northeastern boundary but also the northern boundary west of the Rocky 

Mountains. Regarding the latter boundary, Lord Ashburton's instructions gave as the ultimatum of the British Government the 

boundary as above claimed (p. 22), and his mission had no result as 

far as this particular boundary was concerned. An agreement was 

reached, however, in regard to the northeastern boundary, which, the

24 See U.S. Cong. (1838) for a copy of report and map. See also, U.S. Cong. (1839a). 

28 For other references to this dispute, see Internal. Boundary Comm., United States 

and Canada (1925), and Faris (1926, chap. 1).
26 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

consent of the State of Maine having been obtained, was embodied in 

the treaty concluded August 9, 1842. The following is the text of the 

part of this treaty relating to the boundary (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, 

p. 651) :

ARTICLE I. It is hereby agreed and declared that the line of boundary shall 

be as follows: Beginning at the monument at the source of the river St. Croix 

as designated and agreed to by the Commissioners under the fifth article of 

the treaty of 175>4, between the Governments of the United States and Great 

Britain; thence north, following the exploring line run and marked by the 

surveyors of the two Governments in the years 1817 and 1818, under the fifth 

article of the treaty of Ghent, to its intersection with the river St. John, and 

to the middle of the channel thereof; thence, up the middle of the main channel of the said river St. John, to the mouth of the river St. Francis; thence up 

the middle of the channel of the said river St. Francis, and of the lakes through 

which it flows, to the outlet of the Lake Pohenagamook; thence, southwesterly, 

in a straight line, to a point on the northwest branch of the river St. John, 

which point shall be ten miles distant from the main branch of the St. John, in 

a straight line, and in the nearest direction; but if the said point shall be found 

to be less than seven miles from the nearest point of the summit or crest of the 

highlands that divide those rivers which empty themselves into the river Saint 

Lawrence from those which fall into the river Saint John, then the said point 

shall be made to recede down the said northwest branch of the river St. John, to 

a point seven miles in a straight line from the said summit or crest; thence, in 

a straight line, in a course about south, eight degrees west, to the point where 

the parallel of latitude 46°25' north intersects the southwest branch of the St. 

John's; thence, southerly, by the said branch, to the source thereof in the highlands at the Metjarmette portage; thence, down along the said highlands which 

divide the waters which empty themselves into the river Saint Lawrence from 

those which fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the head of Hall's Stream; thence, 

down the middle of said stream, till the line thus run intersects the old line of 

boundary surveyed and marked by Valentine and Collins, previously to the 

year 1774, as the 45th degree of north latitude, and which has been known and 

understood to be the line of actual division between the States of New York and 

Vermont on one side and the British province of Canada on the other; and from 

said point of intersection, west, along the said dividing line, as heretofore 

known and understood, to the Iroquois or St. Lawrence River.

ARTICLE II. It is moreover agreed, that, from the place where the joint 

Commissioners terminated their labors under the sixth article of the treaty of 

Ghent, to wit, at a point in the Neebish Channel, near Muddy Lake, the line 

shall run into and along the ship-channel between Saint Joseph and St. Tammany 

Islands, to the division of the channel at or near the head of St. Joseph's 

Island; thence, turning eastwardly and northwardly around the lower end of 

St. George's or Sugar Island, and following the middle of the channel which 

divides St. George's from St. Joseph's Island; thence up the east Neebish 

Channel, nearest to St. George's Island, through the middle of Lake George; 

thence, west of Jonas' Island, into St. Mary's River, to a point in the middle 

of that river, about one mile above St. George's or Sugar Island, so as to appropriate and assign the said island to the United States; thence, adopting the 

line traced on the maps by the Commissioners, thro' the river St. Mary and 

Lake Superior, to a point north of He Eoyale, in said lake, one hundred yards 

to the north and east of lie Chapeau, which last-mentioned island lies near
BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES 27

the northeastern point of He Royale, where the line marked by the Commissioners terminates; and from the last-mentioned point, southwesterly, through 

the middle of the sound between He Royale and the northwestern mainland, 

to the mouth of Pigeon River, and up the said river, to and through the north 

and south Fowl Lakes, to the lakes of the height of land between Lake Superior 

and the Lake of the Woods; thence, along the water communication to Lake 

Saisaginaga, and through that lake; thence to and through Cypress Lake, Lac 

du Bois Blanc, Lac la Croix, Little Vermillion Lake, and Lake Namecan and 

through the several smaller lakes, straits, or streams, connecting the lakes here 

mentioned, to that point in Lac la Pluie, or Rainy Lake, at the Chaudiere 

Falls, from which the Commissioners traced the line to the most northwestern 

point of the Lake of the Woods; thence, along the said line, to the said most 

northwestern point, being in latitude 49°23'55" north, and in longitude 95°14'- 

38" west from the observatory at Greenwich; 20 thence, according to existing 

treaties, due south to its intersection with the 49th parallel of north latitude, 

and along that parallel to the Rocky Mountains. It being understood that all 

the water communications and all the usual portages along the line from Lake 

Superior to the Lake of the Woods, and also Grand Portage, from the shore 

of Lake Superior to the Pigeon River, as now actually used, shall be free and 

open to the use of the citizens and subjects of both countries.

******* 

ARTICLE VII. It is further agreed that the channels in the river St. Lawrence, 

on both sides of the Long Sault Islands and of Barnhart Island, the channels 

in the river Detroit on both sides of the island Bois Blanc, and between that 

island and both the American and Canadian shores, and all the several channels 

and.passages between the various islands lying near the junction of the river 

St. Glair with the lake of that name, shall-be equally free and open to the ships, 

vessels, and boats of both parties.27

By this treaty the United States obtained more than half of the 

disputed area, though nearly 1,000 square miles less than was awarded 

by the King of the Netherlands. The promise of reimbursement for 

the cost of surveys and other expenses, and the division of a large fund 

for timber cut in the disputed territory, no doubt influenced Maine 

in agreeing to the boundary as fixed by the treaty.

Commissioners acting under this treaty in 1843-1847 surveyed the 

boundary line to a point where the 45th parallel intersects the St. 

Lawrence (U.S. Gong., 1848; New York [State] Univ., 1884, v. 2, 

p. 53).

The wording of .the part of the treaty of 1783 relating to the 

northeastern boundary and its intent are so obvious that it seems 

strange that there should have been a dispute continuing for nearly 

60 years regarding its interpretation. An English writer in 1911 

characterizes the action of Great Britain as an "attempted theft"

28 This is the position of the north mark as determined in 1824. See p. 21 for later 

determination.

27 By Article XXVI of the treaty with Great -Britain of May 8, 1871, the St. Lawrence 

from its intersection with the 45th parallel to the sea was forever made "free and -open 

for the purpose of commerce to the citizens of the United States."
28

and states that "the British claim had no foundation of any sort or 

kind" (Mills, 1911, p. 684-687).

Ganong (1901), in a monograph on the boundaries of New Brunswick, after a lengthy discussion of the boundary dispute and of the 

treaty of 1842, states:

On the other hand, the few New Brunswickers of the present time who have 

examined the original sources of information have come to the conclusion that 

in the question of the northwest angle Maine was technically right and New 

Brunswick wrong, and that the Ashburton treaty took from Maine and gave 

to us a great territory to which we had not a technical right.

That a contrary view was held by many Canadians may be inferred 

from an article in the Yearbook and Almanac of Canada for 1868 

(quoted in New York [State] Univ., 1884, v. 2, p. 65-Y5).

TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN, 1846

Between 1843 and 1846 there was considerable discussion regarding 

the boundary west of the Rocky Mountains, resulting in the treaty of 

1846, which defined the boundary as far weist as the Strait of Juan de 

Fuca. The following is that part of the treaty which describes the 

boundary (Malloy, 1913, v. 1, p. 657):

ARTICLE I. From the point on the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, where 

the boundary laid down in existing treaties and conventions between the United 

States and Great Britain terminates, the line of boundary between the territories 

of .the United States and those of Her Britannic Majesty shall be continued westward along the said forty-ninth parallel of north latitude to the middle of the 

channel which separates the continent from Vancouver's Island; and thence 

southerly through the middle of the said channel, and of Fuca's Straits, to the 

Pacific Ocean: Provided, however, that the navigation of the whole of the said 

channel and straits, south of the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, remain 

free and open to both partiesi.

ARTICLE II. From the point at which the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude 

shall be found to intersect the great northern branch of the Columbia River, the 

navigation of the said branch shall be free and open to the Hudson's Bay Company, and to all British subjects trading with the same, to the point where the 

said branch meets the main stream of the Columbia, and thence down the said 

main stream to the ocean, with free access into and through the said river or 

rivers, it being understood that all the usual portages along the line thus described shall, in like manner, be free and open. In navigating the said river 

or rivers, British subjects, with their goods and produce, shall be treated on the 

same footing as citizens of the United States; it being, however, always understood that nothing in this article shall be construed as preventing, or intended 

to prevent, the Government of the United States from making any regulations 

respecting the navigation of the said river or rivers not inconsistent with the 

present treaty.

This treaty extended the line westward from the Rocky Mountains 

to the Pacific along the 49th parallel of latitude. This settled the 

northwest boundary with the exception of the islands and passages in
BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES 29

the Straits of Georgia and of Juan de Fuca, England claiming that the 

boundary should properly run through the Rosario Strait, the most 

eastern passage, whereas the United States claiming that it should 

follow the Strait of Haro. This matter was finally settled by a reference to the Emperor of Germany as an arbitrator, who decided it in 

favor of the United States on October 21, 1872 (Malloy, 1913, v. 1, 

p. 725).

TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN, 1908

The treaty with Great Britain concluded April 11, 1908, described 

the 'boundary between the United States and Canada in eight sections 

and provided for the appointment of a joint commission to recover 

or restore previously established marks and to place new marks on 

unmarked sections (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 815).

Eight of the nine articles of this treaty contained the following 

statement:

The line so defined and laid down shall be taken and deemed to be the international boundary * * *.

This, the commissioners decided, fixes the boundary in a definite 

position as marked, regardless of later changes which may occur in 

streams due to erosion, accretion, or avulsion.

TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN, 1910

In order to remove a slight uncertainty concerning the boundary 

line in Passamaqiioddy Bay, a treaty with Great Britain (Charles, 

1913, p. 49) was concluded on May 21,1910, which laid down the position of the line 'by courses and distances, starting from a point 'between 

Treat Island and Campobello Island, previously fixed by range lines, 

and running thence in a general southerly direction to the middle of 

Grand Manan Channel. Popes Folly Island and the lighthouse between Woodward Point and Cranberry Point were left within United 

States territory.

The retracement and remarking of the northern boundary of the 

United States from the summit of the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf 

of Georgia was- completed in 1907. Since the treaty of 1908 was 

ratified, the fieldwork for the survey and marking of the remainder 

of the northern boundary has been completed. The computed lengths 

of the eight sections described in the treaty are as follows:'

28 See report prepared for the Department of State by C. P. Anderson, 1906, on the 

northern boundary of the United States with particular reference to the parts thereof 

which require more complete definition and marking.
30 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Miles

Passamaquoddy Bay ____________________________ *25.2 

St. Croix River from its source to its mouth _____ _____ * 129.4 

St. Lawrence River to source of St. Oroix ________ _____ 2 670.3 

Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River _________ ______ 1 1,288.9 

Northwesternmost point of Lake of the Woods 3 to the mouth of

Pigeon River at Lake Superior (scaled from map) -_______ 1 425.6 

North point of Lake of the Woods (1925) to 49th parallel (26.6

miles), thence to summit of Rocky Mountains (860 miles) __ 4 886.6 

Summit of Rocky Mountains to Strait (or Gulf) of Georgia at

Point Roberts ______________________________ 4 418.5 

Point Roberts to Pacific Ocean ______________ ___ * 142.0

3,986.5

1 Water boundary.

2 Land and water boundary.

3 See change in location by Article I, treaty of 1925.

4 Land boundary.

Of the total, approximately l,Y7l miles is land boundary and 2,216 

miles is water boundary. . The land part of the boundary is marked 

by metal, stone, or concrete monuments; the water part is defined by 

courses and distances between turning points (angles), and these 

points are referred to marks of metal or concrete on the banks or shores.

The final report (Internat. Boundary Comm., United States and 

Canada, 1925) for that part of the line from the source of the St. Croix 

to the St. Lawrence River includes historical data, copies of treaties, 

and geographic positions of all monuments. There are 4,204 monuments and 548 reference marks for this part of the boundary.

The full report of the resurvey and marking of St. Lawrence River 

and the Great Lakes has been published by the Canadian Government 

(Internat. Waterways Comm., 1916). It gives extracts from treaties, 

instructions to the commissioners, courses and distances between marks, 

and geographic positions and azimuths.

Changes in the topography due to the construction of the St. 

Lawrence Seaway have made necessary the re-marking of the boundary where it follows the river. New monuments have been placed to 

reference by course and distance the position of angle points in the 

boundary which lie in the water. The new data are to be published by 

the International Boundary Commission.

From the mouth of the Pigeon River to the northwesternmost point 

in the Lake of the Woods, as relocated by the treaty of 1908, the water 

boundary is defined by courses and distances between turning points on 

the boundary line, and these are referred to metal reference marks set 

in concrete or solid rock on the shores of the lakes and the banks of the 

streams.

From the northwesternmost point of the Lake of the Woods to the 

summit of the Rocky Mountains, the boundary is composed of a north-
BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES 31

south section, 26.6 miles long, which meets the 49th parallel at a point 

in the Lake of the Woods, and an east-west section, 860 miles long, 

approximately on the 49th astronomic parallel. This part of the 

boundary was first located in 1872 to 1876 and was marked by iron 

pillars, rock cairns, or earth mounds at intervals of 1 to 19 miles.29 

There were 382 marks in all, 40 of which were at astronomic stations. 

The cairns and earth mounds have now been replaced by iron monuments weighing about 400 pounds each (see fig. L4) or, in the mountains, by aluminum-bronze monuments set on concrete foundations 

and projecting 5 feet above the surface. Additional monuments have 

been so placed that no interval between two consecutive marks exceeds 

2% miles. This resurvey was completed in 1913, and 40 maps covering 

the line have been published.

Boundary "monuments along the 49th parallel may vary in latitude 

by as much as a second or more, because many of them were astronomic 

stations. It was not thought practical to move these to the true 

parallel, and the boundary is defined as the line joining successive 

stations.

In order to facilitate the enforcement of customs and immigration 

laws (35 Stat. 2189) the Federal Government by proclamation on June 

15, 1908, reserved all unpatented public lands lying within 60 feet 

of the boundary line.

From the summit of the Rocky Mountains to the Strait of Georgia, 

410 miles of land line on the 49th astronomic parallel was located 

by a joint commission between 1859 and 1862, and was marked by stone 

or iron pillars, rock piles, or mounds of earth at intervals ranging 

from a fraction of a mile to 25 miles (Baker, 1900; Klotz, 1917, 

p. 382-387).30 A retracement of this line was completed in 1907. 

The new marks consist of aluminum-bronze pillars 5 feet high, weighing about 250 pounds each, set in concrete bases at intervals not exceeding 4 miles. The maps of this section of the boundary, 19 sheets, 

aave been published.

Along the 49th parallel in the Strait of Georgia, and through the 

Straits of Haro and Juan de Fuca to the Pacific Ocean, a distance 

of 142 miles, the boundary is defined by courses and distances between 

turning points, which are referred to reference marks consisting of 

concrete monuments and lighthouses on the shores. The report on this 

section of the boundary was published in 1921 (Internat. Boundary 

Comm., United States and Canada, 1921).

29 For details regarding the survey, see U.S. Cong. (1877).

30 A report by the British commissioner with ^descriptions and longitudes of marks for 

this survey is given in U.S. Foreign Office correspondence, 1865-1871, v. 811, America, 

p. 1468.
32 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Considerable information regarding the northern boundary of the 

United States may be found in articles by John W. Davis (1922) and 

Lawrence S. Mayo (1923).

TREATY WITH GREAT BRITAIN, 1925

Several minor changes were made in the northern boundary by 

the treaty concluded February 24, 1925 (44 Stat,, pt, 3, p. 2102).

The northern terminus of the Lake of the Woods boundary was 

fixed at lat 49°23'04.49" N., long 95°09'11.61" W. (See p. 21.) 

By this change the United States lost about 2^/2 acres of water area.

Article II of the treaty made the lines between monuments established under the treaty of 1908 on the 49th parallel east of the Rocky 

Mountains straight lines, not following the curve of the parallel. The 

United States gained between 30 and 35 acres of land by this change.

Article III added a new course bearing S. 34°42' W., a distance of 

2,383 meters (1.48 miles), from the terminus of the southeasterly 

line established by the treaty of 1910 in the Grand Manan Channel. 

Canada thereby made a net gain in water area of about 9 acres, which 

had previously been of "controversial jurisdiction."

Article IV provided for inspection of existing monuments, repair of 

defective ones, and addition of new ones, if needed, by joint commissioners "at such times as they shall deem necessary."

TREATY WITH SPAIN, 1795

The southern boundary of the United States was described in 

definite terms by the treaties with Great Britain of 1782 and 1783 

(see p. 14-16), but its location was not accepted by Spain and was disputed by that country until settled by the treaty concluded October 27, 

1795 (Malloy, 1910 v. 2, p. 1640), wherein it was agreed that

The southern boundary of the United States which divides their territory 

from the Spanish colonies of east and west Florida, shall be designated by 

a line beginning on the River Mississippi, at the northernmost part of the 

thirty-first degree of latitude north of the Equator, which from thence shall 

be drawn due east to the middle of the River Apalachicola, or Catahouche, 

thence along the middle therof to its junction with the Flint; thence straight 

to the head of St. Mary's River, and thence down the middle thereof to the 

Atlantic Ocean.

Article IV of this treaty described the western boundary, which 

separated the "Spanish colony of Louisiana" from the United States, 

as being

in the middle of the channel or bed of the River Mississippi, from the northern 

boundary of the said States to the completion of the thirty-first degree of 

latitude north of the Equator.
BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED STATES 33

DISTANCES ALONG THE BOUNDARIES OF THE UNITED

STATES

The distances given below are as projected on a sea-level plane. 

All these boundaries, on land as well as through water, consist of 

straight lines between "turning points." Some of these lines in 

New Hampshire, for example may be less than 50 feet long. The 

New Hampshire boundary, if measured in steps of a quarter of a 

mile, would be only 49 miles long.

Northern boundary

Maine:

Miles

Atlantic Ocean to mouth of St. Croix River_____ __ 25.2 

iMouth of St. Croix to source ___ - 129.4 

Source of St. Croix along northern line 77.6 

Westward along St. Johns River______ ___ __ 72.0 

Along St. Francis River_______________ 42. 6 

Diagonal line southwest___________-___ __ 83. 6 

Southwest branch of St. Johns to the highlands 38.4 

Along the highlands to the New Hampshire corner 141.3

 610.1

New Hampshire:

Maine corner to source of Halls Stream ___ _ 33. 3 

Halls Stream 'to north line of Vermont -________ 26. 6

 59.9

Vermont: North line east and west on or near the 45th parallel

to middle of main channel of Lake Champlain_________ 90. 4

New York:

Vermount corner in Lake Champlain west to St. Lawrence

River ______________________________ 64. 5 

Through St. Lawrence, Lake Ontario, Niagara River, and

Lake Erie to Pennsylvania corner_____________ 380. 7

 445.2

Pennsylvania : Through part of Lake Erie____________ 41. 5 

Ohio : Through part of Lake Erie_________________ 146. 2 

Michigan: North and west through lakes and rivers to Minnesota corner at mouth of Pigeon River____________ 720. 5

Minnesota:

Mouth of Pigeon River to northwest angle in Lake of the

Woods ______________________________ 425.6 

Northwest angle in Lake of the Woods south to lat 49°

N. __._____________________ 26.6 

Along 49th parallel to North Dakota corner_________ 93.3

 545.5

North Dakota: Along 49th parallel________________ 310.0 

Montana: Along 49th parallel___________________ 545.6 

Idaho: Along 49th parallel______________________ 44. 7
34

Washington:

Along 49fch parallel_________________________ 285. 5 

'Gulf of Georgia to Pacific Ocean opposite Cape Flattery 142. 0

 427.5

3, 987.1 

Southern boundary

Texas (along Rio Grande, approximate) ____ _ _ _ 1,241 

New Mexico___________ _ _ _ 179. 5 

Arizona (19.1 miles along Colorado River)____ _ 372.5 

California ^_____________________________ _ 140. 4

1, 933. 4

ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY OF THE UNITED

STATES 31

In this bulletin, the phrase "territory of the United States" includes 

areas under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the United States. These 

areas extend over a large part of the earth; from Barrow, Alaska, on 

the north to American Samoa on the south, and from the Palau Islands 

in the western Pacific to the Virgin Islands in the Atlantic. In places, 

for statistical purposes it is desirable to refer to the 48 States and the 

District of Columbia, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. The words "conterminous United States" are used in these places.

LOUISIANA PURCHASE

The entire basin of the Mississippi and its tributaries, and much of 

the coast region of the Gulf of Mexico which were subsequently known 

as the Territory of Louisiana, were originally claimed by La Salle 32 in 

1682 for France by virtue of discovery and occupation. (See pi. 1 for 

routes followed by La Salle and others between the Great Lakes and 

the Gulf of Mexico.)

The area claimed on the Gulf extended west and south to the mouth 

of the "Rio de las Palmas," which was probably the stream now 

known as the Eio Grande.

In 1712, France made a grant to Antoine de Crozat of the exclusive 

right to the trade of this region. Because this grant gives the limits 

of this vast region as they were understood by France, a part of it is 

here quoted:

We have by these presents signed with our hand, authorized, and do authorize 

the said Sieur Crozat to carry on exclusively the trade in all the territories by us 

possessed, and bounded by New Mexico and by those of the English in Carolina,

^Mowry (1902, chap. 2-11) gives an excellent presentation of this subject, with many 

references.

32 For a translation of La Salle's proclamation, see Sparks (1847, v. 11, p. 201, 202). 

For reference to the location of the Rio de las Palmas, see Bandelier (1922, p. 42).
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

BULLETIN 1212 

PLATE 1

MAP OF THE 

CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES

SHOWING

ROUTES OF THE PRINCIPAL EXPLORERS

FROM 1501 TO 1844

Whose work had an important hearing on the

settlement of the country and the fixing

of its successive boundaries

Copied from map prepared by

Frank Bond, of the General Land Office,

in 1907

INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. WASHINGTON. D. C. 1965 T65O89
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 35

all the establishments, ports, harbors, rivers, and especially the port and harbor 

of Dauphin Island, formerly called Massacre Island, the river St. Louis, formerly 

called the Mississippi, from the seashore to the Illinois, together with the river 

St. Philip, formerly called the Missouries River, and the St. Jerome formerly 

called the Wabash [the Ohio], with all the countries, territories, lakes in the 

land, and the rivers emptying directly or indirectly into that part of the river St. 

Louis. All the said territories, countries, rivers, streams, and islands we will 

to be and remain comprised under the name of the government of Louisiana, 

which shall be dependent on the General Government of New France and remain 

subordinate to it, and we will, moreover, that all the territories which we possess 

on this side of the Illinois be united, as far as need be, to the General Government 

of New France and form a part thereof, reserving to ourself, nevertheless, to 

increase, if we judge proper, the extent of the government of the said country 

of Louisiana.

This document indicates that France regarded Louisiana as comprising the drainage basin of the Mississippi at least as far north as the 

mouth of the Illinois and those branches of the Mississippi that enter it 

below this point, including the Missouri, but excluding land in the 

Southwest claimed by Spain. It is, moreover, certain that the area now 

comprised in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho was not included. 

Crozat surrendered this grant in 1717.

On November 3,1762, France by a secret treaty ceded this region to 

Spain, defining it only as "the country known by the name of Louisiana," but Spain did not take possession until several years later. By 

the treaty of peace of 1763 between Great Britain, France, and Spain, 

the western boundary of the British possessions in the New World 

was placed in the center of the Mississippi River, thus reducing the area 

of Louisiana by the part east of the river. By these two treaties France 

disposed of her possessions in North America, dividing them between 

Great Britain and Spain. The limit set between the British and 

Spanish possessions was given as the Mississippi, the Iberville, and 

Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain. (See fig. 16, p. 169.) The Iberville River is now called Bayou Manchac. In the early days there was 

a connected waterway (now closed) through this river between the 

Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico. The Island thus formed was 

called the island of New Orleans.

Great Britain then subdivided her newly acquired province, Florida. 

The area south of lat 31° N. (changed in 1764 to a parallel through 

the mouth of the Yazoo River, approximately 32° 28' N.) and west of 

the Apalachicola River was called West Florida; the region east 

thereof and south of the present north boundary of Florida received 

the name of East Florida. For the next 16 years these boundaries and 

names remained undisturbed. In 1783, by the treaty of peace with the 

United States at the end of the Revolution, Great Britain reduced the 

area of West Florida by the cession of that portion north of the 31st
36 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

parallel to the United States. In the same year she gave East Florida 

and what remained of West Florida to Spain, and in Spain's possession 

they remained for several years; but after 1803 the United States also 

claimed the area west of the Perdido River as part of the Louisiana 

Purchase. The treaty of 1819 put an end to the disputes (Malloy, 1910, 

v. 2, p. 1651; Cox, 1918).

Meantime, in 1800, by the secret treaty of San Ildefonso, Spain 

promised to return Louisiana to France. In the language of the treaty, 

she pledged herself to return to France "the colony and province of 

Louisiana, in the same extent it now has under the dominion of Spain 

and of other States." 33

Immediately after this transfer became known (November 1802), 

measures were instituted by President Jefferson for obtaining free 

access to the sea by way of the Mississippi River. Circumstances 

favored this negotiation. Bonaparte was at that time in almost daily 

expectation of a declaration of war by Great Britain, the first act of 

which would be to seize the mouth of the Mississippi and with it 

the Province of Louisiana. Under these circumstances Bonaparte 

offered to sell the Province to the United States, and the offer was 

promptly accepted.34 The consideration named was 60 million francs 

and the assumption by the United States of the "French spoliation 

claims," which were estimated to amount to $3,750,000. Article 3 

of the treaty of cession, dated April 30, 1803, fixed the rate of exchange at 5.3333 francs to $1. The total payments made by the 

United States on account of this purchase, including interest, amount 

to $23,213,567.73. Opponents of this purchase strongly urged that 

it was contrary to the Constitution of the United States (Brown, 

1920; Baldwin, 1894, p. 369-389).

The treaty of cession (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 508) describes the territory only as being the same as that ceded by Spain to France by the 

treaty of San Ildefonso, from which the description was quoted. The 

territory sold thus apparently comprised that part of the drainage 

basin of the Mississippi which lies west of the course of the river. (See 

fig. 3.) The claim of the United States to the area now comprised in 

Oregon, Washington, and Idaho in the negotiations with Great Britain 

regarding the northwestern boundary was ostensibly based not only 

upon prior occupation and upon purchase from Spain but also upon 

the alleged fact that this area formed part of the Louisiana Purchase.

33 U.S. 25th Cong., 1838, 2d sess., H. Kept. 818, p. 27; see p. 69 for the cession of 1762 

from France to Spain.

34 For copies of correspondence between the United States and various foreign officials, 

for dates from 1803 to 1807, relating to this purchase, its boundaries, and terms, see 

Robertson (1911, v. 2). See also U.S. Cong. (1903) and T. M. Marshall (1914, v. 2, p. 

46-85). Marshall's book contains a bibliography (p. 242-251) of publications relating 

to the Louisiana Purchase.
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 37

That this claim was baseless is shown not only by what has been 

already detailed regarding the limits of the purchase but also by the 

direct testimony of the French plenipotentiary, M. Barbe-Marbois. 

Some 20 years after the purchase he published a book on Louisiana 

(Barbe-Marbois, 1830), in which he described at some length the negotiations that preceded the purchase and, referring to this question, 

said: "The shores of the western ocean were certainly not comprised 

in the cession, but already the United States are established there."

There is also in Barbe-Marbois's book a map (dated 1829) of the 

country between the Mississippi and the Pacific, on which the western 

extent of Louisiana is indicated as the 110th meridian, which is not 

far from the western limit of the drainage basin of the Mississippi in 

Wyoming and Montana. On this map, that part of the country now 

comprised in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, which, it has been 

claimed, formed part of the purchase, bears the following legend: 

"Terirtories and countries occupied by the United States, following the 

treaty of cession of Louisiana."

Obviously, therefore, the United States did not purchase Oregon as 

a part of Louisiana; however, it is no less certain that that great area 

west of the Rocky Mountains fell into its hands as a direct consequence 

of the Louisiana Purchase (Mowry, 1902, p. 131-157).

The claim made by the United States to the territory between the 

Mississippi and the Rio Grande as part of the Louisiana Purchase 

was based principally on the settlement made by La Salle at San 

Bernardo (now Matagorda) Bay, Tex. (see pi. 1), in 1685, and on 

many maps that indicated the area as part of the French possessions, 

but this claim was not recognized by Spain and the boundary west 

of the Mississippi River was undetermined until it was fixed at the 

Sabine River by the treaty of 1819 (Bancroft, 1889, v. 16, p. 46).

The treaty of 1783 with Great Britain describes the northern boundary of the United States in part as follows: From the northwesternmost point of the Lake of the Woods "on a due west course to the River 

Mississippi." The fact that such a line could not intersect the Mississippi proper at any point (see fig. 19) gave rise to many and serious 

disputes, which were not settled until after the date of the Louisiana 

Purchase. . This clause of the treaty was understood by some geographers as placing the boundary line on the Lake of the Woods parallel 

for some 400 miles west from the lake to the point where it intersects 

the Missouri-Mississippi drainage basin, which in 1783 belonged to 

Spain, thus including the southern part of the basin of the Red River 

as United States territory. Other geographers who had given the subject careful study believed that the possessions of the United States 

in the northwest as defined by the treaty of 1783 were limited by the 

Mississippi River and a line extending north from its source (Lake
38

Itasca 35 ) to an intersection with the Lake of the Woods parallel (see 

p. 39-40; Baker, 1887; Brower, 1893).

Still others considered the Red River basin south of the 49th parallel 

to be a part of the Louisiana Purchase. The Red River basin was not 

a part of La Salle's original claim, but it appears to have been occupied 

by the French earlier than 1762. The Verendrye brothers (pi. 1), 

French Canadians, were the first white men of record to explore the 

country from the site of Winnipeg westward to the Rocky Mountains 

(1738-1743). A map in Laut (1906) shows the Verendrye route as 

extending only as far south as northeastern Wyoming.

The treaty of 1763 between Great Britain, France, and Spain limited 

Great Britain's jurisdiction on the northwest by the Mississippi River, 

as will be seen from the following quotation from Article VII:

In order to re-establish peace on solid and durable foundations, and to remove 

forever all subject of dispute with regard to the limits of the British and French 

territories on the continent of America; it is agreed, that, for the future, the 

confines between the dominions of his Britannic Majesty, and those of his most 

Christian Majesty, in that part of the world, shall be fixed irrevocably by a line 

drawn along the middle of the River Mississippi, from its source to the River 

Iberville.

When this treaty was made, Great Britain apparently knew nothing 

of the secret treaty of the preceding year whereby France had ceded 

the Louisiana territory to Spain. It is evident, however, that Great 

Britain intended to relinquish all claim to jurisdiction over the area 

west of the Mississippi. In 1763 and for many years thereafter, the 

Mississippi was believed to rise considerably north of its actual known 

source. On the Mitchell map the source was said to be at about the 

"50th degree of latitude." Even if the area assigned to France did 

not extend as far north as lat 50° N., it apparently included all that 

part of the Red River drainage basin west of the actual source of the 

Mississippi.

The British act of 1774 extended the Province of Quebec to include 

the area west of Pennsylvania north of the Ohio River and east of the 

Mississippi. The boundaries were more definitely described in the 

commission issued to the governor in December of the same year, in 

part as follows:

* * * along the bank of the said river [Ohio] westward to the banks of the 

Mississippi, and northward along the eastern bank of the said river to the southern boundary of the territory granted to the Merchant Adventurers of England 

trading to Hudson's Bay.

35 Lake Itasca is generally referred to as the source of the Mississippi, but a creek about 

4 miles in length that empties into the southern part of the lake has a source more than 

100 feet above the lake. Lake Itasca is about 3V2 miles in length. The name Itasca was 

coined by Schpolcraft in 1832 from parts of two Latin words, veritas (truth) and caput 

(head), three letters from each word being omitted.
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 39

The Canadian General Government and the Province of Ontario 

have made extensive researches concerning the western boundary of 

Ontario, and the reports give an excellent historical review of the 

French, Spanish, and English claims to the country about the Lake 

of the Woods, including the Red River and Mississippi River drainage 

basins, from the first exploration down to 1818 and later. The reports 

fill several large volumes, and among them may be mentioned "Report 

of the select committee on the boundaries between the Province of Ontario and the unorganized territories of the Dominion," Ottawa, 1880, 

and "Correspondence, papers, and documents * * * relating to the 

northerly and westerly boundaries of Ontario," Toronto, 1882. A 

careful examination of these and other official documents fails to disclose any statement of claims by Great Britain to the area west of the 

Mississippi, east of the Rocky Mountains, and south of the Lake of 

the Woods parallel.

The commissioner for Ontario, in reporting to the lieutenant governor of that Province with reference to the boundary of Ontario, 

stated (p. 340 of the 1880 report) that

In framing the treaty of Paris a few years later [1782] the Imperial Government recognized the Mississippi as an existing territorial boundary. 'All the 

country east of that river and south of a line drawn through the middle of the 

Great Lakes to the most northwestern point of the Lake of the Woods was 

surrendered to the United States. All the country west of the Mississippi, extending south to 31° of north latitude and east of the Atlantic Ocean, was left 

to its former owners [Spain].

On the Faden map of 1783 36 a heavy green line is drawn from the 

head of the Mississippi River to the Lake of the Woods. The boundary 

of the Hudson Bay territory, as fixed by the treaty of Utrecht, is indicated by a red line running east and west from the Lake of the Woods. 

West of the green line, west of the Mississippi River, and south of 

the red line, the area is marked "Louisiana," and in its northern part 

a river running northward is marked "Mississippi or Red River." 

If the evidence of this map may be accepted, the Red River area south 

of the Lake of the Woods parallel was considered as part of Louisiana.

In the printed "Observations" that accompany this map are the 

following:

The River Mississippi is known about 60 miles above the Falls of St. Anthony 

but is not navigable; its source is supposed by all travellers to be in about 46* 

N., therefore the line to be drawn W. from the Lake of the Woods till it strikes 

Mississippi will probably run on a parallel 3 degrees or 180 miles above its 

source.

But this boundary line, otherwise insignificant, seems to have been extended

38 The United States of North America, with British and Spanish territories according 

to the treaty ; engraved by William Faden, 1783. Faden was, in June 1783, appointed 

geographer to the King.

776-664 O-66 4
40

to the Lake of the Woods in 49° N. to approximate the United States to the 

boundary of the Hudson's Bay Company, in 49° N.

A south line should have been drawn from the Lake of the Woods to strike 

the Mississippi, as the west line beginning at 180 miles distance, if extended, 

would increase its distance from that river.

The map illustrating the route of the Lewis and Clark expedition 

of 1804-1806, "from the original drawing by Wm. Clark," shows the 

boundary of Louisiana as including the drainage basin of the Missouri Biyer north of the 49th parallel, and near the north end of the 

Lake of the Woods there is this note: "Northern boundary of the 

United States, lat. 49°37' N."

It seems probable that Congress considered the Eed River basin 

(see fig. 19) as far north as the Lake of the Woods to be a part of 

the Louisiana Purchase, but no specific reference was made to it in 

uny statute prior to 1834.

There were many who believed that the Louisiana Purchase extended even farther north than the 49th parallel and included the 

entire drainage basin of Missouri River. This uncertainty was settled 

by the treaty of 1818. James White (1914b, p. 842), after an extended 

review of this question, states: "The true northern boundary of Louisiana was the watershed of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers." 

The approximate area of this "watershed" north of the 49th parallel 

is 12,300 square miles.

The Melish map, referred to in the treaty with Spain of 1819 (see 

p. 42), but printed before the convention with Great Britain of 1818 

(see p. 20) was signed, shows the boundary line of the United States 

as extending due west from the northwesternmost point of the Lake 

of the Woods to the Red River, thence up that river to the Assiniboine, up that river, and by an irregular line westward so as to include the Missouri River drainage basin north of the 49th parallel.

This question is now a matter of historical interest only, for the 

boundary line was definitely fixed by the British treaty of 1818.

It has often been said that by the treaty of Utrecht 37 (Freschot, 

1715) of 1713 the 49th parallel was made the boundary line between 

Great Britain and the French Province of Louisiana, but a careful 

reading of the treaty fails to disclose any ground for this statement. It 

is doubtless true that during the negotiations which fallowed the signing of the treaty the British commission endeavored to have the 49th 

parallel fixed as the boundary and that the French commission contended for a boundary a degree or more farther north, but the commissioners failed to agree, and no latitude was mentioned in the 

treaty. Article X of this treaty provided for the appointment of 

"commissaries" to fix a boundary line between the Hudson Bay terri87 There are several printed copies of the treaty of Utrecht in the Library of Congress.
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 41

tory and the Louisiana territory. The "commissaries" were probably appointed, but no final decision resulted from their labors (Hermann, 1900, p. 55-59; Bond, 1912).

The western boundary of the Louisiana Purchase is the western 

boundary of the Mississippi drainage basin as claimed by La Salle. 

Whatever the northern and northeastern boundaries of the Louisiana 

Purchase may be considered, there is no doubt that they included the 

drainage basin of the Missouri south of the 49th parallel and the 

western drainage basin of the Mississippi from its source to the Gulf 

of Mexico.

FLORIDA PURCHASE^

The second addition to the territory of the United States consisted 

of the Floridas, ceded by Spain in 1819 in exchange for large areas 

west of the Mississippi River relinquished by the United States to 

Spain and the assumption by the United States of all claims of its 

citizens against Spain for damages received, to an amount not exceeding $5 million, Spain likewise assuming responsibility for claims 

of its citizens against the United States.

From the date of the Louisiana Purchase, in 1803, the territory 

known as West Florida and bounded by the Mississippi River on the 

west, the Perdido on the east, the parallel of 31° on the north, and 

the Gulf of Mexico on the south, had been in dispute between the two 

countries. During at least part of this time it had been practically 

in the possession of the United States. The clause from the treaty of 

San Ildefonso quoted on page 36 was interpreted by Jefferson and 

others in this country to mean the inclusion of West Florida. Their 

reasoning was this: In 1800 Spain owned West Florida; West Florida 

was once a part of Louisiana; in 1800 Spain receded Louisiana to 

France; she therefore receded West Florida with it.

Spain, however, held that this was merely a treaty of recession, 

by which she gave back to France what France had given to her 

in 1762. As in 1762 she did not own West Florida, she could not 

have receded it to France. Barbe-Marbois, the French plenipotentiary, was very positive in stating that West Florida formed no part 

of the Louisiana Purchase, and that the southeastern boundary of 

that purchase consisted of the Iberville River and Lakes Maurepas 

and Pontchartrain. (See fig. 16.)

Immediately after the Louisiana Purchase was acquired, the claim 

was made by the United States that it included most of West Florida 

and part of the Texas coast, but this claim was not entertained by

88 For a historical sketch of the Florida Purchase and of events leading to its acquisition, 

see Hinsdale (1893, p. 330-366) and Mowry (1902, chap. 4).
42 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Spain. In 1810 a revolution was effected in that part of West Florida 

lying west of the Pearl River, and application was made by the inhabitants for annexation.to the United States. The governor of 

Louisiana, under instructions from Washington, at once took possession. Immediately a counter revolution was organized against him, 

but it was put down by force of arms, and in 1812 this part of West 

Florida was included in the State of Louisiana (2 Stat. L. 708). 

In the meantime the insurrection spread eastward and, although put 

down by the Spanish authorities, the movement received the sympathy 

of the United States, and Congress passed an act, approved January 15,1811 (3 Stat. L. 471), authorizing the President, under certain 

specified contingencies, to use force in taking possession of East 

Florida and appropriating $100,000 for carrying the act into effect.89 

In 1812 that part of West Florida lying between the Perdido and 

Pearl Rivers was annexed to the Territory of Mississippi. (See 

p. 168.)

The treaty of February 22,1819, with Spain settled these conflicting 

claims (Cox, 1918; Paxson, 1924, chap. 16) by the following clause:

ABTICLE II. His Catholic Majesty cedes to the United States in full property 

and sovereignty, all the territories which belong to him, situated to the eastward 

of the Mississippi, known by the name of East and West Florida. The adjacent 

islands dependent on said province * * * are included in this article. 

[Malloy, 1910, v. 2, p. 1652; see also T. M. Marshall, 1914, p. 46-85.]

The third article in this treaty defines the boundary between the 

United States and the Spanish possessions in the Southwest as follows:

ARTICLE III. The boundary line between the two countries, west of the Mississippi, shall begin on the Gulph of Mexico, at the mouth of the river Sabine, in 

the sea, continuing north, along the western bank of that river, to the 32nd 

degree of latitude; thence, by a line due north to the degree of latitude where it 

strikes the Rio Roxo of Nachitoches, or Red River; then following the course of 

the Rio Roxo westward, to the degree of longitude 100 west from London,40 and 

23 from Washington; then, crossing the said Red River and running thence, by 

a line due north, to the river Arkansas; thence, following the course of the 

southern bank of the Arkansas, to its source in latitude 42 north; and thence,

89 The publication of this act before the end of the following session of Congress was 

forbidden by act of Mar. 3, 1811 (3 Stat. L. 472).

40 The zero point of the London meridian is the cross on St. Paul's Cathedral in London, 

which is 0°05'48.356" (4.17 miles) west of Greenwich (Ordnance Survey of Great 

Britain, letter of Sept. 6, 1927). For reference to the establishment of the meridians of 

London and Greenwich, see The Mariner's Mirror, v. 13, no. 2, London, Cambridge Press, 

April, 1927. Longitudes on the Mitchell map of 1755 (see p. 3) are referred to the 

London meridian. The Melish map of 1818 has the degrees west of London indicated 

along the lower edge, and the degrees-west of Washington near the upper edge; the 0° of 

the Washington meridian coincides with 77° west of London. In 1804 a line through the 

center of the White House was run out and .marked for the zero of the Washington 

meridian. This line is 76°56'25" west of London. It will be seen from these statements 

that the location of this boundary was somewhat uncertain, but the position was recognized as the 100th degree west of Greenwich in acts of Sept. 9, 1850, and June 5, 1858. 

(Seep. 198.)
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 43

by that parallel of latitude to the South Sea. The whole being as laid down in 

Melish's map of the United States, published at Philadelphia, improved to the 

1st of January, 1818. But if the source of the Arkansas River shall be found 

to fall north or south of latitude 42, then the line shall run from the said source 

due south or north, as the case may be, till it meets the said parallel of latitude 

42, and thence, along the said parallel, to the South Sea: All the islands in the 

Sabine, and the said Red and Arkansas Rivers, throughout the course thus 

described, to belong to the United States; but the use of the waters, and the 

navigation of the Sabine to the sea, and of the said rivers Roxo and Arkansas, 

throughout the extent of the said bounQary, on their respective banks, shall be 

common to the respective inhabitants of both nations.

This treaty was ratified promptly by the U.S. Senate, but Spain did 

not ratify it until October 20, 1820, which was after the time allowed 

for ratification had expired. The U.S. Senate again ratified it February 19,1821, and it was proclaimed by the President February 22, 

1821.

The western boundary of the United States south of lat 42° N. as 

fixed by this treaty was confirmed by Mexico by treaty concluded 

January 12, 1828, Mexico having in the meantime gained her independence from Spain. (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 1082.)

TEXAS ACCESSION

The next acquisition of territory was that of the Eepublic of Texas, 

which was admitted as a State by joint resolution of December 29, 

1845.41 The area which Texas brought into the Union was limited as 

follows, as defined by the Republic of Texas, December 19, 1836 (see 

fig. 21 and Laws of the Republic of Texas, 1838, Houston, v. 1, p. 133).

Beginning at the mouth of the Sabine River and running west along the Gulf 

of Mexico three leagues from land to the mouth of the Rio Grande, thence up 

the principal stream of said river to its source, thence due north to the fortysecond degree of north latitude, thence along the boundary line as defined in 

the treaty between Spain and the United States to the beginning.

The claim by Texas to land north to the 42d parallel and west and 

south to the Rio Grande was based in part on a secret treaty between 

President Santa Anna of Mexico and officers of the Texas army at 

the end of the war between Mexico and Texas in 1836.

FIRST MEXICAN CESSION

In 1848 the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo added to the country the 

area of California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Arizona, 

and New Mexico. (See fig. 3.) This treaty was concluded February 2, 1848, and proclaimed July 4, 1848. The clauses in it defining

41 9 Stat. L. 108. For reference to efforts made by the United States to acquire Texas 

between 1829 and 1835 by purchase or otherwise, see T. M. Marshall (1914, v. 2, p. 86-112).
44 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

U.S. acquisition of territory are as follows (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 

1109):

ARTICLE V. The 'boundary line between the two Republics shall- commence in 

the Gulf of Mexico, three leagues from land, opposite the mouth of the Rio 

Grande, otherwise called the Rio Bravo del Norte, or opposite the mouth of its 

deepest branch, if it should have more than one branch emptying directly into 

the sea; from thence up the middle of that river, following the deepest channel 

where it has more than one, to the point where it strikes the southern boundary 

of New Mexico; thence, westwardly, along the whole southern boundary of New 

Mexico (which runs north of the town called Paso) to its western termination; 

thence, northward, along the western line of New Mexico, until it intersects 

the first branch of the river Gila; (or if it should not intersect any branch of 

that river, then to the point on the said line nearest to such branch, and thence 

in a direct line to the same;) thence down the middle of the said branch and 

of the said river, until it empties into the Rio Colorado; thence across the Rio 

Colorado, following the division line between Upper and Lower California, to 

the Pacific Ocean.

The southern and western limits of New Mexico, mentioned in this article, 

are those laid down in the map entitled "Map of the United Mexican States, 

as organized and defined by various acts of the Congress of said republic, and 

constructed according to the best authorities. Revised edition. Published at 

New York in 1847, by J. Disturnell;" of which map a copy is added to this 

treaty, bearing the signatures and seals of the undersigned Plenipotentiaries. 

And in order to preclude all difficulty in tracing upon the ground the limit 

separating Upper from Lower California, it is agreed that the said limit shall 

consist of a straight line drawn from the middle of the Rio Gila, where it unites 

with the Colorado, to a point on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, distant one 

marine league due south of the southernmost point of the port of San Diego, 

according to the plan of said port made in the year 1782 by Don Juan Pantoja, second sailing-master of the Spanish fleet, and published at Madrid in the year 1802, 

in the atlas to the voyage of the schooners Sutil and Mexicana; of which plan a 

copy is hereunto added, signed, and sealed by the respective plenipotentiaries.

For this vast territory the United States agreed to pay $15 million, 

of which $3 million was to be paid when the treaty was ratified and the 

remainder in annual installments of $3 million each, with interest at 6 

percent. Besides this, the United States assumed the liability for 

certain claims against Mexico, not to exceed a total of $3,250,000.

Much difficulty followed in the interpretation of this treaty. A 

joint commission of the two Governments was formed, consisting of a 

commissioner and a chief surveyor from each. They were instructed 

that any decision upon the interpretation of the treaty must be agreed 

to unanimously.

Under the direction of the commissioners the initial point of the 

boundary between Upper and Lower California was established on the 

Pacific coast and marked by a substantial monument. A similar determination was made at the eastern extremity of this line, at the junction 

of the Gila and Colorado Eivers, where another monument was placed.
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 45

Between these points the line was run and marked with five intermediate monuments.42

Monument 258 is the final marker on the west. It is about 200 yards 

from the shoreline of the Pacific, and is a 14-foot white marble shaft 

enclosed by a 7-foot iron picket fence. Its geodetic position is lat 

32°32'03.82" N., long 117°07'18.84" W., 1927 N.A.D.

The most difficult question that came before the commission for 

decision concerned the location and extent of the south boundary of 

New Mexico. Here, unfortunately, the Disturnell map left room for 

broad differences of opinion. The town called Paso (now named 

Juarez) was located on the map more than half a degree too far north 

and nearly 2° too far east. In the absence of the chief surveyor for 

the United States, the three other members of the commission agreed 

to accept the position of the south boundary of New Mexico as shown 

by the projection lines on the map (lat 32°22' N.); to run a line in 

that latitude 3° west from the Rio Grande and thence north until a 

branch of the Gila River was intersected. In accordance with this 

decision a durable monument was erected on the bank of the Rio 

Grande, in lat 32°22' N., and the running of the line westward was 

begun. (See fig. 31.) After 1%° had been run, the chief surveyor 

for the United States arrived, learned what had been done, and made 

a vigorous protest against this interpretation of the map. This protest 

caused the sudden stoppage of the work of running the line and the 

repudiation of the agreement by the U.S. Government. The United 

States claimed that the boundary should be located with reference to 

the town of Paso the only definite point for it named in the treaty. 

Under this claim, according to later observations, the south boundary 

of New Mexico would be placed at about lat 31°52' N., and it would 

extend west to long 109°30' W. Negotiations followed, but no agreement had been reached before 1853, when the Gadsden Purchase made 

further discussion unnecessary.

GADSDEN PURCHASE

On December 30, 1853, a second purchase was made from Mexico 

consisting of a strip of land lying south of the Gila River in New 

Mexico and Arizona, the consideration being $10 million in gold. This 

is known as the Gadsden Purchase, from the name of the U.S. com43 For reference to a mark established In 1773 for the separation of Upper and Lower 

California and for a description of the various lines proposed between 1845 and 1848 for 

the boundary between the United States and Mexico west of the Colorado River, see 

Hendry (1926). The mark of 1773 was at a point about 29 miles east of south of the 

Pacific terminus of the present boundary between the United States and Mexico. (Garber, 

1923, p. 13 ; this book contains a bibliography of more than 200 titles relating to the two 

Mexican cessions.)
46 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

missioner, James Gadsden.43 The boundaries (see figs. 3, 31) as established are as follows (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 1121) :

ARTICLE I. The Mexican Republic agrees to designate the following as her true 

limits with the United States for the future: Retaining the same dividing line 

between the. two'Calif ornias as already defined and established, according to the 

fifth article of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the limits between the two 

republics shall be as follows: Beginning in the Gulf of Mexico, three leagues -from 

land, opposite the mouth of the Rio Grande, as provided in. the fifth article of 

the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; thence,-as defined in the said article, up the 

middle of that river to the point where-the parallel of 31 °47'. north latitude 

.crosses the same; thence due west one hundred miles; thence south to the 

parallel Of 31°20' north latitude; thence along the said parallel of 31°20' to 

the lllth meridian of longitude west of Greenwich;. thence in a straight line 

to a point on the Colorado River twenty English miles below the junction of 

the Gila and Colorado Rivers; thence up the middle of the said river Colorado 

until it intersects the present line between the United States and Mexico.

In the year following, a commission was appointed for surveying 

and marking this line, under the U.S. commissioner, Maj. W. H. 

Emory. The line was run and marked in the year 1855, and the report 

was transmitted in the following year (Emory, 1857a).

As settlement increased in the territory which this line traverses, 

it became evident that the line was insufficiently marked. Because 

some of the monuments had disappeared and because there were many 

large areas in which -no. monuments had ever been placed, the necessity of rerunning and marking the line became apparent. For this 

purpose a commission was created in 1891, under which the line was 

recovered from the original monuments, as far as possible, and between 

these monuments was rerun and fully and durably marked. The report 

of this commission, including maps, profiles, and illustrations of the 

monuments, was published in 1898. (See fig. 1; U.S. Cong. 1898a.)

ALASKA PURCHASE

Alaska was purchased from Russia, in accordance with a convention 

signed March 30,1867 (Farrar, 1922), and proclaimed June 20,1867, 

and was made a Territory by act of August 24, 1912. (37 Stat. L., 

pt.l,p.512.)

The boundaries of Alaska are described in the accompanying extracts from the convention of 1825 between Russia and Great Britain, 

as quoted in Article I of the convention of 1867 (see figs. 5-7; Malloy, 

1910, v. 2, p. 1521):

"Commencing from the southernmost point of the island called Prince of 

Wales Island, which point lies in the parallel of 54 degrees 40 minutes north 

latitude, and between the 131st and 133d degree of west longitude (meridian

43 For references to the events which led to this purchase and a brief discussion of the 

boundary questions, see Bancroft (1889, v. 17, p. 491-518, 652).
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 47

of Greenwich) the said line shall ascend to the north along the channel called 

Portland channel, as far as the point of the continent where it strikes the 56th 

degree of north latitude; from this last-mentioned point, the line of demarcation 

shall follow the summit of the mountains situated parallel to the coast as far 

as the point of intersection of the 141st degree of west longitude (of the same 

meridian) ; and finally, from the said point of intersection, the said meridian line 

of the 141st degree, in its prolongation as far as the Frozen ocean.

"IV. With reference to the line of demarcation laid down in the proceeding 

article, it is understood

"1st. That the island called Prince of Wales Island shall belong wholly to 

Russia," (now, by this cession, to the United States).

"2d. That whenever ; the summit of the mountains which extend in a direction 

parallel to the coast from the 56th degree of north latitude to the point of 

.intersection of the 141st degree of west longitude shall prove to be at the 

distance of more than ten marine leagues from the ocean, the limit between 

the British possessions and the line of coast which is to belong to Russia as 

above mentioned (that is to say, the limit to the possessions! ceded by this 

convention) shall be formed by a line parallel to the winding of the coast, and 

which shall never exceed the distance of ten marine leagues therefrom."

The following paragraph is in the convention of 1867 only (Malloy, 

1913, v. 2, p. 1522) :

The western limit within which the territories and dominion conveyed, are 

contained, passes through a point in Behring's straits on the parallel of sixtyfive degree thirty minutes north latitude, at its intersection by the meridian 

which passes midway between the islands of Krusentern, or Ignalook, and 

the island of Ratmanoff, or Noonarbook, and proceeds due north, without limitation, into the same Frozen ocean. The same western limit, 'beginning at the 

same initial, point, proceeds thence in a course nearly southwest, through 

Behring's straits and Behring's sea, so as to pass midway between the northwest point of the island of St. Lawrence and the southeast point of Cape Choukotski, to the meridian of one hundred and seventy-two west longitude; thence, 

from the intersection of that meridian, in a southwesterly direction, so as to 

pass midway between the island of Attou and the Copper island of the Kormandorski couplet or group in the North Pacific ocean, to the meridian of one hundred and ninety-three degrees west longitude [167° east longitude] so as to 

include in the territory conveyed the whole of the Aleutian islands east of that 

meridian.

The consideration paid for Alaska was $7,200,000 in gold.

There is no possibility of misinterpreting the language of the convention as to the part of the boundary running along the 141st 

meridian, but when the wealth of the area was recognized the claims 

of the United States on the location of the part of the boundary 

from Mount St. Elias southeastward to the mouth of Portland Canal 

were questioned by Canadian authorities.

The coast of this part of Alaska is extremely broken, containing 

many fiords extending far inland, and no continuous range of mountains parallels the coast. It was for many years tacitly admitted by 

both sides that the second alternative of the treaty, that the boundary
ACQUISITIONS SINCE 1853 

ALASKA, from Russia in 1867 

HAWAII and PALMYRA, annexed in 1898 

GUAM, from Spain in 1898 

PUERTO RICO from Spain in 1898 

TUTUILA (Samoan group), acquired by in60° ternational treaty in 1899

CANAL ZONE, leased from Panama in 1904 

VIRGIN ISLANDS, from Denmark in 1917 

WAKE ISLAND. MIDWAY, NAVASSA, 

and other small islands, acquired since 

1853

O S

140° 160° 180° 160° 120°

FIGURE 5. Acquisitions of territory since 1
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 49

FIGUBE 6. Arctic Ocean terminus of the Alaska-Canada boundary.

should be a line 10 marine leagues distant from the coast and following 

its windings, should be the one finally adopted when the question of 

marking the boundary arose. This position has been consistently held 

by the United States from the time of the acquisition of the territory 

to the present day. Many maps prepared before the dispute arose, 

United States and Canadian, agreed on it. Many acts of sovereignty 

were performed by the United States within this territory, and no 

question of their validity was raised by the Canadian authorities. The 

discovery of gold in the basin of the Yukon in Canada, however, and 

the fact that the only feasible means of access to this region lay through 

U.S. territory made it extremely desirable for Canada to possess a 

port or ports on this coast as the starting points of routes to the Yukon 

mines, and it was only when this necessity appeared that a definite 

interpretation of the treaty was required.

The claim made by the British Government on behalf of Canada 

before a joint commission on the boundary in August 1898 was that 

this part of the boundary, instead of passing up Portland Canal, 

should pass up Pearse Canal, connecting with Portland Canal, up 

which it should follow to the summit of the mountains nearest to the 

coast, and then should follow them, regardless of the fact that they do
50 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

not form a continuous range, crossing all the inlets of the sea up to 

Mount St. Elias. This claim was refused by the U.S. commissioners. 

A proposition made by the British commissioners to refer the matter 

to arbitration was also refused by the United States commissioners, on 

the ground that there was nothing to arbitrate, inasmuch as the territory in question was in the possession of the United States and had 

been for many years without dispute, such possession being in full 

accord with the terms of the treaty. The commission was then dissolved, the only outcome being an agreement that the summits of 

White and Chilkoot Passes and a point upon the Chilkat River above 

Pyramid Harbor were temporarily adopted as points upon the 

boundary.

The convention of January 24,1903, created an Alaskan Boundary 

Tribunal, to consist of "six impartial jurists of repute," three to be 

selected by each of the two parties to the controversy, to attempt a 

settlement of this boundary question. The United States was represented by Messrs. Elihu Root, Henry Cabot Lodge, and George 

Turner. The Canadian side was represented by Baron Alverstone, 

lord chief justice of England, and Sir Louis A. Jette and A. B. 

Aylesworth, of Canada. After argument and discussion the majority 

of the tribunal, consisting of Baron Alverstone and the three Americans, on October 20, 1903, agreed on a boundary which satisfied the 

American claims. The boundary thus adopted may be defined as 

follows: It crosses in a straight line from Cape Muzon to the south end 

of Tongass Passage, then through the passage, up Pearse Canal, and 

up Portland Canal to the 56th parallel of latitude. Thence the line 

runs from one mountain summit to another, passing above the heads 

of all fiords. At the head of Lynn Canal it traverses White and 

Chilkoot Passes. Thence by a tortuous southwesterly course it 

reaches Mount Fairweather and from there follows the higher mountains around Yakutat Bay to Mount St. Elias.

A survey of the coast boundary, .about 900 miles in length, was completed in 1914. More surveys along this line were made later to provide more monuments between controlling points. The boundary 

from Tongass Passage to Mount St. Elias is now denned by a series of 

tangents between turning points, the geodetic positions of which have 

been established. A report on this boundary is given in the annual 

report of the International Boundary Commission, United States and 

Canada, published in 1952. The line is marked by concrete monuments along the shores of Portland Canal, by 5-foot aluminumbronze monuments in the valleys of streams crossed, by conical monuments on easily accessible summits and by brass bolts on peaks less 

easily ascended. Inaccessible peaks on the line were located by 

triangulation.
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 51

In accordance with the convention of April 21,1906, commissioners 

were appointed under whose direction the 141st meridian has been established and intervisible marks placed along the line from the Arctic 

Ocean to Mount St. Elias, a distance of about 647 miles, the fieldwork 

having been completed in 1913. (See fig. 6.) The final report of the 

commissioners, dated December 15,1918, was published in 1919 and is 

accompanied by an atlas containing 38 maps. The report is entitled 

"Joint report upon the survey and demarcation of the international 

boundary between the United States and Canada along the one hundred and forty-first meridian from the Arctic Ocean to Mount St. 

Elias." This report contains copies of treaties and historical data 

relating to the location of the boundary. (Foster, 1899,1904; Riggs, 

1909.) A report of the Boundary Commission (Special Kept. 4), to 

be published this year (1965), will give the 1927 N.A.D. adjusted 

values of markers on this line, with ties to primary triangulation, and. 

information on the maintenance of the boundary line.

The only part of the boundary not defined at present is that through 

Dixon Entrance between Cape Muzon and the entrance to Tongass 

Passage. Agreement between the United States and Canada for this 

section has not been finalized.

By Article XXVI of the treaty between the United States and 

Great Britain of May 8, 1871, the navigation of the Yukon, Porcupine, and Stikine Rivers, Alaska, was declared free for the purpose of 

commerce to the citizens of both nations.

It is an interesting fact that the area of Alaska and the Aleutian 

Islands, if superimposed on the conterminous United States in true 

north-south position so as to touch the Canadian boundary a short distance west of the Lake of the Woods, would reach the Atlantic Ocean 

near the line between Georgia and South Carolina, cross the Mexican 

boundary in southwestern New Mexico, and touch the Pacific Ocean 

in southern California. (See fig. 7.)

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS

The Hawaiian Government in 1851 seriously considered the transfer 

of sovereignty of the Hawaiian Islands to the United States, but the 

plan was for the time being laid aside. Annexation to the United 

States was authorized by the Hawaiian Constitution of 1852, "if indispensable to free it from insults and oppression of any foreign 

powers." Annexation was again under consideration in 1854, and a 

draft of a treaty was prepared whereby the islands would be ceded to 

the United States, but the suddden illness and death on December 15, 

1854, of King Kamehameha III, who had favored the treaty, put an 

end to the negotiations.4*

** This information is taken from an address presented by Prof. W. D. Alexander before 

the Hawaiian Historical Society on July 2, 1897 (Hawaiian Hist. Soc. Papers, No. 9).
52 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

FIGURE 7. Relative size of Alaska and the conterminous United States.

The Republic of Hawaii was formally annexed to the United States 

by the voluntary action of its citizens and a joint resolution of Congress 

approved July 7, 1898. The transfer of sovereignty took place August 

12,1898. The area was constituted a Territory by act of April 30,1900, 

effective June 14,1900.45

The Hawaiian Islands and adjacent islets are scattered over a considerable area which extends nearly 2,000 miles in a general northwestsoutheast direction and has a width of about 150 miles. (See fig. 5.) 

The eight inhabited islands, which lie between 19°00' and 22° 15' N., 

long 155°00' and 162°00' W., have a total area of 6,412 square miles 

and a total coast line of 957 miles, as follows:

Hawaii: greatest length, 89 miles; greatest width, 72 miles; area, 

4,021 square miles; highest point, Mauna Kea, 13,796 feet above 

sea level. 

Maui: about 48 miles long and 26 miles wide.; area, 728 square

miles; highest point, 10,023 feet above sea level. 

Oahu: about 43 miles long and 30 miles wide; area, 602 square

miles; highest point, 4,040 feet. 

Kauai: nearly circular, about 26 miles in diameter; area, 553 square

miles; highest point, 5,240 feet.

Molokai: about 38 miles long and 9 miles wide; area, 259 square 

miles; highest point, 4,970 feet.

«31 Stat. L. 141. For a summary of legislative acts relating to this transfer, BCC 

Moore (1906, p. 475-520).
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 53

Lanai: about 18 miles long and 12 miles wide; area, 141 square

miles; highest point, 3,370 feet. 

Niihau: about 18 miles long and 3 to 6 miles wide; area, 72 square

miles; highest point, 1,281 feet. 

Kahoolawe: about 11 miles long and 6 miles wide; area, 45 square

miles; highest point, 1,477 feet.

More than 100 smaller islands are included in the group. Among 

the larger of these are:

Nihoa or Bird Island: lat 23°06' N., long 161°58' W.; about threequarters of a mile long and a quarter of a mile wide; area, 166

acres; highest point, 910 feet. 

Gardner Island: lat 25°01' N., long 167°59' W.; an inaccessible

rock 190 feet high and about 600 feet in diameter. 

Laysan Island: lat 25°42' N., long 171°44' W., 1% miles long and

1 mile wide; area, 1.56 square miles; highest point, 35 feet. 

Lisiansky Island: lat 26°00' N., long 173°50' W., about 1 mile long

and half a mile wide; area, 378 acres; highest point, 20 feet. 

Kure Island: lat 28°25/ N., long 178°25' W.; an atoll about 15

miles in circumference; area, 211 acres; highest point, 20 feet. 

Kaula: a barren, rocky crescent-shaped island about 20 miles

southwest of Niihau; area, about one-sixth of a square mile;

highest point, 550 feet; set aside by the Territorial Governor

in December 1924 as a site for a lighthouse.46

PALMYBA ISLAND «

Palmyra Island, lat 5°52' N., long 162°05' W., is approximately 

1,000 miles south of Honolulu. It was discovered in 1802 by Captain 

Sawle of the American ship Palmyra. It was annexed to Hawaii in 

1862. When Hawaii became a State, Palmyra was excluded from its 

boundaries. An Executive order of October 10,1961, placed administration of Palmyra under the Secretary of the Interior (table 1).

Eeef rock has been piled up on the rim of Palmyra Island to form an 

airplane landing strip. The island is densely covered with coconut 

trees and with the balsalike personia, grandis that grow to heights of 

100 feet. Highest land elevation is about 30 feet; area is 3.8 square 

miles. (Kock, 1916.)

49 For reference to other islands belonging to this group, see U.S. Coast and Qeod. Survey (1923) ; Moore (1898, p. 555) ; U.S. Cong. (1893 ; 1898b).

The source of Information on areas and altitudes Is "Research Report 15, Geographic 

Statistics for Hawaii" of the Dept. of Planning and Research, Hawaii.

47 Information on unincorporated territories and possessions of the United States is 

summarized In "United States and Outlying Areas," Geog. Rept. of the Geographer, U.S. 

Dept. of State (1963a).

The Office of Territories, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, publishes booklets entitled "Territorial Responsibilities" which give information on the islands under Its administration. 

Some of this information is used In the pages which follow.
54 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES 

TABLE 1. Outlying areas of the United States

Name

Virgin Islands of the United 

States.

Quita Suefio Bank _______

Howland, Baker, and Jarvis 

Islands. 

Canton and Enderbury IslandsArea 

(sq.mi.)

4

212

76

3

2

(0

0)

553

133 

2

(0

(')

W 1-

3

27 

4

-Population 

(1960)

0

67,044

20,051

1,097

2,356

156

0

42, 122

32,099 

0

0

0

0

28

0 

320 

1,872

Status; administrative agency

Possession; Department of the Interior.

Interior. 

Do.

Possession; Federal Aviation Agency.

Possession; Navy Department.

Do.

Do.

Leased from Panama; governed by the Canal

Zone Government; Governor appointed by the 

President. 

Unincorporated territory; Department of the 

Interior.

Arrangement made with Colombia in 1928 to

maintain the status quo. 

Do.

Do.

Possession; U.S. Coast Guard.

Possessions; Department of the Inferior.

Claimed by the United States and Great Britain 

(seep. 63).

i Less than 0.5 square mile.

PUERTO RICO

Puerto Eico was ceded to the United States by Spain By the treaty 

of peace concluded December 10, 1898. (Malloy, 1910, v. 2, p. 1691.) 

Article 2 of that treaty is as follows:

Spain cedes to the United States the island of Puerto Rico and other islands 

now under Spanish sovereignty in the West Indies, and the island of Guam in 

the Mariana Islands or Ladrones.

Puerto Eico's area is 3,435 square miles, its extreme length is 109 

miles, its width is 39 miles, and its greatest height is 4,390 feet. The 

largest of the other West Indian islands referred to is Vieques; others 

are Culebra, Mona, Muertos, and Desecheo. The total area of the 

smaller islands is 86 square miles. These islands, including Puerto 

Eico, all lie in the area between lat 17°42' and 18°31' N., and long 

65°20' and 67°55' W. Possession was taken by the United States 

October 18,1898.

Puerto Eico enjoys a new status since President Truman signed 

the Congressional Act of ratification of its new constitution on July 3, 

1952. It was established as a "commonwealth" at that time, and has 

most of the powers and responsibilities of a State of the Union. Maj or 

exceptions are that Puerto Eico's residents are not subject to Federal 

taxation and do not have voting representation in the U.S. Congress 

nor the right to vote for President and Vice President of the United

48 For information on the insular possessions of the United States, see U.S. Cong. 

(1907; 1909; 1912; 1914).
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 55

States. Most of the activities of the Federal Government found in the 

States are also found in Puerto Rico. The Federal Government has 

in Puerto Rico the same authority that it has in a State of the Union. 

Puerto Ricans are liable for military service under the Selective Service Act. Immigration laws pertaining to the United States also apply 

to Puerto Rico. However, the Commonwealth regulates its own customs and collects its own import duties.

GUAM

The island of Guam is at lat 13°30' N., long 144°45' E. Its greatest 

length is 30 miles; width, 4 to 8 miles; area, 212 square miles; and highest point, 1,334 feet. It is the southernmost of the Mariana Islands.

Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States and its 

relations with the Federal Government are under the jurisdiction of 

the Department of the Interior.

AMERICAN SAMOA «

American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United 

States. It is administered by the Department of the Interior. It 

comprises the eastern islands of the Samoan group, and is in the 

southern Pacific Ocean, approximately 2,300 miles southwest of 

Hawaii and 1,600 miles northeast of the northern tip of New Zealand.

The people are American Nationals and represent one of the few 

remaining societies of Polynesians retaining the major part of their 

traditional culture. The population has increased from some 5,700 in 

1900 to more than 20,000 in 1960.

For several years the United States, Great Britain, and Germany 

exercised a joint protectorate over the Samoa Islands (Thorpe, 1909, 

v. 6, p. 3675). For various reasons it was deemed best to bring this 

situation to an end. England withdrew, and the islands were divided 

between Germany and the United States, the latter taking all the 

islands of the group lying east of longitude 171° west of Greenwich. 

This adjustment was reached by a convention between the United 

States, Germany, and Great Britain, concluded December 2,1899, and 

proclaimed February 16,1900.

The natives of Samoa had no part in this convention, but certain 

chiefs of islands in 1900 and 1904 made cessions to the United States 

which were accepted by the President but not ratified by the Senate. 

A bill to remedy this apparent oversight was introduced in the Senate 

April 5,1926, but did not become a law until February 20,1929.50

49 For reference to legislative action leading to the acquisition of the Samoa group, see 

Moore (1906, p. 536-554)'and Malloy (1910, v. 2, p. 1595).

50 U.S. 70th Cong., 2d sess., Pub. Res. 89. See Cong. Record, Apr. 10, 1926, p. 1&52-1954, 

for historical description of this accession.

776-664 O-66 5
56 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Tutuila Island, the largest of the Samoan group belonging to the 

United States, has a length of 20 miles and a breadth of about 6 miles. 

Its extreme height is 2,141 feet, and its area (scaled from hydrographic 

chart 2924) is 52 square miles.

Anuu Island, about a mile from the east end of Tutuila, has a 

length of 1 mile, a height of 275 feet, and an area of half a square mile.

About 60 miles to the east are the three Manua Islands, the largest 

of which is Tau, 6i/£ miles in length, 3,056 feet in extreme height, and 

17 square miles in area. Olosega Island is 2% miles in length and 

2,095 feet in height and covers an area of 2 square miles. Ofu Island 

is about 3 miles long; its highest point is 1,587 feet, and its area is 3 

square miles.

Eose Island is the name given an atoll about 3 miles in diameter, 

partly under water at high tide, 80 miles southeast of any of the other 

islands of the Samoan group. Sand Islet, the smaller of the two 

islets of the atoll, is about an acre in extent and its highest part is 5 

feet above high tide. Kose Islet has an area of about 8 acres, and 

its highest part is 11 feet above high water. It is covered in part 

with a dense grove of Pisonia, trees but is without fresh water and is 

uninhabited. This islet has the distinction of being the southernmost land under the control of the United States. (See fig. 8.) 

Its geographic position is in lat 14°32' S., long 168° 11' W.

American Samoa lies between lat 14° and 15° S. and long 168° 

and 171° W. The estimated area is 76 square miles.

The joint resolution of March 4,1925, placed Swains Island (p. 63) 

under the administrative control of American Samoa.

WAKE, MIDWAY, AND JOHNSTON ISLANDS

Wake Island is an atoll about 2,000 miles west of Honolulu. Its 

position is lat 19°17' N., long 166°35' E. Although it is usually 

referred to as a single island, there are three islands, separated by 

narrow and shallow channels. The largest is Wake Island, whose 

area is about 2 square miles; its highest point is 21 feet above sea 

level. The smaller islands are Wilkes and Peale. Formal possession 

was taken on behalf of the United States by the Commander of the 

U.S.S. Bennington on January 17, 1899. (Moore, 1906, p. 555.) It 

was captured by the Japanese in the early part of World War II. 

U.S. personnel at the time consisted of a detachment of Marines and 

a construction crew.

Wake Island has no indigenous population. It is administered by 

the Federal Aviation Agency.

The Midway Islands, two small coral islands in la.t 28°IS' N., long

177°22' W., about 1,200 miles a little north of west from Honolulu,
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 57

FIGURE 8. Northernmost and southernmost points in U.S. territory. A, Point 

Barrow, the extreme northern point of Alaska, lat 71°23' N.; B, Rose 

Island, Samoa, Pacific Ocean, lat 14°32' S.
58 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

were discovered by Captain Brooks, an American shipmaster on an 

Hawaiian vessel, in 1859. Possession was taken on behalf of the 

United States on September 30, 1867, by Capt. William Reynolds of 

the U.S.S. Lackawanna, who stated that the larger island was "the 

first island ever added to the domain of the United States beyond 

our own [American] shores." 51 The larger island is 1% miles long 

and rises 43 feet above sea level. This island has an airfield, a cable 

station, and a lighthouse. The total area of the two islands is about 2 

square miles. The Midway Islands have been considered part of the 

Hawaiian Islands, but they are not included in the State of Hawaii.

The Midway Islands are chiefly identified with the Battle of Midway, one of the decisive naval engagements of World War II.

Johnston Island, lat 16°45' N., long 169°30' W., is a grass-covered 

lagoon island half a mile in length; its area is 185 acres. Nearby 

Sand Island, 134 acres, is uninhabited.

Midway and Johnston Islands are under the administration of the 

Navy Department, as is Kingman Reef, near Palmyra Island.

CANAL ZONE

In order to insure the construction of a ship canal across the Isthmus 

of Panama, the Republic of Panama granted rights to the United 

States "in perpetuity" for its use, occupation, and control, a strip of 

land 10 miles in width. This conveyance was made by a convention 

concluded November 18, 1903 (Malloy, 1910, v. 2, p. 1349). The area 

(see fig. 9) is described in Article II as

a zone of land and land under water for the construction, maintenance, 

operation, sanitation, and protection of said canal of the width of ten miles 

extending to the distance of five miles on each side of the center line of the 

route of the canal to be constructed; the said zone beginning in the Caribbean 

Sea three marine miles from mean low water mark and extending to and 

across the Isthmus of Panama into the Pacific Ocean to a distance of three 

marine miles from mean low water mark with the proviso that the cities of 

Panama and Colon and the harbors adjacent to said cities, which are included 

within the boundaries of the zone above described, shall not be included 

within this grant. The Republic of Panama further grants to the United 

States in perpetuity the use, occupation, and control of any other lands and 

waters outside of the zone above described which may be necessary and convenient for the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation, and protection 

of the said canal or of any auxiliary canals or other works necessary and 

convenient for the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation, and protection of the said enterprise.

The Republic of Panama further grants in like manner to the United States 

in perpetuity all islands within the limits of the zone above described and

51 U.S. 40th Cong., 1869, 3d sees., S. Kept. 194, p. 12. This report contains an extended 

description of the islands.
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 59

in addition thereto the group of small islands in the Bay of Panama, named 

Perico, Naos, Oulebra, and Flamenco.

Article III of the convention provides: "The Republic of Panama 

grants to the United States all the rights, power, and authority 

within the zone * * * which the United States would possess and 

exercise if it were soverign of the Territory within which said lands 

and waters are located to the entire exclusion of the exercise by the 

Republic of Panama of any such sovereign rights, powers, or authority." The United States recognizes that titular sovereignty over the 

Canal Zone remains in the Government of Panama.

By Article XIV of the convention the United States agreed to pay 

to the Republic of Panama $10 million and to make annual payments 

of $250,000 beginning 9 years after the convention was ratified. By 

the treaty of 1955, annual payments were increased to 1,930,000 Balboas. The Balboa is at par with the dollar.

Possession was taken of this tract on June 15,1904; the boundaries 

of the 10-mile strip have been surveyed and have been marked at 

average intervals of half a mile by iron posts bearing brass caps.

Under the clause in Article II that permitted the United States to 

take control of "other lands and waters outside of the zone" the United 

States from time to time has taken possession of areas outside of the 

10-mile belt, which are officially designated "auxiliary areas." The 

largest of these is a part of Gatun Lake, with its islands and its shores, 

up to an altitude of 100 feet above mean sea level.

A second convention was concluded September 2,1914, which recognized the transfer of the Gatun Lake area to the United States and by 

Article III receded to the Republic of Panama an area of about G 1/^ 

square miles adjoining the city of Panama on the northeast. (U.S. 

Gong., 1923, v. 3, p, 2771-2773.)

This convention also defined the Canal Zone boundary around the 

city of Colon and the harbors of Colon 'and of Panama. The treaty 

of 1955 further changed the boundaries around the city of Colon by 

returning certain small areas to Panama and provided for the return 

of Paitilla Point, near the city of Panama, to Panamanian sovereignty.

By Executive order of June 5,1924, the United States took possession of an area known as the Alhajuela Basin, which comprises 22 

square miles of the upper Chagres River basin.

The area of the Canal Zone, including Gatun Lake to the 100-foot 

contour outside the original 10-mile zone, is 553 square miles 191 

square miles of water and 362 square miles of land.

In order "to remove all misunderstandings" regarding the acquisition of the Canal Zone by the United States from the Republic of Panama, which had until November 3,1903, been under the jurisdiction of
60 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

80°

FIGURE 9. Canal Zone.

the Eepublic of Colombia, the United States by treaty signed April 

6,1914, ratified in 1921, and proclaimed March 30,1922, agreed to pay 

Colombia $25 million (42 Stat. L. 2123).

VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES

By a convention concluded August 4,1916 (39 Stat. L. 1706), Denmark ceded to the United States

all territory, dominion, and sovereignty possessed, asserted, or claimed by Denmark in the West Indies, including the islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and 

Saint Croix, together with the adjacent islands and rocks.

The purchase price was $25 million, or nearly $300 an acre (U.S. 

Cong., 1917). By act of Congress, approved March 3, 1917, this
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 61

cession was to become effective after the President had announced that 

the amount agreed upon had been paid to Denmark. The proclamation was dated March 31, 1917: (39 Stat. L. 1132; 40 Stat. L., pt. 2, 

p. 1649.)

In several acts of Congress the former Danish West Indies are referred to as the Virgin Islands, but when possession was taken of them 

March 31, 1917, the name given by proclamation was "Virgin Islands 

of the United States of America," to distinguish them from the Virgin 

Islands belonging to Great Britain. Since June 1917 the U.S. Navy 

Department has used the abbreviated form "Virgin Islands of the 

United States," and that name has been adopted by the Post Office and 

other departments.

St. Croix, the largest island included in this cession, is 23 miles long 

and 6 miles in extreme width; the highest point is 1,165 feet above sea 

level; the area is 81.93 square miles.

St. Thomas, 12 miles long, 1 to 3 miles wide; highest point, Crown 

Mountain, 1,550 feet; area, 27.12 square miles.

St. John, 9 miles long, 5 miles wide; highest point, 1,277 feet; area, 

19.2 square miles.

Besides these three, there are nearly a hundred small islands, none 

as great as a square mile in extent, but having a combined area of about 

5 square miles, which makes the total area of the cession 133 square 

miles.

GUANO ISLANDS

An act of Congress approved August 18,1856, contains the following 

provisions:

SECTION 5570. Whenever any citizen of the United States discovers a deposit 

of guano on any island, rock, or key, not within the lawful jurisdiction of any 

other government, and not occupied by the citizens of any other government, 

and takes peaceable possession thereof, and occupies the same, such island, rock, 

or key may, at the discretion of the President, be considered as appertaining to 

the United States.

* . * . * * * * *

SECTION 5578. Nothing in this title contained shall be construed as obliging the 

United States to retain possession of the islands, rocks, or keys, after the guano 

shall have been removed from the same.

Before 1880 bonds were filed for about 70 islands under this act,52

53 Lists of these islands appear in a circular dated Feb. 12, 1869, in Moore (1906, v. 1, 

p. 556-580), in Magoon (1900, p. 14-17), and on General Land Office maps of the United 

States. Brief descriptions of the Pacific islands are given in Brigham (1900) and U.S. 

Hydrographic Office (1871, 1879, 1880, and 1916). Stewart's Handbook of the Pacific 

islands (Alien, 1920), besides excellent descriptions of all the principal islands, contains 

a bibliography. For reference to sovereignty and descriptions of other Pacific islands, see 

Statesman's Year Book (1929), indexed under heading "Pacific Islands"). The islands 

In the West Indies are described in reports of U.S. Hydrographic Office (1949, 1951, and 

1952).
62 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

but erroneous names and geographic positions were given for many 

of them; for some single islands several names and positions had been 

given. Some of the most important areas listed as guano islands are 

as follows:

Navassa Island, lat 18°24' N., long Y5°01' W.; of volcanic origin; 

about 2 miles long and 1 mile wide; rises from 100 to 250 feet above the 

sea. A lighthouse, which operates automatically, is at the latitude and 

longitude given.

Quita Sueno Bank, lat 14°27.8' N., long 81°07' W., extends for about 

20 miles north and south and has patches of dry land at intervals. It 

was declared by presidential proclamation of February 25, 1919, to be 

under the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States, and "the north 

or other suitable portion" was reserved for a lighthouse. The lighthouse, which works automatically, is at the latitude and longitude 

given.

Roncador Cay, lat 13°34.4' N., long 80°05.2' W., rises about 12 feet 

above the water. It is about a quarter of a mile long and is at the 

north end of a series of small cays. By presidential proclamation of 

June 5, 1919, it was declared to be under the exclusive jurisdiction of 

the United States and was reserved as a site for a lighthouse. The 

lighthouse (position above) works automatically.

Serrana Bank, lat 14°17' N., long 80°24' W., comprises three low 

islands, the largest of which, the southwest cay, is about half a mile 

long and has an extreme height of about 30 feet. This cay was declared 

by presidential proclamation of February 25, 1919, to be under the 

exclusive jurisdiction of the United States and was reserved for a lighthouse, which is in the position above given.

The Colombian Government, prior to 1928, disputed the claims of 

the United States to Serrana and Quita Sueno Banks and the Roncador 

Cay, but an agreement dated April 10, 1928, between the Secretary of 

State and the Colombian minister in Washington, maintained the 

status quo, the United States using the islands for maintenance of aids 

to navigation and Colombia having fishing rights in the adjacent 

waters.

The Swan Islands are in lat 17°25' K, long 83°55' W. The western 

island, Great Swan Island, is about 2 miles long, and the eastern 

island is about iy2 miles long; each is about a half a mile in breadth. 

An aeronautical radio beacon and an aviation light are on Great Swan. 

In Opinions of the Attorney General, volume 34, there is a brief 

history of these islands and it is stated (p. 515) that

The dominion of the United States Government was extended over the Swan 

Islands * * * February 11, 1863. * * * The sovereignty of the United States 

attached to these islands as of that date.
ADDITIONS TO THE TERRITORY 63

Honduras also claims sovereignty over the Swan Islands.

Swains Island, also called Gente Hermosa and Quiros, lat 11°03' S., 

long 1Y1°05' W., is about 4 miles in circumference and 10 to 15 feet 

high; its area, including a central lagoon of one-third square mile, is 

iys square miles. It was discovered by Quiros in 1606 and named 

by him La Peregrina, but the position then given for it was so much 

in error as to lead an American whaling captain named Swain to 

assume the right of discovery upon landing there. It was examined 

in 1840 by the United .States exploring expedition under Wilkes and 

renamed Swains Island. In 1856 and for many years thereafter it 

was occupied by an American family named Jennings, engaged in 

raising coconuts. An official communication regarding this island 

from the British Government, dated January 30, 1918, stated that it 

was understood "that the island in question is United States territory."

A joint resolution of Congress, approved March 4,1925 (43 Stat. L. 

1357), asserted sovereignty of the United States over this island and 

made it a part of American Samoa. (See p. 55-56.)

The ownership of some of the guano islands is uncertain. Several 

of them have been claimed by Great Britain, without formal protest 

by the United States, except that in the case of Christmas Island 

(lat 1°57' N., long 157°28' W.) the Secretary of State, in a letter dated 

April 30,1888, said that the United States reserved all questions that 

might grow out of the occupation.

The United States took possession of Rowland, Baker, and Jarvis 

Islands in the central part of the Pacific Ocean under the provisions of 

the Guano Act. Rowland and Baker are about 2,000 miles southwest 

of Honolulu (lat 0°30' K, long 176°30' W.) and Jarvis is about 

1,500 miles south of Honolulu (lat 0°24' S., long 160°00' W.). The 

islands are uninhabited. In 1936 by Executive Order they were 

placed under the control of the Secretary of the Interior. At his 

request the Coast Guard has been asked to visit the islands periodically 

and submit reports and photographs.

Canton and Enderbury Islands are claimed by both the United 

States and Great Britain. They are about 1,660 nautical miles southwest of Honolulu at lat 2°46/ S. and long 171°43' W. Canton Island 

is used as a landing station by trans-Pacific airlines. Enderbury is 

uninhabited. The population of Canton Island includes both British 

and United States citizens. An exchange of notes in 1939 provided 

for the joint administration of the islands by both governments to 

continue until 1989, at which time it can be extended if both parties 

agree. Administration by the United States is under the Department 

of the Interior, which is represented by the senior Federal Aviation 

Agency employee at the air station.
64 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

There are some 25 islands in the Pacific over which the United 

States' claim to sovereignty is disputed by Great Britain or New 

Zealand. All except the four in the Ellice group (Funafuti, Nukufetau, Nukulailai, and Nurakita), Hull in the Phoenix group, and 

Fakaofu in the Union group, appear on the lists of guano islands. 

(For further discussion on guano islands, see Hackworth, 1940, p. 502.)

INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES BEYOND ITS

BORDERS

ANTARCTICA

Interest of the United States in the Antarctic was stimulated in 

the early 19th century by Yankee sealers, who, about 1820, sighted 

and went ashore on a land they believed to be a continent. The existence of this continent was first proved during the years 1839^0 by an 

official Navy expedition under Lt. Charles Wilkes, USN.

In the last decade of the 19th century, purely maritime exploration 

was supplemented by expeditions that landed on the continent and 

sought to push inland. This phase of Antarctic activity reached its 

climax when Captain Amundsen of Norway reached the South Pole 

December 14, 1911, followed by Captain Scott of England a few 

weeks later.

Exploration by the United States in the south polar regions was 

revived by the Byrd expeditions in 1928-30 and 1933-35. From his 

base at Little America on the Ross Ice Shelf, Admiral Byrd made the 

first flight over the South Pole November 29, 1929, and large areas 

previously unknown were explored by aerial and ground reconnaissance (Byrd, 1930).

In 1935, another American, Lincoln Ellsworth, first crossed the 

continent by air.

Although the first two Byrd expeditions were primarily privately 

financed, 'some governmental assistance was received in the loan of 

equipment and personnel. In 1939 the Government created the U.S. 

Antarctic Service, supported by a congressional appropriation of 

$340,000, approved June 30,1939 (53 Stat. L. 980). Exploration the 

following season was from bases at Little America and on the west 

coast of the Palmer Peninsula.

After World War II, exploration was under the sponsorship of 

the Navy. Expeditions were sent out in 1946,1947, and 1948. Large 

areas were photographed from the air, by both land-based and 

carrier-based aircraft.

The privately led Bonne Antarctic Research Expedition, partially 

Government supported, reoccupied the Palmer Peninsula base in
INTERESTS BEYOND UNITED STATES BORDERS 65

1947-48. Its work included mapping and exploring the west coast 

of the Weddell Sea to and along the Lassiter Ice Shelf.

U.S. Government operations in Antarctica were recommenced in 

late 1954, and in late 1955 year-round bases were established in preparation for the International Geophysical Year (195Y-58), a cooperative scientific effort of 11 nations.

Although various nations have announced territorial claims to 

parts of the Antarctic continent, the United States has not done so. 

All nations with interests in the Antarctic territory signed a treaty 

December 1, 1959, declaring the area south of 60° south latitude an 

international preserve for scientific research. Thus scientific groups 

can move freely on the southern continent, disregarding boundaries.

MILITARY AND NAVAL BASE LEASES

The United States has leased land from foreign governments at 

strategic locations and established naval or air bases at those points.

The Navy has maintained a base at Guantanamo on the island of 

Cuba since shortly after the Spanish-American War. In February 

1903, Cuba signed agreements to lease or sell coaling or naval stations 

to the United States in accord with a clause in the constitution of 

the Republic of Cuba (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 358). The lease at 

Guantanamo Bay, on the south coast near Santiago, includes about 30 

squares miles of land and water. The land boundaries of the area 

are thus described in the agreement:

From a point on the south coast 4.37 nautical miles to the eastward of Windward Point Lighthouse, a line running .north (true) a distance of 4.25 nautical 

miles;

.From the northern extremity of this line, a line running west (true) a distance of 5.87 nautical miles;

From the western extremity otf this last line, a line running southwest (true) 

3.31 nautical miles;

From the southwestern extremity of this last line, a line running south 

(true) to 'the seacoast.

The outlines of this area are shown on U.S. Hydrographic Office 

Chart 1857.

A convention between the United States and Nicaragua signed 

August 5, 1914, and proclaimed June 24, 1916 (39 Stat. L., v. 2, p. 

1661), provided for leasing to the United States for 99 years the 

Great and Little Corn Islands and a site for a naval base at a place 

to be selected bordering on the Gulf of Fonseca, and included the 

privilege of renewing the lease. Great Corn Island is in lat 12° 10' 

N., long 83° 05' W. It is about 2^ miles in length and 2 miles in 

width; the highest point is 370 feet above sea level. Little Corn Island is about 7 miles to the northeast and has an area of about 1
66

square mile; its highest point is 125 feet above sea level, and a privately maintained lighthouse is on the island at lat 12°18' N.5 long 

82°59' W.

The Corn Islands are not considered possessions of the United 

States. Although by terms of the convention they are subject exclusively to the laws and sovereign authority of the United States 

during the term of the lease or any renewal thereof, in fact the Nicaraguan Government has continued in the local administration of 

the islands, with the acquiescence of the United States. The right to 

the use of the islands remains unimpaired.

By the same convention the United States acquired the perpetual 

right to construct and maintain a ship canal between the Caribbean 

Sea and the Pacific Ocean by way of Lake Nicaragua. These concessions cost the United States $3 million. Sovereignty over these 

islands and over those along the Mosquito Coast was in dispute between Colombia and Nicaragua prior to 1928, but a treaty, concluded 

in that year and ratified by the two Governments in 1930, confirmed 

Nicaragua's claim. (British Foreign Office, 1928, p. 297.)

TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands embraces three groups 

of islands in the western Pacific Ocean.: the Carolines, Marianas, 

and Marshalls. The 2,000 islands, of which approximately 100 are 

inhabited, cover less than TOO square miles of land in some 3 million 

square miles of ocean. These islands lie north of the equator stretching from 1° to 20° north latitude and from 130° to 172° east longitude. 

They vary in size from large islands, such as Babelthaup (153 square 

miles) in the Palaus 'and Ponape (129 square miles) in the eastern 

Carolines, to small atolls of less than 1 square mile of area.

Elevation above sea level is only a few feet on the low-lying coral 

atolls, but may reach 2,000 to 3,000 feet on islands of volcanic origin. 

This area was controlled by the Japanese under a mandate from the 

League of Nations before World War II, and since that time has been 

administered by the United States under a trusteeship agreement with 

the United Nations. Administration of the trust territory is under 

the Office of Territories, Department of the Interior. A report is 

submitted annually by the United States to the Trusteeship Council 

of the United Nations. Under terms of the agreement, the United 

States has authority to establish military bases in the territory and

to close all or any part of it for security reasons.

The inhabitants number about 80,000. They are classified as

Micronesians, a term derived from the 'small size of the islands. The 

United States has accepted obligations to the United Nations for the 

political, economic, social, and educational advancement of the 

inhabitants of the trust territory.
INTERESTS BEYOND UNITED STATES BORDERS 67

TERRITORIAL WATERS AND THE CONTINENTAL SHELF

"Territorial waters" is the term applied to the part of the open sea 

over which a bordering nation may claim jurisdiction for its own 

protection. It is generally conceded that jurisdiction over a belt of 

water along the coast 1 marine league 53 (about 3% statute miles) 

wide, measured from the low-water line, may be thus claimed, but 

the passage of neutral vessels engaged in peaceful pursuits through 

this area may not be forbidden.

The general rule regarding territorial waters has many exceptions 

and "now has no legal basis except the so-called 'common consent of 

nations.'" (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1910, v. 14, p. 698.)

Bays or arms of the sea, if in large part surrounded by the territory 

of a single nation, are usually considered entirely within the jurisdiction of that nation, even though the entrances are more than 2 

leagues across.

The Hague tribunal in September 1910 decided in a special case 

submitted to it (regarding fisheries in the North Atlantic) that for 

bays contiguous to the territory of the Dominion of Canada

the 3 marine miles are to be measured from a straight line drawn across the 

body of water at the place where it ceases to have the configuration and characteristics of a bay. At all other places the 3 marine miles are to be measured 

following the sinuosities of the coast. [Charles, 1913, p. 69.]

This decision does not now apply to other localities but may be 

considered a precedent for future agreements (Hyde, 1922, p. 251- 

270). A joint commission acting under the treaty with Great Britain 

of June 5,1854 (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 668), agreed on proper locations 

for the mouths of 105 rivers emptying into the Atlantic between the 

36th parallel and northern Labrador, and they defined these locations by straight lines between well-known points (Moore, 1898, v. 

1, p. 473-494). Although the treaty was abrogated in 1866, the 

positions selected for the river mouths may still be regarded as well 

chosen.

When the 3-mile limit was adopted, it was thought to be the extreme 

range of cannon that could be used for coast defense. Today with 

aircraft as the principal weapon for coast defense, a distance of 3 

miles no longer has any significance except as a time-honored accepted 

figure.

In section 1 of the treaty between the United States and Great 

Britain signed January 23, 1924, it was declared

that 3 marine miles extending from the coast-line outwards and measured from 

low-water mark constitute the proper limits of territorial waters.

58 Texas claimed jurisdiction over the Gulf of Mexico for 3 leagues from land. See p. 43.
68 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

That treaty gave the United States certain conditional rights of 

search or seizure over private vessels flying the British flag when 

within 1 hour's sailing distance from the coast of the United States 

or its possessions (43 Stat. L. 1761). Similar treaties have been effected with several other nations. Section 581 of the tariff act of 1922 

(42 Stat. L. 979) provides for the boarding of any vessel within 4 

leagues of the coast of the United States in order to inspect, search, or 

seize the vessel, where a violation of U.S. law is evident.

The interest in the sovereignty of off-shore areas has greatly increased because of extensive fishing operations and shrimp and oyster 

cultivation and the presence of minerals below the submerged lands. 

Only in the last few years has it been practical to extract oil from 

beneath the ocean floor at any great distance from the shore.

On September 28, 1945, the President issued two proclamations. 

One reserved and set aside the natural resources of the Continental 

Shelf under the high seas and placed these resources for administrative purposes, pending legislative action, under the jurisdiction and 

control of the Secretary of the Interior. The other proclamation provided for establishment by executive orders, on recommendation of 

the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Interior, of fishingconservation zones in areas of the high seas contiguous to the United 

States. The proclamation stated that the territorial limits of the 

United States are not extended, and the State Department (in its Bull. 

327, Sept. 30, 1945) said, "Generally, submerged land which is contiguous to the continent and which is covered by no more than 100 

fathoms (600 feet) of water is considered as the Continental Shelf."

In 1952, a Congressional committee reported on the study of the 

seaward boundaries of the United States. The report acknowledged 

that the subject was very complicated and thoroughly discussed the 

problems involved. It recommended that the study be continued at 

the following session of Congress, and that Congress should establish 

criteria for fixing the seaward boundaries of the inland waters, following which a commission should be delegated to fix the line on the 

ground by actual survey. Several formulas have been proposed for

defining the Seaward limit of inland waters (Boggs, 1940, chap. 10).

However, the International Court of Justice, in its decision of the 

case of United Kingdom v. Norway, held that there are no rules of a 

"technically precise character" by which the validity of a nation's 

seaward boundary under international law could be measured.

In 1953, Congress by Public Law 31, the Submerged Lands Act, 

gave to the States jurisdiction over the seabed and natural resources 

under territorial waters (67 Stat. L. 29). The law confirmed the seaward boundary of the original coastal States as being 3 geographical 

(nautical) miles distant from the coastline, "coastline" being defined
INTERESTS BEYOND THE UNITED STATES BORDERS 69

as mean low tide or the seaward limit of inland waters. It also 

gave permission to any coastal State, admitted since the formation 

of the Union, to extend its boundaries to the 3-mile line. The law 

provided that in no event can the term "boundaries" be interpreted as 

extending more than 3 geographic miles into the Atlantic or the 

Pacific, or more than 3 leagues into the Gulf of Mexico.

Public Law 212, the Outer Continental Shelf Act, passed the same 

year (67 Stat. L. 462), asserted Federal jurisdiction over the seabed 

and its resources between the outer limits of the territorial waters and 

the outer limits of the Continental Shelf. This law provided that it 

shall be construed "in such a manner that the character as high seas 

of the waters above the outer Continental Shelf, and the right to navigation and fishing therein shall not be affected."

In 1954, the United States joined with other United Nations members in requesting the inclusion of fche matters of the Continental Shelf 

and fishing conservation on the agenda of the General Assembly. The 

Assembly decided not to deal with these questions until after they 

had been studied by the International Law Commission.

An article on the Law of the Sea, as established in the 1958 Geneva 

Convention, states:

* * * For the purposes of these articles, the term "Continental Shelf" is 

used as referring (a) to the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas adjacent 

to the coast but outside the area of the territorial sea, to a depth of 200 meters 

or, beyond that limit, to where the depth of the superjacent waters admit of 

the exploitation of the natural resources of the said area; (b) to the seabed 

and subsoil of similar submarine areas adjacent to the coasts of islands.

While the United States has never taken the position that its seaward boundaries extend more than 3 miles from its coastline, the 

provisions of the Submerged Land Act gave the Gulf Coast States 

reason to believe that they might extend their seaward boundaries 

3 leagues into the Gulf of Mexico. Legal proceedings were initiated 

in the Supreme Court to determine if any of the States had a valid 

claim to the submerged lands more than 3 geographic miles from the 

low-waterline of its coast. The cases against the five Gulf Coast 

States were consolidated, and a decision was handed down on May 

31,1960, in the case of United States v. Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas (363 U.S. 1), and Florida (363 U.S. 121). The Texas 

boundary was confirmed as 3 marine leagues. Texas had been an 

independent nation for 10 years before its annexation to the United 

States. The congressional resolution admitting Texas as a State 

accepted the boundaries as described by the Kepublic of Texas, which 

stated that they were 3 leagues from land. The annexation resolution 

was the deciding factor in the ruling of the Court.
70

Florida was likewise granted a width of territorial sea extending 

3 leagues into the Gulf of Mexico. The Court stated in its decision 

that Congress had approved Florida's 1868 constitution, submitted 

in compliance with the 186Y Reconstruction Acts, which specified a 

boundary at a distance of 3 leagues from the shoreline. This has no 

bearing on the Atlantic boundary, which is limited by the Submerged 

Lands Act to 3 geographical miles.

The other three States were denied more than a 3-mile belt of 

territorial sea. In brief, the Court could find nothing in the enabling 

acts admitting them to the Union which would justify their claims 

to water areas lying off their shores.

The determination of the position of the seaward limit of inland 

waters (the seaward limit of the marginal sea depends on this) is a 

complicated matter. It involves the use of coastal charts, tidal data, 

and a complex set of criteria. A recent book by Shalowitz (1962) 

gives a complete discussion of the legal and technical matters involved.

THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND THE CHANGES MADE 

THEREIN B*

CESSIONS BY THE STATES

In 1YY6, when the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence of 

England, many of them possessed unoccupied territory, much of 

which was entirely detached and lay west of the Applachian Mountains. Thus Georgia included the territory from its present eastern 

limits westward to the Mississippi Eiver. North Carolina possessed 

a strip extending from lat 35° to 36°30' N., approximately, and westward to the Mississippi; this strip included the area of the present 

State of Tennessee. In like manner Virginia possessed what is now 

Kentucky, and a number of States, including Pennsylvania, New 

York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Virginia, laid claims to areas 

in what was afterward known as the territory northwest of the River 

Ohio, a region now contained mainly in the States of Ohio, Indiana, 

Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. These claims were to a greater 

or lesser extent conflicting. Authority over some areas was claimed by 

several States, and most of the boundary lines were very ill defined.

The ownership of these western lands by individual States was 

opposed by those States that did not share in their possession, mainly 

on the ground that the resources of the General Government, to which 

all contributed, should not be used for the protection and developM For a discussion of these changes, see. Paxson (1924, chap. 5, 6). U.S. Cong. (1900) 

contains copies of organic acts for the Territories from 1787 to 1900 compiled from U.S. 

statutes. It contains a copy of the ordinance of 1787 and notes regarding it; also contains extracts from State papers relating to U.S. territory in general.
PUBLIC DOMAIN AND CHANGES MADE THEREIN 71

ment of this region, the advantages of which would inure to the 

benefit of only a favored few.

Moved by these arguments, as well as by the conflicting character 

of the claims, which must inevitably lead to trouble among the States, 

Congress passed, on October 30,1779, the following resolution:

Whereas the appropriation of the vacant lands by the several States during 

the continuance of the war will, in the opinion of Congress, be attended with 

great mischiefs: Therefore,

Resolved, That it be earnestly recommended to the State of Virginia to reconsider their late act of assembly for opening their land office; and that it be 

recommended to the said State, and all other States similarly circumstanced, 

to forbear settling or issuing warrants for unappropriated lands, or granting 

the same during the continuance of the present war.

This resolution was transmitted to the different States. The first 

to respond to it by the transfer of territory to the General Government was New York, whose example was followed by the other 

States. These transfers were the origin of the public domain. The 

cessions were made on the dates given below (Hibbard, 1924; Sherman, 

1916-33, v. 3):

New York, March 1,1781.

Virginia, March 1, 1784, finally confirmed by the legislature December 30, 1788. The deed of cession by Virginia gives no 

limits further than to specify that the lands transferred "include only those lying northwestward of the River Ohio." 

Massachusetts, April 19,1785.

Connecticut, September 13,1786. The Connecticut act of cession 

reserved an area in the northeastern part of Ohio, known as the 

Western Reserve (Western Reserve Univ., 1923, p. 37-57). 

On May 30, 1800, Connecticut gave to the United States jurisdiction over this area, but without giving up its property rights 

in it.

South Carolina, August 9,1787. 

North Carolina, February 25,1790. 

Georgia, April 24,1802.

The following paragraph from the deed of cession by New York 

defines the limits of its grant to the General Government (Donaldson, 

1884, p. 67):

Now, therefore, know ye, that we, the said James Duane, William Floyd, and 

Alexander M'Dougall, by virtue of the power and authority, and in the execution of the trust reposed in us, as aforesaid, have judged it expedient to limit 

and restrict, and we do, by these presents, for and in behalf of the said State 

of New York, limit and restrict the boundaries of the said State in the western 

parts thereof, with respect to the jurisdiction, as well as the right or preemption of soil, by the lines and in the form following, that is to say: A line 

from the northeast corner of the State of Pennsylvania, along the north bounds

776-664 O-66 6
72 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

thereof to its northwest, corner, continued due west until it shall be intersected 

by a meridian line, to be drawn from the forty-fifth degree of north latitude, 

through the most westerly bent or inclination of Lake Ontario; thence by the 

said meridian line to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude; and thence by the 

said forty-fifth degree of north latitude; but, if on experiment, the abovedescribed meridian line shall not comprehend twenty miles due west from the 

most westerly bent or inclination of the river or strait of Niagara, then we do, 

by these presents, in the name of the people, and for and on behalf of the State 

of New York, and by virtue of the authority aforesaid, limit and restrict the 

boundaries of the said State in the western parts thereof, with respect to 

jurisdiction, as well as the right of pre-emption of soil, by the lines and in the 

manner following, that is to say: a line from the northeast corner of the State 

of Pennsylvania, along the north bounds thereof, to its northwest corner, continue due west until it shall be intersected by a meridian line, to be drawn 

from the forty-fifth degree of north latitude, through a point twenty miles due 

west from the most westerly bent or inclination of the river or strait Niagara; 

thence by the said meridian line to the forty-fifth degree of north latitude, and 

thence by the said forty-fifth degree of north latitude; * * *.

The following paragraph from the deed of cession by Massachusetts gives the limits of the area ceded (Donaldson, 1884, p. 71-72) :

[We] do, by these presents assign, transfer, quitclaim, cede, and convey to 

the United Stafes of America, for their benefit, Massachusetts inclusive, all right, 

title, and estate of and in, as well the soil as the jurisdiction, which the said 

Commonwealth hath to the territory or tract of country within the limits of the 

Massachusetts charter situate and lying west of the following line, that is to 

say, a meridian line to be drawn from the forty-fifth degree of north latitude 

through the westerly bent or inclination of Lake Ontario, thence by the said 

meridian line to the most southerly side line of the territory contained in the 

Massachusetts charter; 'but if on experiment the above-described meridian line 

shall not comprehend twenty miles due west from the most westerly bent or inclination of the river or strait of Niagara, then we do by these presents, by virtue of 

the power and authority aforesaid, in the name and on behalf of the said Commonwealth of Massachusetts, transfer, quitclaim, cede, and convey to the United 

States of America, for their benefit, Massachusetts inclusive, all right, title, and 

estate of and in as well the soil as the jurisdiction, which the said Commonwealth 

hath to the territory or tract of country within the limits of the Massachusetts 

charter, situate and lying west of the following line, that is to say, a meridian 

line to be drawn from the forty-fifth degree of north latitude through a point 

twenty miles due west from the most westerly bent or inclination of the river or 

strait of Niagara; thence by the said meridian line to the most southerly side

line of the territory contained in the Massachusetts charter aforesaid, * * *.

The following clause from the act of the Legislature of Connecticut, 

authorizing the cession, defines its limits (Donaldson, 1884, p. 73) :

Be it enacted * * * That the delegates of this State, or any two of them, who 

shall be attending the Congress of the United States, be, and they are hereby,

directed, authorized, and fully empowered, in the name and behalf of this State,

to make, execute, and deliver, under their hands and*seals,.an ample deed of release and cession of all the right, title, interest, jurisdiction, and claim of the 

State of Connecticut to certain western lands, beginning at the completion of the
PUBLIC DOMAIN AND CHANGES MADE THEREIN 73

forty-first degree of north latitude, one hundred and twenty miles west of the 

western boundary line of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as now claimed by 

said Commonwealth, and from thence by a line drawn north, parallel to and one 

hundred and twenty miles west of the said west line of Pennsylvania, and to 

continue north until it comes to forty-two degrees and two minutes north latitude. 

Whereby all the right, title, interest, 'jurisdiction, and claim of the State of Connecticut, to the lands lying west of said line to be drawn as aforementioned, one 

hundred and twenty miles west of the western boundary line of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as now claimed by said Commonwealth, shall be included, 

released, and ceded to the United States in Congress assembled, for the common 

use and benefit of the said States. Connecticut inclusive.

Connecticut reserved by this deed both the title and jurisdiction over 

a tract of her western lands lying between the western boundary of 

Pennsylvania and the then eastern boundary of her cession. It comprised a strip, 120 miles long and irregular in width, lying between 

parallels 41° and 42°02' N. (the northeastern part of the present State 

of Ohio). The tract was known as the "Western Reserve" of Connecticut in Ohio. Connecticut, by act of the legislature in October 1797, 

tendered to the United States a release of jurisdiction over this tract, 

which Congress accepted April 28, 1800, and Connecticut confirmed 

May 30,1800. A part of this area, lying in the present Ohio counties 

of Erie, Huron, and Ottawa, was known as the "Fire Lands" because 

the lands were donated by Connecticut for the use of citizens of Danbury and other places as a recompense for losses by fire and raids by 

British troops during the Revolution.

The cession of South Carolina was described as follows (Donaldson, 

1884, p. 76):

* * * all the territory or tract of country included within the river Mississippi 

and a line beginning at that part of the said river which is intersected by the 

southern boundary line of the State of North Carolina, and continuing along the 

said boundary line until it intersects the ridge or chain of mountains which 

divides the eastern from the western waters, then to be continued along the top 

of said ridge of mountains until it intersects a line to be drawn due west from 

the head of the southern branch of Tugoloo River to the said mountains; and 

thence to run a due west course to the river Mississippi.

The State of North Carolina ceded (Donaldson, 1884, p. 77)

the lands situated within the chartered limits of this State, west of a line beginning on the extreme height of the Stone Mountain, at the place where the 

Virginia line intersects it; running thence along the extreme height of the said 

mountain, to the place where the Wataugo River breaks through it; thence a 

direct course to the top of the Yellow Mountain where Bright's road crosses the 

same; thence along the ridge of the said mountain, between the waters of Doe 

River and the waters of Rock Creek, to the place where the road crosses the Iron 

Mountain; from thence along the extreme height of the said mountain to where 

Nolichucky River runs through the same; thence to the top of the Bald Mountain ; thence along the extreme height of the said mountain, to the Painted Rock, 

on French Broad River; thence along the highest ridge of the said mountain, to
74 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

the place where it is called the Great -Iron or Smoaky Mountain; thence along 

the extreme height of the said mountain, to the place where it is called the Unicoy 

or Unaka Mountain, between the Indian towns of Cowee and Old Chota; thence 

along the main ridge of the said mountain to the southern boundary of this State.

It will be noted that the above description of the eastern boundary 

of her ceded possessions agrees in general terms with the description 

of the western boundary of North Carolina (p. 155-156).

The articles of cession by Georgia describe the area ceded as follows 

(Donaldson,1884,p.80):

* * * the lands situated within the boundaries of the United States, south 

of the State of Tennessee, and west of a line beginning on the western bank 

of the Chatahoucb.ee River, where the same crosses the boundary line between 

the United States and Spain; running thence up the said river Chatahouchee, 

and along the western bank thereof to the great bend thereof, next above the 

place where a certain creek or river, .called "Uchee" (being the first considerable stream on the western side, above the Cussetas and Coweta towns), 

empties into the said Chatahouchee River; thence in a direct line to Nickajack, 

on the Tennessee River; thence crossing the said last-mentioned river, and 

thence running up the said Tennessee River, and along the western bank 

thereof, to the southern boundary line of the State of Tennessee.

Of the area conveyed by these cessions to the General Government, 

the part lying north of the Ohio was afterward erected into the 

"territory northwest of the Kiver Ohio," and the rest lying south 

of that river, was known as the "territory south of the Kiver Ohio." 

This did not include the area of the present State of Kentucky, 

which remained part of Virginia until it was admitted as a State 

in 1792.

The United States by act of Congress of September 9, 1850, purchased, from the State of Texas about 124,000 square miles of land 

which Texas claimed when admitted to the Union. This land is 

now included in the States of Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. (See fig. 21.)

TERRITORY NORTHWEST OF THE OHIO RIVER

The territory north of the Ohio was bounded on the west by the 

Mississippi and a line running north from its source to the international boundary, on the north by the boundary line between the 

United States and the British possessions, on the east by the Pennsylvania and New York State lines, and on the south by the Ohio Kiver. 

(See fig. 14.) It comprised an area of approximately 278,000 square

miles. It was made up of claims of individual States as follows

(Donaldson,1884,p. 161):

1. The Virginia claim, which consisted of all the territory west of 

Pennsylvania and north of the Ohio to the 41st parallel of north 

latitude; in addition, above that her claim by capture extended as
PUBLIC DOMAIN AND CHANGES MADE THEREIN 75

far as the northern limits of the land under the Crown which had 

been subject to the jurisdiction of the Province of Quebec and as 

far as Lakes Michigan and Huron.

2. The Connecticut claim, which extended from the 41st parallel 

northward to the parallel of 42°2' and from the west line of Pennsylvania to the Mississippi River.

3. The Massachusetts claim, which extended from the north line of 

the Connecticut claim above noted to lat 43°43'12" N. and from 

the western boundary of New York to the Mississippi.

4. The belt or zone lying north of the Massachusetts claim, extending 

thence to the Canada line and west to the Mississippi "River, obtained from Great Britain by the treaty of peace of September 3, 

1783, became public domain after the Virginia cession.

5. At the time of the cession by the State of Virginia, both Massachusetts and New York claimed the Erie triangle of about 324 

square miles, which was subsequently bought by Pennsylvania 

and added to that State (p. 129-130).

From this territory were formed the States of Ohio, Indiana, 

Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the part of Minnesota east of the 

Mississippi River, and the northwest corner of Pennsylvania.

On July 13, 1787, a bill for its provisional division into not less 

than three nor more than five States was passed by Congress. In 

this bill the limits of the proposed States were denned, corresponding in their north and south lines to the present boundaries of Ohio, 

Illinois, and Indiana. The following extract gives the text of the 

ordinance defining these boundaries (Donaldson, 1884, p. 155): 55

ARTICLE 5. There shall be formed in the said territory, not less than three 

nor more than five States; and the boundaries of the States, as soon as Virginia 

shall alter her act of cession, and consent to the same, shall become fixed 

and established as follows, to wit: the western State in said territory shall 

be bounded by the Mississippi, the Ohio, and the Wabash rivers; a direct line 

drawn from the Wabash and Post Vincents due north to the territorial line 

between the United States and Canada; and by the said territorial line to 

the Lake of the Woods and Mississippi. The middle State shall be bounded 

by the said direct line, the Wabash, from Post Vincents to the Ohio, by the 

Ohio, by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami to 

the said territorial line, and by the said territorial line. The eastern State 

shall be bounded by the last-mentioned direct line, the Ohio, Pennsylvania, and 

the said territorial line: Provided, however, And it is further understood and 

declared, that the boundaries of these three States shall be subject so far to 

be altered, that, if Congress shall hereafter find it expedient, they shall have 

authority to form one or two States in that part of the said territory which

88 For a plan including maps, proposed by a committee of which Jefferson was chairman, 

for the subdivision of the territory northwest of the Ohio, which was adopted by Congress 

in 1784 (see Wisconsin Hist. Soc., 1888, v. 2, p. 452). See also Smith (1882, v. 2, p. 

603) ; for text of the ordinance, see Poore (1877, pt. 1, p. 429).
76 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or 

extreme of Lake Michigan.

Apparently this ordinance was not put in force until a provisional 

government for .the territory was instituted by the appointment of 

a governor and secretary on February 1, 1788.

By act of May 7, 1800, Congress divided the "territory northwest 

of the Ohio" into two separate governments and ordered

that all that part of the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio 

river, which lies to the westward of a line beginning at the Ohio, opposite 

to the mouth of Kentucky river, and running thence to Fort Recovery, and 

thence north until it shall intersect the territorial line between the United 

States and Canada, shall, for the purposes of temporary government constitute 

a separate territory, and be called the Indiana Territory.

The eastern part was called the "territory northwest of the Kiver 

Ohio," and a large part of it was admitted to the Union in 1802 as the 

State of Ohio. The remainder was added to Indiana Territory. (See 

fig. 18.)

In 1805 all that part of Indiana Territory lying north of a parallel 

drawn through the most southerly bend of Lake Michigan and east 

of a line drawn from the same point through the middle of Lake 

Michigan and north to the Canadian line became the Territory of 

Michigan. (See fig. 22.)

By act of February 3, 1809, Indiana Territory was again divided, 

and the Territory of Illinois was created from the part lying west 

of the Wabash Kiver and a meridian running through the city of 

Vincennes, extending thence to the Canada line.

On December 11, 1816, Indiana was admitted to the Union as a 

State, with its boundaries defined as at present, and on December 3, 

1818, Illinois was likewise admitted.

The act of June 28, 1834, added to the Territory of Michigan a 

part of the Missouri River drainage basin as far west as the White 

Earth River and north to the 49th parallel and included for the first 

time a part of the drainage basin of the Red River, south of the 49th 

parallel, under a Territorial government. This addition to Michigan 

included also a small part of the Louisiana Purchase. (See p. 205 

and fig. 22.)

Wisconsin Territory was formed in 1836 from the part of the 

Territory of Michigan west of the present State of Michigan. On

January 26, 1837, Michigan was admitted into the Union, with its 

present boundaries. On June 12, 1838, all that part of Wisconsin 

Territory lying west of the Mississippi River and a line drawn due 

north from its source to the international boundary was made into 

the Territory of Iowa, and in 1848 Wisconsin was admitted as a State, 

with its boundaries as at present defined.
PUBLIC DOMAIN AND CHANGES MADE THEREIN 77

The admission of Wisconsin appears to have left the area which 

is now the northeastern part of Minnesota, lying east of the Mississippi and a line drawn due north from its source, without any 

government until the formation of Minnesota Territory, in 1849.

TERRITORY SOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER

The "territory south of the River Ohio," the government of which 

was provided for by act of Congress approved May 26, 1790, was 

bounded on the north by the present northern boundary of Tennessee, 

on the east by the States of North Carolina, South Carolina, and 

Georgia, and on the west by the Mississippi River. It included besides 

the Tennessee area nominal possessions to the 31st parallel. The 

cessions that made up this region are as follows:

1. The area ceded by North Carolina was described as extending from 

lat 36°30' N. (since found to be 36°33') southward to 35° and 

from the western boundary line of the present State to the Mississippi River. This is now the State of Tennessee.

2. The area ceded by South Carolina formed a belt 12 or 14 miles 

in width lying south of the 35th parallel and extending from her 

western boundary to the Mississippi River. It is doubtful whether 

under the terms of the original charters South Carolina possessed 

this strip or whether it was included in the possessions of Georgia. 

(See p. 158-159.)

3. The area ceded by Georgia comprised most of the territory of the 

present States of Alabama and Mississippi north of the 31st 

parallel.

Tennessee was admitted as a State in 1796. In 1798 Congress organized as the Territory of Mississippi a small rectangular area, bounded 

on the west by the Mississippi River, on the north by a parallel 

through the mouth of the Yazoo River, on the east by the Chattahoochee River, and on the south by the 31st parallel of north latitude. 

This area was subsequently enlarged so as to include the whole of 

what is now Mississippi and Alabama and a strip along the gulf coast, 

which was at that time claimed by Spain. In 1817 the Territory was 

divided, and the eastern portion was made into Alabama Territory. 

Subsequently the two Territories were admitted as States.

LOUISIANA, THE AREAS FORMERLY BELONGING TO MEXICO, 

AND THE OREGON REGION

The Louisiana Purchase was effected in 1803. In 1804 the region 

thus obtained was divided into two parts; the southern part was organized as Orleans Territory, and the remainder was called the District 

of Louisiana. The State of Louisiana, comprising most of the Terri-
78 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVE.RAL STATES

tory of Orleans, was admitted to the Union in 1812. In the same year 

it was enlarged by the addition of the area lying between the Mississippi and Pearl Rivers, in the southeastern part, and the name of 

the District of Louisiana was changed to the Territory of Missouri. 

(See fig. 19.) In 1819 Arkansaw Territory was created, and in 1836 

it was admitted as a State. (The State name was spelled with an "s" 

in place of the final "w.")

In 1821 the State of Missouri was formed from another part of the 

Territory of Missouri, and in 1836 the boundaries of the State were 

extended to their present limits. In J.834 the part of this Territory 

lying north of the State of Missouri and east of the Missouri and 

White Earth Rivers was attached to the Territory of Michigan. (See 

fig. 22.) In 1836 this portion became part of the Wisconsin Territory. 

In 1838 it became part of the Territory of Iowa. In 1846 the State 

of Iowa was created, and in 1849 the remainder of the Iowa Territory 

was organized as the Territory of Minnesota. Minnesota was admitted 

as a State on May 11, 1858, with its present boundaries.

Indian Territory (unorganized) was set apart by act of June 30, 

1834, and described as follows (4 Stat. L. 729, 733; see fig. 25):

* * * all that part of the United States west of the Mississippi, and not within 

the States of Missouri and Louisiana, or the Territory of Arkansas * * * shall 

be taken and deemed to be Indian country.

Apparently this covered a large part of the area previously designated Territory of Missouri, but for judicial control the same act 

restricted the area to that commonly known as Indian Territory and 

bounded as follows: On the north by the north line of lands assigned 

to the Osage tribe of Indians, produced east to the State of Missouri; 

on the west by the Mexican possessions (100th meridian); on the 

south by the Red River; and on the east by the line of the Territory 

of Arkansas and the State of Missouri (Royce, 1899).

While the cessions by the States and the Louisiana region were 

being subdivided, Texas was admitted to the Union, and by the treaty 

of Guadalupe-Hidalgo and the Gadsden Purchase the United States 

acquired from Mexico the area west of the northern part of Texas 

and south of the 42d parallel. In the same period the northern 

boundary had been established on the 49th parallel to the Pacific

Ocean.

Out of the great western region thus acquired were carved the 

following Territories: 6e

69 For an outline of historical events relating to the organization of States west of the 

Mississippi and the settlement of their boundaries, see Higgins (1923, p. 397-455). For 

titles of manuscripts and published papers relating to the Territories, see Carnegie last. 

Washington (1911).
PUBLIC DOMAIN AND CHANGES MADE THEREIN 79

The Territory of Oregon, formed in 1848, extended from lat 49° 

N. southward to lat 42° and from the Pacific Ocean east to the summit of the Rocky Mountains. (See fig. 27.)

California was admitted as a State in 1850 with the same limits 

which it possesses at present.

The Territory of Utah, formed in 1850 (see fig. 29), extended 

from the 42d parallel southward to the 37th and from the California 

boundary line eastward to the Rocky Mountains.

The Territory of New Mexico comprised all the country lying south 

of Utah to the boundary lines of Texas and Mexico and from the 

California boundary eastward to the boundary of Texas. (See fig. 

31.)

The Territory of Nebraska, formed from Missouri Territory in 

1854, comprised the country from the 49th parallel to the 40th and 

from the Missouri and White Earth Rivers westward to the summit 

of the Rocky Mountains. (See fig. 24.)

The Territory of Kansas, formed by the same act as Nebraska, 

comprised the country extending from Missouri westward to the 

boundary of New Mexico and Utah and from the south boundary of 

Ne'braska to the 37th parallel.

The Territory of Washington was formed in 1853 from a part of 

Oregon, its southern boundary being the Columbia River and the 

46th parallel, and its east line being the summit of the Rocky Mountains. (See fig. 27.)

Oregon was admitted as a State in 1859, with its boundaries as they 

are now. The portion cut off from Oregon Territory was placed 

under the Territorial government of Washington.

The Territory of Dakota, formed in 1861, comprised all that region included in the present States of North Dakota and South 

Dakota and thence westward to the summit of the Rocky Mountains. 

(See fig. 23.)

The Territory of Nevada was organized from the western part 

.of the Territory of Utah in 1861. (See fig. 29.) As originally 

consituted, its eastern line was the 39th meridian west from Washington, and its southern boundary was the 37th parallel. It was admitted as a State in 1864, when its eastern boundary was made the 38th 

meridian (approximately 115°03' west from Greenwich). In 1866, 

by act of Congress, the eastern boundary was moved 1° still farther 

east and placed upon the 37th meridian west from Washington, and 

the triangular portion contained between the former southern boundary, the boundary of California, the Colorado River, and the 37th 

meridian was added, thus giving the State its present limits.

The Territory of Colorado was formed in 1861, with the limits of 

the present State. It was admitted as a State in 1876.
80 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

The Territory of Arizona, formed in 1863, included that part of 

New Mexico lying west of the 32d meridian west of Washington.

The Territory of Idaho was formed in 1863 from parts of Dakota 

and Washington Territories. As originally constituted it included 

the area lying east of the present eastern limits of Oregon and Washington to the 27th meridian west of Washington. Its southern 

boundary was the northern boundary of Colorado and Utah that 

is, the 41st and 42d parallels of latitude. (See fig. 28.) From this 

Territory was detached in 1864 the Territory of Montana, having 

nearly the limits of the present State, and in 1868 the Territory of 

Wyoming; these changes reduced Idaho to its present dimensions.

The Territory of Oklahoma, organized in 1890 from a part of the 

Indian Territory and the public-land strip north of Texas, when 

admitted as a State in 1907 included the Indian Territory also. (See 

fig. 25.)

PAYMENTS TO THE STATES

At the last session of the Twenty-second Congress an act was passed 

"to appropriate for a limited time the proceeds of the sales of the public lands of the United States and for granting lands to certain States," 

but it was not approved by President Jackson, who, under date of 

December 4, 1833, in a long message to the Twenty-third Congress 

(see U.S. 53d Cong., 1896, 2d sess., H. Doc. 210, pt. 3, p. 56-69), set 

forth his reasons for withholding his signature. In that message he 

gave an excellent historical account of the State cessions by which the 

public lands had been in part acquired.

A somewhat similar act (5 Stat. L. 55) approved June 23,1836, by 

President Van Buren, directed that all money in the Treasury on 

January 1,1837, in excess of $5 million be divided among the States in 

proportion to the number of their Representatives in Congress, to be 

paid in quarterly installments and to be returned to.the United States 

when required by Congress. Three installments were paid, amounting in all to $28,101,644.91. Payment of the fourth installment was 

postponed indefinitely by act of October 2, 1837. No part of these 

payments has ever been returned by the States.

Other payments to States from the proceeds of land sales were 

authorized by act of September 4,1841 (5 Stat. L. 453), but were discontinued by act of August 30,1842 (5 Stat. L. 567).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MAINE, 81 

THE BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES 57 

MAINE 68

The first charter that related to the area forming the present State 

of Maine (fig. 4) was that granted by Henry IV of France to Pierre 

du Gast, Sieur de Monts, in 1603, known as the charter of Acadia; 

it embraced the whole of North America between the 40th and 46th 

degrees of north latitude. Under this charter several exploring 

expeditions along the coast were made in 1604, 1605, and 1606 (see 

pi. 1); and in 1606 it was decided to make a permanent settlement at 

Port Royal, now Annapolis, Nova Scotia. No attempts were made 

under this charter to plant colonies within the limits of the present 

State of Maine.

By the first charter of Virginia (see p. 143), granted by James I in 

1606, the lands along the coast of North America between the 34th 

and 45th degrees of north latitude were given to two companies, to 

one of which, the Plymouth Company, was assigned that part of 

North America including the coast of New England. The first colony 

in Maine was planted on the peninsula of Sabino, at the mouth of the 

Kennebec River, now Hunnewell Point, on August 19, 1607, by 

George Popham. The colonists returned to England in the autumn 

of 1608.

James I, in 1620, granted a charter to the Plymouth Company, in 

which may be found the following words (Thrope, 1909, v. 6, p. 

1829) :

Wee therefore, * * * Do * * * grant, ordaine and establish, that all that 

Circuit, Continent, Precincts, and Limitts in America, lying and being in Breadth 

from Fourty Degrees of Northerly Latitude, from the Equnoctiall Line, to 

Forty-eighlt Degrees of the said Northerly Latitude, and in length by all the 

Breadth aforesaid throughout the Maine Land, from Sea to Sea, with all the Seas, 

Rivers, Islands, Creekes, Inletts, Ports, and Havens, within the Degrees, Precincts, and Limitts of the said Latitude and Longitude, shall be the Limitts, and 

Bounds, and Precints of the second Collony: And to the End that the said Territoryes may forever hereafter be more particularly and certainly known and 

distinguished, our Will and Pleasure is, that the same shall from henceforth 

be nominated, termed, and called by the Name of New-England, in America.

William Alexander, Earl of Stirling, claimed that under a grant 

given in 1621 he was entitled to land on the coast of Maine which had 

been granted to the Plymouth Company, and by direction of James I

67 For a condensed historical description of the boundaries of the United States, see 

Encyclopedia Americana (1920, v. 4, p. 329-342). This article contains a bibliography 

on boundaries comprising several hundred entries.

58 A general discussion of the boundaries of the New England States Is given by Gushing 

(1920). For reference to early voyages of the Northmen to Iceland, Greenland, and the 

New England coast about the year 1000, see Preble (1917, p. 160-167) ; Kohl (1869, v. 1, 

chap. 2) ; Gray (1931).
82 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

that company issued a patent to him (Thorpe, 1909, v. 6, p. 1621)

for a tract of the maineland of New England, beginning at Saint Croix and from 

thence extending along the sea-coast to Pemaquid and the river Kennebeck.

The heirs of the Earl of Stirling sold that tract to the Duke of York 

in 1663.

In 1622 Capt. John Mason and Sir Ferdinando Gorges obtained 

from the council of New England (Plymouth) a grant of lands lying 

between the Merrimack and Sagadahock (Kennebec) Eivers and extending back to the river and lakes of Canada. This tract was named 

the Province of Maine and included New Hampshire and the western part of Maine. Mason and Gorges, in 1629, by mutual consent 

divided their territory in two by Piscataqua River. That part east of 

this river was relinquished to Gorges, who called it Maine.

The charter of the Plymouth Company was surrendered to the King 

in the year 1635.

King Charles I, in 1639, granted a charter to Sir Ferdinando 

Gorges which virtually confirmed the patent given to him by the 

Plymouth Company in 1622. The following extract from that charter (Thorpe, 1909, v. 6, p. 1626) defines the boundaries:

All that Parte Purparte and Porcon of the Mayne Lande of New England 

aforesaid beginning att the entrance of Pascataway Harbor and soe to passe 

upp the same inito the River of Newichewanocke and through the same unto the 

furthest heade thereof and from thence Northwestwards till one hundred and 

twenty miles bee finished and from Pascataway Harbor mouth aforesaid Northeastwards along the Sea Coasts to Sagadahocke and upp the River thereof to 

Kynybequy River and through the same into the heade thereof and into the 

Lande Northwestwards untill one hundred and twenty myles bee ended being 

accompted from the mouth of Sagadahocke and from the period of one hundred 

and twenty myles aforesaid to crosse over Lande to the one hundred and 

twenty myles end formerly reckoned upp into the Lande from Pascataway 

Harbor through Newichewanocke River and also the Northe halfe of the Isles 

of Shoales togeather with the Isles of Gapawock and Nawtican neere Cape Cod 

as alsoe all the Islands and Iletts lyeinge within five leagues of the Mayne all 

alonge the aforesaide Coasts betweene the aforesaid River of Pascataway and 

Sagadahocke with all the Creekes Havens and Harbors thereunto belonginge 

and the Revercon arid Revercons Remaynder and Remaynders of all and singular 

the said Landes Rivers and Premises. All which said Part Purpart or Porcon 

of the Mayne Lande and all and every the Premisses herein before named Wee 

Doe for us our heires and successors create and incorporate into One Province 

or Countie.

And Wee Doe name ordeyne and appoynt that the porcon of the Mayne 

Lande and Premises aforesaid shall forever hereafter bee called and named The 

Province or Countie of Mayne

In 1664 Charles II granted certain islands on the coast and a large 

territory west of the Connecticut Kiver (see New York, p. 113, for the 

boundaries) to the Duke of York, who had the preceding year pur-
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MAINE 83

chased a part of the present State of Maine from the heirs of the Earl 

of Stirling; the 1663 purchase was for a time called Pemaquid.

In 1674 Charles II made a new grant to the Duke of York in. substantially the same terms as that of 1664, including as before a part 

of Maine. (See New York, p. 113.)

In the year 1677 Ferdinando Gorges, a grandson of Sir Ferdinando 

Gorges, sold and gave a deed of the Province of Maine to John Ushur, 

a merchant of Boston, for £1,250. In the same year Ushur gave a deed 

of the same territory to the governor and company of Massachusetts 

Bay, who had received a grant from the council of Plymouth in 1628, 

confirmed by the King in 1629.

Pemaquid and its dependencies, forming Cornwall County, under 

the jurisdiction of New York, were annexed to the New England 

government by a royal order dated September 19,1686. (Maine Hist. 

Soc.,1857,v.5,p.4.)

The charter of Massachusetts Bay of 1629 having been canceled in 

1684, William and Mary in 1691 granted a new one incorporating the 

Provinces of Maine and Acadia, or Nova Scotia, and the colonies of 

Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth into one royal Province by the name 

of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England. The right 

of government over the district of Maine thus acquired was exercised 

by Massachusetts untD 1819, when measures were taken to admit Maine 

as an independent State; 59 Congress, by act approved March 3, 1820 

(3 Stat. L. 544), effective March 15,1820, admitted Maine to the Union.

The north and east boundaries were fixed by the United States and 

Great Britain. (See p. 14,16, 25-28.) The geographic position of the 

extreme north point of Maine, which falls in the middle of the St. 

Francis River, is Iat47°27'35.8" N., long 69°13'30.4" W.

The western boundary was for a long time a source of contention 

between Maine and New Hampshire. In 1731 commissioners from 

New Hampshire and from Massachusetts, who had been appointed to 

fix the boundary, met but were unable to agree. New Hampshire 

appealed to the King, who ordered that a settlement should be made 

by commissioners from the neighboring Provinces. The board met 

at Hampton in 1737. The commissioners fixed on substantially the 

present boundary, wording their report as follows (New Hampshire 

Hist. Soc., 1827, v. 2, p. 274-278):

Beginning at the entrance of Pascataqua Harbor, and so to pass up the same 

to the River Newhichawack, and thro' the same into the furtherest head thereof, 

and thence run north 2 degrees west till 120 miles were finished, from the mouth 

of Pascataqua Harbor, or until it meets with His Majesty's other governments.

This boundary was confirmed by the King, August 5,1740.

69 See Massachusetts Legislature Acts of June 19, 1819, and Feb. 25, 1820.
84 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

In 1827, difficulties having again risen about the boundary between 

Maine and New Hampshire, commissioners were appointed from each 

State to determine it. The line agreed to by the commissioners in 

their report, dated November 13,1828, is described in "Resolves of the 

Ninth Legislature" (1828-29) of Maine (p. 39-43) as follows:

The Report of the Commissioners appointed by his Majesty's order in Council 

of February 22nd, 1735, and confirmed by his order of the 5th of August, 1740, 

having established,

"That the dividing line shall pass up through the mouth of Piscataqua Harbor, 

and up the middle of the river of Newichwannock, part of which is now called 

the Salmon falls, and through the middle of the same to the farthest head 

thereof, &c.," and "that the dividing line shall part the Isle of Sholes, and run 

through the middle of the Harbor, between the Islands to the sea on the southerly 

side," &c. We have not deemed it necessary to commence our survey until we 

arrived north, at the head of Salmon falls river; which was determined by 

Bryant, at his survey in 1740, to be at the outlet of Eastpond, between the towns 

of Wakefield and Shapleigh. From that point we have surveyed and marked the 

line as follows, viz: We commenced at the Bryant rock, known as such by 

tradition, which is a rock in the middle of Salmon falls river, at the outlet of 

Eastpond, about six feet in length, three feet in breadth, three feet in depth, 

and two feet under the surface of the water, as the dam was at the time of the 

survey, to wit, October 1, 1827; said stone bears south 71° west, three rods 

and eight links from a large rock on the eastern bank, marked "1827," and bears 

also from a rock near the mill dam (marked "H") north 19°30' west, and 

distant 12 rods and 21 links. At this point the variation of the needle was ascertained to be nine degrees west. From the above stone the line is north 7°41' east, 

178 rods to Eastpond, and crossing the pond 311 rods in width, to a stone 

Monument which we erected up on the bank, about three and an half feet high 

above the surface of the ground, marked N on the west side and M on the east 

side, which description applies to all the stone monuments hereinafter mentioned, 

unless they are otherwise particularly described: thence the same course, 225 

rods, to Fox ridge and to a stone monument, which is placed upon the north 

side of the road that leads from Wakefield to Shapleigh; thence 200 rods to 

Balch's pond across the pond, 103% rods across a peninusla 36 rods across 

a cove 51 rods and 37 links, across a second peninsula, 48 rods; across a second 

cove, 27 rods 10 links; thence 370 rods to the road leading from Newfield to 

Wakefield and a stone monument, erected on the north side of the same, near 

Campernell's house; thence north 6°10' east, 590 rods, to the line of Parsonfield, 

to a stone monument with additional mark "1828." At .this point the variation 

of the needle was found to be 9°15' west. Thence same course 511 rods, crossing 

the end of Province pond to a stone monument on the Parsonfield road, hear

the house of James Andrews, also with, additional mark "1828;" thence north

8°38' east, 208 rods to the old corner-stone of Effingham, about two feet above 

the ground, and not marked; thence north 8°55' east, 277 rods, to a large round 

stone about three feet diameter and two feet high, marked N and M, by the 

road upon Towle's Hill; thence north 7°55' east, 631 rods to a stone monument, 

on the road leading from Parsonfield to Effingham. At this point the variation 

of the needle was found to be 9°30' west; thence north 5°02' east, 734 rods 

to a pine stump, upon a small island in Ossipee river at the foot of the falls; 

thence north 10° east, 30 rods, to a stone monument on the north side of the 

new -road from Porter to Effingham; thence the same course, 558 rods, to the
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MAINE 85

top of Bald Mountain; thence same course, 316 rods, to the top of Bickford 

Mountain; thence same course 193 rods, to a stone monument on the north side 

of the road leading from Porter to Eaton. At this point the variation of the 

needle was found to be 9°45' west; thence north 8°5' east, 744 rods, to Cragged 

Mountain; thence same course, 67 rods, to the corner of Eaton; thence same 

course, 787^ rods, to the corner of Conway; thence same course, 610*6 rods 

to a stone monument on the south side of the road leading from Brownfield 

to Conway centre; thence north 8° east, 871 rods, to a stone monument on the 

south side of the road leading from Fryeburg village to Oonway at this point 

the variation of the needle was found to be 10° west; thence same course, 

4 rods, to a stone monument on the north side of the same road; thence north 

8°15' east, 102 rods, to Saco river; thence same course 18 rods, across said 

river; thence same course 644 rods to a stone monument on the road leading to 

Fryeburg village, on the north side of the river. This monument is marked 

as before described and is about eight feet high above the ground; thence same 

course 142 rods to Ballard's Mill Pond; thence same course 61 rods six links 

across said pond; thence same course 344 rods to a stone monum'ent on the east 

side of Chatham road; thence same course 690 rods to Kimball's Pond; thence 

same course 166 rods across said pond; thence same course 60 rods to a stone 

monument on the meadow.

From Kimballs Pond the line was extended northward for about 

77 miles on a general course which has since been found to bear about 

2° west of true north. The last mark on the line was a large yellowbirch tree on the divide between the St. Lawrence River and the rivers 

running south. The total distance, as measured, from this tree to 

Salmon River Falls was 112 miles 233 rods.

The Legislature of Maine approved the commissioners' report February 28, 1829, and the same action was taken by the Legislature of 

New Hampshire July 1,1829.

Between 1828 and 1858 considerable parts of the almost unbroken 

forests through which the line of 1827-28 was run were cleared. Forest 

fires swept many large tracts of this territory, and as a consequence the 

marks of the 1827-28 survey for distance of nearly 80 miles most of 

which were blazed trees, only seven stone posts having been set in this 

distance were obliterated, so that there remained scarcely a vestige of 

the original line. The adjoining lands having become valuable and 

litigation being imminent, the legislatures of the two States in 1858 

provided for another survey from Fryeburg to the Canada line, which 

was made in the same year. The line as then surveyed is as follows:

The point commenced at is an iron post situated on the line run in accordance 

with the "Treaty of Washington, of August 9, 1842," as the boundary between 

the United States and the province of Canada, at the corners of the States of 

Maine and New Hampshire.

A large flat stone was placed on the southern face of the monument, and 

marked "1858 N. H., Me.," on either side of a line cut in said stone bearing the 

direction of the State's line, viz, south, eight degrees west. From this point the 

line is south eight degrees west, seventeen rods seven links to a large yellow 

birch stub, the northern terminus of the former survey.
86 BOUNDARIES, .UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

The iron post above referred to is called the Crown Monument and 

is mark 475 of the International Boundary Survey of 1915. Its geographic position is lat 45°18'20.0", long Tl°05'04.4". The line was 

then run south to an old monument 60 rods north of Kimballs Pond.60

In 1874 the boundary line between Maine and New Hampshire was 

resurveyed (Hitchcock, 1874, p. 173), and in 1927 the legislatures of 

the two States authorized a retracement and remarking of the line 

from Salmon Falls northward to the Canadian line (Maine Public 

Laws of 1927, chap. 21; New Hampshire Public Laws of 1927, chap. 

114). This work was commenced in 1927 and completed in 1929.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

The first charter of Virginia, granted in 1606 (see p. 143), included 

the territory of the present State of New Hampshire, as did the charter 

of New England, granted in 1620 (see p. 81), and the grant to Capt. 

John Mason and Sir Ferdinando Gorges of 1622 (see p. 82).

The president and council of New England made a grant to Capt. 

John Mason in 1629, in which the boundaries were given as follows 

(Thorpe, 1909, v. 4, p. 2434) :

All y* part of ye Maine land in New England lying upon ye sea Coaste beginning from ye Middle part of Merrimack River & from thence to proceed Northwards along ye Sea coaste to passcattaway river & soe forwards up wth in y" sd 

river & to ye furthest head thereof & from thence Northwestwards untill Threescore miles be finished from y6 fflrst entrance of passcattaway river & also from 

Merrimacke through ye sd River & to y" furthest head thereof & soe forward up 

into ye land Westwards untill Threescore miles be finished and from thence to 

cross over land to ye Threescore miles end accounted from passacattaway river 

together wth all Islands & Isletts wth in five leagues distance of ye premises & 

abutting upon y" same or any parte or parcell thereof * * * wch * * * land * * * 

Cap* John Mason wth ye consent of ye president & councill intends to name New 

Hampshire.

In 1635 the grant of 1629 was confirmed by a supplementary grant, 

of which the following is an extract (Thorpe, 1909, v. 4, p. 2441; 

Upham, 1920):

All y* part of ye maine land of New England afores" being from ye middle part 

of Naumkeck river & from thence to proceed, East wards along ye sea Coast 

to Cape Anne & round about ye same to passcattaway harbour & soe forwards up

wth in ye river of Newickewanock & to ye farthest head of ye said river & from 

thence Northwards till six miles be finished from ye first entrance of passcattaway 

harbour & alsoe from Naumkeck through ye river thereof up into ye land west 

Sixty miles from wch period to crose over land to ye sixty miles end accounted 

from passcattaway through Newickewanock river to ye land north west aforesd 

& also all y* ye south half of ye Isles of Sholds all wch lands wth y" consent of ye 

Councill shall from henceforth be called New Hampshire & alsoe tenn thousand

60 The notes of this survey may be found in the New Hampshire Legislative Jour, for

1859, p. 764-767.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NEW HAMPSHIRE 87

acres more of land in New England afores" on ye south east part of Sagahahock 

at y" mouth & entrance thereof from henceforth to be called by ye name of 

Masonia.

After the death of Capt. John Mason, in December 1635, the affairs 

of the colony coming into bad condition, the colonists sought the protection of Massachusetts in 1641 and enjoyed it till 1675, when Kobert 

Mason, a grandson of John Mason, obtained a royal decree, under 

which, in 1680, a colonial government was established. But no charter 

was given to the colony, and its government was continued only during 

the pleasure of the King. The commission or decree issued by the King 

in 1680 to John Cutt, of Portsmouth, names the following limits for 

the colony:

Province of New Hampshire, lying & extending from three miles northward of 

Merrimack River, or any part thereof to ye Province of Maine.

In the year 1690 the Province of New Hampshire was again taken 

under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts Bay, but in 1692 it was once 

more separated.

A controversy that arose betweeen the Provinces of New Hampshire 

and Massachusetts Bay involved not only the boundary between New 

Hampshire and Maine (see p. 83) but also that between New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The commissioners appointed by the two 

Provinces having been unable to agree, New Hampshire appealed to 

the King, who ordered that the boundaries should be settled by a 

board of commissioners appointed from the neighboring colonies. 

The board met at Hampton in 1737 and submitted a conditional decision to the King, who in 1740 declared in council (Slade, 1823, p. 9)

that the northern boundary of the province of Massachusetts be a similar curve 

line, pursuing the course of the Merrimack river, at three miles distance, on the 

north side thereof, beginning at the Atlantic Ocean, and ending at a point due 

north of Pautucket falls [now Lowell], and a straight line drawn from thence, 

due west, till it meets with his Majesty's other Governments.

New Hampshire had claimed her southern boundary to be a line 

due west from a point on the sea 3 miles north of the mouth of the 

Merrimack River. Massachusetts had claimed all the territory within 

3 miles north of any part of the Merrimack River. The King's decision gave to New Hampshire a strip of territory, more than 50 miles 

in length and varying in width, in excess of that which she claimed. 

This decree of the King was forwarded to Mr. Belcher, then governor 

of both the Provinces of New Hampshire and Massachusetts Bay, 

with instructions to apply to the respective assemblies to unite in 

making the necessary provisions for running and marking the line 

conformably to the said decree, and if either assembly refused, the 

other was to proceed ex parte. Massachusetts Bay declined to com776-664 O-66 7
88

ply with this requisition. New Hampshire therefore proceeded alone 

to run and mark the line. *

George Mitchell and Richard Hazzen were appointed by Governor 

Belcher to survey and mark the line. Pursuant to this authority, in 

February 1741, Mitchell ran and marked the line from a point on 

the seacoast about 3 miles north of the mouth of the Merrimack Eiver 

to a point about 3 miles north of the Pawtucket Falls, and Hazzen, 

in March following, ran and marked a line from the point 3 miles 

north of Pawtucket Falls across the Connecticut River to the supposed boundary line of New York, on what he then assumed to be a 

due west course from the place of beginning. He was instructed by 

Governor Belcher to allow for a westerly variation of the needle of 

10°. The report of the surveyors has not been preserved, but the 

journal of Hazzen has been found. It was published in the New 

England Historical and Genealogical Register, July 1879, p. 323.

Subsequent investigation has proved that Hazzen's line was not 

run on a due west course, the allowance for the westerly variation 

of the needle being too large, throwing the line north of west. This 

mistake seems to have been known prior to the Revolution. In 1774 

calculations were made by George Sproule, founded upon actual 

surveys and accurate astronomical observations, from which he 

determined that Hazzen's line was so far north of west as to lose to 

New Hampshire a tract of land computed at 59,872 acres. (New 

Hampshire H. Jour., 1826, p. 304; Williams, 1794, p. 379.)

In 1825 commissioners were appointed by the States of New Hampshire and Massachusetts to ascertain, run, and mark the line between 

the two States. New Hampshire asserted her claim to a due-west 

line, conformable to the decree of 1740, it being apparent from a 

survey made by the commissioners that the original line was north 

of west. The Massachusetts commissioners refused to run such a 

line, alleging that they were empowered only to ascertain and mark 

the original line.

On March 10, 1827, the Legislature of Massachusetts passed a 

resolution providing for the erection of durable monuments to preserve the boundary line between the States of Massachusetts and New 

Hampshire, as the same had been run and ascertained by the commissioners (see Massachusetts Legislature Resolves, 1827), and 

monuments were erected accordingly.

In 1885 the joint commission appointed by the States of New 

Hampshire and Massachusetts reran and marked the curved portion 

of the boundary following the course of the Merrimack Eiver, changing it only to a trifling extent. This commission was, however, unable 

to agree upon the boundary west of Pawtucket Falls. The matter 

dragged along until finally in 1894 this commission, together with a
89

commission representing Vermont, agreed to maintain the Hazzen 

line, and this line was retraced and re-marked from Pawtucket Falls 

to the northwest corner of Massachusetts.

Under the King's decree of 1740 the Province of New Hampshire 

claimed jurisdiction as far west as the territory of Massachusetts 

and Connecticut extended, thus including the present State of Vermont. New York claimed all the country west of the Connecticut, 

under the charters of 1664 and 1674 to the Duke of York. A bitter 

controversy ensued. In 1749 the Governor of New Hampshire wrote 

to the Governor of New York as follows (Slade, 1823, p. 10):

PORTSMOUTH, November 17, ll/fl.

I think it my duty * * * to transmit to your Excellency the description 

of New-Hampshire, as the King has determined it in the words of my commission, * * *. In consequence of His Majesty's determination of the boundaries 

between New Hampshire and Massachusetts, a surveyor and proper chainmen 

were appointed to run the western line from 3 miles north of Pautucket Falls; 

and the surveyor, upon oath, has declared that it strikes Hudson's River, about 

eighty poles north of where Mohawk's River comes into Hudson's River.

B. WENTWOBTH.

The following is the description of the south boundary of New 

Hampshire as given by King George II to Benning Wentworth when 

Wentworth was appointed governor, July 3,1741 (O'Callaghan, 1851) :

* * * province of New Hampshire, within our Dominions of New England in 

America, bounded on the south side by a simular Curve line pursuing the Course 

of the Merrimac River at three miles distance, on the North side therof, beginning at the Atlantick Ocean & ending at a point due North of a place called 

Pautucket Falls, and by a Straight Line drawn from thence due West Cross the 

said River 'till it meets with our other Governments, * * *.

The south boundary of New Hampshire as surveyed between 1885 

and 1898 is marked by 50 large cut-granite monuments at irregular 

intervals. The initial point of this survey is the southwest corner of 

New Hampshire and southeast .corner of Vermont, marked by a 

copper bolt in the top of a block of granite set in a mass of concrete 

6 feet square, "at or near ordinary low-water line" on the west bank 

of the Connecticut River, the geographic position of which is lat 

42°43'37.21" N., long 72°27'32.08" W. A witness mark of polished 

granite, suitably inscribed, stands on the Massachusetts-Vermont line, 

582 feet N, 87°48' W. from the corner.

From the State corner the line was run on a general course about 2^° 

south of east (true bearing), measured distance of 57.84 miles to

the boundary pine monument, so-called, standing between the towns of Pelham, 

New Hampshire, and Dracut, Massachusetts, in the pasture land owned by 

Zachariah Coburn, at a point where one George Mitchell, surveyor, marked a
90 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

pitch pine tree, March 21, 1741, then supposed to be 3 miles due north of a place 

in the Merrimack River formerly called Pawtucket Falls, now Lowell.

This monument is also granite, and its geographic position is lat 

42°41'50.25" N., long 7l°19'22.02" W.

From this point the boundary consists of a series of straight lines, 

approximately paralleling Merrimack Kiver and 3 miles distant 

therefrom.

The terminal mark is a granite monument, 42 by 14 by 12 inches in 

size, marked

S S 

Mass. and N.H. 

1890 1890

on its south face and north face, respectively. It stands on Salisbury 

Beach about 80 feet from high-water line and 250 feet from low-water 

line of the Atlantic Ocean. Its geographic position is lat 42°52'19.28" 

N., long 70°49'02.94" W. From this point the boundary extends for 

"three miles * * * to the limit of State jurisdiction" on a course 

86°07'30" E.

This survey was approved by Massachusetts (act of May 12, 1899, 

chap. 369) and by New Hampshire (act of Mar. 22, 1901, chap. 115). 

The acts of the State legislatures give the complete notes of the surveys. 

Copies of the notes and many geographic positions on the lines are 

given in the town boundary atlases prepared by the harbor and land 

commission of Massachusetts.

The question concerning the western boundary of New Hampshire 

was submitted to the King, who in 1764 made the following decree 

(Slade, 1823, p. 19):

AT THE COURT OF ST. JAMES, 

The 20th day of July, 1764.

Whereas there was, this day read at the board, a report made by the Right 

Honorable the Lords of the Committee of council for plantation affairs, dated 

the 17th of this instant, upon considering a representation from the Lords 

Commissioners for trade and plantations, relative to the disputes that have, 

some years subsisted between the provinces of New-Hampshire and New-York, 

concerning the boundary line between those provinces His Majesty, taking the 

same into consideration, was pleased with the advice of his privy council, to 

approve of what is therein proposed, and doth accordingly, hereby order and 

declare the western banks of the river Connecticut, from where it enters the 

Province of the Massachusetts Bay, as far north as the forty-fifth degree of northern latitude, to be the boundary line between the said two provinces of New Hampshire and New York. Wherefore the respective Governors and Commanders in 

Chief of his Majesty's said Provinces of New-Hampshire and New-York, for 

the time being, and all others whom it m'ay concern, are to take notice of His 

Majesty's pleasure hereby signified and govern themselves accordingly.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES VERMONT 91

Notwithstanding this decree of the King, controversy and violence 

continued for many years; but the line was finally accepted and now 

forms the boundary between the States of New Hampshire and 

Vermont. (See p. 93.)

The northern boundary of New Hampshire, fixed by the British 

treaty of 1842 (p. 25), is described as follows:

'Commencing at the "Crown Monument," so called, [now monument 475 of the 

Internat. Boundary Comm.] at the intersection of the New Hampshire, Maine, 

and Province of Quebec boundaries, in latitude 45°18'20", longitude 71°05'04", 

thence by an irregular line along the divide to the head of Halls Stream and 

down the middle of that stream to a line established by Valentine and Collins 

previous to 1774 as the 45th parallel of latitude.

The end of this line in the middle of Halls Stream is in lat 

45°00'48.7" N., long 7l°30'05.7" W. The New Hampshire-Vermont 

line then runs east for about 1% miles to the west bank of the 

Connecticut River, the approximate position of which is lat 45°00'50" 

N., long 7l°27'57" W. This small area east of Halls Stream, known 

locally as "The Gore" (see fig. 10), is often incorrectly shown as a 

part of New Hampshire.

A historical description of the boundaries of New Hampshire is 

given by Harriman (1879, p. 550-558).

The title to the New Hampshire area in the vicinity of the Connecticut Lakes and north of the 45th parallel was for many years in 

dispute between New Hampshire and Canada. In 1829 the settlers 

in that locality organized an independent republic, which was called 

the Indian Stream Territory. Local government was in effect until 

after the Indian Stream War, in 1835, when New Hampshire took 

control (Bacon, 1906, p. 369-370; Faris, 1926, p. 33-43; U.S. 25th 

Cong., 1839,3d sess., H. Kept. 176).

VEBMONT

The grants from King Henry of France in 1603 and King James 

of England in 1606 both included the territory which forms the present 

State of Vermont. It was also included in the charter of New 

England of 1620.

In the grants to the Duke of York in 1664 and 1674, all the territory between the Connecticut and Delaware Rivers was included. 

New York therefore claimed jurisdiction of the territory now known 

as Vermont. (See fig. 11.) Massachusetts, however, had made claim 

at an early period to the tract west of the Connecticut River that now 

forms a part of Massachusetts; she claimed also the greater part of the 

Vermont territory.
92 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

By the terms of the charter of Massachusetts Bay, of 1629 (Thorpe, 

1909, v. 3, p. 1847) , that colony was granted all the lands

which lye, and be within the space of three English Myles to the Northward 

of the said River called Monomack alias Merrymack, or to the Northward of any 

and every Parte thereof.

INTERNATIONAL

 4 FIGURE 10. "The Gore," at the 

northeast corner of Vermont.

Under this clause, Massachusetts Bay claimed that its jurisdiction 

extended to a line 3 miles north of the northernmost part of the 

Merrimack Eiver, such jurisdiction would embrace a large part of New 

Hampshire and Vermont. New Hampshire contested this claim and 

after several years' controversy was more than sustained by a decision 

of the King in 1740. (See p. 87.) New Hampshire in turn claimed 

the territory of Vermont on the ground that, as Massachusetts and 

Connecticut had been allowed to extend their boundaries within 20 

miles of the Hudson Eiver, its territory should go equally far, and 

contended that the King's decree of 1740 left that fairly to be inferred; 

also that the old charters of 1664 and 1674 were obsolete. By a decree 

of the King, however, the territory west of the Connecticut River, 

from the 45th parallel to the Massachusetts line, was declared to belong 

to the Province of New York. (See New Hampshire, p. 90.) As 

most of the settlers of Vermont were from New Hampshire, this 

decision of the King caused great dissatisfaction, and the Revolution 

found Vermont the scene of conflicting claims and the theater of 

violent acts, some culminating in actual bloodshed.

On January 15, 1777, delegates representing 51 towns comprised 

in the territory known as the "New Hampshire grants," on the west 

side of the Green Mountains, declared the area an independent 

State,61 to be called "New Connecticut, alias Vermont," but the title 

generally used in official papers for several years thereafter was 

"the New Hampshire grants." Sixteen towns in New Hampshire 

sought union with the new State, but this action was vigorously 

opposed by New Hampshire and was not approved by the Continental Congress. Massachusetts agreed to the independence of Vermont in 1781, and New Hampshire adjusted its differences with that 

State in 1782, but 8 years more passed before New York consented to

81 See U.S. Fourteenth Census, 1921, v. 1, p. 27, note 50, "Vermont; Independent republic 

of Vermont admitted to the Union as a State In 1791."
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES VERMONT 93

the admission of Vermont to the Union. Vermont in the meantime had 

fixed upon a western boundary practically the same as at present, 

which was then described by reference to town boundaries as far north 

as the Poultney Eiver, thence down the middle channel of that river to 

East Bay and northward to and through the middle of the deepest 

channel of Lake Champlain (Slade, 1823, p. 69-70,193).

Vermont was admitted as an independent State by an act approved 

February 18, effective March 4, 1791 (1 Stat. L. 191).

In 1767, astronomic observations were made on the eastern shore 

of Lake Champlain, and a mark was set at the supposed position of 

the 45th parallel. From this point Valentine and Collins in 1772 

surveyed and marked a line as far east as the Connecticut Kiver for 

the eastern part of the northern boundary of the Province of New 

York (now the State of Vermont). Kecent surveys show that this 

boundary for its entire length is from a quarter of a mile to 1.1 miles 

north of the 45th parallel,62 but by the convention between the United 

States and Great Britain of 1842 the line as marked west of Halls 

Stream to the deepest part of Lake Champlain was agreed upon as 

part of the boundary of the United States. The northwest corner 

of Vermont, which is the northeast corner of New York, falls in Lake 

Champlain, at lat 45°00'38.9" N., long 73°20/38.9'/ W.

Joint resolutions by the Legislature of the State of Vermont, 

approved November 22, 1912, and February 13, 1913, authorized the 

institution of a suit in the Supreme Court of the United States for the 

determination of the position of the boundary line between that State 

and New Hampshire. Vermont in its bill of complaint filed at the 

October term, 1915, asked that the New Hampshire boundary line be 

declared to be in the middle of the Connecticut River; New Hampshire 

in its reply asked that the boundary be fixed at the high-water line on 

the west bank of the river, and that the north boundary of Vermont 

end at Halls Stream, rather than at the Connecticut River 1% miles 

farther east.

In its decision of May 29,1933 (289 U.S. 593), the Court ruled that 

the boundary line between the two States followed the low-water mark 

on the west bank of the Connecticut River.

The south boundary of Vermont is part of the north boundary of 

Massachusetts, which was fixed by the King in council under date 

of August 5, 1740, and surveyed under the direction of Governor 

Belcher in 1741. It was resurveyed and re-marked by commissioners 

representing the two States 'between 1885 and 1898. This survey 

was commenced at the northwest corner of Massachusetts, at a

82 In an official report to the Governor of Vermont made in 1806, Samuel Waters declared that his observations showed that the boundary of Vermont near its eastern terminus 

was 6 ft 14 in. south of the 45th parallel, a statement which was grossly in error, If he 

referred to the geographic latitude.
94 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

monument consisting of a granite post 8 feet long and 14 inches 

square set nearly 5 feet in the ground. The faces toward the different States were marked "N.Y. 1898," "Mass. 1896," and "Vt. 

1896." Its geographic position is lat 42°44'44.7" N., long 

73°15'54.13" W. (1927 N.A.D.). From this point the boundary is a 

nearly straight line, bearing about 2° south of east (true bearing), 

and runs 41 miles to the southeast corner of Vermont, which is a 

mark on the west bank of the 'Connecticut River. A description of 

this mark is given on page 89.63

The line between Vermont and New York was surveyed and 

marked by commissioners from the two States in 1814 and is as 

follows: 64

Beginning at a ired or black oak tree, the northwest corner of Massachusetts, 

and running north 82°20' west as the magnetic needle pointed in 1814, 50 

chains, to a monument erected for the southwest corner of the State of Vermont, * * * which monument stands on the brow of a high hill, descending to the west, then northerly in a straight line to a 'point which is distant 10 

chains, on a course south 35 degrees west, from the most westerly corner of a 

lot of land distinguished in the records of the town of Pownal, in the State 

of Vermont, as the fifth division of the right of Gamaliel Wallace, and which, 

in the year 1814, was owned and occupied 'by Abraham Vosburgh; then north 

35 degrees east, to said corner and along the westerly bounds of said lot, 30 

chains, to a place on the westerly bank of Hosick River where a hemlock tree 

heretofore stood, noticed in said records as the most northerly corner of said 

lot; then north 1 degree and 20 minutes west, 6 chains to a monument erected 

by the said commissioners, standing on the westerly side of Hosick River, on 

the north side of the highway leading out of Hosick into Pownal, and near 

the northwesterly corner of fhe bridge crossing said river; then north 27 

degrees and 20 minutes ea'st, 30 chains, through the bed of the said river, to 

a large roundish rock on *he northeasterly 'bank thereof; then north 25 degrees 

west, 16 chains and 70 links; then north 9 degrees west, 18 chains and 60 links, 

to a white oak tree, at the southwest corner of the land occupied in 1814 by 

Thomas Wilsey; then north 11 degrees east, 77 chain's, to the north side of a 

highway, where it is met toy a fence dividing the possession of said Thomas 

Wilsey, jr., and Emery Hunt; then north 46 degrees east, 6 chains; then south

66 degrees east, 26 drains and 25 links ; 'then north O degrees east, 27 chains

and 50 links, to a blue-slate stone, anciently set up for the southwest corner 

of Bennington; 'then north 7 degrees and 30 minutes east, 46 miles 43 chains 

and 50 links, to a 'bunch of hornbeam saplings on the south bank of Poultney 

River, the northernmost of which was marked by said last-mentioned commissioners, and from which a large butternut tree bears north 70 degrees 

west, 30 links, a large hard maple tree, south 2 chains and 86 links, and a 

white ash tree on the north side of said river, north 77 degrees east. 

* * * then down the said Poultney River, through the deepest channel

thereof, tO East Bay; then through 'the mMdle of the deepest channel of East

63 The full notes of this survey are given in the State acts ratifying it (Massachusetts 

Acts of 1900, chap. 131, and Vermont Acts of 1900, chap. 137) and also in the folio atlases 

of the Harbor and Land Commission of Massachusetts; see report of the commissioners 

(Massachusetts H. Doc. 300, 1900).

«* New York Rev. Stat., 1875, 6th ed., v. 1, p. 122-123, Banks & Brothers; 1882, 7th ed., 

v. 1, p. 128.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MASSACHUSETTS 95

Bay and the waters thereof to where the same communicate with Lake Ohamplain; then through the middle of deepest channel of Lake Champlain to the 

eastward of the islands called the Four Brothers, and the westward of the 

islands called .the Grand Me and Long Isle, or 'the Two Heroes, and to the 

westward of the Isle La Motte to the line in the 45th degree of north latitude; 

established by treaty for the 'boundary line between the United States and 

the British Dominions.

This line was changed in 1876 by a cession from Vermont to New 

York of a very small area west of the village of Fair Haven and 

opposite the mouth of the Castleton Kiver which had been left on the 

west side of the Poultney River by a change in the course of that 

stream, described as follows:

AH that portion of the town of Fairhaven, in the county of Rutland and 

State of Vermont, lying westerly from the middle of the deepest channel of 

Poultney River, as it now runs, and between the middle of the deepest channel 

of said river and the west line of the State of Vermont as at present established.

This cession was ratified by Congress April 7,1880 (21 Stat. L. 72).

The Vermont-New York line was resurveyed and re-marked in 

1904 from the Massachusetts-Vermont-New York corner north to 

the Poultney River.65 There are now 101 substantial stone monuments on this line, which is 54.6 miles in length.

MASSACHUSETTS 66

The territory of Massachusetts was included in the first charter of 

Virginia., granted in 1606, and in the charter of New England, 

granted in 1620.

In 1628 the council of Plymouth made a grant to the governor and 

company of Massachusetts Bay in New England, which was confirmed by the King, and a charter was granted in 1629, from which 

the following are extracts (Thorpe, 1909, v. 3, p. 1849) :

* * * Nowe, Knowe Yee, that Wee * * * have given and graunted * * * all 

that Parte of Newe England in America which lyes and extendes betweene a 

greate River there comonlie called Monomack River, alias Merrimack River, 

and a certen other River there, called Charles River, being in the Bottome of 

a certain Bay there, comonlie called Massachusetts, alias Mattachusetts, alias 

Massatusetts Bay; and also all and singuler those Landes and Hereditament 

whatsoever, lying within the Space of Three English Myles on the South Parte 

of the said River, called Charles River, or of any, or every Parte thereof; and 

also all and singuler the Landes and Hereditaments whatsoever, lying and 

being within the space of Three Englishe Myles to the southward of the Southermost Parte of the said Baye, called Massachusetts, alias Mattachusetts, alias 

Massatusets Bay; and also, all those Landes and Hereditaments whatsoever, 

which lye and be within the Space of Three English Myles to the Northward of 

the saide River, called Monomack, alias Merrymack, or to the Norward of any 

and every Parte thereof, and all Landes and Hereditaments whatsoever, lyeing

65 For a report of the survey, a plat of the line, and descriptions and coordinates of 

each mark, see New York State Engineer and Surveyor Kept, for 1904, p. 301-34?. 

88 The full legal name for Massachusetts is "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts."
96 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

within the Lymitts aforesaide, North and South, in Latitude and Bredth, and 

in Length and Longitude, of and within all the Bredth aforesaide, throughout 

the mayne Landes there, from the Atlantick and Westerne Sea and Ocean on 

the East Parte, to the South Sea on the West Parte;

* * * Provided alwayes, That if the said Landes * * * were at the tyme of 

the graunting of the saide former Letters patents, dated the Third Day of 

November, in the Eighteenth Yeare of our said deare Fathers Raigne aforesaide, 

actuallie possessed or inhabited by any other Christian Prince or State, or were 

within the Boundes, Lymytts or Territories of that Southerne Colony, then 

before graunted by our said late Father * * * That then this present Graunt 

shall not extend to any such partes or parcells thereof, * * * but as to those 

partes or parcells * * * shal be vtterlie voyd, theis presents or any Thinge therein, 

conteyned to the contrarie notwithstanding,

The charter of New England was surrendered to the King in 1635 

(Thorpe, 1909, v. 3, p. 1860).

The charter of Massachusetts Bay, granted in 1629, was canceled by 

a judgment of the high court of chancery of England, June 18, 1684.

In 1686 Pemaquid (part of the present State of Maine) and its 

dependencies were annexed to the New England government.

In 1691 a new charter was granted to Massachusetts Bay, which 

included Plymouth Colony and the Provinces of Maine and Nova 

Scotia. The following are extracts from this charter (Thorpe, 1909, 

v. 3, p. 1876):

* * * Wee doe * * * will and Ordeyne that the Territories and Collynes 

comonly called or known by the Names of the Collony of the Massachusetts 

Bay and Collony of New Plymouth the Province of Main the Territorie called 

Accadia or Nova Scotia and all that tract of land lying betweene the said 

Territories of Nova Scotia and the said Province of Main be Erected Vnited 

and Incorporated * * * into one reall Province by the Name of Our Province 

of the Massachusetts Bay in New England. * * * all that parte of New 'England in America lying and extending from the greate River co.fnonly called 

Monomack als Merrimack on the Northpart and from three Miles Northward 

of the said River to the Atlantick or Western Sea or Ocean on the South part 

And all the Lands and Hereditaments whatsoever lying within the limits 

aforesaid and extending as farr as the Outermost Points or Promontories of 

Land called Cape Cod and Cape Mallabar North and South and in Latitude 

Breadth and in Length and Longitude of and within all the Breadth and Compass aforesaid throughout the Main Land there from the said Atlantick or 

Western Sea and Ocean on the East parte towards the South Sea or Westward

as far as Our Oollonyes Of Rhode Island Connecticut and the Marragansett

Countrey all alsoe all that part of porcon of Main Land beginning at the 

Entrance of Pescata way Harbour and soe to pass vpp the same into the River 

of Newickewannock and through the same into the furthest head thereof and 

from thence Northwestward till One Hundred and Twenty miles be finished 

and from piscata way Harbour mouth aforesaid North-Eastward along the Sea 

Coast to Sagadehock and from the Period of One Hundred and Twenty Miles 

aforesaid to crosse over Land to the One Hundred and Twenty Miles before 

reckoned vp into the Land from Piscataway Harbour through Newickawannock River and alsoe the North halfe of the Isles and Shoales together with 

the Isles of Cappawock and Nantukett near Cape Cod aforesaid and alsoe
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MASSACHUSETTS 97

[all] Lands and Hereditaments lying and being in the Oountrey and Territory 

comonly called Accadia or Nova Scotia And all those Lands and Hereditaments 

lying and extending betweene the said Countrey or Territory of Nova Scotia and 

the said River of Sagadahock or any part thereof And all Lands Grounds Places 

Soiles Woods and Wood grounds Havens Ports Rivers Waters and other Hereditaments and premisses whatsoever, lying within the said bounds and limitts 

aforesaid and every part and parcell thereof and alsoe all Islands and Isletts 

lying within tenn Leagues directly opposite to the Main Land within the said 

bounds.

The present northern boundary of Massachusetts was first surveyed and marked in 1741. (See New Hampshire, p. 87-88, and Vermont, p. 93-94.)

The east-west part of the boundary between Massachusetts and 

Ehode Island is a part of the original southerly line of the territory granted by the council at Plymouth to Sir Henry Koswell and 

others in the third year of the reign of King Charles I and redefined in the charter granted to the colony of Massachusetts Bay in 

1691. This line was for more than 200 years a matter of dispute 

that was in some respects the most remarkable boundary question 

with which this country has had to deal. Twice the question went 

to the Supreme Court of the United States, and in one of these 

suits Daniel Webster and Eufus Choate were employed as counsel 

for Massachusetts.

As early as 1642 the line between the two colonies was marked in 

part by Nathaniel Woodward and Solomon Saffrey, who set up on 

the plain of Wrentham a stake as the commencement of the line 

between Massachusetts Bay and Ehode Island. This stake Woodward 

and Saffrey thought marked a point 3 miles south of the Charles 

Eiver (Harriman, 1879, p. 553).

In 1710-11 commissioners appointed from Massachusetts and 

Ehode Island agreed upon the north line of Ehode Island, and 

their action was approved by the legislatures of both colonies. The 

agreement was as follows (4 Howard 631):

That the stake set up by Nathaniel Woodward and Solomon Saffrey, skilful, 

approved artists, in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and fortytwo, and since that often renewed, in the latitude of forty-one degrees and 

fifty-five minutes, being three English miles distant southward from the southernmost; part of the river called Charles River, agreeable to the letters-patent 

for the Massachusetts province, be accounted and allowed on both sides the 

commencement of the line between Massachusetts and the colony of Rhode 

Island * * *.

In 1719 this line was run by commissioners appointed for the purpose, but subsequent investigation has shown that it was run very 

inaccurately (Ehode Island Acts, May, 1867, p. 6).
98 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

The line between Massachusetts and the eastern part of Rhode 

Island was fixed by the commissioners in 1741. The colony of Rhode 

Island appealed from their decision to the King, but in 1746 he 

affirmed it by a royal decree. (Gannett, 1904, p. 56-59.) In accordance with this decree the line was run in 1746 by commissioners 

of Rhode Island whose report may be found in the U.S. Supreme 

Court records for the December term, 1852, pages 208-210.

In 1748 the Legislature of Rhode Island appointed commissioners 

to continue the line to the Connecticut corner, the Woodward and 

Saffrey stake being recognized as the place of beginning. Massachusetts failed to appoint commissioners, whereupon the Rhode Island 

commissioners proceeded to complete the running of the line. In their 

report they say with reference to the initial point of their survey 

(4 Howard 632):

That we, not being able to find any stake or other monument which we could 

imagaine set up by Woodward and Saffrey, but considering that the place thereof 

was described in the agreement mentioned in our commission, by certain invariable marks, we did proceed as followeth, namely: We found a place where 

Charles River formed a large current southerly, which place is known to many 

by the name of Poppatolish Pond, which we took to be the southernmost part 

of said river, from the southernmost part of which we measured three English 

miles south, which three English miles did terminate upon a plain in a township 

called Wrentham.

From this time forward, repeated steps were taken by Rhode 

Island, by resolutions and by appointment of commissioners, to 

ascertain and run the line in connection with commissioners from 

Massachusetts. Commissioners from both colonies met more than 

once, but they failed to agree upon a boundary in place of that established under the agreements of 1711 and 1718. As a ground for 

these efforts Rhode Island alleged that a mistake had been made by 

her commissioners in commencing the line at the accepted position 

of the Woodward and Saffrey stake, which, as set on Wrentham 

Plain, at Burnt Swamp Corner, was considerably more than 3 miles 

south of the Charles River (14 Peters 273).

This controversy, however, embraced the entire line from Connecticut to the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts asserted that an encroachment had been made on her territory from Burnt Swamp Corner to the 

ocean by Rhode Island, who, on her part, claimed that the jurisdictional line of Massachusetts from that corner to the Connecticut line 

was, in its whole extent, upon the territory of Rhode Island. The 

legislatures of the respective States having failed after repeated efforts 

to adjust the controversy, Rhode Island in 1832, by a bill in equity, 

brought the subject of the northern boundary from Burnt Swamp 

Corner to the Connecticut line before the Supreme Court of the
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MASSACHUSETTS ' 99

United States, which in 1846 decided that the jurisdictional line 

claimed by Massachusetts was the legal boundary of the two States 

between these points.

In this decision, the following declaration was made (4 Howard 

639):

"For the security of rights, whether of states or individuals, long 

possession under claim of title is protected, and there is no controversy in which this great principle may be invoked with greater 

justice and propriety than in a case of disputed boundary."

While this suit was pending an attempt was made to settle the long 

controversy by an amicable adjustment of the whole line from the 

Connecticut corner to the ocean. Commissioners were appointed by 

both States in 1844 to ascertain and mark the true boundary from 

Paw-tucket Falls (presumably near the present city of Paw-tucket) 

south to Bullock Neck. In 1845 the same commissioners were authorized to ascertain the entire line from Burnt Swamp Corner to the 

Atlantic Ocean.

In 1846, the equity suit having been decided (4 Howard 591), they 

were authorized "to erect suitable monuments at the prominent angles 

of the line, from the Atlantic Ocean to the northwest corner of Khode 

Island, and at such other points on the line as may subserve the public 

convenience." A majority of the commissioners agreed upon a line 

and erected monuments in 1847.

The report of the joint commission was dated Boston, January 13, 

1848. The line so agreed upon as a boundary between Burnt Swamp 

Corner and the northwest corner of Rhode Island was a straight line, 

varying a little from the irregular jurisdictional line established by 

the decision of the Supreme Court, and is described in the report of 

the commissioners, as follows:

Begin at the northwest corner of Rhode Island, on Connecticut line, in latitude 

42°00'29" north, and longitude 71°48'18" west of Greenwich, thence easterly 

in a 'Straight line 21.512 miles to Burnt Swamp Corner, in Wrentham, being in 

latitude 42°01'08" and longitude 71°23'13". [See p. 101 for corrected position.]

Upon this line, 27 monuments were placed exclusive of that at 

Burnt Swamp Corner.

The General Assembly of Rhode Island, in May 1847, ratified and 

established the line from the ocean to the Connecticut line, "to take 

effect and become binding whenever the said agreement and boundary 

line should be ratified by the State of Massachusetts." The legislature 

of Massachusetts did not ratify the agreement and boundary line 

but proposed another joint commission, which was approved by Rhode 

Island. The attempt made by these commissioners to settle the line 

having failed, Massachusetts commenced a bill in equity before the
100 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Supreme Court of the United States for an adjudication of the 

boundary line from Burnt Swamp Corner to the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1860 both States agreed upon a conventional line and asked that 

a decree of the U.S. Supreme Court should confirm the same. The 

prayer was granted, and the line was thus finally established by a 

decree rendered December 16, 1861.67

The Supreme Court decision made no reference to the line from 

Burnt Swamp Corner to the Connecticut line. In 1865 the Legislature of Massachusetts took action in regard to this portion of the 

line, as follows :

Resolved, That .the boundary line between the State of Rhode Island and the 

Commonwealth of Massachusetts, from the line of the State of Connecticut to 

Burnt Swamp Corner, begins at the north west corner of the State of Rhode 

Island on the Connecticut line, in latitude 42°00'29" north, and longitude

740 48'18" M west of Greenwich, and runs in a straight line 21 and miles

to Burnt Swamp Corner, in Wrentham, being in latitude 42°1'8".60 and longitude 71°23'13".26. [See p. 101 for corrected position for this mark.]

This is the line agreed upon by commissioners and called the "line 

of 1848," which was ratified by Rhode Island when run but was 

rejected by Massachusetts.

As a result of the tardiness of Massachusetts in ratifying the line, 

Rhode Island rejected it on the ground that the then recent settlement 

of the eastern boundary by the decree of the Supreme Court had so 

changed the aspect of the controversy that she could not consent to 

the adoption of the line of 1848 as her northern boundary. Thus the 

northern boundary of Rhode Island was left in the condition prescribed by the Supreme Court decision of 1846.

In June 1880, the Legislature of Rhode Island passed a resolution 

to remove the monuments of the "line of 1848" and erect monuments 

on the jurisdictional line. In 1881 the Legislature of Massachusetts 

took like action. This jurisdictional line has the same termini as 

the line of 1848 but is a very irregular line, in places running north 

of a direct line and elsewhere falling south of it, the extreme variations being 529.3 feet north and 129 feet south. It is described as 

follows: 69

Beginning at a monument of dressed granite, marked "Mass." on the north, 

"R.I." on the south, and "Con." on the west sides, standing at the northwest 

corner of the State of Rhode Island, in latitude 42°00'29.45", longitude 71°-

87 A full discussion of the Massachusetts-Rhode Island boundary disputes, including reports of commissioners and legislative acts, may be found In Massachusetts H. Doc. 102 

of 1861; Doc. 3 of 1869 ; Doc. 1230 of 1899; in Rhode Island Acts, May 1867 ; and in U.S. 

Supreme Court Rec. 3, December term of 1852.

68 This is a clerical error. "Longitude 74°48'18"" should read "longitude 71°48'18"." 

» Massachusetts Laws for 1883, chap. 154, approved Apr. 30, 1883. Rhode Island act 

approved Mar. 22, 1883.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MASSACHUSETTS 101

48'18.07" west of Greenwich; thence running easterly in a straight line to a 

pile of stones on the westerly bank of Wallum pond at high-water mark; thence 

easterly in a straight line to the southwest corner of Uxbridge and the southeast corner of Douglas, to a monument of dressed stone, marked "D Nov. 9, 

1829," on northwest face and "U" on east face, and "B" on south face; thence 

running easterly in a straight line to a point formed by the intersection of the 

easterly line of Harris Avenue, so called, with the southerly line of Gaskill 

Street near the bridge of Waterford, and about fifteen rods easterly of the 

easterly bank of the Blackstone River; thence running easterly in a straight 

line to fi monument of split stone granite about five feet above ground, having 

five faces, marked on the west face "M," on the northeast face "B," and on 

the south face "C"; thence easterly in a straight line to the stone monument 

now standing on Wrentham Plain at Burnt Swamp Corner, * * * marked 

on two sides Mass, and on the other two sides B.I.

The following statement concerning the east boundary of Rhode 

Island was made by commissioners of 1897-98 for both States (Massachusetts Topog. Survey, 1900):

On March 1, 1862, a decree of the Supreme Court of the United States issued 

the previous year became effective, which changed the boundary line between 

the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Rhode Island. By this 

change the town of Pawtucket west of the Seven and Ten Mile rivers, a narrow 

strip of Seekonk between the middle of the above-named rivers and the line 

of highest water on the eastern banks, and the southwestern part of Seekonk, 

now East Providence, were annexed to Rhode Island, in exchange for territory 

in the vicinity of Fall River. The Legislature of Massachusetts anticipating 

this change, provided by chapter 187 of the acts of 1861 for the proper jurisdiction of the territory east of this new boundary, and the State of Rhode 

Island by a similar act, chapter 379 of the acts of 1861, provided for the jurisdiction of the new territory acquired west of this line.

On account of the imperfect marking of this line and the difficulty of defining 

the high-water lines of rivers and ponds, which formed the State boundary, 

it was decided in 1897 to redefine the line and to substitute for indefinite highwater boundaries a series of straight lines as near as may be to the line established by the decree of 1861, which could be readily and permanently marked.

The general court of that year authorized the topographical survey commission, representing Massachusetts, to act in conjunction with a commission 

representing Rhode Island, in locating, defining, and marking the State boundary 

line, from "Burnt Swamp Corner" southerly to the sea.

A full report of the doings of these commissions was made in 

May 1899, and the general courts of both States promptly ratified 

their work by the passage of acts which contain a full description 

of the line.70

The 1898 survey of the east boundary of Rhode Island was commenced at Burnt Swamp Corner, marked by a granite monument 

inscribed "Mass.-R. I. 1861-1883; 1898," in lat 42°01'08.35" and long 

71°22'54.51". The line thence runs S. 2'40" W. 8.65 miles, thence 

east and south by straight-line courses of irregular length to a point

70 Massachusetts act of June 3, 1899, chap. 476 ; Rhode Island act of May 26, 1899, chap. 

683. Massachusetts H. Doc. 1230, May 23, 1899, contains reports of the commissioners 

and of the engineer; also contains a plat of the line and descriptions of the monuments.
102 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

where it intersects the line of high water of the Atlantic Ocean, in 

lat 41°29'50.87", long 7l°07'15.62", about 45.789 miles from the point 

of beginning. The termini of all the straight lines are marked by the 

old monuments where recovered or by new granite monuments 12 by 

12 inches by 9% feet, suitably lettered and set 5% feet in the ground.

In 1713, commissioners from the Province of Massachusetts Bay 

and the Colony of Connecticut adopted a line between Massachusetts 

and Connecticut. By this line the frontier towns of Woodstock, 

Suffield, Enfield, and Somers were given to Massachusetts. In 1749 

the Legislature of Connecticut passed a resolution stating that inasmuch as the line had not been approved by the King and the two 

colonies had no legal right to transfer territory without the confirmation of the Crown, the contract was void, and these towns 

were again taken under the jurisdiction of Connecticut. Massachusetts appealed to the King, and the claims of Connecticut were fully 

established. (Hollister, 1855, v. 2, p. 463^64.)

In 1791 Massachusetts and Connecticut appointed commissioners 

to establish the boundary between them, but the commissioners were 

unable to agree.

In 1803 commissioners were appointed to complete the line west 

of the Connecticut River, a compromise having been made concerning the line between the town of Southwick and the towns of Suffield 

and Granby (the cause of the disagreement of the former commissioners) . The agreement made was as follows: 71

That the line should begin from a station 8 rods south of the southwest corner 

of West Springfield, and thence run west to the large ponds, and thence southerly by those ponds to the ancient south line of Westfield, and from thence 

on said south line to the ancient southwest corner of Westfield; and from thence 

northerly in the ancient west line of Westfield to the station in said west line 

made by commissioners in the year 1714, and from thence to the southwest 

corner of Granville.

The reason for this peculiar deviation from a straight boundary, 

known as the "Southwick jog," is that, in adjusting errors in the boundary line between Connecticut and Massachusetts as previously run by 

compass, a long, narrow strip of land was given to Connecticut; the 

Southwick jog ceded to Massachusetts was intended to be an equivalent 

area (Bowen, 1882, p. 65).

In 1826 the line between Massachusetts and Connecticut east of the 

Connecticut River was run by commissioners appointed from each 

State, and 49 stone monuments were erected, marked "M" on the north 

side and "C" on the south. (Connecticut private laws, 1837, v. 2, 

p. 1544-1550.)

71 Massachusetts Special Laws, 1805, V. 3, p. 234. For the full report of the commissioners, see Connecticut Private Laws, 1837, v. 2, p. 1540-1544.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MASSACHUSETTS 103

The same commissioners surveyed and marked the line from the 

northeast corner of Connecticut to the northwest corner of Rhode 

Island, reporting as follows:

Beginning at the monument erected at the northeast corner of said State of 

Connecticut and running in a direct line to the ancient heap of stones on the 

north side of the turnpike leading from Hertford to Boston, through Thompson 

and Don glass, where we erected a monument, and thence running in a direct 

line to the northwest corner of the State of Rhode Island.

The present boundary between Massachusetts and Connecticut was 

fixed by a joint commission authorized by legislative acts of both 

States in 1905. The line as surveyed and marked was approved by 

Massachusetts in 1908 (Massachusetts Acts of 1908, chap. 192), by 

Connecticut in 1913, and by the U.S. Congress October 3, 1914 (38 

Stat. L. 727). Part of it is thus described:

Beginning at a granite monument at the northwest corner of the State of 

Rhode Island and marking the corner of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and 

Connecticut, in latitude 42°00'29.150" and longitude 71°47'58.778"; [thence 

in a general northerly direction] to a granite monument at the northeast corner of the State of Connecticut, in latitude 42°01'24.807" and longitude 

71°48'G4.123".72

From this corner, the boundary is approximately a straight line 

bearing 1° or 2° north of west to a point near the Connecticut River.

From a granite monument in lat 42°02'04.619", long 72°31'55.276", 

the line runs as follows:

South 81°56'34" west, 11,309 feet to a granite monument about 620 feet south 

of Alien Street in Longmeadow, in latitude 42°01'48".933 and longitude 72°34'- 

23".644; thence south 51°56'28" west, 3,238 feet to a granite monument 450 feet 

east of the main road from Thompsonville to Springfield, in latitude 42°01'29"- 

.212 and longitude 72°34'57".422; thence north 88°35'49" west, 5,834 feet to a 

granite monument on the top of the bank, a'bout 175 feet east of the easterly shore 

of the Connecticut River, in latitude 42°01'30".616 and longitude 72°36'14".696; 

thence in the same direction, 950 feet to the middle of said river; thence northerly along a line midway between the banks thereof, about 2,075 feet; thence 

north 87°18'55" west, 1,260 feet to a granite monument standing on the bank 

about 225 feet west of the westerly shore of the river, in latitude 42°01'51".983 

and longitude 72°36'44".913; thence in the same direction, 7,661 feet to a granite 

monument about 875 feet west of North Street, or Suffield Street, the middle road 

from Suffield to Springfield, in latitude 42°01'55".516 and longitude 72°38'26"- 

.318; thence north 82°39'40" west, 8,966 feet to a granite monument on the 

easterly side of Halladay Avenue, or Front Street, the road from Suffield to Feeding Hills, in latitude 42°02'06".813 and longitude 72°40'24".149; thence north 

84°51'12" west, 7,202 feet to a granite monument on the easterly side of West 

Street, the road from West Suffield to Westfield, in latitude 42°02'13".185 and 

longitude 72°41'59".207; thence south 89°46'25" west, 4,137 feet to a granite 

monument at the corner of Agawam and Southwick in Massachusetts and Suffield 

in Connecticut, in latitude 42°02'13".019 and longitude 72°42'54".032; thence

"The 1927 N.A.D. positions of these two monuments are lat 42°00'28.35" N., long 

71°47'58.97" W. and lat 42°01'24.32" N., long 71°48'04.22" W.

776-664 O-65 8
104

south 0°48'01" east, 132 feet to a granite monument, in latitude 42°02'11".716 

and longitude 72°42'54".008; thence south 89°38'09" west, 11,231 feet to a granite monument on the easterly shore of Congamond Lake, in latitude 42°02'10".984 

and longitude 72°45'22".830; thence in the same direction, 14.5 feet to the shore 

of the lake as it would be with the surface of the water at the elevation it was 

in 1803; thence southerly, by the easterly shore of the lake as it would be with 

the surface of the water at the aforesaid elevation to a point opposite a granite 

monument near the shore at the southerly end of the lake; thence south 4°26'29" 

west, about 25 feet to said monument, in latitude 42°00'27".957 and longitude 

72°46'00".167; thence in the same direction, 1,632 feet to a granite monument at 

the southeasterly corner of the "Southwick jog," in latitude 42°00'11".881 and 

longitude 72°46'01".841; thence south 81°33'28" west, 13,827 feet to a granite 

monument at the southwesterly corner of the "Southwick jog," in latitude 41°- 

59'51".787 and longitude 72°49'02".976; thence north 3°33'56" east, 14,261 feet 

to a granite monument known as the "Crank Monument," in latitude 42°02'12"- 

.399 and longitude 72°48'51".223.

From this corner the line runs on a general westerly course, 'bearing 

about 1° north of west, to

a large rock, marked 1803 on its southerly side, in Sage's Ravine, in latitude 

42°03'02.214" and longitude 73°26'00.030"; thence south 88°31'58" west 14,787 

feet to a granite monument at the northwesterly corner of the State of Connecticut and marking the corner of Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut, in 

latitude 42°02'58.427" and longitude 73°29'15.959".73

The boundary between Massachusetts and New York was from an 

early period a subject of controversy, New York claiming to the west 

bank of the Connecticut River, under the charters of 1664 and 1674 

to the Duke of York, and Massachusetts claiming to the "South Sea," 

under her old charters. After -many fruitless attempts at a settlement, 

the western 'boundary of Massachusetts was fixed in 1773 where it now 

meets New York territory. The Revolution soon following, the line 

was not run. In 1785 Congress appointed three commissioners to run 

the line, who performed that duty in 1787. The line was as follows 

(New York Rev. Stat., 1875, p. 122) :

Beginning at a monument erected in 1731 by commissioners from Connecticut 

and New York, distant from the Hudson River 20 miles, and running north 

15°12'9" east 50 miles 41 chains and 79 links, to a red or black oak tree marked 

by said commissioners, which said line was run as the magnetic needle pointed 

in 1787.

The claims of Massachusetts to western lands within the territory 

of the State of New York were finally settled December 16, 1786, by 

a joint commission of the two States. By this agreement Massachusetts surrendered the sovereignty of the whole disputed territory to 

New York and received in return the right of soil and preemption

78 For the full notes of this boundary, see Massachusetts Acts of 1908, chap. 192, and 

Connecticut Acts Of 1913; see also 38 Stat. L. 727. For a description of each of the 214 

marks on this line, see Massachusetts Board of Harbor and Land Commissioners (1908, 

p. 106-117).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MASSACHUSETTS 105

right of Indian purchase west of the meridian passing through the 

eighty-second milestone of the Pennsylvania line (see fig. 11), except 

certain reservations upon the Niagara River. The title to a tract 

known as "The Boston Ten Towns," lying east of this meridian and 

previously granted to New York by Massachusetts, was confirmed. 

(See Hough's New York Gazette, 1872, p. 25,26.)

On April 19, 1785, Massachusetts executed a deed transferring to 

the United States all title of Massachusetts to territory west of the 

present western boundary of New York.

In 1820 Maine, previously a part of Massachusetts, was admitted 

into the Union as an independent State.

In 1853 an area of about 1,010 acres (see insert, fig. 11) in the southwest corner of Massachusetts, known as Boston Corners,74 was ceded 

to New York, and in 1855 the cession was confirmed 'by Congress (10 

Stat. L. 602).

The present boundary between Massachusetts and New York was 

thus described from resurveys by a joint commission in 1899:

Beginning at bound 1, a granite monument set in ledge on the side of a 

wooded mountain peak six hundred and nine feet east of Byan Bush Road, 

in latitude 42°02'58.427" north of the Equator, and longitude 73°29'15.959" 

west from Greenwich, and marking the northwest corner of Connecticut, a 

corner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and a corner of the State of 

New York; thence on an azimuth of 90°43'49", twenty-six hundred and twentyfour feet to bound 3, a granite monument set in ledge on the steep westerly slope 

of a wooded mountain, in latitude 42°02'58.756" and longitude 73°29'50.737", 

at the southwest corner of Massachuestts, also in the eastern line of New York, 

and marking a corner of the towns of Mount Washington, in Massachusetts, 

and Ancram and Northeast, in New York; thence on an azimuth of 167°OS'15", 

thirteen thousand six hundred and forty-nine feet to bound 9, a granite monument 

set in ledge on the westerly wooded slope of Alandar Mountain about a quarter 

mile west of its summit, in latitude 42°05'10.205" and longitude 73°30'31.031", 

at the corner of Mount Washington, in Massachusetts, and Copake, in New York; 

thence on an azimuth of 195°12'22", two hundred forty-nine thousand two hundred and forty-six feet, by the towns of Mount Washington, Egremont, Alford, 

West Stockbridge, Richmond, Hancock, and Williamstown, in Massachusetts, 

and Copake, Hillsdale, Austerlitz, Canaan, New Lebanon, Stephentown, Berlin, 

and Petersburg, in New York, to bound 112, a granite monument set in ledge 

and earth on an open easterly slope about seventy-five feet west of a private 

roadway, In latitude 42°44'45.201" and longitude 73°15'54.904" at the northwest 

corner of Massachusetts, also in the east line of New York and in the south 

line of Vermont, and marking a corner in the boundaries of the towns of Williamstown, in Massachusetts, Petersburg, in New York, and Pownal, in Vermont.

The term "azimuth" as used in this description is the angle which a line 

makes at its point of beginning with the true meridian, reckoning from the 

south around by the west.

74 See U.S. Geol. Survey topographic map of Copake quadrangle, N.Y.-Mass.
106 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

This location of the line was approved by Massachusetts May 8, 

1901, and by New York June 9, 1910 (Massachusetts Acts of 1901, 

chap. 374; New York Acts of 1910, chap. 447).

Massachusetts is one of the very few States that has had her 

boundary lines adequately marked and by frequent inspection maintains the marks in good condition. In addition to the marking of 

her exterior lines the State has also had comprehensive surveys made 

of interior township boundaries. The lines and corners are controlled by an accurate system of triangulation; therefore if any number of marks were destroyed the exact positions for new ones to replace them could be readily ascertained from the triangulation data. 

The results of these surveys are published by the State Harbor and 

Land Commission in a series of folios, which give plats of the lines, 

positions of triangulation stations, descriptions of boundary marks, 

extracts from laws by which the lines were fixed, and some historical 

matter.

RHODE ISLAND 75

The present State of Rhode Island was settled by Roger Williams 

and other immigrants, who left Massachusetts Bay and established 

themselves at Providence in 1636.

In 1643 a patent was granted for the Providence Plantations, from 

which the following are extracts (Thorpe, 1909, v. 6, p. 3210) :

And whereas there is a Tract of Land in the Continent of America aforesaid, 

called by the Name of Narraganset Bay; bordering Northward and Northeast 

on the Patent of the Massachusetts, East and Southwest on Plymouth Patent, 

South on the Ocean, and on the West and Northwest by the Indians called 

Nahigganneucks, alias Narragansets; the whole Tract extending about twentyfive English Miles unto the Pequot River and Country.

And whereas divers well affected and industrious English Inhabitants, of the 

Towns of Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport, in the tract aforesaid, * * * 

have represented their Desire, * * * Do, * * * give, grant, and confirm to the 

aforesaid Inhabitants of the Towns of Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport a 

free and absolute Charter of Incorporation, to be known by the Name of the 

Incorporation of Providence Plantations, in the Narragansett Bay, in New 

England. * * *

In 1663 Charles II granted a charter to the governor and company 

of the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, of which 

the following is an extract (Thorpe, 1909, p. 3220) :

* * * all that parte of our dominiones in New-England, in America, conteyneing the Nahantick and Nanbyganset Bay, and countryes and partes adjacent, bounded on the west, or westerly, to the middle or channel of a river there, 

commonly called and known by the name of Pawcatuck, alias Pawcawtuck river, 

and soe along the sayd river, as the greater or middle streame thereof reacheth

75 The legal name for this State is "The State Of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."
107

or lyes vpp into north countrye, northward, unto the head thereof, and from 

thence, by a streight lyne drawn due north vntil itt meets with the south lyne 

of the Massachusetts Collonie; and on the north, or northerly, by the aforesayd 

south or southerly lyne of the Massachusetts Collony or Plantation, and extending towards the east, or eastwardly, three English miles to the east and northeast of the most eastern and northeastern parts of the aforesayd Narragansett 

Bay, as the sayd bay lyeth or extendeth itself from the ocean on the south or 

southwardly, vnto the mouth of the river which runneth towards the towne of 

Providence, and from thence along the eastwardly side or banke of the sayd 

river (higher called by the name of Seacunck river), vp to the ffalls called 

Patuckett ffalls, being the most westwardly lyne of Plymouth Collony, and 

soe from the sayd ffalls, in a streight lyne, due north, until itt meete with the 

aforesayd line of the Massachusetts Collony; and bounded on the south by the 

ocean; and in particular, the lands belonging to the townes of Providence, Pawtuxet, Warwicke, Misquammacok, alias Pawcatuck, and the rest vpon the maine 

land in the tract aforesayd, together with Rhode Island, Blocke Island, and all 

the rest of the islands and banks in the Narragansett Bay and bordering vpon 

the coast of the tracts aforesaid (Fisher's Island only excepted), * * *.

This charter was in force until 1843, when the constitution adopted 

in 1842 became effective.

For a history of the northern and eastern boundaries, see Massachusetts, pages 99-100.

In 1703 substantially the present western boundary was adopted by 

an agreement made between the commissioners from the two colonies 

of Khode Island and Connecticut, namely, "A straight line from the 

mouth of Ashawoga Kiver to the southwest corner of the Warwick 

purchase, and thence a straight north line to Massachusetts." This 

line was actually run by Rhode Island and is still known as the Dexter and Hopkins line, but Connecticut would not accept the line as thus 

marked. Rhode Island appealed to the King, and the agreement of 

1703 was confirmed in 1726. In September 1728, commissioners from 

the two colonies met and ran the line.76

In 1839 commissioners were appointed by Rhode Island and Connecticut to survey the line and erect monuments. The following described line [Rhode Island Acts and Resolves, January, 1846, p. 12, 

13,14] was established:

Beginning at a rock near the mouth of Ashawoga River, where it empties into 

Pawcatuck River, and from said rock a straight course northerly to an ancient 

stone heap at the southeast corner of the town of Voluntown, and from said rock 

southerly in the same course with the aforesaid line, until it strikes Pawcatuck 

River. From the southeast corner of Voluntown a straight line to a stone heap 

at the southwest corner of West Greenwich; from thence a straight line to the 

southwest corner of the ancient town of Warwick, and which is now a corner of 

the towns of Coventry and West Greenwich; from thence a straight line to the 

northwest corner of the town of Coventry; thence a straight line to the northeast 

corner of Sterling; thence a straight line to the southwest corner of Burrillville,

76 For agreements of 1703 and 1728 and decisions of English council, see Rhode Island 

Hist. Soc. (1835, v. 3, p. 204-213).
108 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

and thence a straight line to a stone heap upon a hill in the present jurisdictional 

line between the States of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and at all of said 

corners, excepting said Warwick corner, we have erected monuments of stone, 

marked R. I. and C., and have also placed similar monuments on all the principal 

roads crossing the line, and at other suitable places.

******* 

And we have caused the ancient monument which was erected at the Warwick 

corner in November, 1742, to be reset and a large heap of stones to be made around 

it. Said monument is marked with the letter C. on one side, and on the other 

RHODE ISLAND and the traces of other letters and figures, * * * [Rhode 

Island Acts and Resolves, January, 1846, p. 12, 13, 14].

The work of these commissioners was ratified in 1846.

CONNECTICUT «

In 1630 the Plymouth Council made a grant of Connecticut to Robert, Earl of Warwick, its president.78 This grant was confirmed by 

King Charles in 1631, and on March 19 of that year the earl conveyed 

his title to Lord Say and Seal, Lord Brooke, Sir Richard Saltonstall, 

and others, associated under the name of The Plymouth Company 

(Dwight, 1840, p. 19).

A charter was granted by Charles II to Connecticut in 1662, of which 

the following is an extract (Thorpe, 1909, v. 1, p. 535) :

We, * * * do give, grant and confirm unto the said Governor and Company, 

and their Successors, all that Part of Our Dominions in New England in America, 

bounded on the east by 'Narraganset River, commonly called Narrayanset Bay, 

where the said River falleth into the sea; and on the North by the Line of the 

Massachusetts plantation; and on the South by the Sea; and in Longitude as the 

Line of the Massachusetts Colony, running from East to West, that is to say, 

from the said Narraganset Bay, on the East, to the South Sea on the West part, 

with the Islands thereunto adjoining.

Prior to this time the two colonies of Connecticut and New Haven 

had continued separate, but they were united under this charter, which 

was accepted by them April 20, 1665 (Thorpe, 1909, p. 529). The 

Duke of York having been granted a charter in 1664, by which the lands 

west of the Connecticut River were embraced in his jurisdiction, the 

question of boundary immediately arose. About this time Col. Richard Nichols, George Cartwright, Sir Robert Carr, and Samuel Maverick had been appointed commissioners by the King and clothed with 

extraordinary powers to determine all controversies in the colonies. 

The matter was referred to them, and, after a full hearing, they determined that the southern boundary of Connecticut was the sea (Long 

Island Sound) and its western boundary the Mamaroneck River and

77 For an excellent historical description of the boundaries of Connecticut, see Bowen 

(1882).

'8 For a historical description of this and other royal grants of the Connecticut area 

and of lands now in Pennsylvania and Ohio formerly claimed by Connecticut, see Western 

Reserve Univ. (1923, p. 37-57).
109

a line drawn north-northwest from the head of salt water in that stream 

to Massachusetts. The territory south and west of these line was declared to belong to the Duke of York. It was supposed that this west 

boundary would run about 20 miles east of the Hudson Eiver, but it 

was discovered later by surveyors from Connecticut that it actually 

intersected the Hudson near the present site of Tarrytown.

In 1674 the Duke of York received a new charter in substantially 

the same terms as that of 1664. New controversies concerning jurisdiction led to a new agreement, dated November 28, 1683, between 

the governors of New York and Connecticut, which fixed the boundary 

substantially as it now exists between the two States and was sanctioned 

by the King. This agreement is as follows: 79

It is agreed that the bounds meares or dividend between his Roy*11 High88 

Territory in America and the Colony of Connecticut forever hereafter shall 

begin att a certain Brook or River Called Byram Brooke or River which River is 

between the Towns of Rye & Greenwich that is to say att the mouth of the 

said Brooke where it falleth into the Sound at a Point Called Lyon's Point 

which is the Eastward Point of Byram River, and from the said Point to goe 

as the said River Runeth, to the place where the Common Road or Wading 

place over the said River is and from the said Road or Wading place to goe 

North North west into the Country soe farr as will be Eight English miles 

from the aforesaid Lyons Point, and that a Line of twelve Miles being measured 

from the said Lyons Point According to the Line or Generall Course of the 

Sound Eastward where the said twelve miles Endeth Another line shall be Runn 

from the Sound Eight miles into the Country North North West and alsoe 

that a fourth line be Runn that is to say from the North most end of the line 

first menconed unto the Northmost end of the Eight mile line toeing the third 

menconed line wMch fowrth line with the first menconed Line shall be the 

bounds where they shall fall to runn. And that from the Eastward End of the 

fowrth menconed Line (which is to be twelve miles in Length) A Line Paralell to Hudson's River in every place twenty miles distant from Hudson's 

River shall be the bounds there between the said Territory or Province of New 

Yorke, and the said Collony of Connecticutt soe farr as Connecticutt Doth 

Extend Northwards that is to the South line of the Massachusetts Collony.

 Only it is Provided that in Case the Line from Byrams Brooke Mouth North 

North West Eight Miles and the line that is thence to runn twelve miles to the 

end of the third foremenconed line of Eight Miles Doe Diminish or take away 

any Land within twenty miles of Hudsons River that then soe much as is in 

Land Diminished of twenty miles from Hudsons River thereby shall 'be added 

out of Connecticutt bounds unto the Line aforemenconed & Paralell to Hudsons 

River and Twenty miles Distant from it the addition to be made the whole 

Length of the said Paralell line and in such breadth as will make up Quantity 

for Quantity what shall be diminished as aforesaid.

A survey of the southwestern part of the boundary was made in 

1684 and ratified by both parties. It was then decided that in accord78 Report of the commissioners appointed in 1856 to ascertain the boundary between the 

States of New York and Connecticut, transmitted to the Legislature of New York Apr. 10, 

1857, Albany ; includes map and historical data.
110 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

ance with the agreement a tract of land estimated at 61,440 acres 

should be permanently released to Connecticut by New York, in exchange for which New York should receive an equivalent area in a 

tract of uniform width between the Sound tract and the south line 

of Massachusetts, but for various reasons the survey of the equivalent 

lands was not made at that time.

This settlement of the boundary dispute was not satisfactory to 

the settlers in the tract added to New York who for the next 40 

years endeavored to have the line moved west. Four sets of commissioners appointed successively for this purpose were unable to 

come to an agreement. A fifth set, appointed in 1725, entered into 

articles of agreement settling the manner of the survey, but they ran 

only the line bounding the tract on Long Island Sound. For some 

cause, action was then suspended until 1731, when the commissioners 

of 1725 surveyed and set off the oblong or equivalent territory given 

to New York, defining and marking its boundary, which was to remain 

forever the dividing line between the respective colonies. The line 

ran substantially as at present (New York Stat., 1829, p. 61-65; New 

York Rev. Stat., 1882, v. 1, p. 127-128) and is as follows:

Beginning at Lyon's Point, in the mouth of a brook or river called Byram 

river, where it falls into Long Island sound, and running thence up along said 

river to a rock at the ancient road or wading place in said river, which rock 

bears north 12°45' east, 550 rods from said point; then north 23°45' west, 

2292 rods; then east-north-east, 13 miles and 64 rods, which lines were established in the year 1725, by Francis Harrison, Cadwallader Golden, and Isaac 

Hicks, commissioners on the part of the then province of New York, and Jonathan 

Law, Samuel Eells, Roger Wolcott, John Copp, and Edmund Lewis, commissioners 

on the part of the then colony of Connecticut, and were run as the magnetic 

needle then pointed: then along an east-north-east continuation of the lastmentioned course, 1§4 miles, and 21 rods to a monument erected in the year 

1731 by Cadwallader Golden, Gilbert Willett, Vincent Matthews, and Jacobus 

Bruyn, junior, commissioners on. the part of said province, and Samuel Eells, 

Roger Wolcott, and Edmund Lewis, commissioners on the part of said colony; 

which said monument is at the southeast corner of a tract known and distinguished as the oblong or equivalent lands; then north 24°30' west, until intersected by a line run by said last-mentioned commissioners, on a course south 

12°30' west, from a monument erected by them in the south bounds of Massachusetts, which monument stands in a valley in the Taghkanick mountains, 121 

rods eastward from a heap of stones, in said bounds on the top or ridge of the 

most westerly of said mountains; then north 12°30' east, from a monument 

erected by said last-mentioned commissioners at said place of intersection, and 

standing on the north side of a hill, southeasterly from the easternmost end 

of the long pond, along the aforesaid line to the aforesaid monument erected 

in the south bounds of Massachusetts, being the northeast corner of the 

oblong; * * *.

For more than a century no further controversy arose, but after 

1850 questions of jurisdiction were raised, and in 1855 Connecticut
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES CONNECTICUT 111

made a proposition for a new survey. Several sets of commissioners 

were appointed (see footnote 79); but no agreement being reached, 

finally, in 1860, pursuant to an act of the Legislature of New York, the 

line was run by the New York commissioners, Connecticut not being 

represented. 

The first section of the act of the New York Legislature is as follows:

1. The commissioners appointed by the governor to ascertain the boundary 

line between the States of New York and Connecticut are hereby empowered and 

directed to survey and mark, with suitable monuments, the said line between 

the two States as fixed by the survey of 1731.80

Twenty years later other commissioners representing the two States 

agreed to accept the survey of 1860, and their report (New York Rev. 

Stat., 1882, v. 1, p. 136), which was ratified the same year, was as 

follows:

We agree that the boundary on the land constituting the western boundary of 

Connecticut and the eastern boundary of New York shall be and is as the same 

was defined by monuments erected by commissioners appointed by the State of 

New York, and completed in the year 1860, the said boundary line extending 

from Byram Point, formerly called Lyon's Point, on the south, to the line of 

the State of Massachusetts on the north. And we further agree that the boundary 

on the sound shall be and is as follows: Beginning at a point in the center of 

the channel, about 600 feet south of the extreme rocks of Byram Point, marked 

No. 0, on appended United States coast survey chart; thence running in a true 

southeast course 3% statute miles; thence in a straight line (the arc of a great 

circle) northeasterly (82.27 miles) to a point 4 statute miles due south of New 

London light-house; thence northeasterly to a point marked number one, on 

the annexed United States coast survey chart of Fisher's island sound, which 

point is on the longitude east three-quarters north, sailing course down on said 

map, and is about 1,000 feet northerly from the Hammock or North Dumpling 

lighthouse; thence following said east three-fourths north sailing course as 

laid down on said map easterly to a point marked number two on said map; 

thence southeasterly to a point marked No. 3 on said map; so far as said States 

are coterminous.

This agreement was confirmed by the Congress of the United States 

February 26,1881 (21 Stat. L. 351).

The line of 1860 was so poorly marked that the Legislature of New 

York in 1887 and the Legislature of Connecticut in 1902 ordered a 

resurvey, which was made in 1909-10. In that survey the line of 1860 

was followed as closely as possible. Where old boundary stones of 

suitable size were found, they were reset in concrete bases, and about 

100 new ones were added, made of cut granite 12 by 12 inches by 9 or 10 

feet, set in concrete bases 4 by 4 feet in section and 5 or 6 feet deep. 

(See p. 13.) This survey was approved by the State legislatures in

80 See report (Feb. 8, 1861) of the commissioners appointed to ascertain the boundary 

between the States of New York and Connecticut, in which will be found a complete account of this controversy.
112 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

1913 and formally ratified by congressional act of January 10, 1925 

(43 Stat. L. 731) in which the description of the boundary is given 

including distances and bearings of the lines through Long Island 

Sound.

For the history and present location of the eastern boundary of Connecticut, see Massachusetts, page 103, and Rhode Island, page 107. 

For the northern boundary, see Massachusetts, page 102.

Under the charter of 1662 Connecticut claimed a large western 

territory. Subsequent to the Revolution, however, in 1786, 1792,1795, 

and 1800, she relinquished all title to any land west of her present 

boundary. (See p. 72-73.)

NEW YORK 81

The territory included in the present State of New York is part 

of that claimed by both France and England by right of discovery. It 

was included in the territory of Acadia, for which a charter was given 

by Henry IV of France in 1603, and was included also within the 

limits of the Virginia colony, chartered by James I of England in 1606, 

which embraced all that part of America between 34° and 45° north 

latitude. Much of the territory west of the Hudson River was held 

by the French and Indians and was a source of dispute for many years. 

The Indian treaty of 1684 gave England nominal control, but the 

French were not finally dispossessed of their claim until nearly a 

hundred years later. The Dutch in 1613 established trading posts on 

the Hudson and claimed jurisdiction over the territory between the 

Connecticut and Delaware Rivers, which they called New Netherlands. 

The government was vested in the United New Netherland Co., chartered in 1616, and later in the Dutch West India Co., chartered in 1621.

In 1664 King Charles II of England granted to his brother, the 

Duke of York, a large territory in America, which included, with 

other lands, all that tract lying between the west side of the Connecticut 

River and the east side of the Delaware. The Duke of York had previously purchased, in 1663, the territory on the New England coast 

which had been awarded to the Earl of Stirling, and in 1664, with an 

armed fleet, he took possession of New Amsterdam, which was thenceforth called New York. This conquest was confirmed by the treaty of

Breda in 1667.

The following is an extract from the grant of 1664 to the Duke of 

York (Thorpe, 1909, v. 3, p. 1637):

81 The boundaries of New York are described In considerable detail in Report of the 

Regents of the University on the Boundaries of the State of New York: [State], S. Doc. 

108, 1874, v. 1, 350 p.; 1884, v. 2, 867 p. Volume 2 Includes an Index for both volumes 

and contains copies from unpublished manuscript relating to the boundaries and a vast 

amount of historical matter, copies of royal grants, copies from field notes, and reports 

of surveys.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NEW YORK 113

We have given James Duke of York all that part of the maine land of New 

England beginning at a certaine place called or knowne by the name of St. 

Croix next adjoyning to New Scotland in America and from thence extending 

along the sea coast unto a certain place called Petuaquine or Pemaquid and 

so up the River thereof to the furthest head of ye same as it tendeth northwards and extending from thence to the River Kinebequi and so upwards by the 

shortest course to the River Canada northward and also all that Island or 

Islands commonly called by the severall name or names of Mattowacks or Long 

Island scituate lying and being towards the west of Cape Codd and ye narrow 

Higansetts abutting upon the maine land between the two Rivers there called 

or knowne by the severall names of Connecticut and Hudsons River together 

also with the said river called Hudsons River and all the land from the west 

side of Connecticutt to ye east side of Delaware Bay and also all those severall 

Islands called, or knowne by the names of Martin's Vineyard and Nantukes 

otherwise Nantuckett.

The Dutch recaptured New York in July 1673 and held it until it 

was restored to the English by the treaty of Westminster, in February 

1674. The Duke of York thereupon, to perfect his title, obtained a 

new grant in substantially the same terms as that of 1664, of which the 

the following is an extract (New York [State] Univ., 1874, v. 1, p. 10) :

All that part of the Mayne land of New England, begining att a certaine Place 

called or knowne by the name of St. Oroix next adjoining to New Scotland in 

America; and from thence extending along the Sea-Coast into a certaine place 

called Petuaquine or Pemaquid, and soe upp the River thereof to the furthest 

head of the same as itt tendeth Northwards and extending from the River of 

Kinebeque and so upwards by the shortest Course to the River Canada Northwards; And alsoe all that Island or Islands commonly called by the severall 

name or names of Matowacks or Long Island, Scituate lyeing and being towards 

the West of Cape Codd, and the Narro Higansetts, abutting upon the Mayne 

land between the two Rivers there called or knowne by the severall names of 

Conectecutte and Hudsons River, Together alsoe with the said River called 

Hudsons River, and all the Land from the west side of Conectecutte River to 

the East side of De la Ware Bay; and also those severall Islands, called or 

knowne by the names of Martin-Vinyards and Nantukes, otherwise Nantuckett.

By these grants to the Duke of York and the conquest of the Dutch 

possessions in America, it can be seen that New York originally had 

a claim to a much larger territory than is now included in its limits. 

The successive changes in area may be sketched as follows:

In 1664 the Duke of York sold the present State of New Jersey to 

Lord Jolin Berkeley and Sir George Carteret.

In 1682 the Duke of York sold to William Penn his title to Delaware and the country on the west bank of the Delaware, which had 

been orginially settled by the Swedes but had been conquered by the 

Dutch and by them surrendered to the Duke of York.

In 1686 Pemaquid and its dependencies were annexed to the New 

England government by a royal order of the former Duke of York, 

who had succeeded to the throne of England.
114 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

By the charter of 1691 to Massachusetts Bay, all claim to any part 

of Maine was extinguished, and the islands of Nantucket, Martha's 

Vineyard, and others adjacent (previously known as Duke's County, 

N.Y.) were annexed to Massachusetts B>ay.

The territory west of the Connecticut River to a line within about 

20 miles of Hudson River, now forming parts of Massachusetts and 

Connecticut, was, by agreements and concessions made at different 

times, surrendered to those colonies, respectively.

New York by the cession of 1781 to the United States relinquished 

all its claim to land west of the meridian through the west extremity 

of Lake Ontario between the north boundary of Pennsylvania and the 

45th parallel, and the peace treaty of 1783 cut off the rest of the area 

claimed by it west of its present limits. (See fig. 11.)

FIGURE 11. Historical diagram of New York.

Massachusetts prior to 1786 claimed under its charters title to the 

soil, but not to the sovereignty, of a large area west of the Hudson 

River that was also claimed by New York 5 but by agreement of commissioners representing the two colonies, signed December 16, 1786,
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NEW YORK 115

Massachusetts released to New York all land east of a meridian commencing on the Pennsylvania line 82 miles west of the Delaware River 

and extending northward to Lake Ontario, except an area of 3,600 

square miles east of that line to be selected by Massachusetts between 

the rivers "Owega and Chenengo" (New York [State] Univ., 1874, 

v.l, p. 219-220).

The next reduction in area was in 1791, when the consent of New 

York to the independence of Vermont was made effective by Congress. This left New York with substantially its present boundaries, 

the distances along which are as follows: (see New York State Engineer and Surveyor, 1911, p. 30).

The total length of the State boundary is 1,430 miles Canadian 

line, 445 miles; Vermont line, 171 miles; Massachusetts line, 50% 

miles; Connecticut line to Long Island Sound, 81 miles; along the 

ocean around Long Island to the New Jersey shore, 246 miles; New 

Jersey line, 92% miles; Pennsylvania line, 344 miles to the beginning 

of the Canadian line in the middle of Lake Erie. The boundaries are 

fixed by accepted agreements and are marked by natural watercourses 

or by monuments.

For the history and settlement of the eastern boundary of New 

York, see Vermont, pages 91-94; Massachusetts, pages 104-105; and 

Connecticut, pages 108-110.

A bill passed by the Legislature of New York, approved March 29, 

1922, provided for the resurvey of a part of the State boundary said 

to be in dispute, extending from the northwest corner of Connecticut 

about 12 miles southward.

The northern boundary was fixed by the treaty of peace in 1783 

and by the commission under the sixth article of the treaty of Ghent. 

(See p. 17.) The 45th-parallel part of the boundary is an extension 

of the Valentine and Collins line of 1772 (p. 93) from the middle of 

Lake Champlain to the St. Lawrence. From Lake Champlaui westward the survey was commenced by Collins and Sauthier in 1773 and 

completed by Collins the following year (Mayo, 1923, p. 255-265). 

The boundary as thus marked is far from being a straight line (fig. 

11). It is in places half a mile north of the 45th parallel, and that 

parallel is crossed by it in two places west of Rouses Point; but it 

was finally accepted and confirmed by the treaty of 1842 as part of 

the north boundary of the United States. (See p. 30 for reference 

to the St. Lawrence and lake parts of the boundary.)

The boundary between New York and New Jersey was plainly 

stated in the grant by the Duke of York to Berkeley and Carteret. 

(See p. 121.) In 1719 attempts were made to have the line run and 

marked, but nothing seems to have been done till 1769, when the King 

appointed commissioners, who fixed on substantially the present line.
116 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

In 1772 this line was accepted by both colonies, and in 1773 it was 

confirmed by the King in council. Commissioners were appointed 

to survey and mark the line, which was described as follows (New 

Jersey Stat., 1821, p. 29-34) :

A direct and straight line from the fork or branch formed by the junction of 

the stream or waters called the Machackamack with the river Delaware or 

Fishkill, in the latitude of 41°21'37", to a rock on the west side of the Hudson 

River, marked by the said surveyors, in the latitude of 41° said rock was ordered 

to be marked with the following words and figures, viz: "Latitude 41° north;" 

and on the south side thereof, "New Jersey;" and on the north side thereof, 

"New York;" also to mark every tree that stood on the line with five notches and 

a blaze on the northwest and southeast sides thereof, and to put up stone monuments, at 1 mile distance from each other, along the said line, and to number 

such monuments with the number of miles; the same shall be from the beforementioned marked rock on the west side of Hudson's River, and mark the words 

"New Jersey" on the south side and the words "New York" on the north side of 

every of the said monuments.

In 1833 commissioners were appointed by New York and New Jersey 

for the settlement of the territorial limits and jurisdiction of the two 

States. The commissioners reached an agreement, which was ratified 

in 1834 by each State and was confirmed by Congress by an act 

approved June 28, 1834, (4 Stat. L. 708; New York Rev. Stat., 1882, 

v. 1), providing as follows:

ARTICLE FIBST. The 'boundary line between the two states of New York and 

New Jersey, from a point in the middle of Hudson river, opposite the point on 

the west shore thereof, in the forty-first degree of north latitude, as heretofore 

ascertained and marked, to the main sea, shall be the middle of the said river, 

of the Bay of New York, of the waters between Staten Island and New Jersey, 

and of Raritan Bay, to the main sea; except as hereinafter otherwise particularly 

mentioned.

ARTICLE SECOND. The state of New York shall retain its present jurisdiction 

of and over Bedloe's and Ellis's islands; and shall also retain exclusive jurisdiction of and over the other islands lying in the waters above mentioned and 

now under the jurisdiction of that state.

ARTICLE THIRD. The state of New York shall have and enjoy exclusive jurisdiction of and over all the waters of the bay of New York; and of and over 

all the waters of Hudson river lying west of Manhattan Island and to the 

south of the mouth of Spuytenduyvel creek; and of and over the lands covered

by the said waters to the low water mark on the westerly or New Jersey side

thereof; subject to the following rights of property and of jurisdiction of the

state of New Jersey; that is to say:

1. The state of New Jersey shall have the exclusive right of property in and 

to the land under water lying west of the middle of the bay of New York, and 

west of the middle of that part of the Hudson river which lies between Manhattan 

island and New Jersey. [248 U.S. 328.]

2. The state of New Jersey shall have the exclusive jurisdiction of and over 

the wharves, docks, and improvements, made and to be made on the shore of

the said state; and of and over all vessels aground on said shore, or fastened 

to any such wharf or dock, except that the said vessels shall be subject to the
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NEW YORK 117

quarantine or health laws and laws in relation to passengers, of the state of 

New York, which now exist or which may hereafter be passed.

3. The state of New Jersey shall have the exclusive right of regulating the 

fisheries on the westerly side of the middle of said waters, Provided, That the 

navigation be not obstructed or hindered.

ARTICLE FOURTH. The state of New York shall have exclusive jurisdiction of 

and over the waters of the Kill Van Kull between Staten Island and New 

Jersey to the westernmost end of Shooter's Island in respect to such quarantine 

laws, and laws relating to passengers as now exist or may hereafter be passed 

under the authority of that state, and for executing the same; and the said 

state shall also have exclusive jurisdiction for the like purposes of and over the 

waters of the sound from the westernmost end of Shooter's Island to Woodbridge 

creek as to all vessels bound to any port in the said state of New York.

ARTICLE FIFTH. The state of New Jersey shall have and enjoy exclusive jurisdiction of and over all the waters of the sound between Staten Island and New 

Jersey lying south of Woodbridge creek, and of and over all the waters of 

Raritan Bay lying westward of a line drawn from the light-house at Prince's 

bay to the mouth of Mattavan creek; subject to the following rights of property 

and of jurisdiction of the state of New York; that is to say:

1. The state of New York shall have the exclusive right of property in and 

to the land under water lying between the middle of the said waters and Staten 

Island.

2. The state of New York shall have the exclusive jurisdiction of and over 

the wharves, docks, and improvements made and to be made on the shore of 

Staten Island, and of and over all vessels aground on said shore or fastened 

to any such wharf or dock; except that the said vessels shall be subject to the 

quarantine or health laws and laws in relation to passengers of the state of New 

Jersey which now exist or which may hereafter be passed.

3. The state of New York shall have the exclusive right of regulating the 

fisheries between the shore of Staten Island and the middle of said waters: 

Provided, That the navigation of the said waters be not obstructed or hindered.

Bedloes Island and Ellis Island, although on the New Jersey side 

of the boundary, are- under the jurisdiction of the State of New York 

and are a part of Greater New York City.82

In 1876 commissioners were appointed to relocate the land boundary between New York and New Jersey and either to replace monuments that had become dilapidated or destroyed or to erect new ones. 

The commissioners found slight discrepancies between some of the 

original marks and the published descriptions thereof, and the legislature of each State ordered that the original monuments should be 

considered the true boundary. (See New York S. Doc. 17 of 1875 

and New York S. Doc. 20 of 1882.)

In 1874 the New Jersey Geological Survey retraced the land boundary between New Jersey and New York. The report by the State 

geologist, published at New Brunswick in 1874, contains a plat showing the divergence between the line as run and marked in 1774 by

83 See New York State Laws of 1909, chap. 59, sec. 7 and Greater New York charter, 

1897, chap. 1, sec. 2.
118 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

compass and the true arc of a great circle between the two terminals. 

The greatest divergence is at Greenwood Lake (mile 26 from the Hudson River) and is 2,415 feet. Throughout its length the accepted 

boundary is south of the straight line and thus gives to New York 

about 10 square miles of territory that was originally intended to be 

a part of New Jersey.

After this survey New Jersey proposed that New York should consent to a relocation of the boundary on the arc of a circle, but New 

York failed to concur. Later the two States accepted the line as 

marked in 1774 as a valid boundary and appointed commissioners, who 

re-marked the entire line in 1882 with granite monuments placed at 

each highway and railroad crossing and at the end of each mile, 

measured from the bank of the Hudson (Laws of New York for 1880 

and Laws of New Jersey for 1881).

In 1887 a joint commission of the two States was appointed to determine and mark the boundary through Raritan Bay. This commission came to an agreement, the terms of which are as follows:

First. From "Great Beds light-house," in Raritan bay, north, twenty degrees 

sixteen minutes west, true, to a point in the middle of the waters of Arthur Kill, 

or Staten Island Sound, equidistant between the southwesterly corner of the 

dwelling house of David G. Butler, at Ward's Point, on Staten Island, in the 

State of New York, at the southeasterly corner of the brick building on the lands 

of Gortlandt L. Parker, at the intersection of the westerly line of Water street 

with the northerly line of Lewis street, in Perth Amboy, in the State of New 

Jersey.

Second. From "Great Beds light-house," south, sixty-four "degrees and twentyone minutes east, true (S. 64°21' E.), in line with the center of Waackaack or 

Wilson's beacon, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, to a point at the intersection 

of said line with a line connecting "Morgan No. 2" triangulation point, U.S. 

Coast and Geodetic Survey, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, with the "Granite 

and Iron beacon," marked on the accompanying maps as "Homer stone beacon," 

situated on the "Dry Romer shoal;" and thence on a line bearing north, seventyseven degrees and nine minutes east, true (N. 77° 9' E.), connecting "Morgan 

No. 2" triangulation point, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, in Middlesex County, 

New Jersey, with said "Romer stone beacon" (the line passing through said 

beacon and continuing in the same direction), to a point at its intersection with 

a line drawn between the "Hook beacon," on Sandy Hook, New Jersey, and the 

triangulation point of the U.S. Geodetic Survey, known as the Oriental Hotel, 

on Coney Island, New York; then southeasterly, at right angles with the lastmentioned line to the main sea.

Third. The monumental marks by which said boundary line shall be hereafter

known and recognized are hereby declared to be as follows :

1. The "Great Beds light-house."

2. A permanent monument marked "State boundary line New York and New 

Jersey," and to be placed at the intersection of the line drawn from the "Great 

Beds light-house" to "Waackaack or Wilson's beacon," Monmouth County, New 

Jersey, and the line drawn from "Morgan No. 2" triangulation point, U.S. Coast 

and Geodetic Survey, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, to "Romer stone beacon."
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NEW YORK 119

3. Eight buoys or spindles, to be marked like the permanent monument above 

mentioned, and placed at suitable intervening points along the line from the 

said permanent monument to the "Romer stone beacon."

4. The "Romer stone beacon."

In 1774 commissions were appointed by New York and Pennsylvania 

to fix the "beginning of the 43d degree" of north latitude (the 42d 

parellel) on the Mohawk or western branch of the Delaware River, 

which is the northeast corner of Pennsylvania, and to proceed westward and fix the line between Pennsylvania and New York. These 

commissioners reported in December of the same year that they had 

fixed the northeast corner of Pennsylvania and marked it as follows 

(Pennsylvania Dept. Internal Affairs, 1887, p. 495) :

* * * in a small Island marked B in the Draught planted a Stone with the Letters 

NEW-YORK, 1774 Cut on one side and on the Top LAT. 42° VAR 4°20'. Thence 

due West on the West side of Delaware River, We collected a Heap of Stones at 

High Water mark and in the said West line 4 Perches distant, planted another 

Stone as at C with the Letters PENNSYLVANIA 1774 Cut on the South side 

and on Top Lat 42° Var. 4°20' and from thence due West 18 P. marked an Ash 

Tree. But the rigour of the Season prevented us from proceeding further.

Nothing further seems to have been done until 1786-87, when commissioners were appointed to finish the work thus begun, and the lines 

were run and monuments erected. The line was ratified by Pennsylvania in 1789, but no action was taken by the New York Legislature 

until the adoption of the revised statutes in 1829. The line is described 

as follows (Pennsylvania Stat. L., 1908, v. 13, p 378-379, Harrisburg, 

Mitchell & Flanders; New York Rev. Stat., 1882, v. 1, p. 130, Albany, 

Banks & Bros.) :

A meridian line drawn through the most westerly bent or inclination of Lake 

Ontario; then 'south along said meridian line to 'a monument in the 'beginning 

of the forty-third degree of north latitude [on the forty-second "parallel], 

erected in the year 1787, by Abraham Hardenburgh and William W. Morris, 

commissioners on the part of -this state, and Andrew Ellicott and Andrew 

Porter, commissioners on the part of the state of Pennsylvania, for the purpose of marking the termination of the line of jurisdiction between this state 

and the said state of Pennsylvania; then east along the line established and 

marked by sard last mentioned commissioners to the ninetieth milestone in 

the same parallel of latitude, erected in the year 1786, by James Clinton and 

Simon DeWitit, commissioners on the part of this State, and Andrew Ellicott, 

commissioner on the part of Pennsylvania; which said ninetieth milestone 

stands on the western side of the south branch of the Tioga River; then east 

along the line established and marked by said last-mentioned commissioners, 

to a stone erected in the year 1774, on a small island in the Delaware river, 

by Samuel Holland and David Rittenhouse, commissioners on the part of the 

colonies of New York and Pennsylvania, for the purpose of marking the beginning of the forty-third degree of north latitude; then down along said Delaware river to a point opposite to the fork or branch formed by the junction 

of the stream called Mahackamack wi'th the said Delaware river, in the latitude

776-664 O-66 9
120 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

of 41°21'37" north; then in a straight line to the termination, on the east 

bank of the Delaware river of a line run in the year 1774, by William Wickham 

and Samuel Gale, commissioners on the part of the then colony of New York, 

and John Stevens and Walter Rutherford, commissioners on the part of the then 

colony of New Jersey.

The meridian line forming part of the west boundary of New York 

was surveyed and marked in 1790 'by Andrew Ellicott: In order 

to fix the initial point for this line, Ellicott ran a traverse line from 

the west end of Lake Ontario along the lake shore to the Niagara 

River, up and across that river, thence southwest along the south 

shore of Lake Erie to the computed longitude of the starting point. 

The notes of this survey have been lost. (New York [State] Univ., 

1874, v. 1, p. 324.) The total length of the meridian line from a stone 

post set on the shore of Lake Erie to the Pennsylvania north line was 

later found to be 98,525 feet. In 1869 a large granite monument was 

set at a point 440 feet south of the lake-shore mark. (See fig. 26*.)

Positions on 1927 N.A.D. for some of these monuments are given 

below. They fall south of the parallel of 42 ° latitude.

The initial monument, of granite, is 600 feet west of the center of 

the Delaware River, lat 41°59'58.26" N., long 75°21/43.07/ ' W.

Boundary mark 6: 41°59'56.95/ ', 75°28'39.79/ '.

Boundary mark 54: 41°59'54.72".

Monument 221, 3.8 miles east of the southwest corner of New York, 

lat 41°59'55.90" N., long 79°41'12.84" W.

The New York-Pennsylvania boundary line was resurveyed in 

whole or in part in 1877-1879; between 1881 and 1885 all missing 

marks were replaced with granite posts. There are now 519 stone 

monuments on the 42d-parallel line, 224 of which are milestones. 

There are 18 milestones and 32 other marks on the meridian boundary. The marks between milestones on these lines are mostly at 

county corners and highway crossings.83 These boundaries as now 

located were confirmed by congressional act of August 19, 1890,84 

which contains a brief history of the lines.

In order that the transportation and terminal facilities in the area 

including New York City and the adjacent part of New Jersey might 

be systematically developed, the legislatures of the two States in 1921 

created a Port of New York District, within which three commissioners from each State should constitute a Port of New York Author83 For a description of each mark, see Pennsylvania Dept. Internal Affairs (1893, p. 

49A-134A).

84 26 Stat. L. 329. For references to Pennsylvania-New York boundary surveys and 

marks, see Cary and Riorden, Laws of Pennsylvania, v. 3, p. 392, and Reports of the 

Regents of the University of the State of New York: New York S. Doc. 108 for 1873 

(pub. in 1874), Assembly Doc. 91 for 1879, Assembly Doc. 49 for 1870, Assembly Doc. 100

for 1880, S. Doc. 20 for 1882, S. Doc. 71 for 1886; 26 Stat. L. 333. The southwest corner 

of New York is described in New York S. Doc. 71, 1886, p. 258.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NEW JERSEY 121

ity for the preparation of plans for tunnels, bridges, and railways, 

which, when approved by the States, should be constructed under 

their supervision. This compact by the States was approved by 

Congress August 23, 1921 (42 Stat. 174), and the general plans prepared by the commissioners were approved by the State legislature 

and Congress in 1922 (42 Stat. 822). The Port of New York District is irregular in outline. It includes near its borders parts or all 

of Paterson, Summit, Plainfield, New Brunswick, and Sandy Hook, 

N.J., and Rockaway Beach, Jamaica, Rye, and White Plains, N.Y., 

and covers a total area of about 1,540 square miles.

NEW JERSEY

Although the original grant of 1606 from the English sovereign 

covered the territory forming the present State of New Jersey, the 

first grant that directly related to New Jersey was that given in 1664 

to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, by the Duke of 

York, two months before the setting out of his expedition to take 

possession of New York. The following extract from that grant 

defines the boundaries (Thorpe, 1909, v. 5, p. 2534) :

* * * all that tract of land adjacent to New England, and lying and being to the 

westward of Long Island and Manhitas Island, and bounded on the east part by 

the main sea and part by Hudson's river, and hath upon the west Delaware bay 

or river, and extended southward to the main ocean as far as Cape May, at the 

mouth of the Delaware bay, and to the northward as far as the northermost 

branch of the said bay or river of Delaware, which is forty-one degrees and 

forty minutes of latitude,86 and crosseth over thence in a straight line to Hudson's river, in forty-one degree of latitude; which said tract of land is hereafter 

to be called by the name or names of New Caeserea or New Jersey.

In March, 1673, Lord Berkeley sold his undivided moiety of New 

Jersey to John Fen wick, by whom, in the following year, it was again 

sold. On July 1,1676, was executed the famous "Quintipartite deed" 

by which the eastern part was given to Sir George Carteret, to be 

called east New Jersey, and the western part to William Penn and 11 

other proprietors, to be called west New Jersey. The dividing line 

between the two parts as described in the act of March 27, 1719, was 

a straight line from the northwest corner of the province, on the 

Delaware River, to the most southerly point of an "island of sand

* * * known by the name of Little Egg Harbour."

Sir George Carteret, at his death in 1678, left his land to be sold. 

It was sold in 1682 to the 12 proprietors of west New Jersey, who 

admitted other partners. Confirmation grants were made to the proprietors of both provinces by the Duke of York and confirmed by the 

King, but between 1697 and 1701 the proprietors repeatedly made

85 This point, now called the Tri-State Rock, has since been found to be at lat 41°21'22.6" 

N. and long 74°41'40.7" W.
122 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

petitions to be allowed to surrender their right of government to the 

Crown. In 1702 the surrender was made and was accepted by Queen 

Anne, and the two parts were united and made the province of New 

Jersey. (Thorpe, 1909, p. 2585.)

For the history of the northern and eastern boundaries, see New 

York, pages 115-119.

The grant from the Duke of York to Berkeley and Carteret defined 

the west boundary of New Jersey to be the Delaware River (see 

above).

The line between New Jersey and Delaware is thus described (Revised Statutes of Delaware, 1874, chap. 1, sec. 2).

Low-water mark on the eastern side of the river Delaware, within the twelvemile circle from New Castle; and the middle of the bay below said circle.

In 1876 the Legislature of New Jersey authorized the governor to 

commence a suit in the Supreme Court of the United States to settle 

the boundary between New Jersey and Delaware. New Jersey 

claimed jurisdiction and title to the middle of the Delaware River 

and Delaware Bay within the 12-mile circle, while Delaware claimed 

the area to the low-water mark on the east shore. The suit commenced 

under this act was "dismissed without prejudice" in April, 1917 (205 

U.S.550).

Meanwhile the questions of jurisdiction and ownership of the tract 

had been under discussion by commissioners representing the two 

States, who in 1905 entered into a compact providing for concurrent 

jurisdiction over the disputed area, but they could not agree on the 

proper location of the boundary line. This compact was ratified by 

the legislatures and approved by Congress by act of January 24, 1907.

Suit was again entered in the Supreme Court at its October term, 

1929, in an attempt to obtain a final settlement of this long-standing 

controversy. New Jersey's bill of complaint and Delaware's answer 

contain considerable historical matter relating to the two States. The 

adverse claims to the area in question were reviewed at great length 

in Senate Executive Document 21, Thirtieth Congress, first session, 

published in 1848. Although the total area involved was only about 

22 square miles, it included valuable oyster beds and was therefore 

of importance to New Jersey. The decision of the Court, handed 

down February 5, 1934, validated the claim of Delaware that the 

boundary is the low-water mark on the eastern shore of the river 

within the 12-mile circle. It further decreed that the boundary is the 

main channel of navigation below the circle. This decree granted

the claim of New Jersey (291 U.S. 361).

Commissioners were appointed by New Jersey and Pennsylvania

to settle the jurisdiction over the Delaware River and the islands 

within it, and their report (Revision of the Statutes of New Jersey, 

1877, p. 1181-1182), ratified in 1783, is in part as follows:
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES PENNSYLVANIA 123

First. It is declared that the river Delaware from the station point or northwest corner of New Jersey, northerly w to the place upon the said river where 

the circurar boundary of the State of Delaware toucheth upon the same, in the 

whole length and breadth thereof, is and shall continue to be and remain a 

common highway, equally free and open for the use, benefit, and advantage of 

the said contracting parties, etc.

Secondly. That each State shall enjoy and exercise a concurrent jurisdiction, 

within and upon the water, and not upon the dry land between the shores of 

said river.

The rule for apportioning the islands was that they should be 

assigned to the State

to which such insulated dry land doth lie nearest, at the time of making and 

executing this agreement; and that all other islands within said river 'between 

the falls of Trenton and the State of Delaware, which are not hereinafter 

particularly enumerated, shall be hereafter deemed and considered as parts 

and parcels of the State, to which such island doth lie nearest at the date 

hereof; * * * islands hereafter formed * * * shall be classed and annexed * * * according to the same principal.

The islands between the falls of Trenton and the Delaware line 

were divided as follows: Biles Island, near Trenton; Windmill 

Island, opposite Philadelphia; League Island, Mud or Fort Island, 

Hog Island, and Little Tinicum Island were assigned to Pennsylvania. 

To New Jersey were given Biddies or Newbolds, Burlington, Pettys, 

Red Bank, Harmanus, Helms, Chester, and Shiverses Islands.

In 1786 other commissioners were appointed by New Jersey and 

Pennsylvania for more accurately determining and describing the 

islands in the Delaware from the northwest corner of New Jersey 

down to the falls of Trenton. Their report was ratified and confirmed by Pennsylvania and New Jersey in 1786. The New Jersey 

act of March 16, 1786 (Laws of New Jersey, ed. of 1821, p. 78-79), 

mentions 75 of the islands by name.

PENNSYLVANIA 87

The Swedish West India Co., chartered by the King of Sweden 

in 1625, established the first permanent settlement on the west bank 

of the Delaware, occupying a part of the territory now in Pennsylvania and Delaware; the Dutch had previously established trading 

posts there, which had been destroyed by the Indians. The Swedes 

acquired, by successive purchases from the Indian chiefs, all the land 

extending from Cape Henlopen to the great falls of the Delaware and 

called it New Sweden. In 1655 this territory was surrendered to the 

Dutch. (Hazard, 1850, p. 185.)

88 This is a mistake. The line runs south.

87 The full legal title for Pennsylvania is "the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
124 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

By the conquest of the New Netherlands, in 1664, the Duke of 

York seems to have claimed successfully the settlements on the west 

bank of the Delaware as part of his dominions.

In 1681 Charles II of England granted to William Penn the Province of Pennsylvania. The following extract from the charter 

defines the boundaries (Thorpe, 1909, v. 5, p. 3036) :

all that Tract or Parte of Land in America, with all the Islands therein conteyned, 

as the same is bounded on the East by Delaware River, from twelve miles distance Northwards of New Castle Towne unto the three and fortieth degree of 

Northerne Latitude, if the said River doeth extende so farre Northwards; But 

if the said River shall not extend soe farre Northward, then by the said River 

soe farr as it doth extend; and1 from the head of the said River the Easterne 

Bounds are to bee determined by a Meridian Line, to bee drawne from the head 

of the said River, unto the said three and fortieth Degree. The said Lands to 

extend westwards five degrees in longitude, to bee computed from the said 

Easterne Bounds; and the said Lands to bee bounded on the North by the 

beginning of the three and fortieth degree of Northern Latitude, and on the 

South by a Circle drawne at twelve miles distance from New Castle Northward 

and Westward unto the beginning of the fortieth degree of Northern Latitude, 

and thence 'by a streight Line Westward to the Limitt of Longitude above 

mentioned.

The following explanation regarding the use of the word "beginning" in connection with degrees of latitude in this grant is given ~by 

Donaldson (1884, p. 46) :

It should be observed that the geographers of that day considered degrees of 

latitude as zones taking designation from their northern parallels; hence the 

north boundary of Pennsylvania, designated as the beginning of the 43d degree, 

is really the 42d parallel. The south boundary, being the beginning of the 40th 

degree, was really the 39th parallel, a construction for which Penn earnestly 

contended in his dispute with Lord Baltimore in relation to the boundary 

between Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Gushing (1920, p. 33) says: "The idea of a parallel of latitude seems 

to be a band about the earth parallel to the Equator and 1° wide, with 

the 'beginning' nearest the Equator."

The grant to William Penn included a large tract of land in the 

northeastern part of the present State of Pennsylvania, generally 

referred to as the Wyoming Valley, which was claimed by Connecticut 

under its charter of 1662. (See fig. 12.) The Indian title to this 

land was transferred to settlers from Connecticut by deed dated

July 11, 1754, wherein the area was thus described (Miner, 1845, 

p. 69; Stone, 1844, app.):

Beginning from the one and fortieth degree of north latitude, at ten miles 

distance east of Susquehanna River, and from thence, with a northerly line 

ten miles east of the river, to the forty-second, or beginning of the forty-third 

degree of north latitude, and to extend west two degrees of longitude, one

hundred and twenty miles, and from thence south to the beginning of the fOFtysecond degree, and from thence east to the aforementioned bounds * * *.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES PENNSYLVANIA 125

Awarded to Pennsylvania 1782

FIGURE 12. Historical diagram of Pennsylvania.

This area was organized by Connecticut in 1776 as the county of 

Westmoreland. The conflicting claims of Connecticut and Pennsylvania to this land were for many years a cause of dispute, and several battles were fought for its possession, but a court of arbitration 

appointed by the Continental Congress awarded it to Pennsylvania 

in 1782.

For a history of the northern and eastern boundaries of Pennsylvania, see New York, pages 119-120, and New Jersey, pages 122-123.

That part of the southern boundary of Pennsylvania which separates Pennsylvania from Delaware, as denned by the charter of 

1681, is an arc of a circle of 12 miles radius, having New Castle, 

Del., as its center. This line was surveyed and marked in 1701 under 

a warrant from William Penn. (See p. 130.)

According to the original grant of 1681 the boundary between 

Pennsylvania and Maryland was to be the "beginning of the 40th 

degree of northern latitude," or what we would now call the 39th 

parallel of latitude. (See p. 124.) This boundary was for many 

years in dispute, Lord Baltimore claiming the country along Delaware Bay and River to the mouth of the Schuylkill, which was also 

claimed by the Duke of York under his grant of 1664. William 

Penn, in 1682, obtained from the Duke of York a release of his claim, 

but not until 1760 was an agreement reached with Maryland.
126 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Commissioners were appointed in 1732 and again in 1739 to run the 

line, but they failed to agree, and chancery suits were the result. 

Finally a decision of Lord Chancellor Hardwick in 1750 was taken 

as a basis for adjudication, and an agreement was signed July 4,1760, 

by which the line between Pennsylvania on the one part and Delaware 

and Maryland on the other was to be determined as follows:

A due east-west line was to be run across the peninsula from Cape 

Henlopen to Chesapeake Bay. From the exact middle of this line 

a line was to be drawn north which would be tangent to the western 

arc of a circle having a radius of 12 English statute miles measured 

horizontally from the center of the town of New Castle. From the 

tangent point a line was to be drawn due north until it intersected 

a parallel of latitude 15 miles due south of the southernmost part 

of the city of Philadelphia. This point of intersection would be the 

northeast corner of Maryland, and from it the line was to be run west 

on a parallel as far as it formed the boundary between the two 

Provinces.

In 1760 commissioners and surveyors were appointed; they spent 

several years in measuring the base line and the tangent line between 

Maryland and Delaware. The proprietors became wearied with the 

delay and sent from England two famous mathematicians, Charles 

Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, who verified the work of their predecessors and ran the line between Pennsylvania and Maryland, ever since 

called the Mason and Dixon line and probably the most widely known 

boundary in the United States. (See fig. 12.) Mason and Dixon 

determined the latitude of this line, which they located 15 miles south 

of Philadelphia, to be 39°43/l7.6// N. That they were skilled and 

did their work carefully is shown by the fact that by the resurvuy, 

made 200 years later with modern instruments and methods, the 

position found for the line at the northeast corner of Maryland differed 

only 1.9" from that determined by them. The later position is 

30°43'19.521" N. (See p. 132.)

Mason and Dixon began work on this line in 1763 but were 

stopped by Indians in 1767, after having run the line about 244 miles 

west of the Delaware (230 miles 18 chains 21 links from the northeast 

corner of Maryland) and thus not quite finishing the work as planned, 

although it has since been ascertained that they had run about 30 miles 

beyond the northwest corner of Maryland.88

The original stones for 5-mile marks on this line were carved 

in England from oolitic limestone; Lord Baltimore's coat of arms 

was shown on the Maryland side and the Penn arms on the Pennsyl88 For a popular description of the work by Mason and Dixon, see Luquer (1931, p. 

375).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES PENNSYLVANIA 127

vania side. (See fig. 2D.) Intermediate milestones were smaller 

and were marked "M" and "P" only, on opposite sides.

Because of the removal of the stone at the northeast corner of 

Maryland and for other reasons, it was deemed desirable to resurvey 

and re-mark the State boundaries in that locality; consequently 

Maryland (in 1846), Delaware (in 1847), and Pennsylvania (in 

1849) authorized the appointment of commissioners to undertake 

the task. An Army officer was delegated by them to make the 

surveys, which were completed in 1850. In the resurvey of the 

arc boundary and of the adjacent lines, the surveyor in charge unfortunately disregarded "the well-known rule that an actual line 

upon the ground is to be preferred to the written description of the 

same line in a deed." He changed the position of the arc boundary 

as marked in 1701 and assigned to Pennsylvania the triangular strip 

3^ miles in length (about 840 acres in area) west of the arc 

boundary, east of Maryland and south of the Mason and Dixon line, 

which had previously been assumed to belong to Delaware. This 

survey was approved by the commissioners from the three States, 

but no formal action regarding it appears to have been taken by 

the State legislatures.89

In 1889 and 1900 the Legislatures of Pennsylvania and Maryland 

authorized the appointment of a joint commission to "ascertain and 

re-mark" the boundary between the two States. The field work for 

this survey was commenced in 1900 and completed in 1903. No 

changes in the line as run by Mason and Dixon were made; straight 

lines were run between original monuments, and many new stones 

were set on the lines thus established. The report of the commission, 

dated January 25, 1907, was published in 1908 by authority of the 

Legislature of Maryland and in 1909 by Pennsylvania. These volumes 

contain a description of each of the 225 boundary monuments, including many of the original stones that were repaired and reset; they 

also contain a bibliography of manuscripts and documents relating 

to the line, which has more than 2,000 entries.

Positions for a dozen or more points on the Mason and Dixon line 

have been determined by the U.S. Geological Survey, some of which 

are as follows:

Latitude (N.

39°43'12.9'

39°43'13.0'

39°43'13.5'

39°43'13.8'

39°43'14.2'

39°43'17.5'

Longitude (W

77°29'05.6'

76°59'42.3'

76°57'26.9'

76°55'11.4'

76°52'55.7'

76°41'54.3'

88 For report of the surveyor, see Delaware Senate Jour, for 1851, p. 56-109. A copy 

of the report and a map are filed in the Maryland Land Office at Annapolis.
128 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVE.RAL STATES

In 1889 the Legislatures of Delaware and Pennsylvania authorized 

the re-marking of the boundary between the two States. The commissioners agreed that the northern boundary of Delaware should 

run due east from the northeast corner of Maryland to a point 12 

miles from the New Castle courthouse and thence follow a curved 

line passing through as many boundary marks of the 12-mile circle 

of 1701 as could be identified. The resurvey was made,90 and 46 marks 

were set on the arc boundary in 1892-93. The triangular tract assigned to Pennsylvania by the commissioners of 1849 thus reverted 

to Delaware. The report of the commission and the line as marked 

by it were "accepted, approved, and confirmed" by the Legislature 

of Pennsylvania by act of June 22, 1897 (Pennsylvania Laws for 

1897, p. 183), but were not formally accepted by the Legislature of 

Delaware until March 28, 1921. The assent of Congress to the action 

of the States was given on June 30,1921 (42 Stat. L. 104). The land 

part of the Pennsylvania-Delaware line as determined by this survey 

is 22.87 miles in length.

Commissioners from Virginia and Pennsylvania agreed in 1779 

that the boundary between those States should be fixed as follows: 91

That the line commonly called Mason's and Dijon's line be extended due west 

five degrees of longitude to be computed from the river Delaware, for the 

southern boundary of Pennsylvania; and that a meridian drawn from the 

western extremity thereof to the northern limits of the said states, respectively, 

be the western boundary of Pennsylvania forever.

In order to locate the boundaries as thus described, observations of 

the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites were made in 1784 at Wilmington 

and at a point estimated to be 5° of longitude west of the Delaware 

Eiver. While this work was being done the Mason and Dixon line 

was extended westward by commissioners from Virginia (one of 

whom was Andrew Ellicott) and from Pennsylvania, and a point was 

marked for the southwest corner of Pennsylvania, which the astronomic computations showed should be a little more than iy2 miles 

east of the assumed position, where the observatory had been placed. 

From the southwest corner of Pennsylvania the meridian boundary 

was run to the north side of the Ohio River. The line between the 

Ohio and Lake Erie was surveyed and marked in 1785 by another 

commission.

The southern part of the west boundary was again surveyed and 

marked in 1883 by commissioners representing the two States. The 

survey was commenced at the Ohio, and the line was run south to the 

southwest corner of Pennsylvania, a measured distance of a little

90 For a report of this survey and a historical sketch of the Mason and Dlxon line, see 

Hodgkins (1895).

81 Pennsylvania Dept. Internal Affairs (1887, p. 293) ; a separate volume Of boundary 

maps accompanies this report. See also Hening (1822, v. 10, p. 519-537).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES PENNSYLVANIA 129

more than 63i/£ miles. Twenty-three of the old monuments were 

found, and 48 new ones were established. Astronomic positions of 

several marks on this boundary were determined in 1883 in connection 

with the resurveys. Two of these positions are as follows: Southwest 

corner of Pennsylvania, lat 39°43'18.2" N., long 80°31'08;2" W.; near 

Smiths Ferry on the Ohio Eiver, lat 40°38'27.2" N., long 80°31'07.5" 

W.

The Ohio-Pennsylvania boundary was resurveyed and re-marked 

between 1878 and 1882, commencing at a granite monument 6 feet 

high and 3 feet square at the base, which was erected by the commissioners at a point 2,400 feet south of the edge of Lake Erie. The 

position of this monument is lat 41°58'15.23" N., long 80°31'10.60" W. 

(1927 N.A.D.). From this point the line was run south to the Ohio 

River, a distance of 92 miles.92

The monument established in 1785 on the north bank of the Ohio in 

the west boundary of Pennsylvania is of considerable historical importance, for it marks the point from which the first surveys for 

dividing public land in the United States into ranges and townships 

were commenced (Peters, 1918, p. 33, 67; Sherman, 1916-33, v. 3, 

chap. 14) .93 This general system of surveys has been extended over 

all the public-land States and has even been adopted by some foreign 

countries.

The original marker used as a point of departure has long since 

disappeared. The location of this marker is referred to as the "point 

of beginning." A large granite monument was erected by Ohio and 

Pennsylvania in 1881 for the purpose of remarking the State line. 

This monument was near the original stake. It was moved to a more 

conspicuous position in 1961, and a bronze plaque was added commemorating the 175th anniversary of the establishment of the "point 

of beginning." (Popp, 1960, p. 229.)

By the formation of the State of Ohio from lands ceded to the 

United States by Virginia in 1784 and by Connecticut in 1800 and by 

the separation of West Virginia from Virginia in 1862, the abovementioned meridian line became the boundary between Pennsylvania 

on the east and Ohio and West Virginia on the west.

The cession of 1781 by New York to the United States included a 

triangle of land, about 324 square miles in area, bounded by New York,

02 For other details concerning the survey of the west boundary of Pennsylvania, see 

report of Pennsylvania Dept. Internal Affairs (1883), which contains a description of each 

mark and a plat of the line; see also report for 1887. A historical sketch of the original 

surveys of the west boundary of Pennsylvania of 1785 and 1786, the report of the resurvey 

of the Ohio part of this line in 1878 to 1882, descriptions of the boundary stones, and plats 

of the line were published by the State of Ohio in 1883 (Joint Commission on Pennsylvania 

and Ohio boundary line, 1883).

83 See plat of the seven ranges of townships, Ohio Surveys, 1785-1787 ; U.S. General 

Land, Office file 57, Ohio.
130 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Pennsylvania, and Lake Erie. In order to give Pennsylvania a larger 

outlet to the lake, this tract, known as the "Erie triangle," was sold 

by the General Government to that State for $151,640.25,94 and the 

deed, dated March 3, 1792, was signed by George Washington.

The east line of the Erie triangle, being part of the west boundary 

of New York, was first surveyed and marked in 1790. (See p. 120.) 

In 1869 a new granite monument was placed on this boundary near 

the lake. In 1885 this monument was repaired, and the boundary was 

rerun to the south line of New York, a distance of a little more than 

18 miles. In all, there were then 51 marks on the line. (See Pennsylvania Dept. Internal Affairs, 1887, p. 590, 592.)

DELAWARE

The area now forming the State of Delaware was originally settled 

by Sweden. In 1655 it was surrendered to the Dutch, who in turn, 

in 1664, surrendered it to the English; the Duke of York then took 

possession of it.

"William Penn, who had received in 1681 a grant of the Province 

of Pennsylvania, bought or leased from the Duke of York the territory 

included in present-day Delaware, which was conveyed to him by two 

deeds of "feoffment" dated August 24, 1682. One conveyed a tract 

of land within a 12-mile circle about New Castle; the other was 

for "all that tract of land upon Delaware River and Bay beginning 

12 miles south from the town of New Castle and extending south to 

the Horekills, otherwise called 'Lopen.'" Both leases were for a 

period of 10,000 years, but they conveyed land to which the Duke of 

York then had a very uncertain title. A better title was obtained by 

royal grant soon afterward and immediately transferred to William 

Penn (Mathews, 1909, p. 150). Lord Baltimore vigorously opposed 

William Penn's claim, and the matter was settled in 1685 by a royal 

order to divide the territory equally between the two claimants. For 

a description of the line as marked, see pages 125 127. (Dallas, 1797,

p. 24).

In 1701 "William Penn granted a charter under which the Province

of Pennsylvania and the territories (as Delaware was then called) 

were authorized to act as separate governments, though both were still 

under the proprietary government of William Penn. 

Acting on the advice of the Continental Congress, the people of

Delaware called a convention, which met at New Castle in August,

1776, and on September 10 adopted a constitution for the three counties

94 This Is at the rate of 7& cents an acre for an estimated area of 202,187 acres (315.92 

sq. mi.). The area scaled from the most recent maps (including Presque Isle, 3 sq. mi.) 

is 324 sq. mi.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES DELAWARE 131

that had previously been known as "the Government of the counties 

of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, upon Delaware," and declared that 

thereafter the Territory should be called "Delaware State." The 

boundaries then were substantially as at present. (Thorpe, 1909, v. 1, 

p. 561-562.)

For a history of the boundary between Delaware and Pennsylvania, see Pennsylvania, pages 12Y-128; and for that between Delaware and New Jersey, see New Jersey, page 122.

From 1732 to 1769 there was a controversy between the proprietors 

of Pennsylvania and Maryland in regard to boundaries. The boundaries of Delaware on the south and west were determined as follows:

Beginning at Cape Henlopen and running due west 34 miles 309 

perches; thence in a straight line 81 miles 78 chains and 30 links up the 

peninsula until it touches and makes a tangent to the western periphery 

of a circle drawn at the horizontal distance of 12 English statute 

miles from the center of the town of New Castle.

From this tangent point a line was run due north till it cut a 

parallel of latitude 15 miles due south of the most southern part of the 

city of Philadelphia. This point of intersection is the northeast 

corner of Maryland. As the tangent line bears a little west of north, 

the due-north line from the tangent point cuts off an arc of the 12- 

mile circle. The narrow segment thus formed is a part of Delaware 

and has an area of less than 20 acres. The boundary line follows the 

arc of the circle from the tangent point around to the point where 

the due-north line intersects the 12-mile circle, then follows this 

due-north line to the northeast corner of Maryland. The length of 

this due-north line, as given by Mason and Dixon, is 5 miles 1 chain and 

50 links.

In 1961 and 1962, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey resurveyed 

the north-south boundary between Maryland and Delaware. The 

length of this line, from "Middle Point" where the boundary turns 

north, to the northeast corner of Maryland, is approximately 87 miles. 

Stone markers had been established at 1-mile intervals by Mason and 

Dixon. In the resurvey of the 81 monuments established on the tangent line, 15 were missing and 5 were considered as having been 

displaced. These five points were more than four feet from a smooth 

curve passing through the end points and the new values of the intermediate points. The maximum displacement from a straight line is 

18 feet, and is to the east.

The boundary north of the tangent point follows an arc of a circle. 

The radius of this circle from Newcastle was determined to be 12 

miles plus 108 feet. The five monuments recovered were found to be 

within 4 feet of the circle.
132 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Engineers making the new survey consider that Mason and Dixon 

determined the alinement of the markers with an amazing degree of 

accuracy in view of the instruments available in the 18th century. 

The distances were consistently short by about 10 or 12 feet per mile. 

This may indicate that the foot was a little longer then than it is today. 

(For a description of this survey, see Meade, 1964, p. 33.)

The northeast corner of Maryland is at lat 39°43'19.521" N., long 

75°47'20.172" W. (1927 N.A.D.)

The southwest corner of Delaware is at lat 38°27'04.082" N., long 

75°03'19.185"W.

The terminal monument on the Delaware River on the Pennsylvania-Delaware line is at lat 39°48/27.92/ ' N., long 75°25'31.53" W.

By the survey of 1849 the distance between the tangent point and 

the north end of the curve on the Maryland boundary is 7,743.7 feet, 

which would make the latitude of the latter point 39°40/ 13.47// N. 

The stone set in 1849 at this point, was thus described (Delaware S. 

Jour, for 1851, p. 102):

At the point of junction of the three States, a triangular prismatic post of 

cut granite, 18 inches wide on each side, and 7 feet long was inserted 4% feet 

of its length into the ground. It occupies the exact spot on which the old 

unmarked stone was found. It is marked with the letters M. P. and D., on 

the sides facing, respectively, towards the States of Maryland, Pennsylvania, 

and Delaware. On the north side, below the letter P., are the names of the 

commissioners, in deep cut letters, namely: H. G. S. Key, of Md., J. P. Eyre, of 

Pa., G. R. Riddle, of Del., Commissioners, with the date 1849.

This post is still in place, but now it is a mark on the boundary 

between Delaware and Maryland only, not a tri-State monument.

There was some confusion regarding the location of Cape Henlopen. 

The place chosen as the starting point for the south boundary line 

of Delaware is not the same as the present cape of that name. Lord 

Chancellor Hard wick said regarding its position

'that Cape Henlopen ought to be deemed * * * at the place where * * * 

laid down on the map or plan annexed to the said articles.

William Penn directed that Cape Henlopen be called Cape James 

or Jomus (Hazard, 1850, p. 606). The present Cape Henlopen was 

then called Cape Cornells (Hazard, p. 5).

The foregoing1 statements explain the discrepancy between the 

base line across the peninsula and the position of Cape Henlopen 

on modern maps.

MARYLAND

The territory embraced in the present State of Maryland was 

included in the previous charters of Virginia, but nevertheless, in 

1632, Lord Baltimore received a royal charter of the Province of 

Maryland, whose boundaries are defined in the following extract,
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MARYLAND 133

translated from the original charter, which was in Latin (Thorpe, 

1909, v. 3, p. 1678):

* * * all that part of the Peninsula, or Chersonese, lying in the Parts of America, 

between the Ocean on the East and the Bay of Chesapeake on the West; 

divided from the Residue thereof by a right line drawn from the Promontory, 

or Headland called Watkins Point, situate upon the Bay aforesaid, near the 

River Wigloo on the West, unto the main Ocean on the East; and between that 

Boundary on the South, unto that part of the Bay of Delaware on the North, 

which lieth under the fortieth degree of north latitude from the Equinoctial, 

where New England is terminated; And all the Tract of Land within the 

Metes underwritten (that is to say), passing from the said Bay, called Delaware Bay, in a right line, by the Degree aforesaid, unto the true meridian 

of the first fountain of the River Pattowmack; thence verging towards the 

South unto the farther Bank of the said River, and following the same on the 

West and South unto a certain Place called Cinquack, situate near the mouth 

of said River, where it disembogues into the aforesaid Bay of Chesapeake, and 

thence by the shortest Line unto the aforesaid Promontory or Place, called 

Watkin's Point, so that the whole tract of land divided, by the Line aforesaid, 

between the main Ocean and Watkin's Point unto the promontory called Cape 

Charles, * * * may entirely remain forever excepted to Us.

A comparison of the limits laid down in this charter with the several 

charters of Virginia and the charter and deeds to William Penn shows 

that there was a conflict of boundaries on both sides of the Maryland 

grant. The history of the long controversy with Pennsylvania has 

already been given. (See Pensylvania, p. 125-126, and Delaware, p. 

130-131.) Virginia claimed the territory under her charters and for 

a time seemed disposed to assert her claim, though in 1638 a proclamation by the governor and council of Virginia recognized the Province 

of Maryland and forbade trade with the Indians within the limits of 

Maryland without the consent of Lord Baltimore previously obtained 

(Bozman, 1837, p. 586). Virginia's claim was finally given up by a 

treaty or agreement made in 1658, and her relinquishment was reaffirmed in the constitution of 1YY6 (Thorpe, 1909, v. 7, p. 3818).

In 1663 the Virginia Assembly ordered a survey of the line between 

Virginia and Maryland on the peninsula and declared it to be "from 

Watkins Point east across the peninsula." They denned Watkins 

Point "to be the north side of Wicomicoe River on the eastern shore 

and neere unto and on the south side of the straight limbe opposite 

to Patuxent River." (Hening, 1821, v. 2, p. 184.)

In 1668, commissioners were appointed by Maryland and Virginia to 

fix the boundary across the peninsula. Their report, dated June 25, 

1668, is as follows (Maryland Hist. Soc. Colln. State Papers, v. 4 

LCB, p. 63-64) :

After a full and perfect view taken of the point of land made by the north .side 

of Pocomoke Bay and south side of Annamessexs Bay have and do conclude 

the same to be Watkins Point, from which said point so called, we have run an
134 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

cast line, agreeable with the extreamist part of the westernmost angle of the 

said Watkins Point, over Pocomoke River to the land near Robert Holston's, and 

there have marked certain trees which are so continued by an east line running over Swansecutes Creeke into the marsh of the seaside with apparent marks 

and boundaries.

Virginia, by the adoption of her constitution of 1776, relinquished 

all claim to territory covered by the charter of Maryland, thereby 

fixing Maryland's western boundary as follows:

Commencing on a true meridian of the first fountain of the river. Pattawmack, thence verging towards the south unto the further bank of the said river 

and following the same on the west and south unto a certain place called 

Cinquack, situate near the mouth of said river where it disembogues into the 

said aforesaid bay of Chesapeake and thence by the shortest line unto the aforesaid promontory or place called Watkins Point; thence a right line to the main 

ocean on the east.

The boundaries thus described are substantially the present boundaries, but for many years after they were adopted they remained a 

matter of controversy.

In the constitution of 1776 Virginia "reserved the property of the 

Virginia shores or strands [of Potomac and Pocomoke rivers] 

* * * and all improvements which have or will be made thereon." 

Maryland, in 1785, assented to this and declared (217 U.S. 579-580; 

Thorpe, 1909, v. 7, p. 3818) that

the citizens of each State * * * shall have full property on the shores of the 

Potomac * * * with all emoluments and advantages thereunto belonging, and 

with the privilege of making and carrying out wharves and other improvements.

In 1785 a compact (Hening, 1822, v. 13, p. 50) was entered into 

between the States of Maryland and Virginia, but as this referred more 

particularly to the navigation and exercise of jurisdiction of the 

waters of Chesapeake Bay and Potomac and Pocomoke Rivers, it is not 

given here.

From 1821 to 1858 legislation was frequently enacted in regard to 

the Virginia boundary.95 In 1858 commissioners were appointed by 

Maryland and Virginia, respectively, who, with the assistance of Lt. 

N. Michler, U.S. Engineers, undertook the survey of the lines.

In 1860 the Governor of Virginia, under a resolution of the legislature, appointed an agent and sent him to England to collect records 

and documentary evidence bearing on this question, but owing to the 

Civil War nothing further was done until 1867, when legislation 

again commenced.

96 See report of C. J. Faulkner (commissioner for Virginia), relative to the boundary 

lines between Virginia and Maryland, published in Doc. 1, House of Delegates of Virginia, 

1832, p. 73.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MARYLAND 135

The question of this boundary was referred to arbitrators by an 

agreement made in 1874, in which each State bound itself to accept 

their award as final and conclusive. In 1877 the arbitrators made the 

following award: 96

Beginning at the point on the Potomac River where the line between Virginia 

and West Virginia strikes the said river at low-water mark, and thence following 

the meanderings of said river, by the low-water mark to Smith's Point, at or 

near the mouth of the Potomac, in the latitude 37°53'8", and longitude 76°13'46" ; 

thence crossing the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, by a line running north 65°30' 

east, about nine and a half nautical miles, to a point on the western shore of 

Smith's Island at the north end of Sassafras Hammock, in latitude 37°57'13", 

longitude 76°2'52" ; thence across Smith's Island south 88°30' east five thousand 

six hundred and twenty yards to the center of Horse Hammock, on the eastern 

shore of Smith's Island, in latitude 37°57'8", longitude 75°59'20" ; thence south 

79°30' east four thousand eight hundred and eighty yards to a point marked A 

on the accompanying map, in the middle of Tangier Sound, in latitude 37°56'42", 

longitude 75°56'23", said point bearing from Janes Island light south 54° west, 

and distant from that light three thousand five hundred and sixty yards; thence 

south 10°30' west four thousand seven hundred and forty yards by a line 

dividing the waters of Tangier Sound, to a point where it intersects the straight 

line from Smith's Point to Watkins Point, said point of intersection being in 

latitude 37°54'21", longitude 75°56'55", bearing from Janes Island light south 

29° west and from Horse Hammock south 34° 30' east; this point of intersection 

is marked B on the accompanying map. Thence north 85°15' east six thousand 

seven hundred and twenty yards along the line above mentioned, which runs 

from Smith's Point to Watkins Point until it reaches the latter spot, namely, 

Watkins Point, which is in latitude 37°54'38", longitude 75 8 52'44"; from Watkins Point the boundary line runs due east seven thousand eight hundred and 

eighty yards, to a point where it meets a line running through the middle of 

Pocomoke Sound, which is marked C on the accompanying map, and is in latitude 

37°54'38", longitude 75°47'50" ; thence by a line dividing the waters of Pocomoke Sound north 47°30' east five thousand two hundred and twenty yards, to 

a point in said sound marked D on the accompanying map, in latitude 37°56'25", 

longitude 75°45'26"; thence following the middle of the Pocomoke River by a 

line of irregular curves, as laid down on the accompanying map, until it intersects 

the westward protraction of the boundary line marked by Scarborough and 

Calvert, May 28th, 1668, at a point in the middle of the Pocomoke River, and in 

the latitude 37°59'37", longitude 75°37'4" ; thence by the Scarborough and 

Calvert line, which runs 5°15' north of east, to the Atlantic Ocean: the latitudes, 

longitudes, courses, and distances here given have been measured upon the Coast 

Chart No. 33 of the United States Coast Survey (sheet No. 3, Chesapeake Bay).07

The middle thread of the Pocomoke River is equidistant as nearly as may be 

between the two shores without considering arms, inlets, creeks, or affluents as 

parts of the river, but measuring the shore from headland to headland.

* * * The low water mark on the Potomac to which Virginia has a right in 

the soil, is to be measured by the same rule.

99 20 Stat. L. 481-482. In the original report the degrees of latitude and longitude arc 

given in words ; they are here put in figures for convenient reference.

07 Three copies of this chart were prepared, one for each of the two States and one for 

the files of the Coast and Geodetic Survey ; they show by red lines the boundary eastward 

from Smith's Point and the line up the Potomac for 18 miles. (See Whiting, 1891, p. 

621-623.)

776-664 O-66 10
136 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVE.RAL STATES

The original charter to Lord Baltimore embraced the Potomac 

River to high-water mark on the south or Virginia shore (174 U.S. 

225) but the arbitrators of 1877 changed the boundary to the lowwater line, giving as their reason for doing so the long occupation by 

Virginia of the land above that line; they declared that "the length of 

time that raises a right of prescription in private parties likewise 

raises such a presumption in favor of States as well as private 

parties," 98 and that "Virginia, from the earliest period of her history, 

used the south bank of the Potomac as if the soil to low-water mark 

had been her own" (217 U.S. 580). The award of the arbitrators was 

accepted by the legislatures of the two States and was approved by act 

of Congress March 3,1879 (20 Stat. L. 481).

In 1879 and 1880 acts were passed by the Legislatures of Maryland 

and Virginia to appoint commissioners and to request the General 

Government to designate one or more officers of the Engineer Corps to 

survey and mark this line and erect monuments thereon, but little of 

permanent value seems to have been accomplished. (Whiting, 1891, 

p. 621-623.)

In 1927 the Governors of Maryland and Virginia directed the State 

geologists to examine the west shore of the Potomac and to recommend 

points (headlands) between which straight lines should be drawn for 

the boundary. Their report," submitted December 21, 1927, contains 

six maps on which are indicated by red lines the position recommended. 

The location of the boundary line as thus indicated was accepted by 

Virginia act approved March 26, 1928 (chap. 477) and by Maryland 

act of March 8, 1929 (chap. 50), and appropriations were made by 

each State for the surveying and marking of the line.

Commissioners were appointed by the States of Maryland and Virginia in 1916

to mark and maintain with buoys placed at intervals of not more than one mile 

apart the line between the waters of the State of Maryland and the waters of 

the State of Virginia, from Cedar Straights in Pocomoke Sound to Williams Point 

in Pocomoke River.

Their report, with descriptions of marks established and some 'historical matter, was published in Baltimore in 1917.

The line across Chesapeake Bay from Smiths Island to Tangier and 

Pocomoke Sounds 'by way of Watkins Point was marked by buoys 

anchored to 1,000-pound masses of concrete.

os Title to United States or State land cannot be acquired by adverse possession, even 

though long continued. The statute of limitations does not hold against the umtea 

States or a State where possession of land is concerned. 39 Fed. 654 ; 95 Pac. 278.

89 Mathews and Nelson (1928). This report contains historical references to the 

boundary disputes between 1668 and 1889 and acts of Virginia and of Maryland relating

to boundaries.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 137

Commissioners appointed in 1859 by Virginia and Maryland surveyed a line for the western boundary of Maryland from the "Fairfax 

Stone" (see p. 147), at the."first fountain" of the Potomac, north to 

the Pennsylvania line. This survey was accepted by Maryland but 

not by Virginia, nor was it accepted by West Virginia when made a 

State. An area of about 40 square miles remained in dispute until 

1910, when commissioners appointed by the U.S. Supreme Court and 

acting under its direction resurveyed the line and placed the initial 

point, which thereby became tihe southwest corner of Maryland, on the 

south bank of the North Branch of Potomac Elver, 3,989 feet from 

the Fairfax Stone on a line N. 0°56' E. from it. From that point 

(monument 1) the line

crosses the said North Branch of the Potomac, and thence running northerly, as 

near as may be, with the Deakins or old State line to the line of the State of 

Pennsylvania.

The "Deakins line" followed the boundaries of old land grants made 

by Maryland and Virginia and, as reestablished in 1910 by the commissioners, is a broken line with a general bearing a little east of north. 

There are five offsets in the line, which run nearly east and west and 

range in length from 54 to 971 feet. A large concrete monument was 

erected at each angle and many 'at intermediate points, 60 in all, on the 

line, which is nearly 36 miles long.

The following quotation from the report, dated October 31, 1911, 

of the commissioners to the Supreme Court of the United States, which 

was confirmed by the court May 27, 1912 (225 U.S. 31), shows how 

boundary lines are often determined * (see fig. 13) :

* * * a large anciently marked white oak tree. * * * This tree was cut and 

blocks were taken out by your commissioners which showed surveyors' axe marks 

in the wood; one 130 years old, one 117 years, and the last 78 years, thus indisputably establishing this course as following the oldest marked line extant.

Fairfax Stone is lat 39°11'41.62" N., long 77°29'15.3r' W. Monument 1 is in lat 39°12'21.14" N., long 79°29'14.48" W., and the monument on the Mason-Dixon line is in lat 39°42'15.68" N., long 79°28'- 

37.53" W. These positions are referred to the 1927 N.A.D.

From monument 1 the boundary between Maryland and West Virginia extends along the south 'bank of the North Branch of the Potomac to the Virginia and West Virginia State line.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

On September 5, 1774, the Continental Congress met at Philadelphia. Two years later it adjourned to Baltimore. During the Eevo1 225 U.S. 3. Also, the National Geographic Magazine for December 1929 describes in 

considerable detail the method for determining dates from the count of the annual growth 

of tree rings.
138 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

FIGURE 13. Section of a tree that had been used as a boundary mark. Tree 

blazed October 20,1873; section cut July 20,1909.

lution and subsequent to the treaty of peace, it met in various places. 

(See p. 261-262.) After the end of the war there was much debate in 

regard to the location of a permanent seat of the Government of the 

United States. Several States made propositions to Congress, offering to cede certain lands for the purpose, but no determination of the 

location was made by Congress until 1790.2

On December 23,1788, Maryland passed the following act:

Be it enacted by the general assembly of Maryland, That the representatives 

of this State in the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United 

States, appointed to assemble at New York on the first Wednesday of March 

next, be, and they are hereby, authorized and required on the behalf of this State 

to cede to the Congress of the United States any district in this State, not exceeding ten miles square, which the Congress may fix upon and accept for the seat 

of government of the United States.

In the following year (Dec. 3, 1789) the State of Virginia passed a 

similar act, from which the following is an extract:

Be it therefore enacted by the general assembly, That a tract of country not 

exceeding ten miles square or any lesser quantity, to be located within the limits

3 For reference to the discussions which resulted in selecting the site on the Potomac, 

see Bryan (1914, v. 1, chap. 1). For a historical sketch of the area now included in the 

District of Columbia, see U.S. Cong. (1901).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 139

of the State and in any part therof as Congress may by law direct, shall be, and 

the same is hereby, forever ceded and relinquished to the Congress and Government of the United States, in full and absolute right and exclusive jurisdiction, 

as well of said soil as of persons residing or to reside thereon, pursuant to the 

tenor and effect of the eighth section of the 1st article of the Constitution of the 

Government of the United States.

After long discussion Congress, in view of these cessions by Maryland and Virginia, passed an act, approved July 16,1790, from which 

the following is an extract (1 Stat. L. 130) :

That a district of territory, not exceeding ten miles square, to be located as 

hereafter directed on the river Potomac, at some place between the mouths of 

the Eastern Branch and Connogochegue, be, and the same is hereby, accepted 

for the permanent seat of the government of the United States: Provided, nevertheless, That the operation of the laws of the State within such district shall not 

be affected by this acceptance until the time fixed for the removal of the Government thereto, and until Congress shall otherwise by law provide. * * * three 

commissioners, who, or any two of whom, shall, under the direction of the President, survey, and by proper metes and bounds define and limit, a district of 

territory, under the limitations above mentioned; and the district so defined, 

limited, and located shall be deemed the district accepted by this act for the permanent seat of the Government of the United States. * * * That on the first 

Monday in December, in the year 1800, the seat of the Government of the United 

States shall, by virtue of this act, be transferred to the district and place aforesaid.

In 1791 the foregoing act was amended, in order to include a portion 

of the Anacostia River ("Eastern Branch") and the town of Alexandria within the limits of the District. The following is an extract from 

the act of amendment, approved March 3,1791 (1 Stat. L. 214) :

* * * That so much of the act entitled "An act for establishing the temporary 

and permanent seat of the government of the United States" as requires that the 

whole of the district of territory, not exceeding ten miles square, to be located 

on the river Potomac for the permanent seat of the government of the United 

States, shall be located above the mouth of the Eastern Branch, be, and is hereby, 

repealed, and that it shall be lawful for the President to make any part of the 

territory below the said limit and above the mouth of Hunting Creek, a part of 

the said district, so as to include a convenient part of the Eastern Branch, and 

of the lands lying on the lower side thereof, and also the town of Alexandria; 

and the territory so to be included shall form a part of the district not exceeding 

ten miles square for the permanent seat of the government of the United States, 

in like manner and to all intents and purposes as if the same had been within 

the purview of the above recited act: Provided, That nothing herein contained 

shall authorize the erection of the public buildings otherwise than on the Maryland side of the river Potamac, as required by the aforesaid act.

In pursuance of the acts above cited, three commissioners were appointed under whose direction surveys of the territory were to be made, 

and on March 30, 1791, President Washington issued a proclamation, 

in which the bounds of the District were defined as follows (Bryan, 

1914, p. 120,132,133) :
140 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Beginning at Jones's Point, being the upper cape of Hunting Creek, in Virginia, and at an angle in the outset of 45 degrees west of the north, .and running 

in a direct line 10 miles for the first line; then beginning again at the same Jones's 

Point and running another direct line at a right angle with the first across the 

Potomac, 10 miles for a second line; then, from the termination of the said first 

and second lines, running two other direct lines, of ten miles each, the one crossing the Eastern Branch aforesaid, and the other the Potomac, and meeting each 

other in a point.

In 1800 Congress removed to this District, In 1801 the District was 

divided into two counties, as follows (2 Stat. L. 105) :

* * * the said district of Columbia shall be formed into two counties; one 

county shall contain all that part of said district which lies on the east side of 

the river Potomac, together with the islands therein, and shall be called the 

county of Washington; the other county shall contain all that part of said district 

which lies on the west side of said river, and shall be called the county of Alexandria ; and the said river, in its whole course through said district, shall be 

taken and deemed to all intents and purposes to be within both of said counties.

In 1846 Congress passed an act providing for the retrocession to Virginia of that part of the District of Columbia originally ceded to the 

United States by Virginia. The following is an extract from this 

act (9 Stat. L. 35-36) :

That with assent of the people of the county and town of Alexandria, to be 

ascertained as hereinafter prescribed, all of that portion of the District of Columbia ceded to the United States by the State of Virginia, and all the rights and 

jurisdiction therewith ceded over the same, be, and the same are, hereby ceded 

and forever relinquished to the State of Virginia in full and absolute right and 

jurisdiction, as well of soil as of persons residing or to reside thereon.

The method prescribed for ascertaining the assent of the people of 

Alexandria was by oral vote of free white male citizens, to be taken 

before five commissioners appointed by the President.

There were 763 votes cast in favor of recession and 222 against it. 

The President, therefore, by proclamation dated September 7, 1846 

(9 Stat. L, 1000), declared the act "in full force and effect," The 

southwestern boundary of the District of Columbia thus became coincident with that part of the boundary of Maryland prior to December

23, 1788, regarding which the U.S. Supreme Court stated (174 U.S. 

225)

that upon all the evidence, the charter granted to Lord Baltimore, by Charles I, 

in 1632, of the territory known as the Province of Maryland, embraced the Potomac River and the soil under it, and the islands therein, to highwater mark on 

the southern or Virginia shore; * * * nor was such grant affected by the subsequent grant to Lord Culpepper.

Congress in the act (20 Stat. L. 481) approving the award of the 

arbitrators of 1877 for Maryland and Virginia provided that nothing 

therein contained "shall be construed to impair or in any manner
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 141

affect any rights of jurisdiction of the United States in and over the 

islands and waters" of the Potomac.

Below are given extracts from an opinion by the Attorney General 

dated January 16, 1912, relating to the high-water line on the south 

bank of the Potomac as the boundary line between the District of 

Columbia and Virginia.

In the Potomac River there is a high^water line due to freshets at 13 feet 

albove mean low ti'de. There is a high-tide line not influenced by freshets or 

caused -by high winds ait 8.8 feet above mean low tide. There is a mean high 

tide ait about 5 feet above mean low water, and that is the elevation along 

which drift, trash, etc., remain as an indication; and there is a mean tide line 

at 3 feet above low water.

High water mark in a river or stream is "the <point to which the water usually 

rises in an ordinary season of high water" (Johnson v. Knott, 13 Oreg. 308).

"High-water mark is to "be determined not from human records but from the 

records which the river makes for itself," and the true line is "that which the 

river impressed upon the soil 'as 'the limit of its dominion" (Hougton v. The 

Chicago D. & M. B. Oo.: 47 Iowa, 370-373).

"High-water mark is coordinate with the limit of the bed of the waiter; and 

that only is to be considered the bed which the water occupies sufficiently long 

and continuously to wrest it from vegetation and destroy its value for agricultural purposes" (Carpenter v. Board of Commrs. Hennepin County: 56 Minn. 

513).

Farnhani (Waters and water rights, v. 2, p. 1461), gives the following as 

to high-water mark:

"But the definition which best meets all requirements of the case and which 

has in fact been adopted by the weight of authority is that 'high-water mark 

is the point below which the pressure and action of the water are so common 

and usual and so long continued in all ordinary years as to make upon the 

soil a character distinct from that of the 'banks with respect to vegetation as 

well as with respect to the soil itself.' " 3

If the mean high tides at the 5-foot elevation above low-water mark appear 

to be the most usual line reached under all ordinary circumstances when the 

river is undisturbed either by freshets, unusual winds, and high tides, or unaffected by droughts, which condition is usually evidenced by drifts and other 

deposits, and to which line the rise is most constant, the pressure and action 

of the water upon 'the soil making the line more definite 'than at any other 

point, then the 5-foot mean high-tide line established by the action of the water 

above mean low Water is legally the high-water mark or high-tide line, and 

consequently the boundary line.

In a Supreme Court decision rendered November 7, 1921,4 involving the question whether the boundary between the District of 'Columbia and Virginia runs from "headland to headland," as the 

Mary] and-Virginia boundary does, or follows the meanderings of

8 The following cases are in harmony with the authorities quoted above: Howard v. 

Ingersoll, 13 Howard, 415-423 ; Shively v. Bowlby, 152 U.S. 12.

4 Marine Railway and Coal Co. v. United States of America : 257 U.S. 47.
142 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

the river, the latter course was accepted. The court also decided 

that the United States is entitled to the possession of land in the 

District that has been reclaimed by filling in below low-water line 

on the Virginia side. Jurisdiction and sovereignty over the tract in 

dispute in this case, comprising an area of 46.57 acres adjoining 

Alexandria, were transferred to Virginia by United States act approved February 23,1927 (44 Stat. L., pt. 2, p. 1176).

The District Court of Appeals, in a decision rendered November 6, 

1922, recognized the claim that high-water mark on the south bank 

of the Potomac is the boundary between the District of Columbia and 

Virgania. This location of the boundary was reaffirmed by the U.S. 

Supreme Court May 4,1931 (283 U.S. 348).

The District of Columbia was planned to be exactly 10 miles 

square, but it has been found that the northeast side measures 263.1 

feet and the southeast side 70.5 feet more than 10 miles. The lines 

do not bear exactly 45° from the meridian, but the greatest variation 

is only 1% feet (Baker, 1894, p. 149-165). The entire boundary of 

the District of Columbia was surveyed in 1791 and was marked with 

sandstone mileposts in 1792. These posts, except those at the four 

corners, were numbered from 1 to 9, counting clockwise, for each of 

the four boundary lines (Shuster, 1909, v. 20, p. 356).

In 1915-1921 each of the original boundary stones was surrounded 

by an iron fence, erected by the District of Columbia and Virginia 

chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

By a bill approved March 3, 1903 (32 Stat. L. 961) funds were 

provided for additional marks on the District of Columbia-Maryland 

boundary line, to be placed at road crossings and at other prominent 

points. The work was completed the same year, but without the 

formal cooperation of any Maryland representative. The new marks 

are of cut granite, 6 inches square on top, and project 12 inches above 

ground.

The latitudes and longitudes of the north, east, and south cornerstones of the District of Columbia are as follows:

Latitude (N.) Longitude (W.)

North corner______________________ 38°59'45.04" 77°02'28.63" 

East corner_____________________ 38°53'33.90" 76°54'34.10" 

South corner____________________ 38°47'24.80" 77°02'27.19"

These positions are on 1927 North American Datum.

The south corner stone at Jones Point, below Alexandria, which was 

the first one established, was set with appropriate ceremonies April 15, 

1791.

By act of February 21,1871 (16 Stat. L. 419), the entire area within 

the boundary of the District was made a distinct government with the
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES VIRGINIA 143

title of the District of Columbia and constituted a "body corporate for 

municipal purposes." 5

The initial point of several of the original land grants upon which 

the city of Washington is founded was a mark on a large rock commonly 

called the "Key of all keys," which was then at the edge of the Potomac 

River. According to tradition, Braddock's army landed at this place 

on its way to Fort Duquesne. This rock has been covered with dirt 

and the river bed filled in so that the concrete pier and tablet established 

in 1910 over the mark 'are now more than 1,000 feet from the river's 

edge. The new mark is in the Naval Hospital grounds about 300 feet 

west from the corner of Twenty-third Street and Constitution 

Avenue NW.

The zero milestone, from which public highways of the United 

States are supposed to radiate, authorized by joint resolution of Congress June 5, 1920 (41 Stat. L. 1062), and dedicated June 4, 1923, is 

a granite pier 24 by 24 inches in section, mounted on a concrete base 

and projecting 4 feet above ground, standing on the north edge of the 

Ellipse, 900 feet south of the White House, in lat 38°53'41.99" N., 

long 77°02'12.66" W. The tablet in the base is 28.65 feet above mean 

sea level.

VIRGINIA e

In 1606 King James I of England granted the "first charter" of 

Virginia. The boundaries therein described are as follows (Thorpe, 

1909, v. 7, p. 3783):

* * * situate, lying, or being all along the Sea Coasts, between four and thirty 

degrees of Northerly Latitude from the Equinoctial Line and five and forty 

degrees of the same Latitude, and in the main Land between the same four and 

thirty and five and forty Degrees and the Islands thereunto adjacent, or within 

one hundred miles of the coast thereof.

In 1609 a new charter was granted, called the "second charter" of 

Virginia, which defines the boundaries in the following terms (see 

fig. 14) (Thorpe, 1909, v. 7, p. 3795) :

* * * situate, lying, being in that part of America, called Virginia, from the 

point of Land, called Cape or Point Comfort, all along the Sea Coast to the Northward, two hundred miles, and from the said point of Cape Comfort, all along 

the Sea Coast to the Southward, two hundred Miles, and all that Space and

6 See 174 U.S. 196-359 for land history of the area covered by the District of Columbia 

from the time of the King's grant to Lord Baltimore, June 20, 1632 ; includes reproductions 

of several old maps. This case gives many references to former decisions relating to 

riparian rights.

6 "The Commonwealth of Virginia" is the full legal name for this State. For a brief 

history of cessions to Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia and of boundary-line surveys 

between them from 1606 to 1821, see Haywood (1891, p. 15-37). For reference to old 

Virginia charters, abstracts of boundary descriptions, and descriptions of boundary marks, 

see Code of Virginia (1919, v. 1, p. 10-22, Richmond).
144 BOUNDARIES, . UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES VIRGINIA 145

Circuit of Land, lying from the Sea Coast of the Precinct aforesaid, up into the 

Land, throughout from Sea to Sea, West and Northwest; And also all the Islands 

lying within one hundred Miles along the Coast of both Seas of the Precinct 

aforesaid.

In 1611-12 the "third charter" of Virginia was granted, which was 

an enlargement of the second. It gave the following territory 

(Thorpe, 1909, v. 7, p. 3804):

* * * all and singular those Islands whatsoever, situate and being in any Part of 

the Ocean Seas bordering upon the Coast of o.ur said first Colony in Virginia, and 

being within three Hundred Leagues of any of the Parts heretofore granted to the 

said Treasurer and Company in our former Letters Patent as aforesaid, and being 

within or between the one-and-fortieth and thirtieth Degrees of Northerly 

Latitude.

The charter of 1609 gave Virginia a strip of land bordering on the 

coast for 200 miles northward from Point Comfort and for the same 

distance southward and extending inland west and northwest to the 

South Sea.7 A point 200 miles due north of Point Comfort would 

fall in lat 39°54' N., or about 13 miles north of the present south 

boundary of Pennsylvania. An irregular line 200 miles long, 

measured along the coast from Point Comfort, would reach about as 

far north as the Pennsylvania boundary. A point 200 miles due 

south from Point Comfort would fall in lat 34°06' N. The territory 

included within these boundaries comprised, wholly or in part, the 

present States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, 

North Carolina, and South Carolina and the vast region stretching 

west and northwest to the Pacific Ocean.

The area covered by the charter of 1611-12 included the Bermuda 

Islands.

In 1625 the colony was changed to a royal province, the three 

charters having 'been canceled by judgment of the Court of Kings 

Bench in the preceding year (Donaldson, 1884, p. 33), but Virginia 

still claimed the boundaries fixed by the charters.

The description "west and northwest" left the northern boundary 

of the colony poorly defined, but it was more definitely fixed when 

reductions in area were made by the charters to Maryland in 1632 

and to Pennsylvania in 1681. The Connecticut charter of 1662 practically made the parallel of 41° the northern boundary. (See p. 108.) 

The charters of Carolina in 1663 and 1665 changed the southern 

boundary to its present statute position.

The area of Virginia was still further reduced by the French treaty 

of 1763, which made the Mississippi River the west boundary, by the 

cession to the United States of the territory northwest of the Ohio

7 Mar del Sur (South Sea) was the name given to the Pacific Ocean by Balboa in 1513, 

when he first saw it at a place where the shoreline runs nearly east and west.
146 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

River in 1784, by the admission of Kentucky as an independent State 

in 1792, by the division in 1863 when the new State of West Virginia 

was created and admitted to the Union, and finally by the transfer of 

two counties to West Virginia in 1866. (See fig. 14.)

By the constitution of 1776 Virginia formally gave up all claim 

to the territory now appertaining to the neighboring States of Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and South Carolina, as is seen 

by the following extract:

The territories contained within the Charters erecting the Colonies of Maryland, Pennsylvania, North and South Carolina are hereby ceded, released, and 

forever confirmed, to the people of these Colonies, respectively, with all the 

rights of property, jurisdiction, and government, and all the rights whatsoever, 

which might at any time heretofore, have been claimed by Virginia, except the 

free navigation and use of the rivers Patomaque and Pokomoke, with the property of the Virginia shores and strands, bordering on either of said rivers, and 

all improvements, which have been or shall be made thereon. The western 

and northern extent of Virginia shall, in all other respects, stand as fixed by 

the charter of King James I, in the year one thousand six hundred and nine, 

and by the public treaty of peace between the Courts of Britain and France in the 

year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-three; unless by act of this Legislature one or more governments be established westwards of the Alleghany mountains.

In the meantime grants of territory had been made within the 

present limits of Virginia and West Virginia, which caused great 

dissatisfaction to the people of the Virginia Colony and which ultimately had an important bearing in setting the divisional line 

between Maryland and Virginia.

In the twenty-first year of Charles II (1670) a grant was made to 

Lord Hopton and others of what is still called "the northern neck 

of Virginia," which was sold by the other patentees to Lord Culpeper 

and confirmed to him by letters patent in the fourth year of James II 

(1689). This grant carried with it nothing but the right of soil and 

incidents of ownership, it being expressly subjected to the jurisdiction of the Government of Virginia. The tract of land thereby 

granted was "bounded by and within the heads of the rivers Tappahannock, alias Rappahannock, and Quiriough, alias Potowmack." 

On the death of Lord Culpeper this proprietary tract descended to 

Lord Fairfax, who had married Lord Culpeper's only daughter.

As early as 1729 difficulties arose from, conflicting grants made by 

Lord Fairfax and the Crown. In 1730 Virginia petitioned the King, 

reciting that the head springs of Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers

were not known and praying that such measures might be taken that

they might be ascertained to the satisfaction of all parties. In 1733 

Lord Fairfax made a similar petition, asking that a commission 

might be appointed to ascertain, survey, and mark the true bound-
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES VIRGINIA 147

aries of his grant. An order was accordingly issued, and in 1736 

three commissioners were appointed on the part of the Crown and 

three on the part of Lord Fairfax. These commissioners were to 

ascertain by actual examination and survey the respective fountains 

of Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers. This survey was made in 

1736. The report of the commissioners was referred to the council 

for plantation affairs in 1738, who reported their decision as follows:

* * * The said boundary ought to begin at the first spring of the south 

branch of the river Rappahannock, and that the said boundary be from thence 

drawn in a straight line northwest to the place in the Alleghany Mountains 

where that part of the Potomac River, which is now called Cohongoroota, first 

rises.

This report was confirmed by the King, and other commissioners 

were appointed to survey and mark the dividing line. The line was 

run in 1746. On October 17, 1746, the commissioners planted the 

Fairfax Stone at the spot which had been described and marked by 

the preceding commissioners as the true headspring of the Potomac 

and which, notwithstanding much controversy, has continued to be so 

regarded from that period to the present time. Besides limiting the 

Fairfax tract, this location was of greater importance as marking the 

southern point of the western boundary of Maryland.

A description of the original Fairfax Stone, as it appeared in 1859, 

was given in a report by Lieutenant Michler, as follows:

It consists of a rough piece of sandstone, indifferent and friable, planted 

to the depth of a few feet in the ground and rising a foot or more above the 

surface; shapeless in form, it would scarce attract the attention of the passer 

by. The finding of it was without difficulty, and its recognition, and identification by the inscription now almost obliterated by the corroding action 

of water and air.

When the commissioners for the Maryland-West Virginia boundary visited this locality in 1910, no trace of the original mark was 

found, although the mark set by Lieutenant Michler was readily 

identified. A large concrete monument was then built at this point.8 

As stated on page 137, these commissioners placed the monument 

marking the southwest corner of Maryland on the south bank of the 

North Branch of the Potomac, nearly 4,000 feet north of the Fairfax 

Stone.

This tract of land was held by Lord Fairfax and his descendants 

for many years, but subsequent to the Revolution the quitrents and 

similar charges were abolished, and it became in all respects subject 

to the jurisdiction of Virginia.

8 For report of the commissioners, including description and position of each of the 34 

monuments, see 225 U.S. 2-30. For references concerning Virginia, Maryland, and West 

Virginia boundaries, see 217 U.S. 1-47.
148 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

For the history and description of the boundary line between Virginia and Maryland see pages 132-137; and for the line between Virginia and West Virginia, see page 151.

Kentucky formed originally a part of the county of Fincastle, Va. 

In 1776 this county was divided into three counties, the westernmost of which was called Kentucky County, and its eastern boundary 

was declared to 'be as follows (Hening, 1821, v. 9, p. 257) :

A line beginning on the Ohio, at the mouth of Great Sandy Greek, and running up the same and the main or northeasterly branch thereof to the Great 

Laurel Ridge or Cumberland Mountains; thence southwesterly along the said 

mountain to the line of North Carolina.

Kentucky having been admitted into the Union June 1,1792, commissioners were appointed in 1798 by Virginia and Kentucky to fix 

the boundary. In 1799-1800 the commissioners' report was made 

and ratified by the States. It was as follows (Shephard, v. 2, p. 234) :

To begin at the point where the Carolina, now Tennessee, line crosses the top 

of the Cumberland mountains, near Cumberland Gap, thence northeastwardly 

along the top or highest part of the said Cumberland mountain, keeping between the headwaters of Cumberland and Kentucky rivers, on the west side 

thereof, and the headwaters of Powell's and Guest's rivers, and the Pound fork 

of Sandy, on the east side thereof, continuing along the said top, or highest 

part of said mountain, crossing the road leading over the same at the Little 

Paint Gap, where by some it is called the Hollow mountain and where it terminates at the West Fork of Sandy, commonly called Russell's fork, thence 

with a line to be run north 45° east till it intersects the other great principal 

branch of Sandy, commonly called the northeastwardly branch, thence down 

the said northeastwardly branch to its junction with the main west branch and 

down Main Sandy to its confluence with the Ohio.

It will be seen that the northern part of this line is the present line 

between West Virginia and Kentucky.

The exact location of the boundary along "Great Sandy Creek" 

and its "northeasterly branch" (now called the Big Sandy River and 

the Tug Fork) is somewhat in doubt. The best evidence as to its 

proper position thus far found is that indicated on Bishop James 

Madison's map of Virginia, dated 1807, where it is shown as being 

on the west bank of both streams. This evidence is in a measure

confirmed by a clause in the West Virginia State constitution of 

1872, which is as follows:

The State of West Virginia includes the bed, bank and shores of the Ohio 

river, and so much of the Big Sandy river as was formerly included in the 

commonwealth of Virginia.

Virginia at one time owned the entire area of Kentucky and claimed

territory north of the Ohio. Many court decisions have fixed the lowwater line on the north bank of the Ohio as the boundary resulting from 

this claim. It therefore seems reasonable to assume that the Kentucky
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES VIRGINIA 149

boundary should be so placed as to exclude the bed and shores to lowwater mark on the west side of the two streams.

For the history of the settlement of the boundary between Virginia 

and North Carolina, see North Carolina, pages 153-154.

In 1779 Virginia and North Carolina appointed commissioners to 

run the boundary line between the two States west of the Allegheny 

Mountains, on the parallel of 36°30'. The commissioners were unable 

to agree on the location of the parallel; they therefore ran two parallel 

lines 2 miles apart, the northern known as Henderson's line and claimed 

by North Carolina, the southern known as Walker's line and claimed 

by Virginia. In the year 1789 North Carolina ceded to the United 

States all territory west of her present boundaries, and as Tennessee 

was formed from the ceded territory, this question became one between 

Virginia and Tennessee.

Commissioners appointed by Virginia and Tennessee to establish the 

boundary adopted a compromise line. Their report was made in 1803 

and was as follows (Haywood, 1823, p. 9; 1891, p. 487^97) :

A due west line equally distant from both Walker's and Henderson's, beginning on the summit of the mountain generally known as White Top mountain, where the northeast corner of Tennessee terminates, to the top of the 

Cumberland Mountain, where the southwestern corner of Virginia terminates.

This line, which is about a mile north of the Walker line, was 

marked on trees by five notches arranged in the form of a diamond 

and is often called the "diamond line." It was adopted by the 

legislatures of both States in 1803.

In 1871 Virginia passed an act for appointing commissioners to 

readjust this line. Tennessee the following year passed an emphatic 

resolution refusing to reopen the question regarding a boundary whicli 

she considered "fixed and established beyond dispute forever" 

(Tennessee H. Jour, for Mar. 23,1872, p. 71).

In 1889 Virginia took the matter to the Supreme Court of the 

United States, which in 1893 decreed that the line as surveyed and 

marked in 1803 is the true boundary.9

Until 1784 Virginia exercised jurisdiction over a large tract of 

country northwest of the Ohio River, but by a deed executed March 1, 

1784, she ceded to the United States all that territory, thus making 

the northern part of her western boundary the north and northwest 

bank of the Ohio.

9 See 148 U.S. 528. For historical description and plat of the line, consult records of 

the court for the October term, 1891; for geographic positions on the line, see p. 178. For 

report of commissioners who surveyed the line in 1901-2, see 190 U.S. 64. For original 

maps of this survey, see register 2634 of the archives of the Supreme Court. For reference to the Bristol cession, see p. 177.
150 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

On December 31, 1862, the State of Virginia was divided, and 48 

counties, composing the western part of the State, were made the 

new State of West Virginia. By an act of Congress in 1866, consent 

was given to the transfer of two additional counties from Virginia to 

West Virginia.

The Legislatures of Virginia in 1873 .and West Virginia in 1877 

authorized the appointment of commissions for "ascertaining and 

locating" the boundary between the two States wherever it was in 

dispute. Commissions were appointed, and an officer from the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers was detailed to aid in the work. So far 

as can be learned, the survey and marking of this boundary were never 

undertaken, and its location can be found only by following the old 

county lines, descriptions of which are given in the Virginia statutes. 

(See West Virginia, p. 151.)

References to the statutes by which the counties of Virginia and 

West Virginia were created can be found in an article by Morgan P. 

Robinson (1916). Most of the counties were created prior to 1800, 

and the references are to Hening's Statutes at Large of Virginia, but 

there have been many changes since that year.

The Grand Assembly of Virginia, in 1660, enacted that (Hening, 

1821, v. 2, p. 18)

For the prevention of frequent suits and differences * * * all counties * * * 

shall * * * be limited within certaine naturall bounds * * *, and where naturall 

bounds are wanting to supply that defect by marked trees, which are to be 

viewed and renewed every three years by the neerest bordering inhabitants of 

each county and parrish in Easter week.

WEST VIRGINIA

The separation of West Virginia from Virginia was approved by 

act of Congress of December 31, 1862 (12 Stat. L. 633), and the new 

State was admitted to the Union by presidential proclamation dated 

April 20, 1863, effective June 19, 1863 (13 Stat. L. 731). It is of 

historical interest that the name proposed for this State by the 

convention of 1861 was Kanawha.

It originally contained the following counties: Barbour, Boone, 

Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, 

Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Kanawha, Lewis, Logan, McDowell, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Mercer, 

Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, 

Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roaiie, 

Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood, 

and Wyoming. In 1866, with the consent of Congress,10 West Vir10 14 Stat. L. 350. See 11 Wallace 39 for a historical sketch of this addition and 

court decisions relating thereto.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NORTH CAROLINA 151

ginia was enlarged by the two counties of Berkeley and Jefferson, 

transferred from Virginia.

The boundary between West Virginia and Virginia is made up of 

boundary lines of the counties above enumerated that border on Virginia and can be defined only by reference to the laws by which these 

counties were created (Hening, 1821, v. 2, p. 184:).

The two States entered into a compact to define their common 

boundary separating Monroe County, West Virginia, and Alleghany 

County, Virginia. There had been uncertainty concerning this line 

for many years. The two commissions that were appointed met 

jointly and agreed upon a definition of the boundary. Their recommendations were adopted by the States in 1959. The boundary is 

thus described (U.S. 86th Cong., 1st sess., H. Kept. 7474):

* * * Beginning at the top of Peters mountain, where the road crosses, corner 

common to Monroe county, West Virginia and Graig county, Virginia and on 

the Alleghany county-Virginia line where the Sweet Springs-Fincastle road 

crosses Peters mountain, thence in a straight line to the present state line concrete marker on highway route number three hundred eleven; thence in a 

straight line to the present state line highway marker on Virginia state route 

number six hundred three (Cove creek) ; thence in a straight line to the present state line highway marker on upper highway route number six hundred 

three (Slaty road or Big Ridge road) ; thence in a straight line to the Greenbrier county line on top of Alleghany mountain at a point on Fletchers Knob 

previously established by the West Virginia-Virginia boundary commission being 

approximately longitude eighty degrees eighteen and one-half minutes west and 

latitude thirty-seven degrees forty-one and one-half minutes north, at a scaled 

elevation of three thousand one hundred fifty feet.

. Congress gave its consent on September 21, 1959 (73 Stat. 599).

In the constitution of 1872, after a recapitulation of the counties 

transfered from Virginia to West Virginia, is found the following 

clause defining the boundaries on the south and west (Thorpe, 1909, 

v. 7, p. 4034):

The State of West Virginia includes the bed, bank, and shores of the Ohio 

River and so much of the Big Sandy River as was formerly included in the 

Commonwealth of Virginia; and all territorial rights and property in, and 

jurisdiction over the same, heretofore reserved by and vested in the Commonwealth of Virginia, are vested in and shall hereafter be exercised by the State of 

West Virginia. And such parts of the said beds, banks, and shores as lie opposite and adjoining the several counties of this State, shall form parts of said 

several counties, respectively.

For a history of the boundaries of West Virginia, see Pennsylvania, pages 128-129; Maryland, page 137; and Virginia, page 150.

NORTH CAROLINA

In the year 1663 the "first charter" of Carolina was granted, which 

in 1665 was followed by the "second charter." The following extracts

776-664 O-66 II
152 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

from these two charters (Thorpe, 1909, v. 5, p. 2744) define the 

boundaries.

CHARTER OF 1663

* * * all that territory or tract of ground scituate, lying and being within our 

dominions of America, extending from the north end of the island called Lucke 

island, which lieth in the southern Virginia seas, and within six and thirty 

degrees of the northern latitude, and to the west as far as the south seas, and 

so southerly as far as the river St. Matthias, which bordereth upon the coast 

of Florida, and within one and thirty degrees of northern latitude, and so west 

in a direct line as far as the south seas aforesaid.

CHARTER OF 1665

* * * All that province, territory, or tract of land, scituate, lying or being 

within our dominions of America aforesaid; extending north and eastward, as 

far as the north end of Currituck river, or inlet, upon a strait westerly line to 

Wyonoak creek, which lies within or about the degrees of thirty-six and thirty 

minutes, northern latitude; and so west in a direct line as far as the South 

Seas. * * * and south and westward, as far as the degrees of twenty-nine, 

inclusive, of northern latitude; and so west, in a direct line, as far as the South 

Seas; * * *

The second charter fixed the northern boundary at approximately 

the present location of the northern boundary of North Carolina.

Because of the great distance between the settlements in the northern 

and southern parts of the Province, there was for many years a governor for each part. This condition finally resulted in the creation of 

separate Provinces, which became in full effect in 1729.11 Disputes 

regarding the division line commenced as early as 1732 and were not 

finally settled until 1813. In 1815 the unmarked part of the line was 

surveyed and marked, and the location was ratified by the legislature 

the same year. ( Cooper, 1836, p. 406-410.)

The following are positions for road crossings on the North 

Carolina-South Carolina line (Gannett, 1905, p. 88-89; 1907, p. 65-66; 

R. B. Marshall, 1914, p. 281; Birdseye, 1923, p. 877):

Latitude (N.) Longitude (W.)

33°53'24.9" 78°35'13.3"

34°59'39.0" 80°50'02.4"

35°04'29.0" 80°59'21.3"

35°03'41.5" 80°59'29.7"

35°09'01.5" 81°03'28.1"

35°09'28.4" 81°11'52.0"

35°10'17.8" 81°32'17.1"

In the constitution of North Carolina, adopted in 1776, this line 

is defined as stated in the subjoined extract (Thorpe, 1909, v. 5, p. 

2789) :

11 In 148 TJ S 506 the date on which the separation was approved by the Crown is

given as 1T32, but 1729 Is tne dale given in "Soutn Carolina Resources ana ropulation,"

p. 425, State Board of Agriculture, 1883. ,See also Mills (1826, p. 182 ; app., p. 34).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NORTH CAROLINA 153

* * * beginning on the sea side at a cedar stake, at or near the mouth of Little 

River (being the southern extremity of Brunswick county,) and running from 

thence a northwest course, through the boundary house, which stands in thirtythree degrees fifty-six minutes, to thirty-five degree north latitude, and from 

thence a west course so far as is mentioned in the charter of King Charles the 

Second to the late Proprietors of Carolina. Therefore, all the territories, seas, 

waters, and habours, with their appurtenances, lying between the line above 

described, and the southern line of the State of Virginia, which begins on the sea 

shore, in thirty-six degrees thirty minutes north latitude, and from thence runs 

west, agreeable to the said Charter of King Charles, are the right and property 

of the people of this State, to be held by them in sovereignty; any partial line, 

without the consent of the Legislature of this State, at any time thereafter 

directed or laid out in anywise notwithstanding.

* * * And provided also, That it shall not be construed so as to prevent the 

establishment of one or more governments westward of this State, by consent 

of the Legislature: * * *.

On December 2, 1789, the Legislature of North Carolina passed an 

act ceding to the United States the western lands now constituting 

the State of Tennessee. (See fig. 14.) On February 25,1790, the deed 

was offered, and on April 2,1790, it was accepted by the United States.

In the Kevised Statutes of North Carolina the boundaries of the 

State are described as follows: The north boundary, the parallel of 

36°30'; the south boundary, a line running northwest from Goat 

Island, on the coast in lat 33°56' N., to the parallel of 35°, and thence 

along that parallel to Tennessee; and the west boundary is the Smoky 

Mountains. The intention had been from the earliest colonial times 

to establish the northern boundary upon the parallel of 36°30'. This 

is the wording of every legislative act relating to it, and the errors of 

this boundary are due simply to errors in surveying.

The following description of the boundary lines of this State and 

of the various attempts made to locate them is taken from the report 

of the North Carolina Geological Survey (Kerr, 1875, v. 1, p. 2-4):

The first and only serious attempt to ascertain the northern boundary was 

that made in 1728 by Col. Wm. Byrd and others, commissioners on the part of 

the two colonies, acting under royal authority. From the account given by 

Byrd of this undertaking, it appears that they started from a point on the 

coast whose position they determined by observation to be in 36°31' north 

latitude, and ran due west (correcting for the variation of the compass), to 

Nottoway [Blackwater] River, where they made an offset 12 of a half mile to 

the mouth of that stream, again running west. The line was run arid marked 

242 miles from the coast, to a point in Stokes County, on the upper waters of 

the Dan River (on Peter's Creek), the North Carolina commissioners accompanying the party only about two-thirds of the distance. .Beyond this point 

the line was carried some 90 miles by another joint commission of the two

12 This break in the line is in accordance with an agreement made in 1727 between the 

governors of the two colonies. Its measured length is 2,977 feet. For text of the agreement and abstract of report of the commissioners who ran part of the line in 1779-80, 

see 148 U.S. 507-510.
154 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

colonies in 1749; this survey, terminating at Steep Rock Creek, on the east 

of Stone Mountain, and near the present northwest corner of the State, estimated 

to be 329 miles from the coast. In 1779 the line was taken up again at a point 

on Steep Rock Creek, determined by observation to be on the parallel of 36°30' 

(the marks of the previous survey having disappeared entirely), and carried 

west to and beyond Bristol, Tenn. This last is known as the Walker line [see 

p. 149], from one of the commissioners of Virginia.

These lines were run and the latitude observations taken with very imperfect 

instruments, and the variation of the compass was little understood, so that it 

was not possible to trace a parallel of latitude. The line, besides was only 

marked on the trees and soon disappeared, and as the settlements were very 

scattered, the location soon became a matter of vague tradition and presently 

of contention and litigation, so that in 1858, at the instance of Virginia commissioners were appointed to relocate the line from the end of the Byrd survey 

westward; but for some reason they did not act. In 1870 commissioners were 

again appointed by Virginia and similar action asked on the part of this State; 

and the proposition was renewed in 1871, but ineffectually as before. In all 

these numerous attempts to establish the line of division between the two 

colonies and States the intention and the specific instructions have been to 

ascertain and mark, as the boundary of the two States, the parallel of 36°30'. 

The maps published toward the end of the last century t>y Jefferson and others 

give that parallel as the line, and the Bill of Rights of North Carolina claims 

that "all territory lying between the line above described (the line between 

North and South Carolina) and the southern line of the State of Virginia, 

which begins on the seashore in 36°30' north latitude, and from thence runs 

west, agreeably to the charter of King Charles, are the right and property of 

this State." But it appears from the operations of the United States Coast 

Survey at both ends of the line that the point of beginning on Currituck Inlet, 

instead of being, as so constantly assumed, in latitude 36°30', or as determined 

by the surveyors in 1728, 36°31', is 36°33'15", and the western end (of "the 

Walker line," of 1779, at Bristol, Tenn.), 36°34'25.5". [See p. 149 for later data.] 

It is stated in Byrd's Journal that the variation of the compass was ascertained 

to be a little less than 3° W. (The magnetic chart of the United States Coast 

Survey would make it E.) And no account is given of any subsequent correction, 

and if none was made at the end of the line surveyed by him the course would 

have been in error by nearly 3°, as the amount of variation in this State changes 

a little more than 1° for every 100 miles of easting and westing. So that the 

northern boundary of the State as run is not only not the parallel of 36°30', but 

is far from coincident with any parallel of latitude and must be a succession of 

curves, with their concavities northward and connected at their ends by north 

and south offsets.

The southern boundary between this State and South Carolina and Georgia 

was first establishd by a joint colonial commisison in 1735 to 1740. Tne commissioners ran a line from Goat Island on the coast (in latitude 33°56' as supposed), northwest to the parallel of 35°, according to their observations, and 

then due west to within a few miles of the Catawba River, and here, at the old 

Salisbury and Charleston road, turned north along that road to the southeast 

corner of the Catawba Indian lands. This line, resurveyed in 1764, was afterward (in 1772) continued along the eastern and northern boundaries of the 

Catawba lands to the point where the latter intersects the Catawba River; 

thence along and up that river to the mouth of the South Fork of the Oatawba, 

and thence due west, as supposed, to a point near the Blue Ridge. This part
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NORTH CAROLINA 155

of the line was resurveyed and confirmed by commissioners under acts of Assembly of 1803, 1804, 1806, 1813, 1814, and 1815, and continued west to and along 

the Saluda Mountains and the Blue Ridge to the intersection of the "Cherokee 

boundary" of 1797, and thence in a direct line to the Chatooga River at its intersection with the parallel of 35°. From this point the line was run west to the 

Tennessee line, between this State and Georgia, in 1807,13 confirmed and 

established by act of 1819.

The boundary between this State and Tennessee was run according to the 

course designated in the act of 1789, entitled "An act for the purpose of ceding 

to the United States certain western lands therein described" (the State of 

Tennessee) that is, along the crest of the Smoky Mountains, from the Virginia 

line to the Cataluche River (in Hay wood County), in 1799, under act of 1796. It 

was continued from this point to the Georgia line in 1821. The commissioners 

who completed this line, at the date last mentioned, instead of following their 

instructions, diverged from the crest of the Smoky (Unaka) Mountains at the 

intersection of the Hiwassee turnpike and ran due South " to the Georgia line, 

thereby losing for the State the valuable mining region since known as Ducktown.

And as to the southern boundary, the point of beginning on Goat Island 

is in latitude 33°51'37", as shown by the Coast Survey, and instead of running 

from Goat Island northwest to latitude of 35° and thence along that parallel, 

it appears, from the South Carolina geographical State survey of 1821-1825, that 

the course from the starting point is N. 47°30' W., and instead of pursuing the 

parallel of 35°, it turns west about 10 miles south of that line, and then, on 

approaching the Catawba River, turns northward, pursuing a zigzag line to the 

forks of the Catawba River, which is about 12 miles north of that parallel; and 

from this point to the mountains the boundary line (of 1772) runs, not west, 

but N. 88° W., bringing its western end about 17 miles too far north and reaching 

the (supposed) parallel of 35° at a distance of about 130 miles west of the 

Catawba River. The loss of territory to the State resulting from these singular 

deviations is probably between 500 and 1,000 square miles.

The U.S. Geological Survey has determined several approximate 

positions for points on the North Carolina-Virginia line, three of 

which are as follows:

Latitude (N.) Longitude (W.)

36°32'42.6" 77°31'50"

36°32'29.6" 79°24'00"

36°32'21.9" 79°29'19"

Four latitude stations were established near the east end of this 

line by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1886-87. (For descriptions, see Beall, 1925, p. 228.)

The following extract from the Tennessee constitution of 1796 

defines the eastern boundary of that State, which is the western 

boundary of North Carolina, as it was intended to be run and marked 

(Thorpe, 1.909, v. 6, p. 3424) :

Beginning on the extreme height of the Stone Mountain at the place where the 

line of Virginia intersects it, in latitude thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes 

north; running thence along the extreme height of the said mountain to the place

18 This is an error. The line was run In 1819.

14 Probably run on compass meridian; the line as marked actually runs about 6° west 

of true south.
156 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

where Watauga River breaks through it; thence a direct course to the top of 

the Yellow Mountain, where Bright's road crosses the same; thence along the 

ridge of said mountain, between the waters of Doe River and the waters of 

Rock Creek, to the place where the road crosses the Iron Mountain; from thence 

along the extreme height of said mountain to where Nolichucky River runs 

through the same; thence to the top of the Bald Mountain; thence along the 

extreme height of said mountain to the Painted Rock, on French Broad River; 

thence along the highest ridge of said mountain to the place where it is called 

the Great Iron or Smoky Mountain; thence along the extreme height of said 

mountain to the place where it is called Unicoi or Unaka Mountain between the 

Indian towns of Cowee and Old Chota; thence along the main ridge of the said 

mountain to the southern boundary of this State, as described in the act of 

cession of North Carolina to the United States of America.

Commissioners appointed by authority of the Legislature of North 

Carolina surveyed and marked a part of the Tennessee line in 1799. 

Beginning at the Virginia line they ran southwestward along the 

crest of the mountains to the highest pinnacle of the Smoky Mountains 

beyond the French Broad Kiver, where they stopped. Neither 

Tennessee nor the United States was represented in this survey. 

A certified copy of the field notes was given to Tennessee in 1803, 

but it does not appear that the line as run was ratified by either 

State. North Carolina was, however, apparently bound by the action 

of its commissioners.

In 1819 North Carolina authorized the extension of the line of 

1799 (Laws of North Carolina for 1819, chap. 11) and in 1820 Tennessee took like action. The line was completed to the Georgia State 

line, and the extension was formally ratified by both States in 1821. 

The original map for the 1821 survey of the North Carolina-Tennessee 

line is said to be in the State archives in Nashville.

In 1885 commissioners were appointed to rerun the part of the 

line of 1799 from Iron Mountain at Indian Grove Gap to the point 

where the Jonesboro and Asheville road passes over Bald Mountain. The line was run in 1886, but the commissioners failed to agree 

on a part of the line about 6 miles long near the Nolichucky Eiver. 

The North Carolina commissioner followed as closely as possible 

the survey of 1799, but the Tennessee commissioner insisted on a

line about a mile farther east. The report of the North Carolina

commissioner is given in full in Document 22 of the North Carolina

Legislature, session of 1887. No further action appears to have 

been taken by either State toward a settlement of this dispute, but 

in 1915 a suit involving the proper location of the boundary was 

decided in the Tennessee Supreme Court in favor of the line as marked 

by the North Carolina commissioner (Thompson, 1916, v. 7, p. 35-66). 

The commissioners who surveyed the southern part of the west 

boundary of North Carolina in 1821 depended almost entirely on
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NORTH CAROLINA 157

blazes on trees for their marks, and, although they did not run 

out the line as described by statute, the entire line as marked was 

accepted by the legislatures of the two States.

In recent years many disputes regarding the exact location of 

parts of the line have arisen, and they were finally taken to the 

Supreme Court of the United States. Commissioners appointed to 

re-mark the boundary filed their report October 29, 1915, having remarked the line from the point where it first intersects the Little 

Tennessee River down the north side of the river about half a mile, 

thence across the river and up Slickrock Creek to a point near the 

mouth of Big Stack Gap Branch, thence up a ridge leading to Big 

Fodderstack Mountain, thence along the main ridge to a place locally 

known as "County Corners," thence along State Kidge to the Tellico 

River, thence in a southwesterly course to the top of Jenks Knob. 

South of this point sufficient marks of the survey of 1821 were known 

to fix the line as above described.15

The approximate position for the southwest corner of North 

Carolina and the southeast corner of Tennessee at a point on the 

Georgia line is lat 34°59'17" N., long 84°19<19" W.

In 1879 the legislature passed an act to appoint commissioners to 

make a survey from the northeast corner of Georgia westward. This 

point of commencement is common to North Carolina, South Carolina, 

and Georgia.

In 1881 the legislature passed another act providing for the appointment of a commissioner, who should act with commissioners 

from Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, or Tennessee, to rerun and 

re-marl? the boundaries between North Carolina and the other States.

In 1888 a joint commission reran the Byrd line of 1728 between the 

ocean at Currituck Inlet and the Nottoway (now Blackwater) River, 

a distance of 59% miles,16 28 appropriately marked granite monuments were established, and astronomic determinations of latitude 

were made for five of them, as follows (the longitudes are approximate) :

Monument 2, Knott Island, lat 36°32'59" N., long 75°55.7' W.

Monument 7, Northwest .River, lat 36°33'00" N., long 76°11.6/ W.

Monument 11, Dismal Swamp Canal, lat 36°33'02" N., long 76°22.7' 

W.

Monument 13, lat 36°33'01" N., long 76°33.5/ W.

Monument 28, Nottoway (now Blackwater) River, lat 36°32/36// 

N.,long76°56'W.

15 See 235 U.S. 3-17 for the decision of the court, which includes a Historical description of the line and extracts from the field notes of the 1821 survey; and 240 U.S. 652 

for report of commissioners. See Williams (1920) for description of. the survey of this 

line.

16 See North Carolina Pub. Doc. SI, sess. of 1889, for a fall report.
158 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

SOUTH CAROLINA «

The territory within the present State of South Carolina was 

included in the charter of Carolina, which also embraced what is now 

the State of Georgia. (See North Carolina, p. 151-152.)

The settlement of Carolina under the charter of 1665 had been 

carried on from two points, and

While there had been no formal division of the domain into distinct territories, these settlements at the two points had at first distinct governments; and 

the northern portion had gradually acquired the informal designation of North 

Carolina; the southern that of South Carolina [McCrady, 1899, p. 3].

In 1719 there was a concerted revolt by the southern settlements 

against the proprietary government of Carolina, but not until 1729 

was the separation of the two colonies formally recognized by the 

Parliament of Great Britain.

For a history of the settlement of the boundary between North 

Carolina and South Carolina, see North Carolina, pages 152-153.

By the charter of Georgia (1732) the line between South Carolina, 

and Georgia was to be the Savannah River to its head. In 1762, 

difficulties having arisen concerning the interpretation of the charter, 

the head of the Savannah, and the title to the lands south of the 

Altamaha River claimed by South Carolina, Georgia made complaint 

to the King, who issued a proclamation in 1763 giving the lands 

between the Altamaha and St. Marys Rivers to Georgia. The question 

of the boundary on the Savannah, however, remained unsettled until 

1787, when, a convention between the two States was held at Beaufort, 

S.C., to determine it, and the line was fixed as at present. (See fig. 15.) 

The following is an extract from the articles of agreement (1 Stat. 

L.466):

The most northern branch or stream of the river Savannah from the sea or 

mouth of such stream to the fork or confluence of the rivers now called Tugaloo 

and Keowa, 'and from thence the most northern branch or stream of the said

river Tugaloo till it intersects the northern boundary line of South Carolina,

if the said branch or stream of Tugaloo extends so far north, reserving all the 

islands in the said rivers Savannah and Tugaloo to Georgia; but if the head 

spring or source of any branch or stream of the said river Tugaloo does not extend 

to the north boundary line of South Carolina, then a west line to the Mississippi, 

to be drawn from the head spring or source of the said branch or stream of 

Tugaloo River which extends to the highest northern latitude, shall forever 

hereafter form the separation, limit, and boundary between the States of South

Carolina and Georgia.

In the same year South Carolina ceded to the United States a strip 

of territory which she claimed, about 12 or 14 miles wide, south of the

"For copies of laws, reports of commissioners, and references to documents relating to 

the boundary lines of this State from 157(6 to 1815, see Cooper (1836, p. 404-421).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES GEORGIA 159

North Carolina line and extending from the source of the Chattooga 

River to the Mississippi. South Carolina's claim to 'this narrow 

strip south of the 35th parallel was based on inadequate geographic 

information. It was no doubt believed that the source of the "most 

northern branch or stream of the said river Tugaloo" was some 

distance south of the North Carolina line, but recent surveys show 

that the headwaters of the Chattooga, which is a branch of the 

Tugaloo, are north of the 35th parallel and within the limits of 

North Carolina. (See U.S. Geol. Survey map of the Co wee quadrangle, N.C.-S.C.) Although South Carolina thus had no right to 

claim this strip, later disputes regarding it were made impossible by 

its cession to the United States in 1787 and the cession of the eastern 

part to Georgia by the United States in 1802. (See p. 160.)

In 1917 the Legislature of Georgia authorized the bringing of suit 

in the Supreme Court of the United States in order to settle a longstanding dispute between that State and South Carolina regarding 

their common boundary. The court decision, rendered January 30, 

1922, is in part as follows (see 257 U.S. 517 and 259 U.S. 572):

(1) Where there 'are no islands in the boundary rivers the location of the 

line between the two States is on the water midway between the main banks 

of the river when the waiter is at ordinary stage; (2) where there are islands 

the line is midway between the Island bank and the South Carolina shore 

when the waiter is at ordinary stage; and (3) that islands in the Chattooga 

River are reserved to Georgia as completely as are those in the Savannah or 

Tugaloo rivers.

GEORGIA

Georgia was included in the proprietary charter granted to the 

lords proprietors of Carolina in 1662 and 1663, for which a provincial 

charter was substituted in 1719.

In 1732 the charter of Georgia as an independent colony was granted 

by King George II. The following is an extract (Thorpe, 1909, v. 2, 

p. 771):

* * * all those lands, coumtrys, and territories, situate, lying and being in that 

part of South Carolina, in America, which lies from the most northern part of 

a stream or river there, commonly called the Savannah, all along the sea coast 

to the southward, unto the most southern stream of a certain other great water 

or river called the Alatamaha, and westerly from the heads of the said rivers, 

respectively, in direct lines to the south seas, * * * with the islands of the 

sea, lying opposite to the eastern coast of the said lands, within twenty leagues 

of the same.

This charter was surrendered in 1752, and a provincial government 

was established.

In 1763 the territory between the Altamaha and St. Marys Rivers 

was added to Georgia by royal proclamation. (See South Carolina, 

p. 158.)
160 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

In the constitution adopted by Georgia in 1798 the boundaries are 

thus described (see fig. 15) (Thorpe, 1909, v. 2, p. 794):

The limits, boundaries, jurisdictions, and authority of the State of Georgia 

do, and did, and of right ought to extend from the sea or mouth of the river 

Savannah, along the northern branch or stream thereof, to the fork or confluence of the rivers now called Tugalo and Keowee, and from thence along the 

most northern branch or stream of the said river Tugalo, till it intersect the 

northern boundary line of South Carolina, if the said branch or stream of 

Tugalo extends so far north, reserving all the islands in the said river® Savannah 

and Tugalo to Georgia; but if the head, spring, or source of any branch or 

stream of the said river Tugalo does not extend to the north boundary line of 

South Carolina, then a west line to the Mississippi, to be drawn from the head, 

spring, or source of the said branch or stream of Tugalo River, which extends 

to the highest northern latitude; thence down the middle of the said river 

Mississippi until it shall intersect the northernmost part of the thirty-first degree 

of north latitude, south by a line drawn due east from the termination of the 

line last mentioned, in the latitude of thirty-one degrees north of 'the equator, 

to the middle of the river Apalachicola or Chatahoochee; thence along the 

middle thereof, to its junction with Flint River; thence straight to the head of 

Saint Mary's River, and thence, along the middle of Saint Mary's River, to the 

Atlantic Ocean, and from thence to the mouth or inlet of Savannah River, the 

place of beginning, including and comprehending all the lands and waters within 

the said limits, boundaries, and jurisdictional rights; and also all the islands 

within twenty leagues of the seacoast.

In 1802 articles of agreement were entered into whereby Georgia 

ceded to the United States the lands west of its present boundaries, 

and the United States ceded to Georgia the eastern part of the South 

Carolina cession of 1787. (See South Carolina, p. 158-159.)

The following extracts (Georgia act of Apr. 24, 1802) show the 

limits of the two cessions:

The State of Georgia cedes to the United States all the right, title, and claim 

which the said State has to the jurisdiction and soil of the lands situated 

within the boundaries of the United States, south of the State of Tennessee 

and west Of a line beginning on the western bank of the Chatahouchie River

where the same crosses the boundary line between the United States and Spain ; 

running thence up the said River Chatahouchie, an<l along the western i>ank

thereof to the great bend thereof, next above the place where a certain creek 

or river, called "Uchee" ('being the first considerable stream on the western 

side, above the Cussetas and Coweta towns), empties into the Chatahouchie 

River; thence in a direct line to Nickajack, on Tennessee River; thence crossing 

the said last-mentioned river, and thence running up the said Tennessee River 

and along the western bank thereof to the southern boundary line of the State 

of Tennessee.

*******

The United States * * * cede to the State of Georgia * * * the lands * * * 

situated south of the southern boundaries of the States of Tennessee, North and 

South Carolina, and east of the boundary line herein above described as the 

eastern boundary of the territory ceded by Georgia to the United States.
161
162 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

For lands ceded to the United States, Georgia was to be paid 

$1,250,000 from the net proceeds of land to be sold. (Donaldson, 1884, 

p. 80.)

For a history of the boundary between Georgia and South Carolina, 

see South Carolina, page 158.

The history of the boundary between North Carolina and Georgia 

has already been given. (See p. 154-155.) It may be proper, however, to add that this line (the 35th degree of north latitude) was fixed 

by the cession, above detailed, from the United States to Georgia 

of that part of the South Carolina cession east of the present western 

boundary of Georgia.

A long controversy ensued between Georgia and North Carolina 

regarding the boundary, with no results until 1810, when Georgia 

empowered its governor to employ Andrew Ellicott to ascertain the 

true location of the 35th degree of latitude. Ellicott did so, and the 

point fixed by him was approved by both States. (Cobb, 1851, p. 150.)

The boundary between Georgia and Tennessee, established in 1818, 

is described as follows: 18

Beginning at a point in the true parallel of the thirty-fifth degree of north 

latitude, as found by James Camak, mathematician on the part of the 'State of 

Georgia, and James S. Gaines, mathematician on the part of the State of Tennessee, on a rock about two feet high, four inches thick, and fifteen inches 

broad, engraved on the north side thus: "June 1st, 1818; var. 6% east," and on 

the south side thus: "Geo. lat. 3'5 north; J. Camak," which rock stands one 

mile and twenty-eight poles from the south bank of the Tennessee river, due 

south from near the center of the old Indian town of Nickajack, and near the 

top of the Nickajack Mountain, at the supposed corner of the states of Georgia 

and Alabama; thence running due east, leaving old D. Ross two miles and 

eighteen yards in the State of Tennessee, and leaving the house of John Ross 

about two hundred yards in the State of Georgia, and the house of David 

McNair one mile and one-fourth of a mile in the State of Tennessee, with blazed 

and mile-marked trees, lessening the variation of the compass by degrees, closing 

it at the termination of the line on the top of the Unicoi Mountain at five and 

one-half degrees.

Another line for the boundary between Georgia and Tennessee, based 

on new observations for latitude, was run in 1826 by James Camak, 

along a parallel about 37.9 chains north of the line run by him in 1818, 

but apparently it was not accepted by either State as the true line. 

Attempts have been made by Georgia to have the line relocated, but 

the line as run in 1818 still stands as the accepted boundary, although 

in places it is a mile south of the 35th parallel.

18 Tennessee Laws, 1817-1820, v. 2, p. 475 ; Georgia Laws, 1810-1819, p. 1217 ; see also 

Haywood, 1823, p. 13. The description given by Haywood differs slightly in wording 

from the others, but the essential features are the same. A copy of the map Of the Survey 

is on file in the office of the Georgia Secretary of State.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES GEORGIA 163

The present boundary between South Carolina and Georgia is thus 

described (Janes, 1876, p. 120):

Beginning 'at the mouth of the Savannah River; along the river to the junction 

of the Kiowee, and along the Tugaloo to the junction of the Tallula and Chattooga; thence along the Chattooga to a point on the 35th parallel of north 

latitude, at the union of the northern boundary of :South Carolina and the 

southern boundary of North Carolina. The general course is about N. 35° 

W., and the length, in a direct line, about 247 miles. It terminates at Ellicott's 

Rock, on the Chattooga River, marked "Lat. 35°, A. D. 1813, N. C., S. C."

This line, in conformity with the treaty of Beaufort, separates Georgia from 

South Carolina (all the islands of the river Savannah, Tugaloo, and Chattooga 

being reserved to Georgia).

The boundary between Georgia and Florida was fixed by the treaty 

of 1783, between the United States and Great Britain, substantially 

as at present, namely:

Commencing in the middle of the Apalachiocola or Catahouche River, on the 

thirty-first degree of north latitude; thence along the middle thereof to its 

junction with the Flint River ; thence straight to the head of Saint Marys River, 

and thence down the middle of that river to the Atlantic Ocean.

This boundary was affirmed by the treaty of 1795 between the United 

States and Spain.

In 1799 Andrew Ellicott, as commissioner for the United States, 

was directed to survey and mark this line from the Mississippi to 

the Atlantic Ocean. From a point near the Mississippi, determined 

by him as on the 31st parallel, he ran a line due east to a point 

near the mouth of the Flint Kiver, the latitude of which he determined 

as 30°42'42.8" N., where he was forced to stop work because of hostile 

Indians. He then proceeded by water to the St. Marys Kiver and up 

that river to what he took to be the source of its longest branch, where 

he erected a large mound, the latitude of which he reported as "about 

30°34' N." (Ellicott, 1814).19

The line joining these two marks had not yet been surveyed when 

Spain ceded the Floridas to the United States in 1819. The uncertainty regarding the position of this boundary was the cause of many 

disputes, which became more acute as the country became more thickly 

settled. Georgia claimed that the headwaters of the St. Marys were 

at the source of a southern branch. This claim if conceded would 

give additional territory to that State variously estimated at 800 to 

2,355 square miles. On the other hand, the U.S. commissioners maintained that the real source of the St. Marys was 2 miles north of the 

Ellicott mound.

19 Ellicott's journal relating to this survey, Including maps, was published in 1803 by 

Budd & Bartram, for Thomas Dobson, at the Stone House, 41 South Second Street, Philadelphia, and again in 1814 by William Fry, of Philadelphia.
164 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Apparently Georgia, at least temporarily, accepted the Ellicott 

mound as the proper eastern terminus of the straight boundary, and 

some time before 1825 had the "Watson line" run between the two 

marks established by Ellicott. It is uncertain when this line was run 

and whether it was ordered run by Georgia, although it is mentioned 

in official documents as having been run by that State.

In 1825 a second line was run by D. F. McNeil, a contract surveyor 

for the U.S. General Land Office, and tjiis line although not formally 

accepted by the General Land Office, was looked upon for more than 

20 years as the proper location of the boundary.

In 1826 Congress authorized the survey and marking of a line which

shall be run straight from the junction of said rivers Chatahoochie and Flint 

to the point designated as the head of Saint Marys River.

Georgia, not content with either the Watson or the McNeil line, 

continued to press her claims and in 1827 passed an act forbidding 

any surveys of public land in the disputed territory (south of the 

Ellicott mound line) without authority of law.

In 1846 both Georgia and Florida consented to the appointment of 

commissioners who should fix the boundary, and this action resulted 

in 1859 in the running of the "Orr and Whitner line" between the 

mouth of the Flint River and the Ellicott mound on the St. Marys. 

The line as then marked was accepted by Florida in 1861 and by 

Georgia in 1866.

All three lines described are indicated on township plats of the 

General Land Office in Florida book 43.20

The southern boundary of Georgia is thus described (Janes, 1876, 

p. 121; Georgia Code, 1873, p. 7; Florida Code, 1872) :

Thence down the western bank of the river [Chattahoochee] at high water 

mark to its junction with Flint River, at a point now four chains below the 

actual junction latitude 30°42'42", longitude 80°53'15". The average direction 

of this line is about 'S. 6° E., and 'distance about 150 miles direct. About 130 

miles it separates Georgia from Alabama, and the remaining 20 miles from

Florida.

Thence along Orr and Whitner's line, S. 87°17'22" E. (average direction),

15&-28/80 miles, to a point 37 links north of Ellicott's mound, on St. Marys 

River. This line is marked by a succession of mounds about 10 feet at the base 

and 5 feet high a very permanent form of landmark and separates Georgia 

from Florida. It continues approximately and on an average as follows: 

From Ellicoitt's mound S. 10° E., about 10 miles; thence east 8 miles; thence

north 24 miles ; -thence east 33 miles, following the St. Marys River in. its

tortuous windings to the Atlantic Ocean.

The reference to the boundary following the west bank of the 

Chattahoochee is erroneous. The Georgia Supreme Court, in 1930,

20 For copies of official documents, Federal and State, relating to this boundary, of dates 

from 1789 to 1846, see U.S. Congress (1855), a book of more than 400 pages.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES GEORGIA 165

stated that the boundary between Georgia and Florida follows the 

middle of the river (Southeastern Reporter, 1930, v. 154, p. 255). 

The court cited the treaties of 1783, between the United States and 

Great Britain, and of 1795 between the United States and Spain, 

which fixed the National Boundary.

In 1872 Congress passed an act to confirm the titles to land "'between the line run by Georgia, known as the Watson line, and the 

Orr and Whitner line, lately established as the true boundary 

between the said States" (Marshall, 1910, p. 170).

The line between Georgia and Alabama was fixed by the act of 

cession from Georgia to the United States in 1802. (See p. 160.) In 

1822-1825 Georgia, desiring to have the line run from the Chattahoochee to the point where it strikes the Tennessee line, appointed 

commissioners for that purpose and requested the cooperation of 

Alabama and the United States; the latter, however, took no action.

It had 'been ascertained by actual survey in running the random 

line that the first great bend in the river next above the mouth of 

the Uchee, from which a right line would run to Nickajack without 

touching the river, was the Big Shoal or Millers Bend, and this the 

commissioners on the part of Georgia contended was the bend at 

which the line should begin (Georgia Laws, 1826, p. 209).

In this contention the commissioners from Alabama refused to 

concur; consequently the line was run from Nickajack to Millers Bend 

by the Georgia commissioners alone. Alabama protested against this 

line and made repeated efforts to reopen negotiations concerning it, 

to all of which Georgia steadily refused to accede, until finally, 

January 24, 1840, the Legislature of Alabama passed the following 

joint resolution:

Resolved, That the State of Alabama will and do hereby, accept .as the true 

dividing line between this State and that of Georgia, the line which was run 

and marked out by the commissioners of Georgia in 1826, beginning at what is 

called Millers Bend, on the Chattahoochee River; thence along said marked 

line to Nickajack.

The line is described in the Code of Alabama (1876, p. 189) in the 

following words:

The boundary line between Alabama and Georgia commences on the west side 

of the Chattahoochee River at the point where it enters the State of Florida; 

from thence up the river, along the western branch thereof, to the point on 

Millers Bend next above the place where the Uchee Creek empties into such 

river; thence in a direct line to Nickajack.

The description of the western boundary of Georgia follows: (Janes, 

1876, p. 121) .......

From Nickajack the line between Georgia and Alabama runs south 9° 30' 

east to Millers Bend, on the Ohattahoochee River, about 146 miles. Thence 

down the western bank of the river at high-water mark to its junction with Flint
166 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVE.RAL STATES

River, at a point now four chains below the actual junction, latitude 30°42' 

42", longitude 80°53'15". The average direction of this line is about south 

6° east, and distance about 150 miles direct.

The U.S. Supreme Court (13 Howard 381; see also 260 U.S. 628) 

decreed regarding the river boundary between Georgia and Alabama 

that

The boundary line runs up the river on and along its western bank * * * 

the water line impressed upon the bank above the slope is the line * * * 

Both bank and bed are to be ascertained by inspection, and the line is where 

the action of the water has permanently marked itself upon the soil. * * * 

We must reject, altogether, the attempt to trace the line by either ordinary 

low water or low water. These terms are only predicable of those parts of 

rivers within the ebb and flow of the tides, * * * The permanent fast-land 

bank is referred to as governing the line. And where the bank is fairly 

marked by the water, that water level will show at all places where the line is.

FLORIDA

Florida was originally settled by the Spaniards and was held as 

a Spanish Province for nearly 200 years. In 1763 it was ceded by 

Spain to Great Britain, which divided it into the two Provinces of 

East Florida and West Florida, separated by the Apalachicola Kiver. 

East Florida had the same northern boundary as the present State 

(fig. 15), and West Florida at first had a northern boundary on the 

31st parallel, but in 1764 the Province was extended northward to the 

paralled through the mouth of Yassous Kiver (now the Yazoo), said 

to be in lat 32°28' N (Lowery and McCardle, 1891, p. 108; Donaldson, 

1884, p. 108). Geological Survey maps show an old mouth of the 

Yazoo in lat 32°22' N.

The peace treaty concluded in 1782 between the United States

and Great Britain specified the 31st parallel as the boundary between

the United States and West Florida, but by a separate article provided 

as follows (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 584):

It is hereby understood and agreed that in case Great Britain, at the conclusion of the present war, shall recover or be put in possession of West 

Florida, the line of north boundary between the said province and the United 

States shall be a line drawn from the mouth of the river Yassous, where it

unites with the Mississippi, due east to the river Apalachicola.

In 1783 Great Britain retroceded Florida to Spain without a definite 

settlement of the northern boundary of West Florida, which at 

once became a matter of dispute between the United States and Spain. 

Spain claimed the territory as far north as the parallel through the

mouth of the Yassous; the United States claimed the 31st parallel 

as the boundary under the treaties of 1782 and 1783, and on that 

parallel it was fixed by the treaty with Spain signed October 27,1795.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES FLORIDA 167

(Chambers, 1898; Fairbanks, 1871, p. 209; Fuller, 1906. See also 13 

Howard 406.)

Not only was the northern boundary of West Florida in dispute, 

but after the Louisiana purchase of 1803 the United States claimed 

the entire area east to the Perdido River. (See p. 41.) The act of 

February 12,1813 (3 Stat. L. 472) authorized the President to occupy 

that area and appropriate $20,000 for carrying the act into effect.

Although the Spanish treaty concluded February 22, 1819, was 

not in full effect until February 22,1821 (see p. 43), Congress, by act 

of March 3, 1819 (Stat. L. 523), authorized the President to take 

possession of th.e Floridas and to establish a temporary government 

therein.

By an act approved March 30, 1822 (3 Stat. L. 654), the territory 

east of the Mississippi River ceded to the United States by Spain 

was made the Territory of Florida, embracing the same area as the 

present State. On March 3, 1845, Florida was admitted to the Union 

as an independent State (5 Stat. L. 742).

For a history of the northern boundary of Florida, see Georgia, 

pages 163-165.

In 1831 Congress passed an act relating to the boundary between 

Florida and Alabama (4 Stat. L. 479), from which the following is an 

extract:

That the President of the United States be, and he is hereby, authorized to 

cause to be run and marked the boundary line between the state of Alabama 

and the territory of Florida, by the surveyors-general of Alabama and Florida, 

on the thirty-first degree of north latitude.

In 1847 the agreement of commissioners previously appointed by 

Florida and Alabama was ratified, and the line is described as follows 

(Florida Acts and Resolutions, 1848, 3d sess., p. 36, Tallahassee) :

Commencing on the Chattahoochee River near a place known as "Irwin's Mills" 

and running west to the Perdido, marked throughout by blazes on the trees; and 

also by mounds of earth thrown up on the line, at distances of 1 mile, more or less, 

from each other, and commonly known as the "mound line," or "Ellicott's line."

This line was run in 1799 by Andrew Ellicott. It was retraced and 

re-marked in 1853-54 by B. F. Whitner, Jr., and again retraced in 1911, 

by authority of an act of Congress (36 Stat. L. 844) approved June 25, 

1910. The examiner in 1911 reported (U.S. Cong., 1911, p. 19) that

Many of the mounds erected by Whitner in reestablishing the Ellicott line are 

in perfect condition and are the best evidence remaining of the original surveys 

in the vicinity.

The line between the two States is given in general terms in the 

Florida Code as follows:

Commencing at the mouth of the Perdido River, from thence up the middle 

of said river to where it intersects the south boundary line of the State of

776-664 O-66 12
168 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Alabama and the thirty-first degree of north latitude; then due east to the 

Chattahoochee River.

In 1953, the States of Florida and Alabama agreed to define their 

boundary at the mouth of the Perdido Kiver and extend it seaward 

into the Gulf of Mexico as permitted by the Submerged Lands Act. 

The compact provided that the boundary should pass through a control point at lat 30°16'53" N., long 87°31'06" W. From this point 

it runs due north to 30°17/02// N., and due south to a point 1000 feet 

from the control point. From the north end of this line, the boundary 

extends up the river in a straight line to a point at lat 30°18/00// N., 

long 87°27'08" W., and irom there to a point on the centerline of the 

Intracoastal Canal at long 87°27'00" W. The seaward boundary 

extends S. 0°01'00" W. from the point at the south end of the line 

through the control point to the seaward limit of each respective State.

Congress approved this agreement on May 6,1954 (68 Stat. 77).

MISSISSIPPI

By an act approved April 7,1798 (1 Stat. 549), Congress authorized 

the establishment of Mississippi Territory, the boundaries of which 

were thus described:

All that tract of country bounded on the west by the Mississippi, on the north 

by a line to be drawn due east from the mouth of the Yasous [now called the 

Yazoo] to the Chatahouchee; on the east by the Chatahouchee; and on the south 

by the thirty-first degree of north latitude.

But as jurisdiction over this area was claimed by Georgia, the act 

provided for the appointment of commissioners to determine and adjust Georgia's claims, which were "declared to 'be as firm and available 

as if this act had never 'been made."

Georgia ceded its rights in this area to the United States in 1802. 

(See p. 160.) South Carolina having also ceded to the United States 

its claims to territory west of its present limits, the General Government in 1804, by an act of Congress (2 Stat. L. 305), annexed to the 

Mississippi Territory the tract of country lying north of the Territory 

and south of Tennessee and bounded on the east by Georgia and on tihe

west by Louisiana.

In 1812 the United States added to Mississippi Territory all the

lands lying east of the Pearl River, west of the Perdido, and south of 

the 31st degree of latitude (2 Stat. L. 734). The United States claimed 

this area as part of the Louisiana Purchase 'but had acquiesced in its 

temporary occupancy 'by Spain. By proclamation dated October 27,

1810, the President declared that possession Should be taken on behalf 

of the United States 'and directed the Governor of Orleans Territory 

to assume control of it. (Thorpe, 1909, v. 3, p. 1375.)
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MISSISSIPPI 169

FIGURE 16. Historical diagram of Mississippi.

By these additions the Mississippi Territory was made to comprise 

what is now included in Alabama and Mississippi.

On December 10,1817, the western part of the Mississippi Territory 

was made a State and admitted into the Union, 'by resolution of December 10, 1817 (3 Stat. L. 472); its boundaries were (see fig. 16) 

given in the enabling act of March 1,1817, as follows: 21

Beginning on the river Mississippi at the point where the southern boundary 

of the state of Tennessee strikes the same, thence east along the said boundary 

line to the Tennessee river, thence up the same to the mouth of Bear Creek, 

thence by a direct line to the northwest corner of the county of Washington, 

thence due south to the Gulf of Mexico, thence westwardly, including all the 

islands within six leagues of the shore, to the most eastern junction of Pearl 

river with Lake Borgne, thence up said river to the thirty-first degree of north 

latitude; thence west along said degree of latitude to the Mississippi river; 

thence up the same to the beginning.

* 3 Stat. L. 348. There is a historical description of the Mississippi boundary line in 

the Revised Code of the statute laws of Mississippi, 1857, p. 47-49, Jackson.
170

For further information concerning the eastern boundary, see Alabama, pages 173-174.

In 1819 the line between Mississippi and Tennessee was run by commissioners. In 1833 the Legislature of Tennessee passed an act (Laws 

of Tennessee, 1833, p. 52) denning the south 'boundary as the line run 

in 1830 by John Thompson, commissioner acting for Tennessee, but 

Mississippi refused to accept the line as thus marked.22 In 1837 the 

line was again run by commissioners from the two States and ratified 

by the legislatures. The commissioners' report was as follows (Tennessee laws, 1837, p. 27):

Commencing at a point on the west bank of the Tennessee river six four-pole 

chains south, or above the mouth of Yellow Creek, and about three-quarters of 

a mile north of the line known as "Thompson's line," and twenty-six chains and 

ten links north of Thompson's line at the basis meridian of the Chickasaw 

surveys, and terminating at a point on the east bank of the Mississippi river 

(opposite Cow Island) sixteen chains north of Thompson's line.

By joint resolutions (35 Stat. L. 1160, 1161) approved January 26, 

1909, Congress authorized Mississippi and Louisiana and Mississippi 

and Arkansas to fix the river 'boundary lines between them and to cede 

the one to the other any tracts of land that had 'been separated from the 

main 'body of either State by changes in the channel of Mississippi 

River.23

The change in the location of the river channel caused by the avulsion of 1912-13 at Albemarle Bend (about 15 miles north of Yicksburg) was referred to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that the 

boundary between the two States would remain 'as it was before the 

avulsion occurred (283 U.S. 791). The river is now (1965) considerably west of its former position.

In the Mississippi State Code the river boundary is described as '^he 

Mississippi River (meaning thereby the center of said river or thread 

of stream)."

LOUISIANA

The original territory of Louisiana was acquired from France. 

(See p. 34r-41 and fig. 3.) In 1804 a portion of this territory comprising part of the present State of Louisiana and the area south of 

lat 31° N. eastward to the Perdido, claimed by the United States as a 

part of the Louisiana Purchase, was organized into a Territory under

the name of Orleans, and the rest of the Louisiana Purchase was named

the District of Louisiana (2 Stat. 283). This name was changed to the

22 See Laws of Tennessee for 1833, p. 122, and Resolution 9 for reference to the Walker 

line.

28 Similar authority was granted to Missouri and Kansas and to Oregon and Washington 

in 1910 (36 Stat. L. 881; see also 211 U.S.. 127 and 214 U.S. 217).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES LOUISIANA 171

Territory of Louisiana by act of March 3,1805 (2 Stat. 331). By act 

of Congress of April 8,1812 (2 Stat. 702), effective April 30, the Territory of Orleans, except the area north and east of Lake Pontchartrain, 

which was added by a later act, was admitted as a State under the name 

of Louisiana, and by the act of June 4,1812, the name of the Territory 

of Louisiana was changed to Missouri Territory. (See fig. 19.) In 

the same year the limits of the State were enlarged on the southeast 

to their present extent (2 Stat. 708). The United States claim to the 

area between the Sabine and the Mississippi was not recognized by 

Spain until 1819.

The act approved March 26,1804, (2 Stat. 283) defines the Territory 

of Orleans as

all that portion of country, ceded by France to the United States under the name 

of Louisiana, which lies south of the Mississippi territory, and of an east and west 

line to commence on the Mississippi river, at the thirty-third degree of north latitude, and to extend west to the western boundary of the said cession, shall constitute a Territory of the United States, under the name of the territory of 

Orleans.

The following clause from the act admitting Louisiana as a State 

defines its original boundaries:

* * * beginning at the mouth of the river Sabine; thence by a line to be drawn 

along the middle of said river, including all islands, to the thirty-second degree 

of latitude; thence due north, to the northernmost part of the thirty-third degree 

of north latitude; thence along the said parallel of latitude to the river 

Mississippi; thence down the said river to the river Iberville, and from thence 

along the middle of the said river and lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain to 

the Gulf of Mexico; thence, bounded by the said gulf, to the place of beginning, 

including all islands within three leagues of the coast.

The Iberville Kiver is now known as Bayou Manchac. (See p. 35.) 

An act approved April 14, 1812 (2 Stat. 708), made the following 

addition to Louisiana:

Beginning at the junction of the Iberville with the river Mississippi, thence 

along the middle of the Iberville, the river Amite, and of the lakes Maurepas 

and Pontchartrain, to the eastern mouth of the Pearl River; thence up the 

eastern branch of Pearl River to the thirty-first degree of north latitude; thence 

along the said degree of latitude to the river Mississippi; thence down the said 

river to the place of beginning, shall become and form a part of the State of 

Louisiana.

This change in the boundary, whereby an area of more than 5,000 

square miles was added to the State, required acceptance by the legislature before it became effective. (See fig. 17.)

The question has often been asked why the State boundary as fixed 

by the act of April 8, 1812, was not made to include the area added a 

few days later. When the enabling act of February 20, 1811, was 

under consideration, it was proposed to include in the new State all or
172 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

25 50 75 100 MILES

FIGURE 17. Historical diagram of Louisiana.

part of West Florida as described in the treaty of 1Y63 between Spain 

and Great Britain, but because of numerous objections this area was 

purposely omitted. The matter was brought up in the constitutional 

convention of January 1812, when it was again proposed to include the 

West Florida area east to the Perdido River, but the proposition was 

voted down, presumably because the enlarged area would include too 

many Anglo-American inhabitants, the objectors being largely among 

the Creoles of Louisiana (Cox, 1918, p. 548, 599, 601, 604).

A few days later, however, the convention.sent a memorial to Congress asking that the West Florida area, west of the Pearl River, be at 

once made a part of the proposed State. This request was refused, as 

it was deemed best to provide for the change in a separate bill. The

principal reasons for this action were that it gave the people of the new

State an opportunity for accepting or refusing the addition as they saw 

fit, and although the United States was in actual possession of the area, 

the title was in dispute and according to the presidential proclamation 

of October 27,1810, was subject to "amicable negotiation." 24

The water boundary between Mississippi and Louisiana south of 

the Pearl River is thus described (202 U.S. 58; see also 202 U.S. 1):

34 For references to Congressional debates on this subject, see "Annals of Congress" 

(Pub. in 1853), llth Cong., 3d sess., p. 486; 12th Cong., 1st sess., v. 1, p. 186-194, 1159; 

v. 2, p. 1185-1216.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES ALABAMA 173

* * * the deep water channel sailing line emerging from the most eastern 

mouth of Pearl River into Lake Borgne and extending through the northeast 

corner of Lake Borgne, north of Half Moon or Grand Island, thence east and 

south through Mississippi Sound, through South Pass between Oat Island and 

Isle a Pitre, to the Gulf of Mexico, * * *.

The north boundary of the Territory of Orleans (now the State of 

Louisiana) was surveyed in 1806, presumably along the 33d parallel, 

from the west bank of the Mississippi River to the east bank of the 

Red River, a reported distance of 147 miles 49 chains. Most of the 

marks were blazed trees. This location of the line was accepted in 

1841 as the State boundary. From mile 101 to the Red River this 

line was resurveyed and re-marked in 1841. Other parts of the line 

have been resurveyed as part of the regular work of the General 

Land Office. West of the Red River the line was surveyed in 1839. 

The western 6 miles was resurveyed in 1895, and a stone post 48 inches 

long and 10 inches square was placed on the Texas line to mark the 

northwest corner of the State.

The Geological Survey has located points on this line as follows: 

Near east end of line, lat 33°00'16.5" N., long 91°13'21.2" W.; near 

Arkana, lat 33°01'11.0" N., long 93°40'24.7" W.; li/5 miles east of 

the northwest corner of the State, lat 33°01'09.7" N., long 94°01'18.6" 

W. For reference to the survey of the west boundary, see Texas, 

page 197.

AT.

On March 3, 1817, by an act of Congress, Alabama Territory was 

formed from the eastern part of Mississippi Territory. Alabama was 

admitted into the Union by resolution dated December 14, 1819. The 

enabling act of March 2, 1819 (3 Stat. L. 490) , describes the boundaries 

as follows :

* * * beginning at the point where the line of the thirty-first degree of north 

latitude intersects the Perdido river ; thence east to the western boundary line 

of the state of Georgia; thence along said line to the southern boundary line 

of the state of Tennessee ; thence west along said boundary line to the Tennessee river ; ^ thence up the same to the mouth of Bear creek ; thence by a direct 

line to the northwest corner of Washington county ; thence due south to the 

Gulf of Mexico ; thence eastwardly, including all the islands within six leagues 

of the shore, to the Perdido river ; and thence up the same to the beginning.

Section 3 of the enabling act provided that

it shall be the duty of the surveyor of the lands of the United States south of 

the state of Tennessee, and the surveyor of the public lands in the Alabama 

territory, to run and cut out the line of demarcation, between the state of 

Mississippi and the state to be formed of the Alabama territory ; and if it should

85 The western crossing of the Tennessee River is intended.
174

appear to said surveyors, that so much of said line designated in the preceding 

section, running due south, from the north-west corner of Washington county 

to the Gulf of Mexico, will encroach on the counties of Wayne, Green, or Jackson, in said state of Mississippi, then the same shall be so altered as to run in 

a direct line from the north-west corner of Washington county to a point on the 

Gulf of Mexico, ten miles east of the mouth of the river Pascagola.

That part of the Alabama-Mississippi boundary from the mouth 

of Bear Creek, on the Tennessee River, southerly to the northwest 

corner of what was then Washington County, Ala., was surveyed by 

James W. Exum, U.S. deputy surveyor, in 1820 under the direction 

of John Coffee and Thomas Freeman. The field notes and plats of 

this survey, which were approved by John Coffee on October 12,1820, 

are filed in the Records of the General Land Office, now in the custody 

of the National Archives and Records Service. A trial line was run 

northerly from the stump of an oak tree 20 feet tall which marked 

the corner of the county. The true bearing of this part of the boundary was found to be N. 2°08' E. The final line was run on that course, 

and posts were established at each mile, the measured distance being 

204 miles 30 chains.

The part of the boundary 'between the line described above and the 

Gulf of Mexico was also surveyed in 1820 under the direction of 

Thomas Freeman.26 From this survey it was found that

the experimental line encroached on the Counties of Wayne, Green and Jackson 

in the State of Mississippi & * * * falls on the Gulf of Mexico six miles, 22 

chains & 54 links East of the Mouth of the river or Bay of Pascagola * * * we 

have determined to alter said line to a point on the Gulf of Mexico three miles, 

57 chains & 46 links Bast of the experimental line, * * * which will toe ten miles 

east of the mouth of the river or Bay of Pascagola, and there fix permanently 

the termination of the boundary line lbetween the States of Mississippi & 

Alabama.

The final line was run and marked as above described for a distance of a little more than 102 miles, and a terminal mound was established -about 3 miles from the Gulf, further progress being prevented 

by swamps. The entire line was cleared, all nearby trees were blazed, 

posts were set at each mile, and at important points mounds of earth 

12 feet at the base and 5 feet high were erected.

The boundary between Alabama and Mississippi is described as 

follows (Whitefield, 1906, p. 244) :

[Beginning at] a point on the west 'bank of the Tennessee river, six fourpole Chains south of and aibove the mouth of Yellow creek; thence up the said 

river to the mouth of Bear creek; 'thence by a direct line to what was formerly 

the northwest corner of 'the county of Washington, (Ala.); thence in a direct

28 See unpublished report by John Coffee and Thomas Freeman, dated May 29, 1820, and 

field notes on file In the records of the General Land Office.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES TENNESSEE 175

line to a point ten miles east of the Pascagoula river, on the Gulf of Mexico:

The boundary between Alabama and Tennessee is by statute the 

35th parallel of north latitude (see North Carolina, p. 153); from 

Nickajack (see Georgia, p. 165) the line runs (Keys and Wood, 1877, 

p. 189)

west 'along the southern boundary line of the state of Tennessee crossing the 

Tennessee river, and on to 'Second intersection of said river by said line.

In October, 1807, Thomas Freeman made sextant observations for 

latitude a short distance east of the Elk River, near long 87° W. 

He marked a point which he estimated was on the 35th parallel, the 

north boundary of the area then called the Mississippi Territory, 

and ran the line between the Elk River and the old Cherokee line, 

a distance of a/bout 30 miles. In 1817 the line was extended westward to the Tennessee River, a measured distance of a little more 

than 711/£ miles. Between 1822 and 1839 this boundary lino was run 

eastward as far as the northwest corner of Georgia. The notes of 

these surveys are in the Alabama field notebooks of the General 

Land Office.

For the history of the boundary between Alabama and Georgia, 

see Georgia, pages 165-166; and for the history of the boundary 

between Alabama and Florida, see Florida, pages 167-168.

The northeast corner of Alabama, as now marked, is more than 

a mile south of the 35th parallel. The north boundary crosses the 

35th parallel near long 87°20' W. and at the northwest corner of 

the State it is about half a mile north of its proper position as defined 

by statute. The latitude and longitude of a number of points on the 

western part of the north boundary are given in U.S. Geological 

Survey Bulletins 216, 276, 440, and 551 (Gannett, 1903, 1905; R. B. 

Marshall, 1910,1914).

TENNESSEE

Tennessee was originally a part of North Carolina. In 1784 the 

Legislature of North Carolina passed an act of cession to the United 

States of its western counties. Although the act was soon afterward 

repealed, the people of Greene, Sullivan, and Washington Counties 

(now eastern Tennessee), believing themselves to be without proper 

government and inadequately defended against the Indians, revolted 

in 1785 and proceeded to organize an independent State to be called 

Franklin. A constitution was adopted, and a governor and a legislature were elected. It was planned to invite the inhabitants of adjoining areas now forming parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, 

Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama to join the movement and thus 

create a large State; but the continued opposition of North Carolina 

finally prevailed, and in 1788 North Carolina again gained control. 

(Haywood, 1823, p. 142-175; Am. Hist. Rev., 1903, v. 8, p. 271-293.)
176 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVE.RAL STATES

North Carolina in 1790 again passed an act ceding her western 

lands to the United States. The cession was accepted by act of Congress aproved on April 2 of that year, and a government was provided for in "An act for the government of the territory of the 

United States south of the Ohio River" (1 Stat. L. 123). The boundaries (fig. 14) described in the act of cession are substantially those 

of the State of Tennessee at the present day. (Carroll, 1903, p. 240- 

243; Staunton, 1860, p. 211^220; Shannon, 1917, v. 1, p. 33-62.)

Tennessee was admitted to the Union as a State by act approved 

June 1, 1796. The act of admission defined it as "the whole of the 

territory ceded to the United States by the State of North Carolina" 

(1 Stat. L. 491).

For the history of the eastern boundary, see North Carolina, page 

155; for the southern boundary, see Georgia, page 162; Alabama, page 

175; and Mississippi, page 170.

The middle of the Mississippi River became the western boundary 

of this area by the treaty of peace of 1783.

Virginia and North Carolina, prior to the .creation of the States of 

Kentucky and Tennessee, appointed commissioners Messrs. Walker 

and Henderson to run and mark their common boundary on the 

parallel of lat 36°30' N. From a point on the top of the Cumberland 

Mountains, now the southeast corner of Kentucky, Walker ran and 

marked the line to a point on the Tennessee River. This line, called 

Walker's line, was regarded for many years as the dividing line between 

Kentucky and Tennessee. It has since been ascertained, however, that 

Walker's line was about 3 feet north of lat 36°30' N.

The Indian title to the land west of the Tennessee River being extinguished by the treaty of 1819, the Legislature of Kentucky appointed 

Robert Alexander and Luke Munsell to ascertain the true point of 

lat 36°30' N. on the Mississippi and to run and mark a line east on

that parallel, which was done as far east as the Tennessee (Carroll, 

1903, p.240-243).

In 1820 commissioners were appointed by Kentucky and Tennessee

to settle the boundary. Their report, ratified by the States and

approved by Congress May 12,1820, is in part as follows (Haywood, 

1823, p. 485; Carroll, 1903, p. 240; 3 Stat. L. 609. For reference to 

the 1826 survey of this line by Thomas J. Matthews, see Henry, 1920, 

P.17Y-184). 

The line of boundary and separation between the States of Kentucky and

Tennessee shall be as follows, to wit .--The-line run by the Virginia commissioners, 

in the years 1779 and 1780, commonly called Walker's line, as the same is 

reputed, understood, and acted upon by the said States, their respective officers 

and citizens, from the southeastern corner of Kentucky to the Tennessee river; 

thence with and up said river to the point where the line of Alexander and
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES TENNESSEE 177

Munsell, run by them in the last year under the authority of an act of the 

legislature of Kentucky entitled an act to run the boundary line between this 

state and the state of Tennessee, west of the Tennessee river, approved February 

the 8th, 1819, would cross said river; and thence with the said line of Alexander 

and Munsell to the termination thereof on the Mississippi river, below New 

Madrid.

In 1858-59 commissioners were appointed by Kentucky and Tennessee to rerun this line. The report of the commission on the part 

of Tennessee, giving courses, bearings, and milestones erected can be 

found in the State statutes (Thompson and Steger, 1873, p. 223-243). 

The report of the commission on the part of Kentucky, including 

latitudes and a map of the line, was printed at Frankfort by the State 

printer, in 1860, as a pamphlet of 98 octavo pages. Between Cumberland Gap and the Tennessee River the line is from 5% to 12 miles 

north of lat 36°30' N. As a result of this and other errors in the 

location of its boundaries, Tennessee gained about 2,500 square miles 

of territory that it would not have had if the lines had been correctly 

located.

The line was run from the Mississippi eastward to the Tennessee, 

thence down that river to a point in approximate lat 36°40'45" N., and 

thence eastward; it followed the old Walker line wherever identifiable, 

and where no marks were known it was run to points where the Walker 

line was reputed to be. At the southwest corner of Virginia is an 

offset from the Walker line, which had been adopted for the Kentucky 

boundary, to the compromise line agreed on by Virginia and Tennessee 

in 1803. The line was continued to the northeast corner of the State 

and thence about iy2 miles southwest to the North Carolina line, a 

total distance of about 432 miles.

There are many angles and offsets in the line east of the Tennessee 

River that can scarcely be attributed to errors in surveying. It seems, 

however, that the commissioners who first ran the line between Virginia and North Carolina (the Byrd line) and the Tennessee north 

boundary (the Walker line) were allowed to change the lines at their 

discretion provided the commissioners for both States agreed; consequently they ran the line on an irregular course to accommodate 

influential inhabitants along the boundary who desired to ^-^nain in 

one State or the other. (For a comprehensive history of (his line, see 

Garrett, 1884.)

By act of January 28, 1901, Tennessee ceded the nor . if of the 

main street in the old town of Bristol to Virginia. ThL v,ossion was 

accepted by Virginia February 9, 1901, and approved by Congress 

March 3,1901. (31 Stat. L. 1465. See 190 U.S. 75 for reference to this 

cession.)
178

For a history of the boundary between Virginia and Tennessee, see 

Virginia, page 149.

An excellent article by Park Marshall on the boundary lines of 

Tennessee has been published by the State geological survey 

(Marshall, 1918, p. 90-108).

Geographic positions on the Tennessee-Virginia boundary have been 

determined by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey as follows: 27

A stone post 24 inches long, set 20 inches in the ground, on Holston 

Mountain a short distance northwest of Sutherland, at lat 36°36'51.2" 

N. and long 81°49'36.3" W. This station is very near the State line 

if not on it. The observer who located it stated:

The sketch submitted with the report of the commissioners who ran out the 

State line in 1858 shows an offset of about 1% miles between Bristol and this 

station. The tree marks are found on the straight line east of the offset point 

but are said not to be continuous; and blocks have been cut from some trees 

showing the age of 1802 or 1803 and have been crossed out. The only line marked 

through is that with this offset. Blocks with these erased marks can be had in 

Bristol, in the possession of Mr. Huffacre [1894].

I have found a stone post on this line in the valley of Beaver Dam Creek, 

about 1% miles above the village of Damascus and about 2 miles east of this 

station. I traced the line from this stone west to the highest point it crosses 

on Holston Mountain, where the station is established, and found several trees 

marked by both commissioners (1802, or 1803, and 1858) easily recognized at 

this date. The line of 1802 or 1803 is called the "diamond line," from the 

method of marking always thus .'. , while the marks of 1858 are always ;'

In Bristol, Tenn.-Va., lat 36°35'41.6" N., long 82°10/41.6" W., the 

State line passes 15 feet south of the Baptist Church steeple.

On a ridge about 5 miles west of Bristol, lat 36°35'42.1" N., long 

82°15'54.5"W.

About 3 miles north of Kingsport, Tenn., lat 36°35'39.9" N., long 

82°35'35.8"W.

On Clinch Mountain, about 4 miles southeast of Fairview, Va,, lat

36°35'37.3" N., long 82°49'49.4" W.

On the crest of Powell Mountain, about 8 miles northeast of Sedalia, 

Tenn., lat 36°35'38.0" N., long 83°10'32.3" W.

About 3 miles south of Ewing, Va., lat 36°35'50.50" N., long

83°27'52.6"W. 

The following positions are on the Tennessee-Kentucky boundary

(1927 N.AD.):

Nine miles north of Oneida, Tenn., lat 36°35'51.86" N., long 84°34' 

16.02" W.

Boundary monument 48, along Byrdstown-Albany Road, lat 36° 

37'23.35" N., Iong85°07'06.45" W.

See 190 U.S. 64 for report of commissioners who resurveyed this line In 1902-3.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES OHIO 179

Boundary monument 27, 0.5 miles south of Keysburg, lat 36°38/ 

37.62" N., long 87°01/00.20'/ W.

State-line monument 2 (known locally as Puckett Rock) is about 7 

miles south of Hickman, along Dyersburg Road, at lat 36°30'22.66"

N.,long89°15'26.52"W.

KENTUCKY 28

Kentucky was included in the original limits of Virginia (fig. 14) 

and was a part of Augusta County, which was formed in 1738. In 

1769 Botetourt County was created from a portion of Augusta County; 

in 1772, Fincastle from Botetourt; in 1776, Kentucky from Fincastle. 

The boundaries of these counties are described by Hening (1821, v. 9; 

1822, v. 10).

In 1789 Virginia passed an act giving consent that the district of 

Kentucky be formed into a new State. Accordingly, by an act of 

Congress approved February 4, 1791, effective June 1, 1792 (1 Stat. 

189), Kentucky was admitted into the Union with substantially its 

present boundaries.

The cession by Virginia to the United States of the territory northwest of the Ohio, in 1784, made the north bank of that river the 

dividing line, and consequently it became the north boundary of the 

State of Kentucky, the exact line being fixed by the low-water stage 

of the river (5 Wheaton 374). The western boundary, the middle of 

the Mississippi, was the line fixed by the treaty of peace in 1783.

The Supreme Court decided in 1820 (5 Wheaton 374), in a suit before it for the possession as a part of Kentucky of a tract of land on 

the north side of the Ohio, which at high water became an island, that

No land can be considered an island unless it is surrounded by water at all 

times. The same tract of land can not be sometimes in Kentucky and sometimes in Indiana, according to the rise and fall of the river. It must be always 

in the one State or the other.

For a history of the boundary between Kentucky and Virginia and 

West Virginia, see Virginia, page 148; for the boundary between Kentucky and Tennessee, see Tennessee, pages 176-177.

A peculiar aspect of the extreme southwest corner of Kentucky is 

that owing to a double bend in the Mississippi River, an area of about 

10 square miles belonging to Kentucky cannot be reached from the 

rest of the State without passing through a part of Missouri or 

Tennessee.

OHIO

Ohio was the first State formed from the original "Territory northwest of the River Ohio." The congressional enabling act, approved

28 The legal name for this State Is "The Commonwealth of Kentucky."
180 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

April 30,1802 (2 Stat. L. 173), contained certain provisos with which 

the constitution of the proposed State must comply. It seems evident, 

therefore, that the constitution as framed required the approval of 

Congress before it became effective.

The constitutional convention completed its labors November 29, 

1802; the constitution was referred to Congress and first considered in 

the Senate in January 1803. Apparently it complied with the provisos 

of the enabling act, for under date of February 19,1803, an act was 

approved "to provide for the due execution of the laws of the United 

States within the State of Ohio" (2 Stat. L. 201). In this act, reference was made to the action of the convention, thus virtually approving the constitution as submitted, although it provided for a change in 

the boundary described in the enabling act. Referring to the constitution as adopted, this act states, "whereby the said State became one 

of the United States of America." An act approved February 21, 

L806 (2 Stat. L. 350), appropriated money for the payment of salaries 

of the governor, secretary, and judges of the "late Territory" of Ohio 

from November 29. 1802, to "the first Tuesday in March, 1803" 

(March 1).

It would therefore appear that March 1,1803, was the date on which 

Congress assumed that Ohio statehood came into full effect. In further confirmation of this conclusion, it should be noted that the Territorial delegate in Congress retained his seat until March, 1, 1803, 

and the first general assembly of the State convened on the same date. 

(Mag. Am. Hist., October 1887, p. 306-316; Tannehill, 1920, p. 9.)

In view of the conflicting evidence as to the date of Ohio's admission 

to the Union, it is not surprising that various dates are claimed as 

correct. However, the congressional act signed by the President 

February 19,1803, referred to above, says in part:

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United 

States of America in Congress assembled, That all the laws of the United States 

which are not locally inapplicable, shall have the same force and effect within

the said State of Ohio as elsewhere -within the United States.

The formal wording of this part of the act would imply congressional approval to the entrance of Ohio into the Union, and it is probable that February 19, 1803, should be accepted as the date.

The limits of the State as given in the enabling act are as follows

(2 Stat. L. 173):

* * * bounded on the east 'by the Pennsylvania line, on the south by the Ohio 

River, to the mouth of the Great Miami river, on the west by the line drawn due 

north from the mouth of the Great Miami, aforesaid, and on the north by an east 

and west line, drawn through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan, running east after intersecting the due north line aforesaid, from the mouth of 

the Great Miami until it shall intersect Lake Erie or the territorial line, and
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES OHIO 181

thence with the same through Lake Erie to the Pennsylvania line, aforesaid: 

Provided, that Congress shall be at liberty at any time hereafter, either to 

attach all the territory lying east of the line to be drawn due north from the 

mouth of the Miami, aforesaid, to the territorial line, and north of an east and 

west line drawn through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan, running 

east as aforesaid to Lake Erie, to the aforesaid State, or dispose of it otherwise, in conformity to the fifth article of compact between the original States, 

and the people and States to be formed in the territory northwest of the river 

Ohio.

In the constitution of Ohio, article 7, section 6, the boundaries are 

described in the same words used in the enabling act but with the 

following proviso:

Provided always, and it is hereby fully understood and declared by this convention, that if the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan should extend 

so far south, that a line drawn due east from it should not intersect Lake 

Erie, or if it should intersect said Lake Erie east of the mouth of the Miami 

River [now Maumee River] of the Lake, then, and in that case, with the assent 

of the Congress of the United States, the northern boundary of this State shall 

be established by, and extending to, a direct line running from the southern 

extremity of Lake Michigan to the most northerly cape of the Miami Bay, after 

intersecting the due north line from the mouth of the Great Miami River as 

aforesaid ; thence northeast to the territorial line, and by the said territorial line 

to the Pennsylvania line.

The framers of the Ohio constitution had good reason for believing that the description of the northern boundary given in the enabling 

act was based on inaccurate maps 29 and that this description, if adhered to, would deprive the State of a large area that Congress 

intended it should have, and for this reason they inserted the proviso 

in the constitution. Ohio was admitted to the Union as a State without 

specific acceptance or rejection by Congress of this proviso.

In 1812 Congress authorized the survey of the line (2 Stat. L. 741) as 

described in the enabling act of 1802, but the work was not undertaken 

until several years later.

Lines were run in 1817 by William Harris, under the direction of 

the surveyor general of Ohio, presumably by authority of the act of 

1812 first a random or trial line due east from the southern extremity 

of Lake Michigan to the western Ohio line and another from the 

most northerly cape of Maumee Bay west and south to the due east 

line. Manuscript copies of the notes and plats of these lines are filed 

in the General Land Office. From the data thus obtained, a true line 

was then run for the northern boundary of Ohio as described in the 

State constitution, on which 71 marks were established at mile intervals. This line is from 5 to 7 miles north of the due east line from the 

southern extremity of Lake Michigan. (See fig. 22.)

26 See Lake Michigan as shown on the Mltchell map ; also fig. 22 ; many other maps published prior to 1800 showed the lake In the same relative position.
182 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVE.RAL STATES

When news of this survey reached the Governor of Michigan, it naturally called forth vigorous protests from him as well as from 

other residents of the Territory. After considerable fruitless discussion a committee was sent from Michigan to Washington to seek 

redress, with the result that an order was given to run the line as 

authorized by the act of 1812. This survey was executed by Surveyor 

Fulton in 1818. He ran the north boundary due east from the southern 

extremity of Lake Michigan.30 Congress neither confirmed nor rejected it. Ohio, as was to be expected, refused to accept it.

In order to have data for settling the dispute, Congress in 1832 (4 

Stat. L. 596) ordered the determination of latitude and longitude at 

important points on the two lines; the positions of eight stations were 

found, but apparently no use was made of them. As time passed 

the boundary disputes grew more bitter until a crisis was reached in 

February, 1835, when the Ohio Legislature passed a resolution declaring the northern line to be the true boundary of the State and ordering 

that the State's jurisdiction be extended to that line. Armed troops 

were assembled by both sides, and civil war seemed imminent. The 

President, Congress, and the courts were called on to settle the trouble, 

and a commission was sent from Washington in the hope of effecting 

a compromise. (Way, 1869; Faris, 1926.) Finally better judgment 

prevailed; Michigan was induced to suspend hostile actions, principally from the hope of statehood with increased territory on the north 

and a share in the allotment of public funds. Ohio on her part had 

every expectation of obtaining the coveted territory, and so this bloodless war came to an end.

Michigan Territory had for several years had a population large 

enough for admission -to the Union as a State, but action was delayed 

because of the boundary dispute.

On June 15, 1836, an act was approved to establish the northern 

boundary of Ohio and admit Michigan as a State (5 Stat. L. 49), 

provided the new State, by vote of a convention called for the purpose,

accepted the boundary as thus described:

* * * the northern boundary line of the State of Ohio shall be established at and 

shall be a direct line drawn from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, 

to the most northerly cape of the Maumee (Miami) Bay, after that line, so 

drawn, shall intersect the eastern boundary line of the State of Indiana; and 

from the said north cape of the said bay, northeast to the boundary line between

the United States and the Province of Upper Canada, in Lake Erie; and thence,

with the said last-mentioned line, to its intersection with the western line of the 

State of Pennsylvania.

The line as above-established was the line which had been surveyed and 

marked by Harris in 1817, and it was confirmed by congressional act of

80 The field notes of both the Fulton and Harris surveys are on file In the U.S. National 

Archives.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES INDIANA 183

June 23, 1836 (5 Stat. L. 56), which thereby gave Ohio full control 

over an area of 520 square miles, long in dispute.

The first Michigan convention voted against the acceptance of this 

boundary, but another one voted for its acceptance in December 

1836. The line as surveyed and marked in 1817 thus became the 

northern boundary of Ohio.

Parts of the line as marked in 1817 were retraced and re-marked 

in 1837 and 1842 by the General Land Office.31

In 1915 the legislatures of the two States authorized the resurvey 

and monumenting of the line. All existing marks of the previous 

surveys were to be recovered, and where none existed straight lines 

were to be run between known points. The survey was commenced 

at the northwest corner of Ohio, which, being in a public road, was 

marked by a large granite block set 12 inches below the road surface and 

by a granite "witness" post 12 by 12 inches in section and 5 l/2 feet 

long set on the line 20 feet east of the corner. The position of this 

corner, which is on the Indiana line, is lat 41°41'45.88" N., long 

84°48'21.66" W. The line is somewhat irregular; sections of it 

range from N. 85°27' E. to N. 89°41' E. and the mean is about N. 87°55' 

E., true bearing. Boundary post 47 is at lat 41°43/ 15.88/ ' N., long 

83°51'33.36" W. These points have been tied into the triangulation 

of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and are on 1927 N.A.D.

The last post set on the line (no. 71) is about 900 feet from the shore 

of Maumee Bay, and its position is lat 41°43'56.63" N., long 83°27'- 

16.97" W. The position of each of the other posts and the distance 

and bearing from each to the next are set forth in the Ohio State report 

of 1916, which gives a historical sketch of the line. (Sherman, 1916- 

33, v. 1; Soule, 1897, p. 346-378; U.S. Congress, 1835.)

The west boundary of Ohio is that fixed by the enabling act a line 

due north from the mouth of the Miami Eiver.32 It was surveyed and 

marked in 1799 from the south end northward to Fort Recovery as 

the first principal meridian of the General Land Office. (See fig. 18.) 

This line was extended to the present northwest corner of the State 

in 1817.

The south boundary is the low-water line on the north bank of 

the Ohio.

For a description of the east boundary, see Pennsylvania, page 129.

INDIANA

By the act approved May 7, 1800, to take effect on and after July 

4 of that year, the "Territory northwest of the River Ohio" was

31 The General Land Office was combined with the Grazing Service in 1946 to form the 

Bureau of Land Management, a bureau of the Department of the Interior.

32 The present mouth of the Miami River is a short distance east of the mouth in 1799.

776-664 O-66 13
184 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

divided into two parts, the eastern part to retain the old name, the 

western part to become the Territory of Indiana. (See fig. 18.) 

The description of the boundary line between these two Territories 

is given in the act (2 Stat. L. 58) as follows:

That from and after the fourth day of July next, all that part of the territory 

of the United States northwest of the Ohio River, which lies to the westward of

35°

3f -37

1OO

FIGURE 18. Historical diagram of Indiana.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES INDIANA 185

a line beginning at the Ohio, opposite to the mouth of Kentucky river, and 

running thence to Fort Recovery, and thence north until it shall intersect the 

territorial line between the United States and Canada, shall, for the purpose 

of temporary government, constitute a separate Territory, and be called Indiana 

Territory.

******* 

That whenever that part of the territory of the United States which lies to 

the eastward of a line beginning at the mouth of the Great Miami river, and 

running thence due north to the territorial line between the United States and 

Canada, shall be erected into an independent state, and admitted into the 

Union on an equal footing with the original states, thenceforth said line shall 

become and remain permanently the boundary line between such State and 

the Indiana Territory, anything in this act contained to the contrary notwithstanding.

The line from the Ohio Biver running northeastward to Fort 

Recovery was the boundary of an Indian cession established by the 

"Greenville treaty" of 1795 (Koyce, 1899, p. 654).

In the Ohio enabling act (of 1802) provision was made for the 

addition to Indiana Territory of a triangular strip of land between 

Ohio and that Territory and of that part of the Territory northwest 

of the River Ohio north of the limits of the new State (Ohio) and 

east of Indiana (2 Stat. L. 174), as follows:

All that part of the territory of the United States northwest of the river 

Ohio heretofore included in the eastern division of said territory, and not included within the boundary herein prescribed for the said state, is hereby attached to and made a part of the Indiana territory.

The admission of Ohio as a State removed from Indiana Territory 

a narrow strip about 114 miles wide north of Fort Eecovery. (See 

fig. 18.)

On June 30, 1805 (2 Stat. L. 309), by an act approved January 11, 

1805, the northeastern part of Indiana Territory was cut off and organized as Michigan Territory. For the divisional line between the 

two Territories, see Michigan, page 205.

On March 1, 1809, by an act approved February 3, 1809, Indiana 

Territory was again divided, and the western part was organized as 

Illinois Territory (2 Stat. L. 514). For a description of the line separating these two Territories, see Illinois, page 186.

On December 11, 1816, Indiana was admitted as a State with the 

limits as given in the following extract from the enabling act (3 Stat. 

L. 289), approved April 19, 1816, which have not since been changed:

the said State shall consist of all the territory included within the following 

boundaries, to wit: Bounded on the east, by the meridian line which forms the 

western boundary of the State of Ohio; on the South, by the river Ohio, from 

the mouth of the Great Miami River, to the mouth of the River Wabash; on the 

west by a line drawn along the middle of the Wabash, from its mouth to a 

point where a due north line drawn from the town of Vincennes, would last
186 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

touch the northwestern shore of the said river; and from thence by a due 

north line, until the same shall intersect an east and west line drawn through 

a point ten miles north of the southern extreme of lake Michigan; on the north 

by the said east and west line until the same shall intersect the first-mentioned 

meridian line which forms the western boundary of the state of Ohio.

A provision in this act required that the boundaries as therein 

described be ratified by a constitutional convention to be called; 

otherwise they would be fixed as described in article 5 of the ordinance of 1787. By ratifying them, June 29, 1816, Indiana missed 

an opportunity for including in its limits a considerably larger territory than it now has. There was a similar proviso in the enabling 

act of 1818 for Illinois.

The north boundary of Indiana is parallel to and 10 miles north of 

the line which runs due east from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan (3 Stat. L. 289). A survey of this line was made in 1827 in accordance with the congressional act of March 2 of that year.33 The 

original plat of the survey was filed in the surveyor general's office in 

Chillicothe, Ohio, and a copy in the General Land Office in Washington. The approximate latitude as determined in 1827 is 41°47'43" N., 

but measurements by the Geological Survey near the east end (Marshall, 1916, p. 305) give the latitude as 41°45'33" N. The mark nearest Lake Michigan is in lat 41°45'36.07" N., long 86°46'03.36" W. 

(1927 N.A.D.). Parts of this line were retraced in 1828, 1834, 1839, 

and 1842 by the General Land Office.

For a description of the east boundary, see Ohio, page 180. For a 

description of the west boundary, see Illinois below.

The south boundary is the low-water line on the north side of the 

Ohio River.

ILLINOIS

Illinois Territory, originally part of the Territory northwest of the 

Ohio River and subsequently a part of Indiana Territory, was organized by act of February 3,1809 (2 Stat. L. 514), effective March 1,

1809. The following clause from the act separating it from Indiana

Territory defines its boundary (see fig. 18):

* * * from and after the first day of March next, all that part of the Indiana 

territory which lies west of the Wabash river, and a direct line drawn from the 

said Wabash river and Post Vincennes, due north to the territorial line between

the United States and Canada, shall, for the purpose of temporary government, 

constitute a separate territory, and be called Illinois.

Illinois was admitted as a State with its present boundaries by resolution approved December 3,1818 (3 Stat. 536). The enabling act defines these boundaries as follows (3 Stat. 429) :

Stat. L. 237. For map and description, see U.S. Cong. (1828).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES ILLINOIS 187

* * * the said State shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning at the mouth of the Wabash River; thence up 

the same and with the line of Indiana, to the northwest corner of said state; 

thence, east with the line of the same state, to the middle of Lake Michigan; 

thence north along the middle of said lake to the north latitude forty-two degrees 

thirty minutes; thence west to the middle of the Mississippi river; and thence 

down along the middle of that river to its confluence with the Ohio River; and 

thence up the latter river along its northwestern shore to the beginning: * * *.

The eastern boundary of Illinois was ordered surveyed in 1810 in 

connection with the work of the General Land Office. In 1821 the Legislatures of Indiana and Illinois ordered a survey of their common 

boundary. A commissioner representing each State was appointed, 

and the line was run and marked with wooden posts the same year from 

a point "opist the Vincennes Hotell on the N.W. Bank of Wabash river" 

northward to Lake Michigan. There is a signed copy of the field 

notes in the Indiana State Library at Indianapolis.

The Geological Survey determined the position of a large stone post 

on the north bank of the Wabash where the State boundary line leaves 

the river as lat 39°20'57.6" N., long 87°31'52.9" W. At lat 41°- 

17'53" N., the longitude of the line is 87°31'36.5" W.

The northern boundary was surveyed and marked in 1831-32 by 

Commissioners Lucius Lyon, representing the United States, and John 

Messinger, representing Illinois. The field notes of this survey are 

in the National Archives. The position on the east side of the Mississippi of a point in lat 42°30' N., having been found by observation, a 

stone about 7 feet long and of an estimated weight of 5 tons was set in 

the ground on the high-water line. The stone was marked "Illinois" 

on its south side and "Michigan latitude 42°30' N." on its north side. 

(The Mississippi River Commission later located either this stone or 

one on the State line near it and determined its latitude as 42°30'29.3" 

N.) From this point the line was run east to the fourth principal 

meridian of the General Land Office, where a large mound of earth 

was erected, and was continued east to the Rock River. Observations 

then taken showed that the line was 54' ' too far north. An offset was 

taken, the proper distance to the south, and a post was set on the east 

bank of the river, 81 miles 31 chains 9 links from the Mississippi, from 

which the line was extended (with frequent astronomic observations) 

to La,ke Michigan, where an oak post 12 inches square and 9 feet long 

was set 5 feet in the ground at a point about 1 chain from the lakeshore. 

Recent observations show that this end of the marked line is about half 

a mile south of the parallel of 42°30'. The total length of the boundary as measured is 144 miles 48 chains 80 links. A post was also set 

on the east bank of the Fox River 125 miles 9 chains 10 links from the 

initial point. There is a signed copy of the report and notes in the
188 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

files of the General Land Office.34 The line west of the Rock River 

was later rerun and placed in a corrected position.

On April 18 and 19, 1881, the Mississippi River cut across a narrow 

strip of land near the town of Kaskaskia, 111., and formed a new 

channel 4 miles east of its former position, thereby leaving an area 

of about 27 square miles on the west side of the river that belongs to 

Illinois (Burnham, 1914).35

The parts of the northern and eastern boundaries of Illinois in 

Lake Michigan are as follows: The north line of the State runs due 

east from the last point marked on land (lat 42°29'37" N., nearly) 

to the middle of the lake, a distance of about 40 miles. The east line 

then follows the middle of the lake southward for about 52 miles, to 

the Indiana line (which there runs east and west through a point 

10 miles north of the southernmost part of the lake). The Illinois line 

then runs due west for about 17 miles to the northwest corner of Indiana, which is about iy2 miles from land, thence south about 3i/£ 

miles along the Indiana line to the lake shore.

MISSOURI

The name of the Territory of Louisiana was changed in 1812 (2 Stat. 

L. 743) to Territory of Missouri. At that time the Territory included 

all the original Louisiana Purchase, except the State of Louisiana. 

(See fig. 19.)

Missouri was declared a State on August 10, 1821, by presidential 

proclamation under authority of the joint resolution of Congress of 

March 2, 1821 (3 Stat. L. 645, 797), with boundaries as defined in the 

enabling act of March 6,1820 (3 Stat. L. 545), as follows:

Beginning in the middle of the Mississippi river, on the parallel of thirty-six 

degrees of north latitude; thence west along that parallel of latitude, to the St. 

Francois river; thence up, and following the course of that river, in the middle 

of the main channel thereof, to the parallel of latitude of thirty-six degrees and 

thirty minutes ; M thence west, along the same, to a point where the said parallel

is intersected by a meridian line passing through the middle of the mouth

of the Kansas river, -where the same empties into the Missouri river, thence

from the point aforesaid north, along the said meridian line, to the intersection 

of the parallel of latitude which passes through the rapids of the river Des 

Moines, making the said line to correspond with the Indian boundary line; 

thence east from the point of intersection last aforesaid, along the same parallel 

of latitude, to the middle of the channel of the main fork of the said river 

Des Moines ; thence down and along the middle of the main channel of the said

river Des Moines, to the mouth of the same, where it empties into the Mississippi

3* Boundaries, no. 22. See Gannett (1907) and R. B. Marshall (1914; 1916), for latitude and longitude of points on this line.

85 For a map of the area, see the U.S. Geol. Survey map of the Chester quadrangle, 

Ill.-Mo.

39 This line (36°30') has since been known as the Missouri Compromise line.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MISSOURI 189

109° 107° 105° 103 101° 99° 97° 95° 93° 91

100_____200_____300____£00 MILES

FIGURE 19. Historical diagram of Missouri.

river; thence due east to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river; 

thence down, and following the course of the Mississippi river, in the middle of 

the main channel thereof, to the place of beginning.

The peculiar jog or "panhandle" at the southeast corner of the State, 

between the Mississippi and St. Francis Eivers, is said to be the 

result of efforts of a prominent property owner who lived south of the 

parallel of 36°30' to have his plantation included in the new State 

(Violette,1918,p.lll).

In 1836 the boundaries were extended on the northwest to the 

Missouri River, as described in the following act of the legislature 

amendatory to the constitution of 1820 (Thorpe, 1909, v. 4, p. 2170) :
190 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

That the boundary of the State be so altered and extended as to include all 

that tract of land lying on the north side of the Missouri River and west of 

the present boundary of this State, so that the same shall be bounded on the 

south by the middle of the main channel of the Missouri River and on the 

north by the present northern boundary line of the State, as established by the 

constitution, when the same is continued in a right line to the west, or to 

include so much of said tract of land as Congress may assent.

This act was approved 'by Congress on June 7, 1836, and was declared in effect by presidential proclamation of March 28, 1837. The 

following is an extract from the act (5 Stat. L. 34).

That when the Indian title to all the lands lying between the State of Missouri 

and the Missouri river shall be extinguished, the jurisdiction over said lands 

shall be hereby ceded to the State of Missouri, and the western boundary of said 

State shall be then extended to the Missouri river.

The north boundary of Missouri was surveyed and marked in part 

in 1816 and tJhe remainder in 1850 under the General Land Office.37

The Territory remaining 'after the formation of the State 'bore the 

name of Missouri for many years. In 1834 the part north of the State 

of Missouri and east of the Missouri and White Earth Rivers was annexed to the Territory of Michigan. (For further history of this portion, see Michigan, p. 205; Iowa, p. 213; Minnesota, p. 214-215; and 

Dakota, p. 216.) In 1854 Kansas and Nebraska Territories were 

formed, absorbing the remainder. (See Kansas, p. 223, and Nebraska, p. 220.)

The following are the 'boundaries of Missouri as at present established by statute: The east boundary is the middle of the main channel 

of the Mississippi (138 U.S. 226) from the mouth of the Des Moines to 

its point of intersection with the 36th parallel of latitude; the south 

boundary begins at the latter point and runs west on the 36th parallel 

to the St. Francis River, thence up the midchannel of that river to the 

parallel of 36°30', thence west on that parallel to its intersection by a 

meridian passing through the middle of the mouth of the Kansas 

River; the west 'boundary is the last-mentioned meridian as far north

as the mouth of the Kansas River, thence it follows northwestward the

midchannel of the Missouri River to the parallel of latitude passing

through the rapids of the Des Moines River, which is approximately 

the parallel of 40°35'; the north boundary is the last-mentioned parallel as far east as its point of intersection with the Des Moines River, 

Whence it follows the midchannel of the Des Moines River southward 

to its mouth.

37 Nearly all the boundaries of the States west of the Mississippi were surveyed under 

the direction of the General Land Office, most of them by contract surveyors. The field 

notes and plats of these surveys have been cataloged, and most Of them are DOW OH file in 

the National Archives.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES ARKANSAS 191

In 1939 the States of Missouri and Iowa a/greed to change their common boundary in the Des Moines River to the midc'hannel as it tihen 

existed. This was approved by Congress on August 10,1939 (53 Stat. 

1345).

A similar agreement with Kansas along the Missouri River from 

the 40th parallel south to the mouth of the Kansas River was approved 

by Congress on August 3, 1950 (64 Stat. 397). Exchange of State 

sovereignty over affected lands was made effective beginning at midnight following the congressional action.

For the survey of the south boundary, see Arkansas, page 195; and 

for the north boundary, see Iowa, pages 213-214.

The west boundary of Missouri south of the mouth of the Kansas 

River was surveyed in 1823, and a large stone post was set to mark the 

southwest corner of the State, at a point which sextant observations 

showed to be in lat 36°30' N. This position as determined by the Geological Survey in 1906 is lat 36°29'58.0" N., long 94°37'02.9" W. (Marshall, 1910, p. 488). The 1823 survey of the south boundary of the 

State was begun at this stone. In 1845 a mound of earth, which had 

a 10-'foot base and was 5 feet high, was placed at a point 4.83 chains 

farther south.

The west boundary of the State was resurveyed and remarked in 

1844-45.38

A dispute concerning the river boundary between Missouri and 

Nebraska was settled in 1904 by the Supreme Court (196 U.S. 23; 197 

U.S. 577), which reaffirmed the old rule that a sudden change in the 

course of a river does not affect a boundary line.

ARKANSAS

Arkansaw 39 Territory was formed by act of March 2,1819, effective 

July 4, 1819, from a part of Missouri Territory. (See fig 20.) The 

following clause from the act (3 Stat. L. 474) establishing it defines its 

limits in part:

* * * all that part of the Territory of Missouri which lies south of a line, beginning on the Mississippi River, at thirty-six degrees, north latitude, running 

thence west to the river St. Frangois; thence up the same to thirty-six degrees 

thirty minutes north latitude; and thence west to the western territorial boundary line; shall, for the purposes of a territorial government, constitute a separate 

territory and be called the Arkansaw Territory.

88 For geographic positions of three State-line points near Kansas City, see Baldwin 

(1915, p. 31).

89 This is the original spelling. A concurrent resolution passed by the Legislature of 

Arkansas in April, 1881 (Laws of 1881, p. 216-217), declared that in the opinion of that 

body the State name "should be pronounced in three syllables with the final 's' silent, 

the 'a' in each syllable with the Italian sound and .the accent on the first and last syllables." 

The discusHions which led to the passage of this act are given in Rose (1908, v. 2, p. 

462-477).
99°

99° 98' 97° 

FIGURE 20. Historical diagram of Ark
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES ARKANSAS 193

In 1824 an act was passed by Congress fixing the western boundary 

of the Territory. This was as follows (4 Stat. L. 40):

* * * the western boundary line of the territory of Arkansas shall begin at a 

point forty miles west of the southwest corner of the State of Missouri and run 

south to the right bank of the Red River, and thence down the river and with 

the Mexican boundary to the line of the State of Louisiana.

Four years later, in 1828, an act defined the southern boundary as

commencing on the right bank of the Mississippi River at latitude thirty-three 

degrees north, and running due west on that parallel of latitude to where a 

line running due north from latitude thirty-two degrees north, on the Sabine 

River, will intersect the same (4 Stat. L. 276).

The treaty with the Cherokee Indians (7 Stat. L. 311) signed May 6, 

1828, contained the following article:

The western, boundary of Arkansas shall be, and the same is, hereby denned, 

viz: A line shall be run, commencing on Red river, at the point where the 

Eastern Choctaw line strikes said river, and run due north with said line to 

the river Arkansas; thence in a direct line to the South West corner of Missouri.

The eastern Choctaw line referred to was fixed by the treaty with 

the Choctaw Nation of January 20,1825, as beginning on the Arkansas Eiver "one hundred paces east of Fort Smith, and running thence 

due south to the Ked River." (Kappler, 1903, v. 2.)

Arkansas was admitted as a State on June 15, 1836. The enabling 

act (5 Stat. L. 50) approved on that date describes the boundaries as 

follows:

beginning in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi river, on the 

parallel of thirty-six degrees north latitude, running from thence west, with 

the said parallel of latitude, to the Saint Francis river; thence up the middle 

of the main channel of said river to the parallel of thirty-six degrees thirty 

minutes north; from thence west to the southwest corner of the State of Missouri ; and from thence to be bounded on the west, to the north bank of Red 

River, by the lines described in the first article of the treaty between the United 

States and the Cherokee nation of Indians, west of the Mississippi, made and 

concluded at the city of Washington, on the 26th day of May,40 in the year of 

our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight; and to be bounded 

on the south side of Red river by the Mexican boundary line, to the northwest 

corner of the State of Louisiana; thence east with the Louisiana State line, 

to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River; thence up the 

middle of the main channel of the said river, to the thirty-sixth degree of north 

latitude, the point of beginning.

In the State constitutions for 1836, 1854, 1868, and 1874 the 

boundaries were described but without material change from the 

description given in the enabling act. The constitution of 1868 

refers to an island in the Mississippi named Belle Point Island as 

belonging to Arkansas, and the constitution of 1874 includes this

40 This is an error ; the date was May 6.
194 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVE.RAL STATES

clause: "and all other land originally surveyed and included as a 

part of the Territory or State of Arkansas."

An act of Congress approved February 10, 1905, changed the 

western boundary of Arkansas near Fort Smith so as to include in 

that State a portion of the Indian Territory (about one-fifth of a 

square mile), the boundaries of which were described (33 Stat. L. 714) 

as follows (see fig. 25):

Beginning at a point on the south bank of the Arkansas River one hundred 

paces east of old Fort Smith, where the western boundary line of the State 

of Arkansas crosses the said river, and running southwesterly along the south 

bank of the Arkansas River to the mouth of the Poteau; thence at right 

angles with the Poteau River to the center of the current of said river; thence 

southerly up the middle of the current of the Poteau River (except where 

the Arkansas State line intersects the Poteau River) to a point in the middle 

of the current of the Poteau River opposite the mouth of Mill Creek, and where 

it is intersected by the middle of the current of Mill Creek; thence up the 

middle of Mill Creek to the Arkansas State line; thence northerly along the 

Arkansas State line to the point of beginning.

By order of the U.S. Supreme Court (252 U.S. 344) commissioners 

in 1920 surveyed and marked a portion of the Arkansas-Mississippi 

State line, commencing about 1 mile below Friars Point, Miss., on 

an abandoned bed of the Mississippi River left dry by the avulsion of 

1848. The line inclosed an area of about 5 square miles OR the east 

side of the Mississippi as it now flows; the area was awarded to 

Arkansas (256 U.S. 28).

On March 7, 1876, the Mississippi changed the location of its main 

channel at a place about 20 miles up the river from Memphis, since 

known as "the Centennial Cut-off." The Mississippi, before this 

cut-off occurred, flowed northeastward along the west side of Brandywine Island, Ark. At the time of the avulsion the whole volume of 

the river with a head of 7 or 8 feet cut through a narrow neck of 

land, overcame the current flowing northeastward, and swept it backward for about 4 miles, thus reversing the direction of flow and forming a new main channel. An area of about 5 square miles of Arkansas 

land was left on the east side of the river, and 25 square miles of 

land belonging to Tennessee on the west side. In order to determine 

the proper location of the boundary between the two States at this 

place, Arkansas brought suit in the U.S. Supreme Court against Tennessee, which was argued in the October term, 1917. The report of

this case (246 U.S. 158) gives a great many references to court decisions regarding water boundaries in general. Three commissioners 

were appointed in 1918 (247 U.S. 461) to survey the line. Their 

report, filed May 24, 1921, was confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court 

November 16, 1925 (269 U.S. 152; 271 U.S. 629).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES TEXAS 195

The north boundary of Arkansas was surveyed in 1823. This line 

was not accepted. Further surveys in 1843 and 1846 commenced at a 

point near the Mississippi whose latitude from sextant observation was 

determined as 36° N. The marks consisted of tree blazes, wooden 

posts, and mounds of earth and stone. The 1843-46 line, which 

differed materially from that previously marked, was accepted by the 

legislatures and ratified by congressional act of February 15,1848 (9 

Stat. L. 211). Copies of the field notes of both lines are in the General 

Land Office records.

The part of the west boundary south of the Arkansas Kiver was surveyed and marked in 1825, and that from Old Fort Smith to the southwest corner of Missouri, in 1831. That part of the west boundary 

south of the Red River was surveyed by the joint commission named 

by Texas and the United States in 1841 (see Texas, p. 197).

A resurvey of the west boundary was commenced in 1857, but after 

the surveyors had run it 8 miles due south from the Arkansas River 

they were directed to return to Fort Smith and to retrace the line 

of the previous survey, which had been found to diverge to the west 

(U.S. Gong., 1868).

A resurvey and re-marking of the entire west boundary was authorized in 1875 (18 Stat. L. 476). This work, which was completed in 

1877, showed that the lines from Old Fort Smith both southward and 

northward diverged to the west, thereby adding to the area of Arkansas more than 200 square miles, the boundary mark on the Red River 

being 4 miles 16 chains west of a due south line from Old Fort Smith 

(U.S. Cong., 1879). The Cherokee and Choctaw Indians were paid 

for the hind of which they had been thus wrongfully deprived (Arkansas Hist. Assoc., 1908, p. 211-236).

For a description of the south boundary, see Louisiana, p. 173.

TEXAS

Texas declared its independence of Mexico in 1835. In 1836 the 

Congress of the Republic of Texas defined the boundaries as extending 

south and west to the Rio Grande and northward from the source of 

that river to the 42d parallel, the eastern and northern limits coinciding with the western boundary of the United States as laid down in the 

treaty with Spain in 1819. This area comprised all of the former 

Mexican States of Coahuila and Texas. The boundary as fixed by the 

treaty of 1819 was reaffirmed by treaty with Mexico concluded January 12, 1828, Mexico having in the meantime gained its independence 

from Spain. These boundaries (9 Stat. 447) were formally recognized by the U.S. act of September 9,1850. (See p. 74 and fig. 21; see 

also Spillman, 1902 and 1904).
196 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

FIGURE 21. Historical diagram of Texas.

Article 3 of the Mexican treaty of 1828 provided for the appointment of commissioners to survey and mark the land part of the boundary from the mouth of the Sabine River to the Arkansas River, to 

determine the latitude and longitude of the source of the Arkansas, and
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES TEXAS 197

to mark the line of the 42d parallel to the South Sea, but no commission was appointed under that treaty, and the line was not marked 

north of the Red River.

A treaty between the United States and the Republic of Texas, proclaimed in 1838, acknowledged the "treaty of limits" signed by Mexico 

and the United States in 1828 as binding upon Texas, which was then 

a part of Mexico, and provided for the marking of the boundary 

(Malloy, 1910, v. 2, p. 1779). The eastern boundary of the Republic 

of Texas, which followed the west bank of the Sabine River, was surveyed in 1840 by a joint commission representing the United States 

and Texas from the Gulf of Mexico to Logans Ferry, the observed 

latitude of which was found to be 31°58'24" N. and the longitude, 

94°00'02.4" W. The initial mark of this survey was a mound of earth 

50 feet in diameter and about 7 feet high on the shore of the Gulf, the 

position of which was reported as lat 29°41'27.5" N., long 93°50'14.2" 

W. (T. M. Marshall, 1914, chap. 12.)

In the following year another commission ran the line northward 

along the Sabine River to the 32d parallel as determined from astronomic observations, thence along a true-north line to the south bank of 

the Red River. Mounds were erected at 1-mile intervals on the 

meridian 'boundary, the measured length of which was found to be a 

little less than 106% miles. The original plats of this survey are on 

file in the U.S. State Department, and the General Land Office has 

copies. The field notes were probably filed in the War Department.41 

The approximate longitude of the meridian line at lat 33°06'30" N. 

is94°()2'35.1"W.

In a joint resolution approved March 1, 1845, Congress gave its 

consent for the erection of Texas into a State, provided certain conditions and "guarantees" were accepted, one of which was as follows 

(5Stat.L.797):

New States, of convenient size, not exceeding four in number, in addition 

to said State of Texas, and having sufficient population, may hereafter, by the 

consent of said State, be formed out of the territory thereof, which shall be 

entitled to admission under the provisions of the Federal constitution.

Texas does not appear, however, to have acquired by this proviso 

any advantages over other States, as it merely can give its "consent" 

to a division of its area, the right to make the recommendation or 

request for the division apparently resting with Congress.

On December 25, 1845, Texas was admitted as a State (9 Stat. L. 

108).

In 1848 the eastern boundary was extended slightly, as noted in the 

following extract (9 Stat. L. 245) :

41 The journal of the commission and some excellent maps of the survey were published 

in U.S. Cong. (1842).
198 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

That this Congress consents that the legislature of the State of Texas may 

extend her eastern boundary so as to include within her limits one-half of 

Sabine Pass, one-half of Sabine Lake, also one-half of Sabine River, from its 

mouth as far north as the thirty-second degree of north latitude.

In 1850 the State sold to the U.S. Government for the sum of 

$10 million, payable in stock bearing 5 percent interest for 14 years, 

that part lying north of the parallel of 36°30' from long 100° west 

of Greenwich to long 103° and west of long 103° as far south as the 

parallel of 32° (9 Stat. L. 446; see also 9 Stat. L. 1005).

The northern boundary of Texas from the 100th meridian westward is thus described in an act of Congress of June 5,1858, authorizing the marking of the boundary lines between the territories of the 

United States and the State of Texas (11 Stat. L. 310) :

Beginning at the point where the one hundredth degree of longitude west 

from Greenwich 42 crosses Red River, and running thence north to the point 

where said one hundredth degree of longitude intersects the parallel of thirty-six 

degrees thirty minutes north latitude; and thence west with the said parallel 

of thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes north latitude to the point where it 

intersects the one hundred and third degree of longitude west from Greenwich; 

and thence south with the said one hundred and third degree of longitude to 

the thirty-second parallel of north latitude; and thence west with said thirtysecond degree of north latitude to the Rio Grande.

For more than 50 years the title to an area of about 2,380 square 

miles was in dispute between the State of Texas and the United 

States. This area, formerly known as Greer County, is east of the 

100th meridian and between the two main forks of the Red River, 

which branch in approximately 99°12' west longitude. (See fig. 25.) 

Texas claimed that the North Fork of the Red River is the main 

stream and the one referred to in the description of the boundary in 

the Spanish treaty of 1819, and the United States claimed the South 

Fork as the proper location of the boundary. After years of litigation the Supreme Court on March 16, 1896, decided (162 U.S. 90) that

the territory east of the 100th meridian of longitude, west and south of the 

river now known as the North Fork of Red River, and north of a line following westward, as prescribed by the treaty of 1819 between the United 

States and Spain, the course, and along the south bank, both of Red River 

and of the river now known as the Prairie Dog Town Fork or South Fork of 

Red River until such line meets the 100th meridian of longitude which territory is sometimes called Greer County constitutes no part of the territory

properly included within or rightfully belonging to Texas at the time of the

admission of that State into the Union, and is not within the limits nor

under the jurisdiction of the State, but is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction 

of the United States of America.

The Supreme Court records of this case, which cover more than

1,000 printed pages, are summarized in the decree of 36 pages. These 

43 See footnote 40, p. 42, for reference to 100th meridian west of London.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES TEXAS 199

documents contain much historical matter relating to the northern 

and eastern boundary of Texas, and also contain copies of a number 

of old maps. (Baker, 1902, p. 31-35.)

..One clause of the decree places the boundary line on the south bank 

of the Red River, where it was believed old treaties and other official 

descriptions of the line intended it should be placed.43

Briefs in a suit by Oklahoma against Texas were submitted to the 

U.S. Supreme Court at its October term, 1920, and the decision, 

rendered April 11, 1921, reaffirmed the former decision making the 

south bank of the Red River the boundary, and in a decision rendered 

January 15,1923 (260 U.S. 631), as to what constituted the south bank, 

it was stated that

the bank intended by the treaty provision is the water-washed and relatively 

permanent elevation or acclivity at the outer line of the river bed which separates the bed from the adjacent upland, * * * and that the boundary intended 

is on and along the bank at the average or mean level attained by the waters in 

the periods when they reach and wash the bank without overflowing it.

The bed of the stream was defined as including

all of the area which is kept practically bare of vegetation by the wash of the 

waters of the river from year to year * * *

and excluding

the lateral valleys which have the characteristics of relatively fast land and 

usually are covered by upland grasses and vegetation, although temporarily 

overflowed in exceptional instances when the river is at flood.

A survey of the boundary, in accordance with this decision, ordered 

by the court, was completed, and the final report of the commissioners 

was accepted and confirmed April 25,1927 (274 U.S. 714).

An excellent historical review of this boundary dispute is given by 

Isaiah Bowman (1923, p. 161-189),44 who states that the Red River 

case is "the most complicated boundary dispute on record anywhere."

Surveys for the Texas boundary on the 100th meridian west of 

Greenwich were made in whole or in part under the direction of the 

General Land Office in 1859,1860, 1873,1875,1902, and 1903, but none 

of these was accepted as fixing the boundary.

In 1892 the State of Texas employed an astronomer to determine 

"with the utmost care the location of the 100th meridian [west of 

Greenwich] at its intersection with Red River." As a result of the 

work thus authorized, it was reported that the initial monument of

43 See reference to the "right bank of the Red River" in the act of 1824, defining the 

west boundary of Arkansas, p. 193.

44 A brief review of this boundary dispute and an extensive report (with maps) on the 

investigations made for fixing the position of the boundary are given in Texas Univ. 

Bull. 2327, 1923.

776-664 O-65 14
200 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

1859 was 45.11 seconds of longitude west of the true meridian. (Baker, 

1902, p. 31-35.)

The position of this point was redetermined in 1902 from astronomic observations and reported as 3,699.7 feet (44.24") west of the 

100th meridian. A stone post 10 by 10 by 45 inches in size was placed 

on the meridian at a point 1,563 feet north of the Red River (U.S. 

Cong., 1902, p. 8).

The line marked as the 100th meridian boundary was retraced in 

1903 by the General Land Office from the Red River north to the 

assumed position of the parallel of 36°30' (U.S. Cong., 1905b, p. 4) 

and at a point computed to be on the true meridian a large concrete 

pier was erected marked on the southwest face "36°30' N.L., 100° 

W.L., 1903." This pier is 243 feet north and 1,756 feet east from the 

east end of the Cimarron base line of the General Land Office. In 

1881 a large stone was placed at that point and marked as being the 

northeast corner of Texas.

Neither Congress nor the State of Texas had approved any of the 

surveys for the 100th meridian; consequently none had any legal status 

(U.S. Cong., 1905, p. 10).

In October, 1926, the U.S. Supreme Court decreed 45 that neither 

the boundary survey of 1859-60 nor the location of the 100th meridian 

in 1902-3 could be accepted as establishing the boundary and ordered 

that a new survey be made.

In order to locate the line with all possible exactness, the commissioner appointed by the court decided to place it on the geodetic 

meridian (1927 N.A.D.; see p. 10) determined from first-order 

triangulation by the Coast and Geodetic Survey, and 20 stations were 

established by that survey on or near its assumed position.

The marking of the boundary line was commenced in 1928 at a 

point 340.28 feet east from the 1902 mark near the Red River and

extended south to a point near the "cut bank" on. the south side of the 

river, where a large rein forced-concrete monument was built; a reference mark on the meridian was placed at a point 351.2 feet farther 

south. From the cut-bank mark the line was run due north for a 

distance of 133.6 miles, checked in position at each of the 20 geodetic 

stations, and closed on an eastward extension of the 36°30' parallel

boundary line as determined by Clark in 1860. There are now 160

concrete monuments on the line, each having a lettered metal tablet set 

in its upper surface. The line as thus established was approved by the 

U.S. Supreme Court March 17, 1930 (281 U.S. 109). 

The mark set in 1929 for the northeast corner of Texas is in

lat 36°29'59.56" N., long 100°00'00.00" .west of Greenwich and is 286.5

46 272 U.S. 21. This decree gives a detailed history of the various surveys for the 

establishment of the 100th meridian. See also a brief history of the surveys in General 

Land Office Service Bull., December 1926, p. 315.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES TEXAS 201

feet southeast of the mark of 1903. The geodetic line as now marked 

is 4,040 feet east of the south end of the 1859-60 line and about 880 

feet east of the north end of the line as marked in 1859-60 and 

retraced in 1873. The strip of land included between these two lines 

has an area of about 44.6 square miles and was determined by the 

Supreme Court boundary decision to be in Texas and not in Oklahoma.46

The northern line of the "panhandle" of Texas, which is the southern 

boundary of the "public-land strip," was fixed by statute at lat 

36°30' N.

It was surveyed in 1860 by John H. Clark, boundary commissioner, 

United States and Texas. Sixteen monuments were erected on this 

boundary line. Monument 10 on this line is in lat 36°29'59.56" N., 

long 101°05'17.00" W. This location of the north boundary and the 

location of the 103d meridian boundary were confirmed by Congress 

and by Texas in 1891 (26 Stat. L. 948, 971; U.S. Cong., 1905, p. 

13-18).

The location of the west boundary of Texas, which by statute is the 

103d meridian, has been the cause of many disputes. The southern 

part of the line for about 69 miles and the northern part for about 

172 miles were reported as surveyed and marked in 1859 by J. H. 

Clark, leaving an unmarked gap of about 69 miles. Most of the 

marks were merely mounds of earth; a few were stones or piles of 

stone, and some of these were identified many years thereafter. Later 

surveys indicate that the north end of the line is in long 103°02'28.04" 

W. and lat 36°30'01.45" N. (1927 N.A.D.). The south end is in long 

103°03'55.02" W. and lat 31°59'58.52" N. (astronomic). There is 

therefore a discrepancy of about l1/^ miles between the two parts of 

the line, both being west of their proper positions (Baker, 1902); but 

these lines as well as that following the 32d parallel, having been accepted by the United States and Texas, are the legal boundary lines.

A joint resolution of Congress February 16,1911 (36 Stat. L. 1455), 

declared that "these boundary lines as run and marked by John H. 

Clark in 1859-60 4T shall remain the true boundary lines of Texas and 

New Mexico." The lines were described as following the 103d meridian and 32d parallel as "determined by Clark," and commissioners 

were authorized to act for Texas and the United States to re-mark the 

north-south line so far as it could be identified; where no marks were 

found or where surveys had not been made, straight lines were to be 

run joining recovered points.

In accordance with this act, surveys were run south from the known 

location of the north boundary mark, to the 34th parallel, to which

46 For other data relating to this survey, see the commissioners' report to the Supreme 

Court dated July 15, 1929 (281 U.S. 109).

47 See report by J. H. Clark (1882) commissioner.
202 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Clark claimed to have run, and north from the identified mark established by Clark for the intersection of the 32d parallel and the 103d 

meridian, to the 33d parallel. Between the 32d and the 34th parallels 

a straight line was run which bears N. 1°00'42" E. Large concrete 

monuments (fig. 33) were established at a number of points, and other 

substantial marks were placed at each mile.

The 32d parallel boundary was also rerun in 1911; its length as 

measured was a little more than 209 miles. The latitude of this line 

near Clark monument 1, east of the Kio Grande, is 32°00'00.37" N. 

as determined from astronomic observations in 1903. At milepost 53 

(resurvey of 1911) the geodetic position is lat 31°59'59.93" N., long 

103°58'02.53" W. Milepost 61 is in lat 31°59'59.40" N., long 

104°06'13.18" W. The notes and plats of these surveys are on file in 

the General Land Office.

The southern boundary of Texas is a part of the international 

boundary between the United States and Mexico and as defined by the 

treaty of 1848 and reaffirmed by the treaty of 1853 follows the middle 

of the deepest channel of the Kio Grande from the Gulf of Mexico to 

the southern boundary of New Mexico. A survey of this boundary 

was made in 1852-53. The report was published in 1857. It is generally referred to as the Emory report on the survey of the Mexican 

boundary (Emory, 1857b).

A convention, concluded November 12,1884, provided for resurveys 

of parts of the boundary where important changes in the position of 

the river had occurred (Malloy, 1913, v. 1, p. 1159). This agreement 

stated that:

The dividing line shall * * * follow the center of the normal channel of the 

rivers named, notwithstanding any alterations * * * effected by natural causes 

through the slow and gradual erosion * * * and not by the abandonment of an 

existing bed and the opening of the new one.

Any other change wrought by the force of the current, * * * shall produce no 

change in the dividing line as fixed by the surveys of * * * 1852, but the line 

then fixed shall continue to follow the middle of the original channel bed, even 

though this should be wholly dry.

Modifications of the articles of the convention of 1884 were made 

by the convention of 1905 (Malloy, 1910, v. 1, p. 1199). The latter 

agreement provided for the solution of some of the problems raised 

by the earlier convention that were due to numerous changes in the 

position of the "normal channel" as follows:

Whereas * * * it has been observed th-at there is a typical class of changes

effected in the bed of the Rio Grande, in which, owing to slow and gradual

erosion, COUplecl with avulsion, said river abandons its old channel and there

are separated from it small portions of land known as "bancos" bounded by the 

said old bed, and which, according to the terms of * * * the Convention of 1884,
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES TEXAS 203

remain subject to the dominion and jurisdiction of the country from which they 

have been separated.

Whereas said "bancos" are left at a distance from the new river bed, and 

by reason of the successive deposits of alluvium, the old channel is becoming 

effaced, the land of said "bancos" becomes confused with the land of the "bancos" 

contiguous thereto, thus giving rise to difficulties and controversies, * * *.

Whereas the Tabors of the International Boundary Commission, undertaken 

with the object of fixing the boundary line with reference to the "bancos," have 

demonstrated that the application to these "bancos" of the principle established in * * * the Convention of 1884 renders difficult the solution of the 

controversies mentioned, and, instead of simplifying, complicates the said boundary line between the two countries; * * *.

Article 1 refers to maps made from surveys of 58 bancos along the 

lower Rio Grande which the convention eliminates, those on the 

right bank of the river passing to Mexico and those on the left bank 

to the United States.

Article 2 is in part:

The International Commission shall, in the future, be guided by the principle of 

elimination of the bancos established in the foregoing articles * * *. There are 

hereby excepted from this provision the portions of land segregated by the 

change in the bed of the said rivers having an area of over two hundred and 

fifty hectares [618 acres, or nearly a square mile], or a population of over two 

hundred souls, 'and which shall not be considered as bancos for the purposes 

of this treaty and shall not be eliminated, the old bed of the river remaining, 

therefore, the boundary in such cases.

Article 3 required that other bancos be surveyed and that suitable 

marks 'be placed in the abandoned riverbed. Over the years, since 

the convention of 1905, more than 200 detached tracts along the river, 

called bancos under the terms of the agreement, have been eliminated. 

Some 10,000 acres, formerly on the U.S. side, passed to Mexican 

sovereignty while nearly 18,000 acres, formerly on the Mexican side, 

passed to the United States. (U.S. Dept. State, 1963b.)

A convention between Mexico and the United States for the rectification of the Rio Grande in the El Paso-Juarez Valley was concluded 

at Mexico City on February 1,1933. (See also Boggs, 1940, p. 67-70.) 

The agreement was ratified by the respective Governments, and had 

for its purposes the protection of the valley from flood dangers and 

the stabilization of the internationl boundary. The work was carried 

out under the direction of the International Boundary Commission.

The canalization of the river, from a point below El Paso to the 

head of Box Canyon, shortened its course from 155 miles to 88 miles 

between these points. The gradient was thus increased from 1.8 to 

3.2 feet per mile. The new channel is a series of tangents connected 

by smooth curves and should prevent further meanderings of the 

river.
204 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

The convention ordered that "the axis of the rectified channel shall 

be the international boundary line." Each Government agreed to 

surrender to the other such parcels of its land as would fall on the 

opposite side of the new channel. This provision called for the exchange of a considerable area of land, and each Government agreed to 

acquire the land within its borders at the time for transfer to the 

other "in absolute sovereignty and ownership." The engineering work 

on this project was completed in 1938.

The rectification and stabilization project left in dispute an area of 

less than a square mile in the city of El Paso. An attempt was made 

to settle this question by arbitration in 1911. When the Commission 

made its award, the United States claimed it was invalid as, among 

other things, it disregarded the well-established legal principle that a 

boundary moves with the river when the movement is due to erosion 

and deposition rather than an avulsion.

Through the years, many efforts have been made to find a solution 

to the problem that would satisfy both sides. A convention concluded 

between Mexico and the United States on August 29, 1963, provided 

for the rectification of the Rio Grande in the manner of the 1933 

project.

A new channel, following roughly the position of the river in 1864, 

will become the international 'boundary. This will involve the purchase by the United States from its citizens of some 630 acres for 

transfer to Mexico, and the transfer of 193 acres by Mexico on the 

north end of the Cordova tract to the United States. The Cordova 

tract of 386 acres had been cut off from Mexico in 1899 by a relocation 

of the river to control floods. It remained under Mexican sovereignty, 

but utilization of the physically detached area was difficult.

The estimated Value of the land and improvements to be acquired by

the United States is $20 million, The costs of the canalization and the

replacement Of the Six existing bridges will 'be born equally by both.

Governments. The new channel is to be concrete lined and of a size to 

Carry 18,000 cubic feet per second with 3.3 feet of free'board. The

minimum radius of curvature would be 1,640 feet. It is expected that 

the new channel, 4.3 miles in length, will prevent further movement 

of the bed of the Rio Grande.

The demarcation of the new boundary is to begin as soon as the 

affected property has 'been acquired by the United States and tKe inhabitants evacuated.

Ratifications of the convention were exchanged by the two Governments on January 14,1964.

The present 'boundary lines of Texas are described as follows: Beginning in the Gulf of Mexico, at the outlet of Sabine Lake, the line 

passes northward through the middle of Sabine Lake and up the mid-
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MICHIGAN 205

die of the Sabine River 48 to the point where the river intersects the 

parallel of 32° ; thence north along the meridian of that point of intersection to the point where that meridian intersects the Red River; 

thence up the south bank of the Red River along the south fork to the 

100th meridian west of Greenwich; thence north on that meridian to 

the parallel of 36°30'; west on that parallel to the meridian of 103° 

as marked; thence south along the 103d meridian to the parallel of 

latitude of 32° ; thence west on that parallel to its point of intersection 

with the Rio Grande; thence down the midchannel of the Rio Grande 

to the boundary line between the United States and Mexico; thence 

following that line (see p. 43) to the Gulf.

MICHIGAN

Michigan was organized as a Territory June 30, 1805, from the 

northeastern part of Indiana Territory. (See fig. 22.) The following clause from the act dividing Indiana Territory defines its limits (2 

Stat.L.309) :

* * * from and after the thirtieth day of June next, all that part of the Indiana 

territory which lies north of a line drawn east from the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan, until it shall intersect Lake Erie, and east of a line 

drawn from the said southerly bend through the middle of said lake to its northern extremity, and thence due north to the northern boundary of the United 

States, shall, for the purpose of temporary government, constitute a separate 

territory, and be called Michigan.

The enabling act for Illinois, passed in 1818, contained a provision 

transferring to Michigan Territory the portion of Illinois Territory 

not included in tihe State of that name and also an area of 5,880 square 

miles north of lat 42°30' N., then a part of Indiana Territory. The 

following is the text of the clause referred to (3 Stat. L. 431) :

* * * all that part of the territory of the United States lying north of the State of 

Indiana, and which was included in the former Indiana territory, together with 

that part of the Illinois territory which is situated north of and not included 

within the boundaries prescribed by this act, to the state thereby authorized 

to be formed, shall be, and hereby is, attached to and made a part of the 

Michigan territory.

On June 28, 1834, an act was passed extending the limits of the 

Territory of Michigan to Missouri River. The clause of the act 

relating to this area is as follows (4 Stat. L. 701) :

* * * all that part of the territory of the United States bounded on the east 

by the Mississippi River, on the south by the state of Missouri, and a line drawn 

due west from the northwest corner of said state to the Missouri river; on the 

southwest and west by the Missouri river and the White Earth river, falling 

into the same; and on the north, by the northern boundary of the United States,

48 An act of Congress, July 5, 1848 (9 Stat. L. 245), gave Texas the right to extend its 

boundary into the Sabine River and Lake to coincide with the west boundary of Louisiana.
206 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MICHIGAN 207

shall be, and hereby is, for the purpose of temporary government, attached to 

and made a part of, the territory of Michigan.

Michigan was admitted to the Union on January 26, 1837 (5 Stat. 

L. 144), with the proviso and boundaries given in the enabling act 

(5 Stat. L. 49) as follows:

Provided, ahvays, and this admission is upon the express condition, that the 

said State shall consist of and have jurisdiction over all the territory included 

within the following boundaries, and over none other, to wit:

Beginning at the point where the above-described northern boundary of the 

State of Ohio intersects the eastern boundary of the State of Indiana, and 

running thence with the said boundary line of Ohio, as described in the first 

section of this act, until it intersects the boundary line between the United 

States and Canada in Lake Erie; thence with the said boundary line between 

the United States and Canada, through the Detroit river, Lake Huron, and 

Lake Superior, to a point where the said line last touches Lake Superior; thence 

in a direct line through Lake Superior to the mouth of the Montreal river; 

thence through the middle of the main channel of the said river Montreal, to 

the middle of the Lake of the Desert; thence in a direct line to the nearest 

headwater of the Menomonie river; thence through the middle of that fork of 

the said river first touched by the said line, to the main channel of the said 

Menomonie river; thence down the center of the main channel of the same, to 

the center of the most usual ship channel of the Green bay of Lake Michigan; 

thence through the center of the most usual ship channel of the said bay to 

the middle of Lake Michigan; thence through the middle of Lake Michigan, to 

the northern boundary of the State of Indiana, as that line was established by 

the act of Congress of the nineteenth of April, eighteen hundred and sixteen; 

thence due east, with the north boundary line of the said State of Indiana, to 

the northeast corner thereof; and thence, south, with the east boundary line 

of Indiana to the place of beginning.

Wisconsin Territory was formed in 1836 from the western part of 

Michigan Territory.

When the Territory of Wisconsin was organized, it was supposed 

that there was an almost continuous water-boundary line between 

Michigan and Wisconsin from Green Bay to Lake Superior. Congress 

in 1838 ordered the running and marking of this boundary (5 Stat. L. 

244), but it was soon discovered that the line could not be run as described, for the head of the Montreal River is more than 50 miles from 

the Lake of the Desert (now called Lac Vieux Desert), which was supposed to be its source. It was therefore recommended that the boundary location be changed to the position later described in the Wisconsin enabling act of 1846 (9 Stat. L. 56-57), and in greater detail in the 

Michigan constitution of 1850, which reads as follows (Thorpe, 1909, 

v. 4, p. 1945) :

* * * through Lake Superior to the mouth of the Montreal river ; thence through 

the middle of the main channel of the said river Montreal to the head waters 

thereof; thence in a direct line to the center of the channel between Middle and 

South islands in the Lake of the Desert; thence in a direct line to the southern 

shore of Lake Brule; thence along said southern shore and down the river
208 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

Brule to the main channel of the Menominee river; thence down the center of 

the main channel of the same to the center of the most usual ship channel of the 

Green Bay of Lake Michigan.

WISCONSIN 49

Wisconsin was organized as a Territory July 3, 1836, and admitted 

as a State May 29,1848.

As originally constituted its area comprised all that part of the 

former Territory of Michigan which lay west of the present limits 

of the State of Michigan. (See fig. 22.) The limits are defined in the 

act for its organization as follows (5 Stat. L. 11) :

Bounded on the east, by a line drawn from the northeast corner of the State 

of Illinois, through the middle of Lake Michigan, to a point in the middle of said 

lake, and opposite the main channel of Green Bay; and through said channel and 

Green Bay to the mouth of the Menomonie river; thence through the middle of 

the main channel of said river, to that head of said river nearest to the Lake 

of the Desert; M thence in a direct line to the middle of said lake; thence through 

the middle of the main channel of the Montreal river, to its mouth; thence with a 

direct line across Lake Superior to where the territorial line of the United States 

last touches said lake northwest; thence on the north with the said territorial 

line to the White-earth river; on the west, by a line from the said boundary line 

following down the middle of the main channel of White-earth river to the 

Missouri river, and down the middle of the main channel of the Missouri river 

to a point due west from the northwest corner of the State of Missouri; and on 

the south, from said point, due east to the northwest corner of the State of 

Missouri; and thence with the boundaries of the States of Missouri and Illinois, 

as already fixed by acts of Congress.

In 1838, all that part of the territory lying west of the Mississippi 

and of a line drawn due north from its source to the international 

boundary that is, all that part which was originally comprised in the 

Louisiana Purchase and the Eed River drainage basin south of the 49th 

parallel was organized as the Territory of Iowa. (See Iowa, p. 212.)

The enabling act dated August 6,1846, provided for the admission 

of Wisconsin as a State. The boundaries were described as follows:

Beginning at the northeast corner of the State of Illinois, that is to say, at a

point in the center of Lake Michigan where the line of forty two degrees and

thirty minutes of north latitude crosses the same, thence running with the

boundary line of the State of Michigan, through Lake Michigan, Green Bay, to the 

mouth of the Menominee River; thence up the channel of said river to the Brule 

River, thence up said last mentioned river to Lake Brule; thence along the 

southern shore of Lake Brule in a direct line to the channel between middle and

south islands in the Lake of the Desert; thence in a direct line to the headwaters

of the Montreal River, as marked upon the survey made by Captain Cramm; 

thence down the main channel of the Montreal River to the middle of Lake

49 For a general description of the boundaries of .Wisconsin and a historical sketch of 

the acts by which they were fixed, see Thwaites (1888, v. 11, p. 451-501).

60 This translation of the French name "Lac Vieux Desert" is misleading. The French 

word "desert" refers to a clearing, an open space, a wild and solitary place, not to an 

area devoid of vegetation from lack of water.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES WISCONSIN 209

Superior; thence through the center of Lake Superior to the mouth of the St. 

Louis River; thence up the main channel of said river to the first rapids in the 

same, above the Indian village, according to Nicollet's map; thence due south to 

the main branch of the River St. Croix; thence down the main channel of said 

river to the Mississippi; thence down the main channel of that river to the northwest corner of the State of Illinois; thence due east with the northern boundary 

of the State of Illinois to the place of beginning * * *.

The straight parts of the boundary were surveyed and marked, in 

1847, from a point where the Balsam River and the Pine River unite 

to form the Montreal, S. T4°27' E. to the Lake of the Desert, a distance 

of 50 miles 67 chains 6 links. The southern part of the line begins at 

the lower end of Lake Brule and runs N. 59°38' W. for 13 miles 37 

chains 66 links to an intersection with the former line in the Lake of 

the Desert. The notes pertaining to this line can be found in the General Land Office files.

Suit was commenced by Michigan in the U.S. Supreme Court in October 1923 for a redetermination of the Michigan-Wisconsin boundary, 

the claim being made that the surveys of 1840-47 were not in accord 

with the descriptions. The change from the previously accepted 

boundary to that proposed by Michigan would have resulted in a loss 

to Wisconsin of about 255,000 acres of land, but the Court by decree 

dated March 1,1926 (270 U.S. 295; 272 U.S. 398), confirmed Wisconsin's title to the disputed area, principally because

The rule, long settled and never doubted by this court, is that long acquiescence by one State in the possession of territory by another and in the 

exercise of sovereignty and dominion over it is conclusive of the latter's title and 

rightful authority.

A resurvey of the Michigan-Wisconsin line was completed in 1929 

by commissioners representing the two States. There are now 160 

concrete monuments on this 65-mile line. This work was executed in 

accordance with the Supreme Court decree of November 22, 1926.

The boundary from Lake Brule to the mouth of the Menominee is 

practically that described in the enabling act and

follows the channels of the Brule and Menominee wherever they are free from 

islands; * * * wherever islands are encountered above Quinnesec Falls the line 

follows the channel nearest the Wisconsin mainland, so as to throw all such 

islands into Michigan; and * * * wherever islands are encountered below Quinnesec Falls the line follows the channel nearest the Michigan mainland, so as 

to throw all such islands into Wisconsin.

Through Green Bay the line was fixed as claimed by Wisconsin and 

includes in that State Washington, Detroit, Plum, Rock, and some 

smaller islands.51

61 For a historical description of this boundary and notes relating to the settlement of 

the dispute by the U.S. Supreme Court, see Martin (1930, p. 106-163).
210 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

A further decree of the Supreme Court, handed down in 1936 (297 

U.S. 547), confirmed the earlier decree and defined the boundary 

through Green Bay to the middle of Lake Michigan by bearings and 

distances. Following this, the States of Michigan, Wisconsin, and 

Minnesota entered into a compact to define angle points along their 

common boundaries that fall in the Great Lakes or bays adjoining 

them, and to reference these points by suitable marks along the shore, 

the geodetic positions of which were to be determined.

To define the boundary between Michigan and Wisconsin in the 

middle of Lake Michigan, as required by the enabling acts admitting 

these States, seven points were selected and named A to G, and their 

geodetic positions were published. Point A is on an eastward continuation of the Illinois-Wisconsin boundary. Point G is at the centerline of the lake where the boundary through Green Bay intersects it.

The geodetic coordinates of the seven points are :

Point Latitude (N.) Longitude (W.)

A ______________________________ 42°29'37' 87°01'15'

B ______________________________ 43°22'50' 87°08'50'

C _______________________________ 43°42'00' 87°07'20'

D ______________________________ 44°07'55' 87°00'45'

E _______________________________ 44°52'50' 86°41'10'

F ______________________________ 45°05'20' 86°29'30'

G ______________________________ 45°14'10' 86°14'55'

Two points were selected to define the boundary for Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota in Lake Superior. This line extends from the 

international boundary at the point where it enters Pigeon Bay to the 

point where the Michigan- Wisconsin boundary enters the Montreal 

Kiver. These points were labeled N and M. Their coordinates are:

Point Latitude (N.) Longitude (W.)

M _______________________________ 46°34'05" 90°25'05"

N ______________________________ 48°00'50" 89°29'00"

The line between Wisconsin and Minnesota, being described in the 

enabling act admitting Wisconsin as passing "through the center of 

Lake Superior to the mouth of the St. Louis River" is defined by four

points, A to D. Point A is at the midpoint of line M N". Point D is 

referenced to the ends of the breakwaters at the entrance to the Duluth

Superior Harbor. The geodetic coordinates of these points are :

Point Latitude (N.) Longitude (W.)

A ____________________________ 47°17'30" 89°57'00"

B __________________________ 47°18'35" 90°39'15"

C _____________________________ 46°54'10" 91°31'25"

D _______________________ 46°42'39.875" 92°00'24.571"

All these points representing the centerline of Lake Michigan or

Lake Superior are defined as equidistant from two points on the 

opposite shorelines, except point G, which had been fixed by a U.S.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES WISCONSIN 211

Supreme Court decree of March 12, 1936. The true azimuths and 

distances, in statute miles between successive points, are given in the 

compact.

This agreement on the boundaries of the three States was approved 

by Congress in 1948 (62 Stat. 1152).

On March 3, 1847, a supplementary act for the admission of 

Wisconsin was passed by Congress, in which the western boundary of 

the proposed State was described as follows:

That the assent of Congress is hereby given to the change of boundary proposed 

in the first article of said constitution, to wit: leaving the boundary line prescribed in the act of Congress entitled "An Act to enable the People of Wisconsin 

Territory to form a Constitution and State Government, and for the Admission 

of such State into the Union," at the first rapids in the river St. Louis; thence 

in a direct line southwardly to a point fifteen miles east of the most easterly point 

of Lake St. Croix; thence due south to the main channel of the Mississippi River 

or Lake Pepin; thence down the said main channel, as prescribed in said act.

Had this act been accepted, it would have given the State an area 

considerably less than it now has.

The first constitution, completed December 16, 1846 (Quaife, 1919, 

p. 732-753), accepted the boundaries as described in the enabling act 

of August 6,1846, but proposed that Congress consent to the change as 

described in the later act above referred to. This constitution was

!

rejected by popular vote April 5,1847 (14,119 ayes, 20,231 noes) not, 

however, because of unsatisfactory boundaries.

A second constitution dated February 1, 1848, with the boundaries 

also as described in the act of August 6, 1846, was accepted by the 

people but with the proviso (art. 2, sec. 1) that, if Congress approved, 

the boundary line should run southwesterly from the foot of the 

rapids of the St. Louis River to the mouth of the Rum River, thence 

down the Mississippi River as previously described. This boundary 

would have added materially to the area of the State had it been 

accepted by Congress.

Congress accepted the constitution dated February 1, 1848, without 

action on the proviso and by act approved May 29, 1848 (9 Stat. L. 

233), admitted Wisconsin as a State.

The admission of Wisconsin to statehood left an area of more than 

30,000 square miles west of the St. Croix River, east and north of 

the Mississippi River, practically without a government. The settlers 

organized a temporary government and elected a Delegate to Congress 

who was admitted as the representative of the "Territory of Wisconsin." This area became a part of the Territory of Minnesota by 

congressional act of March 3, 1849.

The State of Minnesota in 1916 instituted a suit against Wisconsin 

in the U.S. Supreme Court to have that part of the State boundary
212 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

line from St. Louis Bay up the St. Louis River to the falls near 

Fond du Lac finally determined. The Court handed down an opinion 

March 8, 1920 (252 U.S. 273), and on October 11,1920 (254 U.S. 14), 

appointed commissioners to survey and mark the line. The survey 

was made on ice during the winter of 1920-21, and the commissioners' 

report was confirmed by the Court February 7, 1922. The line surveyed (258 U.S. 149) was 18.4 miles in length and was almost entirely 

over water. Rectangular coordinates were computed for each angle, 

and suitable reference marks were established on shore.

The meridian boundary between Wisconsin and Minnesota from 

the St. Louis River to the St. Croix River was surveyed and marked 

in 1852 under the General Land Office, by George R. Stuntz, deputy 

surveyor. (General Land Office, Wisconsin field notes, v. 37,133.)

For the southern boundary, see Illinois, page 187.

IOWA

Iowa was organized as a Territory by act of June 12, 1838, effective 

July 3, from a portion of Wisconsin Territory. (See figs. 19 and 22.) 

The limits were defined as follows in the act (5 Stat. L. 235) creating 

it:

* * * all that part of the present Territory of Wisconsin which lies west of the 

Mississippi river, aind west of a line drawn due north from the headwaters or 

sources of the Mississippi to the Territorial line.

The approximate position of the outlet of Lake Itasca, which is 

generally accepted as the source of the Mississippi (see footnote, 

p. 38), is lat 47°15i/3 ' N., long 95°12y2 ' W. The river runs northwestward for about 6 miles before it turns east. The north-south 

boundary line across the western -part of the Lake of the Woods is 

in long 95°09/11.6'/ W. (p. 21).

The lawmakers in Congress in writing the act creating the Territory of Iowa evidently had. in mind their troubles over the OhioMichigan boundary, and to avoid any future question as to the power 

of Congress they reserved the right to divide the new Territory into 

two or more Territories or to attach any part of it to any other State 

or Territory.

The following clause from an act passed in 1839 (5 Stat. L. 357) 

is Supplementary to the act above quoted :

That the middle or center of the main channel of the river Mississippi shall 

be deemed, and is hereby declared, to be the eastern boundary line of the 

Territory of Iowa, so far or to such extent as the said Territory is bounded 

eastwardly by or upon said river.

On March 3,1845, an act was approved for the admission of Iowa 

to the Union as a State, but the act required that the assent of the 

people of Iowa be given to it by popular vote. In this act (5 Stat. 

L. 742) the boundaries were given as follows:
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES IOWA 213

That the following shall be the boundaries of the said State of Iowa, to wit: 

Beginning at the mouth of the Des Moines river, at the middle of the Mississippi, thence by the middle of the channel of that river to a parallel of latitude passing through the mouth of the Mankato or Blue-Earth river [lat 

44°10' N.], thence west along the said parallel of latitude to a point where it is 

intersected by a meridian line, seventeen degrees and thirty minutes west of the 

meridian of Washington city, thence due south to the northern boundary line 

of the State of Missouri, thence eastwardly following that boundary to the 

point at which the same intersects the Des Moines river, thence by the middle 

of the channel of that river to the place of beginning.

These boundaries were not acceptable to the people and by a popular vote were rejected.

Another constitutional convention was held in May 1846, and Congress passed an act (9-Stat. L. 52), approved August 4, 1846, which 

fixed the boundaries, in accordance with the wishes of the people, as 

follows:

Beginning in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River at a 

point due east of the middle of the mouth of the main channel of the Des 

Moines River; thence up the middle of the main channel of the said Des Moines 

River to a point on said river where the northern boundary line of the State 

of Missouri, as established by the constitution of that State, adopted June 

twelfth, eighteen hundred and twenty, crosses the said middle of the main 

channel of the said Des Moines River; thence westwardly along the said northern 

boundary line of the State of Missouri, as established at the time aforesaid, 

until an extension of said line intersect the middle of the main channel of the 

Missouri River, thence up the middle of the main channel of the said Missouri 

River, to a point opposite the middle of the main channel of the Big Sioux 

River, according to Nicollet's map; thence up the main channel of the said Big 

Sioux River, according to said map, until it is intersected by the parallel of 

forty-three degrees and thirty minutes north latitude; thence east along said 

parallel of forty-three degrees and thirty minutes, until said parallel intersect 

the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River; thence down the middle 

of the main channel of said Mississippi River to the place of beginning.

Iowa was finally declared admitted to full statehood by act of 

December 28, 1846 (James, 1897, p. 163-1T3; 9 Stat. L. 117).

The admission of Iowa appears to have left a large area to the north 

and west unattached, which so remained until Minnesota Territory 

was organized, in 1849.

The act of August 4,. 1846, directed that a long-standing dispute 

between Missouri and Iowa Territory regarding their common boundary (U.S. Cong., 1839b) be referred to the U.S. Supreme Court for 

adjudication. The area claimed by both was a strip of land about 

10 miles wide and 200 miles long, north of the present boundary. 

Missouri maintained that the clause in that State's enabling act, "the 

rapids of the river Des Moines," referred to rapids in the river of 

that name and not to rapids of a similar name in the Mississippi, also 

that the Indian boundary line run and marked in 1816 by authority
214 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

of the United States, known as the Sullivan line, was erroneously 

established. A line claimed by Missouri was run by J. C. Brown in 

1837 by order of the State legislature.

The U.S. Supreme Court decided in 1849 that the Sullivan line of 

1816 is the correct boundary and ordered that it be resurveyed. The 

report of the commissioners appointed by the Court to re-mark the 

line was accepted in 1851.52

So many of the marks on this line as established in 1850 had.become 

lost or destroyed tha^ the U.S. Supreme Court in 1896 ordered that 

certain parts be reestablished, especially those between mileposts 50 

and 55. (160 U.S. 688.) Accordingly 20 miles of line was resurveyed 

by officers of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1896, and durable 

monuments of granite or iron were established thereon.53

The geographic position of milepost 40 was determined as lat 

40°34.4' N., long 95°51' W. and that of No. 60 as lat 40°34.6' N., long 

93°28' W.

The survey of the north boundary of Iowa on the parallel of 43°30', 

authorized by congressional act of March 3, 1849, was completed in 

1852. The position for each end of the line and for several intermediate 

points was determined astronomically.54

In 1943 the States of Iowa and Nebraska agreed to alter their common boundary to coincide with the main channel of the Missouri Kiver 

as it was at that time. This compact was approved by Congress on 

July 12,1943. (57Stat.494.)

A similar agreement had been made with Missouri in 1939 along the 

Des Moines River. (See p. 191.)

MINNESOTA

The Territory of Minnesota was organized on March 3, 1849. It 

comprised the portion of the former Territory of Iowa outside the 

limits of the present State of Iowa and extended east to the west 

boundary line of Wisconsin. (See fig. 22.) The terms of the act 

creating this Territory (9 Stat. L. 403), so far as they relate to its 

boundary, are as follows :

all that part of the territory of the United States which lies within the following 

limits, to wit: Beginning in the Mississippi River, at the point where the line 

of forty-three degrees and thirty minutes of north latitude crosses the same; 

thence running due west on said line, which is the northern boundary of the

63 For a history of the line, discussion of the case, report of commissioners, and description of the survey, see.7 Howard 660 and 10 Howard 1.

63 For a full report, which contains extracts from notes of previous surveys, see 165 

U.S. 118, and U.S. Coast and Geod. Survey (1896, p. 51).

64 For an Illustrated description of the survey of this line, see Iowa, Dept. of History 

and Archives (1929, p. 483-503).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MINNESOTA 215

State of Iowa, to the northwest corner of the said State of Iowa; thence southerly 

along the western boundary of said State to the point where said boundary 

strikes the Missouri River; thence up the middle of the main channel of the 

Missouri River to the mouth of the White-earth River; thence up the middle 

of the main channel of the White-earth River to the boundary line between the 

possessions of the United States and Great Britain; thence east and south of east 

along the boundary line between the possessions of the United States and Great 

Britain to Lake Superior; thence in a straight line to the northernmost point 

of the State of "Wisconsin in Lake Superior; thence along the western boundary 

line of .said State of Wisconsin to the Mississippi River; thence down the main 

channel of said river to the place of beginning.

Minnesota was admitted as a State on May 11, 1858, with the same 

boundaries that it has at present (11 Stat. L. 285). These are given in 

the enabling act (11 Stat. L. 166) as follows:

Beginning at the point in the center of the main channel of the Red River of the 

North, where the boundary line between the United States and the British 

Possessions crosses the same; thence up the main channel of said river to that of 

the Bois des Sioux River; thence [up] the main channel of said river to Lake 

Travers; thence up the center of said lake to the southern extremity thereof; 

thence in a direct line to the head of Big Stone Lake; thence through its center to 

its outlet; thence by a due south line to the north line of the State of Iowa; thence 

east along the northern boundary of said State to the main channel of the 

Mississippi River; thence up the main channel of said river, and following the 

boundary line of the State of Wisconsin, until the same intersects the Saint Louis 

River; thence down said "river to and through Lake Superior, on the boundary line 

of Wisconsin and Michigan, until it intersects the dividing line between the 

United States and the British Possessions; thence up Pigeon River, and following said dividing line, to the place of beginning.

The western boundary line from the Big Sioux River to the 

Minnesota River was surveyed and marked in 1859-60 under the General Land Office. (See p. 30-31 for the survey of the northern boundary, p. 211-212 for the survey of the eastern boundary, and p. 214 for 

the survey of the southern boundary.)

The western boundary of Minnesota from Lake Traverse to Big 

Stone Lake was meandered, and the line from Big Stone Lake to the 

Iowa line, a distance of 124 miles 5.23 chains, was surveyed and marked 

in 1859 under the General Land Office. (Winchell, 1905.)

North of the 49th parallel and separated from the main part of 

Minnesota by the Lake of the Woods is a land area of nearly 124 square 

miles,55 including a number of small islands, which became U.S. territory by the treaties of 1783 and 1818. (Seep. 16, 21.) The inclusion 

of this area in the United States resulted from the use of inaccurate 

maps by the treaty makers and has been described as a "politicogeographical curiosity of a boundary that a glance at the map will

66 This area as given on General Land Office township plats amounts to 123.87 square 

miles.

7 76-664 O-66 15
216 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

show, that no one could have foreseen, and that would be inexplicable 

without some knowledge of the steps in the process by which it was 

brought about." (Internat. Joint Comm., United States and Canada, 

1917, p. 140.)

By agreement between the States of Minnesota and North Dakota 

and by the approval of Congress, about 20 acres of land were transferred to North Dakota, August 25,1961 (75 Stat. 399). This parcel 

of land is near the city of Fargo. Moving the channel of the Red 

River to provide flood control cut off a bend of the river and thus made 

access from Minnesota difficult.

NORTH DAKOTA AND SOTTTH DAKOTA

The Territory of Dakota was organized on March 2,1861, from parts 

of Minnesota and Nebraska Territories. (See figs. 23, 24.) The following extract from the act of organization (12 Stat. L. 239) defines 

its original limits:

* * * all that part of the territory of the United States included within the 

following limits, namely: commencing at a point in the main channel of the Red 

River of the North where the forty-ninth degree of north latitude crosses the 

same; thence up the main channel of the same and along the boundary of the 

State of Minnesota to Big Stone Lake; thence along the boundary line of the said 

State of Minnesota, to the Iowa line; thence along the boundary line of the State 

of Iowa to the point of intersection between the Big Sioux and Missouri rivers; 

thence up the Missouri river, and along the boundary line of the Territory of 

Nebraska to the mouth of the Niobrara or Running Water river; thence following up the same, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the mouth of the 

Keha Paha or Turtle Hill river; thence up said river to the forty-third paraUel 

of north latitude; thence due west to the present boundary of the Territory of 

Washington; thence along the boundary line of Washington Territory, to the 

forty-ninth degree of north latitude; thence east along said forty-ninth degree 

of north latitude to the place of beginning, be, and the same is hereby, organized 

into a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Dakota.

In 1863 the Territory of Idaho was formed, its area having been

taken from Washington, Dakota, and Nebraska, (See Idaho, p. 245.)

In 1864, in the act creating Montana Territory, the area described 

in the following paragraph was temporarily restored to the jurisdiction of Dakota (13 Stat. L. 92).

That, until congress shall otherwise direct, all that part of the Territory of 

Idaho included within the following boundaries, to wit: Commencing at a point

formed by the intersection of the thirty-third degree of longitude west from

Washington with the forty-first degree of north latitude; thence along said thirtythird, degree Of longitude to the crest of the Rocky Mounains ; thence northward

along the said crest of the Rocky Mountains to its intersection wtih the fortyfourth degree and thirty minutes of north latitude; thence eastward along said 

forty-fourth degree thirty minutes north latitude to the thirty-fourth degree of 

longitude west from Washington; thence northward along said thirty-fourth
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES THE DAKOTAS 217

degree of longitude to its intersection with the forty-fifth degree north latitude; 

thence eastward along said forty-fifth degree of north latitude to its intersection 

with the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington; thence south 

along said twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington to the fortyfirst degree north latitude; thence west along said forty-first degree of latitude to 

the place of beginning, shall be, and is hereby, incorporated temporarily into and 

made part of the Territory of Dakota.

All but a small part of this area was included in the Territory of 

Wyoming in 1868.

In 1870 and 1882 small areas were transferred to Nebraska. (See 

p. 221.) In 18T3 an area of about 2 square miles was transferred to 

Montana. (See p. 235.)

By the enabling act of February 22,1889 (25 Stat. L. 676), the Ter- 

.ritory of Dakota was divided into two parts, North Dakota and South 

Dakota:

The area comprising the Territory of Dakota shall * * * be divided on the 

line of the seventh standard parallel produced due west to the western boundary of said Territory; * * * .

Each part, having adopted a constitution, was declared admitted as 

a State by presidential proclamation, dated November 2, 1889.

The boundary line between North and South Dakota, which is the 

seventh standard parallel north, of the public-land survey, was surveyed and marked in 1891-92. The marks are placed at each half 

mile and are substantial cut-stone posts 7 feet long by 10 inches square 

at top, set 3i£ feet in the ground. The initials of the States are cut on 

the north and south sides, and the mile numbers are on the east. The 

first mark was placed 9 chains west of the Bois des Sioux River bed. 

The measured distance to the east bank of the Missouri was 190 miles 

8.25 chains. At a distance of 360 miles 45.35 chains, the east boundary 

of Montana was intersected at a point 48.35 chains north of its milepost 65. The Montana line at this place was found to bear 1°01'30" 

to the west.

Boundary post 333, which is near the west end of this line, is in lat 

45°56'42.64" N. and long 103°28'21.85" W., 1927 N.A.D. Where the 

Chicago & North Western Railway crosses this boundary, the latitude 

is 45°56'07.7" N. and the longitude is 98°07/42.1'/ W. Near the east, 

end of the line the latitude of a point was found to be 45°56'09.7" N. 

(Marshall, 1916, p. 296.) The northeast corner of North Dakota, 

which is in the middle of the Red River where it crosses the 49thparallel boundary, is in long 97°13'42.58" W.

The west boundary of South Dakota as far north as the northeast 

corner of Wyoming, lat 45° N., was surveyed in 1877, commencing at 

a post set in 1869 for the northwest corner of Nebraska. That part of 

the boundary north of lat 45° N. was surveyed in 1885. (See p. 236.)
FIGURE 23. Historical diagram of North D
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NEBRASKA 219

The entire west boundary of the State was resurveyed in 1904 and 

marked with 6-foot stone posts at each mile except from the 39th to 

the 104th, inclusive, which were marked with iron posts for the Black 

Hills National Forest. The measured distance to the northeast corner of Wyoming was 139 miles 8.78 chains, and to the northwest 

corner of South Dakota, 204 miles 48.26 chains. From the northeast 

corner of Wyoming to the southeast corner of Montana the line runs 

east a distance of 70.68 chains. This jog in the State line is due to 

errors in the location of the 27th meridian as determined from two 

widely separated stations; the position brought down from the north 

(see Montana, east boundary, p. 236) is 41.6" too far east, and that 

brought up from the south (see Nebraska, 41st parallel boundary, 

p. 222-223) is 23.3" too far west.

Milestone 4 on the Wyoming-South Dakota line was located by the 

U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1912; it is at lat 43°03'30.61" N. 

and long 104°03'10.07" W.

NEBRASKA

The Territory of Nebraska was formed on May 30, 1854, from the 

northwestern part of Missouri Territory. Its original limits are defined as follows in the act of organization (see fig. 24; 10 Stat. L. 277) :

Beginning at a point in the Missouri River where the fortieth parallel of north 

latitude crosse8 the same; thence west on said parallel to the east boundary 

of the Territory of Utah, on the summit of the Rocky Mountains; thence on 

said summit northward to the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude; thence east 

on said parallel to the western boundary of the territory of Minnesota; thence 

southward on said boundary to the Missouri River; thence down the main 

channel of said river to the place of beginning, be, and the same is hereby, 

created into a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Nebraska.

This area was reduced in 1861 by the formation of the Territories 

of Colorado and Dakota and further reduced in 1863 by the formation 

of the Territory of Idaho. (See Colorado, p. 228, Dakota, p. 216, and 

Idaho, p. 245.)

In 1861, in the act creating the Territory of Dakota, a small area 

was added to the west end of Nebraska. The following is the text of 

the act making this addition (12 Stat. L. 244) :

That, until Congress shall otherwise direct, that portion of the Territories of 

Utah and Washington between the forty-first and forty-third degrees of north 

latitude, and east of the thirty-third meridian of longitude west from Washington, shall be, and is hereby, incorporated into and made a part of the Territory 

of Nebraska.

The act for the admission of Nebraska to the Union was passed by 

Congress February 9, 1867, over a presidential veto, and, the conditions having 'been accepted 'by the people, statehood was declared in
I IS0

kfl

ZOO MI

FIGURE 24. Historical diagram of Nebr
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NEBRASKA 221

effect 'by proclamation of the President dated March 1,1867 (14 Stat. 

L. 391, 821).

The limits of the State are denned as follows in the enabling act (13 

Stat. L. 47), approved April 19,1864.

That the said state of Nebraska shall consist of all the territory included 

within the following boundaries, to wit: Commencing at a point formed by the 

intersection of the western boundary of the state of Missouri with the fortieth 

degree of north latitude; extending thence due west along said fortieth degree 

of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty-fifth 

degree of longitude west from Washington; thence north along said twenty-fifth 

degree of longitude to a point formed by its intersection with the forty-first 

degree of north latitude; thence west along said forty-first degree of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty-seventh degree of 

longitude west from Washington; thence north along said twenty-seventh degree 

of west longitude to a point formed by its intersection with the forty-third degree 

of north latitude; thence east along said forty-third degree of north latitude 

to the Reya Paha [Keyapaha] river; thence down the middle of the channel of 

said river, with its meanderings, to its junction with the Niobrara river; thence 

down the middle of the channel of said Niobrara river, and following the meanderings thereof, to its junction with the Missouri river; thence down the middle 

of the channel of said Missouri river, and following the meanderings thereof, to 

the place of beginning.

As the result of a sudden change in the course of the Missouri, an 

area of about 5 square miles, which had previously been a part of 

Dakota Territory, was left on the Nebraska side of the river a short 

distance above Sioux City, Iowa. (See fig. 24.) To avoid future 

complications, this tract was given to Nebraska by an act approved 

April 28,1870, "to redefine a portion of the 'boundary line between the 

State of Nebraska and the Territory of Dakota," as follows (16 Stat. 

L. 93):

That so soon as the State of Nebraska, through her legislature, has given her 

consent thereto, the centre of the main channel of the Missouri River shall be 

the boundary line between the State of Nebraska and the Territory of Dakota, 

between the following points, to wit: Commencing at a point in the centre of said 

main channel, north of the west line of section twenty four in township twenty 

nine north, of range eight east of the sixth principal meridian, and running along 

the same to a point west of the most northerly portion of fractional section seventeen, of said township twenty nine north, of range nine east of said meridian, in 

the State of Nebraska.

For plat showing the changes, see General Land Office files, Nebraska township plats, volume 9. This change was approved by Nebraska by act of February 9,1871.

In 1882 an act was passed transferring to this State from Dakota a 

small area lying between the Keya Paha Kiver and the 43d parallel 

of latitude. The following is an extract from this act (22 Stat, 35):

That the northern boundary of the State of Nebraska shall be, and hereby is, 

subject to the provisions hereinafter contained, extended so as to include all that
222 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

portion of the Territory of Dakota lying south of the forty-third parallel of north 

latitude and east of the Keyapaha River and west of the main channel of the 

Missouri River.

In 1943, the States of Iowa and Nebraska agreed to make their common boundary coincide with the main channel of the Missouri River as 

it existed at that time. (See p. 214.)

By act of March 1, 1905, Congress approved the compact 'between 

Nebraska and South Dakota, fixing the boundary south of Union 

County, S. Dak., in the middle of the main channel of the Missouri 

Eiver as it then existed.

The north boundary of Nebraska from the middle of the Keya Paha 

westward was surveyed in 1874, after the proper position for the 43d 

parallel had been found from an astronomic station near the east end 

of the line. In 1893 this line was retraced, 'and 7-foot cut-stone posts 

were placed at each mile and half-mile corner on the line as established 

in 1874. The stone set in 1869 for the northwest corner of the State 

was also replaced by one of the 7-foot posts. The reported length of 

this line was 224 miles 12.13 chains.

The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey determined positions for mileposts 56 and 222i/2 in 1912. The 1927 N.A.D. position of milepost 56 

is lat 42°59'53.37" N., long 100°45'04.67" W., and that of milepost 

2221/2 is lat 43°00'06.15" N., long 104°00'02.73" W.

In 1893 the north boundary from the Keya Paha River eastward 

was surveyed and marked with 7-foot cut-stone posts, and the distance 

was given as 57 miles 72.70 chains to a terminal mark 72.82 chains 

from high-water mark on the west bank of the Missouri River.

The west boundary of Nebraska, including the part along the 41st 

parallel, was surveyed in 1869 under the direction of the General Land 

Office. The initial astronomic station was at Julesburg, Colo., the 

position of which was taken as lat 40°59'01.56" N. and long 

25°18 /30.90' / west of Washington. From this station a line was measured due north 89.65 chains to the computed position of the 41st 

parallel, thence due east 16 miles 10.47 chains to the computed position 

of the 25th degree of longitude west from Washington, where a 6-

foot limestone corner post was established. From this point a random

line was run due south to the calculated position of the 40th parallel

as determined by astronomic observations. At the point thus found, 

a limestone post 6 feet long by 1 foot square at top, appropriately

marked, was set in a mound of earth, from which the line was run 

north, and marks (most of them wooden posts) were set for each mile,

a distance of 68 miles 79.59 chains to the 41st parallel mark.

From the Julesburg meridian mark on the 41st parallel, the line 

was run west to the intersection with the 27th meridian, a total dis-
223

tance on the parallel of 104 miles 72.07 chains. The correct position 

of the 27th meridian was found from a telegraphic determination 

of longitude at a station 8 miles 49.45 chains east. From the intersection of the 41st parallel and the 27th meridian, where a 6-foot stone 

post was set, the line was run northward on the 27th meridian to the 

northwest corner of Nebraska.

The Nebraska-Wyoming line was retraced in 1908 and re-marked 

with granite posts 6 feet long and 10 inches square at the top, each 

set 3 feet in the ground and marked with "WYO" on the west, "NEB" 

on the east, and the mile number on the south. The measured length 

of this line was 139 miles 22.43 chains.

For a description of the survey of the south boundary, see Kansas.

KANSAS

The Territory of Kansas was organized on May 30, 1854, from a 

part of Missouri Territory. (See fig. 19.) The following clause 

from the act of organization defines its limits: 56

* * * all that part of the Territory of the United States included within the 

following limits, except such portions thereof as are hereinafter expressly exempted from the operations of this act, to wit: beginning at a point on the 

western boundary of the State of Missouri, where the thirty-seventh parallel 

of north latitude crosses the same; thence west on said parallel to the eastern 

boundary of New Mexico; thence north on said boundary to latitude thirtyeight ; thence following said boundary westward to the east boundary of the 

Territory of Utah, on the summit of the Rocky Mountains; thence northward 

on said summit to the fortieth parallel of latitude; thence east on said 

parallel to the western boundary of the State of Missouri; thence south with 

the western boundary of said State to the place of beginning, be, and the same 

is hereby, created into a temporary government by the name of the Territory of 

Kansas.

Kansas was admitted into the Union on January 29, 1861, with its 

present boundaries, which are thus defined in the enabling act (12 

Stat.L.126) :

* * * the said State shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to wit: beginning at a point on the western boundary of the State 

of Missouri, where the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude crosses the 

same; thence west on said parallel to the twenty-fifth meridian of longitude 

. west from Washington; thence north on said meridian to the fortieth parallel 

of latitude; thence east on said parallel to the western boundary of the State 

of Missouri; thence south with the western boundary of said State to the 

place of beginning.

It is noteworthy that Kansas was the first State to be admitted to 

the Union having a meridional boundary referred to the Washington 

meridian.

69 10 Stat. L. 283. The excepted parts were Indian lands.
224 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

The part of Kansas Territory west of the 25th Washington meridian, 

detached by this act, was made a part of the Territory of Colorado 

30 days later.

The southern boundary of Kansas was surveyed in 1857. The 

initial point on the 37th parallel was found from astronomic observations on the Kansas-Missouri boundary line in long 94°40'26.3" W. 

and was checked by observations at 10 other astronomic stations. 

Marks were left at irregular intervals.

The General Land Office resurveyed this line from the 166th mile to 

the 226th mile in 1872 and from the 207th mile to the 268th mile in 

1873.

Two boundary stones were located by triangulation in 1902 on the 

Kansas-Oklahoma line boundary stone 160, a sandstone post 5 by 

12 by 20 inches, projecting about 9 inches above ground, marked "160" 

on top, "K" on the north side, and "I T" on the south side, in lat 

36°50'55.03" N., long 97°54'01.75" W.; and boundary stone 163, a 

stone marked as above described except that "163" is the number on 

top, in lat 36°59'54.78" N., long 97°57'16.23" W. These values are 

as corrected to 1927 N.A.D.

The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1935 determined the position 

of the southeast corner of Kansas as lat 36°59'54.75" N., long 94°- 

37'03.74"W.

The boundary between Kansas and Nebraska is the base line of the 

sixth principal meridian, which was used for land surveys in the two 

States. The survey of the boundary was begun in 1854, and 108 miles 

of line west of the Missouri Eiver were run and marked; the marks with 

few exceptions were small wooden posts or stones. The initial position 

for the 40th parallel was found by calculation and measurement from

an astronomic station (lat. 40°01'10.3" N.) on the east side of the Missouri about 214 miles southeast of the mouth of the Nemaha. An initial monument for this line, made of cast iron, was set up in 1855 at

a point 52.55 chains west of the right bank of the Missouri, the marks 

on which are "NEBRASKA" on the north, "1854" on the east, "40° 

N LAT" on the west, and "KANSAS" on the south. This line was 

resurveyed and re-marked in 1855-56, and the marks on the former line 

were destroyed. From the 108th mile the line was extended west to

the Rocky Mountains in 1858-59 as a base of the land survey. (See 

General Land Office files, Kansas exterior plats, v. 4, p. 2.)

For the eastern boundary, see Missouri (p. 190).

The western boundary of Kansas was surveyed in 1872 and was

reestablished from the 174th milepost south to the Oklahoma line in 

1908 by the General Land Office. Most of the marks left were small
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES OKLAHOMA 225

stones. Several marks on this line have been connected with triangulation stations, giving the following results:

Boundary mark Latitude (N.) Longitude (W.)

68 » .... .....__._-_-. 39°00'22. 6" 102°02'45. 1'

73tf '. --------_----- 38°55'31. 0" 102°02'43. 4'

78 l ........................... 38°51'30. 1" 102°02'42. 5'

83 »-__......._..._......_.-.__ 38°47'09. 3" 102°02'41. 8'

130 2 ____________________ 38°06'01. 5" 102°02'41. 5'

140 2 ______..______.-- 37°57'18. 0" 102°02'38. 4'

1 U.S. Coast and Geod. Survey Kept, for 1902, p. 253.

2 U.S. Oeol. Survey 18th Ann. Rept., pt. 1, p. 184.

OKLAHOMA

The Territory of Oklahoma was organized under the act of May 

2, 1890, from the western part of the Indian Territory. (See p. 78 

and fig. 25.) Its limits as originally constituted were set forth in the 

act as follows (26 Stat. L. 81-82):

That all that portion of the United States now known as the Indian Territory, 

except so much of the same as is actually occupied by the five civilized tribes, 

and the Indian tribes within the Quapaw Indian Agency, and except the unoccupied part of the Cherokee outlet, together with that portion of the United States 

known as the Public Land Strip [Donaldson, 1884, p. 462, 1187], is hereby erected 

into temporary government by the name of the Territory of Oklahoma. The portion of the Indian Territory included in said Territory of Oklahoma is bounded 

by a line drawn -as. follows: Commencing at a point where the ninety-eighth 

meridian crosses the Red River; thence by said meridian to the point where it 

crosses the Canadian River; thence along said river to the west line of the Seminole country; thence along said line to the north fork of the Canadian River; 

thence down said river to the west line of the Creek country, thence along 

said line to the northwest corner of the Creek country; thence along the north 

line of the Creek country, to the ninety-sixth meridian; thence northward by 

said meridian to the southern boundary line of Kansas; thence west along said 

line to the Arkansas River; thence down said river to the north line of the 

land occupied by the Ponca tribe of Indians, from which point the line runs 

so as to include all the lands occupied by the Ponca, Tonkawa, Otoe, and Missouria, and the Pawnee tribes of Indians until it strikes the south line of the 

Cherokee Outlet, which it follows westward to the east line of the State of 

Texas; thence by the boundary line of the State of Texas to the point of beginning; the Public Land Strip which is included in said Territory of Oklahoma is bounded east by the one hundredth meridian, south by Texas, west 

by New Mexico, north by Colorado and Kansas. Whenever the interest of the 

Cherokee Indians in the land known as the Cherokee outlet shall have been 

extinguished and the President shall make proclamation thereof, said outlet 

shall thereupon and without further legislation become a part of the Territory 

of Oklahoma. Any other lands within the Indian Territory not embraced within 

these boundaries, shall hereafter become a part of the Territory of Oklahoma 

whenever the Indian nation or tribe owning such lands shall signify to the 

President of the United States in legal manner its assent that such lands shall 

so become a part of said Territory of Oklahoma, and the President shall thereupon 

make proclamation to that effect.
226 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

n
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES OKLAHOMA 227

The Public Land Strip was a rectangular part of the land ceded to 

the United States by Texas that lay south of Kansas and east of New 

Mexico. For many years this area (5,740 square miles) was popularly 

known as "No Man's Land." Its west boundary, which has been 

generally accepted as the Cimarron guide meridian as established 

by the General Land Office in 1881, is 34.25 miles in length. The 

latitude and longitude of the north end of this boundary, which is 

the northeast corner of New Mexico, are 37°00'00.47" N. and 103°- 

00'06.63" W., 1927 N.A.D.

The U.S. Supreme Court having decreed that the area east of the 

100th meridian and between the two main forks of the Red River did 

not belong to Texas (see p. 198), Congress, on May 4, 1896, enacted 

(29 Stat. L. 113)

That, the portion of the Territory of Oklahoma bounded by the North Fork 

of the Bed River and the State of Texas, heretofore known as Greer County, 

Texas, be and the same is hereby established as Greer County, Oklahoma.

The 98th meridian, which was then part of the west boundary of 

Indian Territory, was marked by the Geological Survey in 1899 with 

iron posts set in concrete.

The Cherokee Outlet originally comprised an area of more than 

12,000 square miles south of the south boundary of Kansas, west of 

the 96th meridian, north of an east-west line through the mouth of 

the Cimarron River, and east of the 100th meridian; this area was 

reserved for the use of Indians while traveling to visit their friends in 

the West. The rights of the Indians in this area were extinguished 

by treaty (27 Stat. L. 640), dated December 19,1891, ratified by Congress March 3, 1893 and proclaimed by the President August 19 of 

the same year; the treaty became effective at 12 o'clock noon of the 

16th of September. This area thereby became a part of the Territory 

of Oklahoma in accordance with the act of May 2,1890, and was open 

to settlers. The Cherokee Outlet was not the same as the Cherokee 

strip. The Cherokee strip was a part of the Cherokee country about 

2% miles wide just north of the 37th parallel, now a part of Kansas.

On June 16, 1906, an enabling act for the admission of Oklahoma 

as a State was passed by Congress (34 Stat. L. 267), the new State 

to consist of

all that part of the area of the United States now constituting the Territory of 

Oklahoma and the Indian Territory as at present described.

The bounds of the Indian Territory, as defined in the act of March 1, 

1889, were as follows (25 Stat. L. 783) :

iNorth by the State of Kansas, east by the States of Missouri and Arkansas, 

south by the State of Texas, and west by the State of Texas and the Territory 

of New Mexico.
228

The people of the two Territories having adopted a constitution, 

the President, by proclamation dated November 16, 1907, declared 

the admission to statehood complete (35 Stat. L. 2160).

For descriptions of the boundaries of the State of Oklahoma as 

now marked, see Arkansas, pages 193-195; Missouri, pages 190-191; 

Texas, pages 198-201; Kansas, pages 223-224; and Colorado, page 229. 

Gittinger (1917) contains many references to boundaries as well as a 

history of the changes in the territory from 1803 to 1906.

A set of diagrams illustrating various stages in the change of the 

Oklahoma area from Indian ownership to statehood was prepared by 

George Pamley and printed by the Webb Publishing Co., Oklahoma 

City, in 1917.

COLORADO

A concerted attempt was made in 1858 to organize the "State of 

Jefferson," which was to include the present area of Colorado 

together with large areas now within the limits of Nebraska, Wyoming, and Utah; but by popular vote in 1859 it was decided to organize a Territorial government instead. A governor and a legislature 

were elected and held office until 1861, when the Territory of Colorado was established by act of Congress (Paxson, 1904, p. 92; Smiley, 

1901, chap. 32; Campbell, 1922, p. 62-65).

Colorado was organized as a Territory on February 28, 1861 (12 

Stat. L. 172), with the same boundaries as at present, being made up 

from parts of the Territories of Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, and 

Nebraska. (See figs. 19, 29, 31.) The name given to this Territory 

in the bill as it passed the House was Idaho; but it was changed to 

Colorado in the Senate.

The boundaries were described in an enabling act (13 Stat. L. 33), 

approved March 21,1864, as follows:

That the said state of Colorado shall consist of all the territory included 

within the following boundaries, to wit: Commencing at a point formed by the

intersection of the thirty-seventh degree of north latitude with the twenty-fifth 

degree of longitude west from Washington; extending thence due west along

said thirty-seventh degree of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection

with the thirty-second degree of longitude west from Washington ; thence clue

north along said thirty-second degree of west longitude to a point formed by

its intersection with the forty-first degree of north latitude; thence due east 

along said forty-first degree of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the twenty-fifth degree of longtiude west from Washington; thence

clue south along said twenty-fifth degree of west longitude.

A constitution formed by a convention held in 1864 in accordance 

with this act was rejected by popular vote; a second constitution

formed by another convention, in 1865, was accepted by a small ma-
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES COLORADO 229

jority. Congress at its next session passed an act for the admission 

of Colorado to statehood, but it was vetoed in May, 1866, by the 

President. The principal reasons given for this action were scanty 

population and the small majority resulting from the second vote 

(3,030 against 2,875). Furthermore, it was stated that the second 

voting was held without legal authority. Another act for the admission of Colorado was vetoed in 1867 for reasons similar to those 

previously given. (U.S. Cong., 1897, p. 413^16, 483, 4'89; Thorpe, 

1909, v. 1, p. 470.)

A third enabling act (18 Stat. L., pt. 3, 474), without change in 

boundaries, was approved March 3, 1875. The conditions of the act 

having been complied with, the President by proclamation dated 

August 1,1876, declared the admission complete.

For reference to the survey and marking of the east boundary, see 

Kansas, pages 224-225; and for the north boundary, see Nebraska, 

pages 222-223, and Wyoming, page 234.

The south boundary of Colorado was surveyed in 1858-59 from the 

southeast corner west to the 103d meridian, by Macomb.

The act of March 3,1873 (17 Stat. L. 517) provided for the survey 

of the eastern part of the south boundary of Colorado from the southeast corner of the State to the 103d meridian and also for the survey 

of so much of the east boundary of New Mexico as lies between the 

northwest corner of Texas and the 37th parallel of north latitude. 

These surveys were made by John G. Major, U.S. deputy surveyor, 

in 1873 and 1874, and were approved by the Commissioner of the 

General Land Office July 29, 1874. The field notes are filed in the 

Cartographic Records Division, National Archives and Records 

Service. A survey of the boundary line between Colorado and New 

Mexico from the 103d meridian westward was authorized by act of 

Congress approved March 2,1867. This line was surveyed and marked 

in 1868 by E. N. Darling, U.S. surveyor, presumably on the 37th 

parallel of latitude; but subsequent investigations in the vicinity of 

Edith, Colo., showed that between the sixth and eighth astronomical 

monuments 57 (there were 11 in all), gross errors in alinement and 

measurement existed, there being an offset or jog of nearly half a mile 

in the vicinity of the 212th mile mark.

To locate the line where original marks were missing, the State of 

Colorado, in 1901 (Colorado Session Laws of 1901, chap. 37), appropriated funds for the reestablishment of the Darling line between the 

sixth and eighth astronomical monuments. The act required that the 

field notes and plats be filed with the secretary of state of Colorado, 

to be accepted as conclusive evidence in all cases in Colorado courts

67 For descriptions of nine of these stations, see Beall (1925, p. 154-155).
230

in which this part of the southern boundary was in question. This 

work, done in 1901, by State authority alone, was not accepted or 

approved by Congress and was therefore not binding on New Mexico, 

which was then a Territory.

In 1902 Congress authorized the resurvey of the entire line between 

the State of Colorado and the Territories of New Mexico and Oklahoma.58 This survey was executed by H. B. Carpenter in 1902-3, 

but the joint resolution passed by Congress for its acceptance as the 

legal boundary was vetoed by the President. 59 The Carpenter line 

differs materially from the Darling line, being considerably north 

of it in certain places and south of it in others. At the east end 

the Carpenter line is more than half a mile north of the southern 

boundary as surveyed in 1858. On October 13, 1919, permission waii 

granted to the State of New Mexico by the U.S. Supreme Court to 

file a suit against the State of Colorado for a settlement of this boundary dispute. The opinion of the Court, dated January 26,1925, was in 

favor of Colorado, and a resurvey of the boundary line as marked by 

Darling in 1868 was ordered (267 U.S. 41). The Court held that the 

Darling line was the correct one because of its original acceptance by 

Colorado and by the Federal Government, regardless of its errors 

and the temporary use of the Carpenter line by the General Land 

Office. After the veto of the resolution for the acceptance of the 

Carpenter line, it was no longer used for the survey of the public lands. 

The decision of the Court was that the Darling line should be reestablished from what monuments could be found. In 1917, a part of the 

line had been rerun by W. C. Perkins of the General Land Office. 

This part was between Darling's mileposts 202 and 241, east of his 

astronomic station 8. The Perkins line was monumented with iron 

posts, and was accepted by the court.

The Court appointed Arthur D. Kidder of the Bureau of Land 

Management (then the General Land Office), as .commissioner to 

resurvey the Darling line. He supervised the fieldwork, which was

delayed in execution owing to shortage of funds, the costs being paid 

by the States concerned. The report was prepared by Joseph C.

Thoma, who was appointed commissioner following Mr. Kidder's

death in 1958. The final report was submitted in three parts on

February 15, May 2, and June 1, 1960. It was approved by the 

Supreme Court on October 24,1960 (364 U.S. 296).

58 32 Stat. 552. See U.S. Cong. (1905a) for a description of this and the Darling

surveys. t

69 The veto message appears in the Congressional Record December 19, 1908, p. 451-452.

The reason given for the veto was that Colorado had not accepted the line and probably 

would not do so, as it would take from that State a strip of land for nearly its whole 

length in which there were a considerable number of settlers and five post offices. The

discussion that preceded the passage of the joint resolution by the House is given in the 

Congressional Record December 12, 1908.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES COLORADO 231

The instructions of the Court were that the Macom'b and the 

Preston monuments were to be controlling points in the survey. The 

former monument had been set in 1859 in the survey mentioned above. 

The. latter was set by Levi S. Preston in 1900 when he retraced the 

Major line 2i/£ miles eastward to the northeast corner of New Mexico. 

(See Oklahoma, p. 227.)

Kidder began at the Macomb monument, which he replaced by a 

concrete monument with a bronze tablet. From this point (lat 

37°00'00.29" N., long 103°02'49.97" W., 1927 N.A.D.) he 'first ran 

the line east to the Preston monument and then west, retracing Darling's line. He tied to all the Darling monuments he could find, 

setting concrete posts with bronze tablets each mile on the line between 

them. The iron posts set by Perkins were taken up, set in concrete, 

and replaced in their original position. He destroyed all the Carpenter monuments he found, except those known to have been used 

as points of reference for local surveys. Such monuments were preserved, and only marks identifying them as boundary markers were 

removed.

The closure at the west end of the line was on the point established 

by Eobbins in 1875. (See New Mexico, p. 256.) This mark is deserving of more than passing notice, as it is the only one in the United 

States that is the common corner of four States. A new stone was 

set by Page and Lutz in 1899, replacing the original, which they had 

found damaged. In 1931, Everett H. Kimmell, surveyor of the General Land Office, replaced the stone with the concrete monument now 

there (fig. 1C}. Its geodetic position is lat 36°59'56.30" N., long 

109°02'40.24" W. (1927 N.A.D.).

Because of the unique character of this boundary marker, tihe Department of the Interior placed an ornamental concrete slab around 

the monument in 1962. It is 28 feet square and is oriented with the 

cardinal directions. The mimes Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New 

Mexico with the 'seal of each State appear in the proper quadrants. 

(See fig. 26.)

This position was used as a starting point in 1879 for the survey of 

the west boundary of Colorado. The survey runs north to the Wyoming 'line, a measured distance of 276 miles 51.66 chains. It was expected that this line would intersect the south boundary of Wyoming 

about 30 chains west of the 261st mile mark, but the line as run was 

nearly 1 mile farther west (262 miles 28.58 chains). A sandstone 

block 30 by 20 by 6 inches was set 18 inches in the.ground at this point 

and marked "WYO" on the northeast, "COL 32° W L" on the southeast, and "UTAH 41, N L" on the southwest face.

The Colorado-Utah line was retraced in 1885 and re-marked with 

stone or cedar posts from the south end as far north as milepost 209.

776-664 O-66 16
232 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

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8

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7
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES WYOMING 233

Between mileposts 81 and 89 the line was found to diverge toward the 

west 7°10', an error which at least in part accounts for the failure 

to close as expected on the Wyoming line. The initial mark of this 

line was thus described in 1885: A stone 7 feet by 12 by 6 inches set 3 

feet in the ground, and marked on the northeast face "COLO 37° N L," 

on the southeast "N MEX 32° W L," on the southwest "ARIZONA," 

and on the northwest "UTAH 1875."

Between the 100th and 110th miles the positions of two boundary 

marks were determined by the Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1893 

(Bowie, 1914, p. 100), one in lat 38°27'46.16" N., long 109°03'33.52" 

W., and the other in lat 38°33'56.41" N., long 109°03'33.66" W. 

(1927 N.A.D.). These longitudes show that the line in this locality 

is nearly half a mile west of its statute position.

WYOMING

Wyoming was organized as a Territory on July 25, 1868, from an 

area previously included in the Territories of Dakota, Idaho, and 

Utah. Its limits, which are the same as originally established, are 

defined in the following clause from the act creating it (15 Stat. L. 

178):

That all that part of the United States described as follows: Commencing 

at the intersection of the twenty-seventh meridian of longitude west from Washington with the forty-fifth degree of north latitude, and running thence west 

to the thirty-fourth meridian of west longitude, thence south to the forty-first 

degree of north latitude, thence east to the twenty-seventh meridian of west 

longitude, and thence north to the place of beginning, be, and the same is hereby, 

organized into a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Wyoming.

Wyoming was admitted as a State by act of July 10, 1890, with 

boundaries as above described (see fig. 23, 26 Stat. L. 222), but it was

Provided, That nothing in this act contained shall repeal or affect any act of 

Congress relating to the Yellowstone National Park, or the reservation of the 

park as now defined, or as may be hereafter defined or extended or the power 

of the United States over it; * * *

Wyoming has the right to serve criminal or civil writs in its portion 

of the park, but otherwise the United States has exclusive jurisdiction 

and control over it (26 Stat. L. 73). The original boundaries of the 

park were given in the act establishing it, dated March 1, 1872 (17 

Stat. L. 32). Extensions were made by act approved March 1, 1929.

The north boundary of Wyoming was surveyed in 1879-80 under the 

General Land Office. Beginning at a post set in 1874 for the northwest corner of the State, the line was run eastward, checked by a number of observations for latitude, for a distance reported as 347 miles 

43 chains. The marks were nearly all wooden posts in small mounds of 

earth. The eastern terminus of this line was on the meridian of 27°
234 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

west of Washington as marked in 1877. The mark left at this corner 

was replaced in 1904 by a 6-foot stone post, the geographic position of 

which is lat 44°59'51.45" N., long 104°03'25.77" W., 1927 N.A.D. 

(Bowie,1914,p.93.)

The survey of the south boundary of Wyoming was made under the 

direction of the General Land Office in 1873. Beginning at a mark 

established in 1869 for the intersection of the 41st parallel and the 27th 

meridian west of Washington, the line was run westward, checked by 

six astronomic determinations of latitude, to the computed location for 

the 34th meridian west of Washington. To find the proper position 

for this meridian, an astronomic station was established at Evanston, 

Wyo., the longitude of which was found to be 33°55'20.69" west of 

Washington. From this point a line was run due south to a mark 

on the boundary and thence west 4 miles 4.54 chains, to a point where 

an 8-foot sandstone post, appropriately marked, was set 3 feet in the 

ground and surrounded by a pile of rocks. The measured length of 

the south boundary of Wyoming was found to be 367 miles 48.81 

chains.

Geographic positions on this boundary have been determined as 

follows: Boundary mark 44, a sandstone post projecting 4 feet above 

ground stands about 11 miles west of south from Cheyenne in lat 

40°59/53.71'/ N. and long 104°53'33.58" W. (1927 N.A.D.). This 

is said to be the only permanent boundary mark for several miles in 

either direction. Milepost 239 has been tied in to the triangulation 

of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Its position is lat 41°00/- 

00.23" N. and long 108°36'16.98" W. The position of the stone that 

marks the southwest corner of Wyoming is lat 40°59'52.52" N., long 

111°02'45.90" W. (Wilson and others, 1901, p. 202.) A considerable 

part of the south boundary of Wyoming has been retraced by the 

General Land Office in connection with the surveys of public lands.

The west boundary of Wyoming was surveyed and marked in 1874. 

Beginning at the mark of 1873 at the southwest corner of the State, the 

line runs due north for a measured distance of 277 miles 72.66 chains 

to a point where a 30-inch pine post 10 feet long was set 3 feet in the

ground and surrounded, by a mound of earth and stone. The position

for the intersection with the south boundary of Idaho as marked in

1871 was 41.38 chains north of the 69-mile point and 55.70 chains west 

of the mark previously established for the initial point of the UtahIdaho boundary survey.

MONTANA

The Territory of Montana was organized by act of May 26, 1864, 

from a portion of Idaho. Its limits (figs. 23, 27), which have been
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES MONTANA 235

changed but slightly, are given as follows in the organizing act (13 

Stat. L. 86) :

That all that part of the territory of the United States included within the 

limits, to wit: Commencing at a point formed by the intersection of the twentyseventh degree of longitude west from Washington with the forty-fifth degree 

of north latitude; thence due west on said forty-fifth degree of latitude to a 

point formed by its intersection with the thirty-fourth degree of longitude west 

from Washington; thence due south along said thirty-fourth degree of longitude to its intersection with the forty-fourth degree and thirty minutes of north 

latitude; thence due west along said forty-fourth degree and thirty minutes of 

north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the crest of the Rocky 

Mountains; thence following the crest of the Rocky Mountains northward till 

its intersection with the Bitter Root Mountains; thence northward along the 

crest of said Bitter Root Mountains to its intersection with the thirty-ninth 

degree of longitude west from Washington; thence along said thirty-ninth degree of longitude northward to the boundary line of the British possessions; 

thence eastward along said boundary line to the twenty-seventh degree of 

longitude west from Washington; thence southward along said twenty-seventh 

degree of longitude to the place of beginning, be, and the same is hereby, created 

into a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Montana.

This act took from Idaho an area bounded in part on the south by 

the 45th parallel and on the west by the Bitterroot Mountains. The 

creation of Wyoming Territory in 1868 took from Dakota Territory 

the greater part of the area that had been restored to it by the Montana 

act, which extended west to the Continental Divide and north to the 

point where the divide intersected the parallel of 44°30/, but left a 

triangular area of about l'i/£ square miles west of long 34° W., south 

of lat 44°30' N., and east of the Continental Divide that still belonged 

to Dakota. This area was given to Montana by the act of 1873, which 

described it as follows (see fig. 23; 17 Stat. L. 464) :

That all that portion of Dakota Territory lying west of the one hundred and 

eleventh meridian of longitude which, by an erroneous definition of the boundaries of said Territory by a former act of Congress, remains detached and distant from Dakota proper some two hundred miles, be, and the same is hereby, 

attached to the adjoining territory of Montana.

The act should have described the area as being west of the 34th 

meridian west of Washington instead of west of the lllth meridian, 

for the Greenwich meridian was not mentioned in the former act.

The enabling act (25 Stat. L. 676), which included also provisions 

for the admission of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington, 

fixed their boundaries "as at present described."

The presidential proclamation announcing the admission of Montana as a State was dated November 8,1889.

The south boundary of Montana was surveyed and marked in 

1879-80, under the General Land Office.
236 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

That part of the west boundary between the crest of the Bitterroot 

Mountains and the Canadian border was surveyed and marked in 

1898-99 by the U.S. Geological Survey. (For a detailed report of this 

work, see Goode, 1900.)

In the attempt to place the boundary on the 39th meridian west of 

Washington, the surveyor used an astronomic datum, with the initial 

point at Spokane. He measured a five-mile base line along a tangent 

of the Northern Pacific Kailroad east of the city and then triangulated 

across the panhandle of Idaho. The position of boundary post 12 

of this line has been determined by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic 

Survey to be lat 48°52'33.48" N., long 116°02'52.99" W., 1927 N.A.D. 

This position is some 600 feet east of the 39th meridian. (Goode, 

1900.)

The remainder of the western boundary was surveyed and marked 

by stone or 3-inch round iron posts in 1904-6 under the General 

Land Office. The total measured length of the Idaho-Montana 

boundary line from the Canadian border to the Wyoming line is 

about 738 miles, of which the first 70.7 miles is the meridional line, 

the next 355 miles is along the crest of the Bitterroot Mountains, 

and the remaining 312 miles along the Continental Divide. The west 

boundary of the Yellowstone National Park crosses this line about 

2% miles west of the Wyoming line.

For reference to the survey of the northern boundary, see pages 

30-31.

The survey of the east boundary of Montana on the 27th meridian 

west of Washington was undertaken in 1885; the initial position had 

been found by measurement from an astronomic station on the Northern Pacific Railway 6 miles 28.51 chains to the west, where an exchange 

of time signals had been made by telegraph. From the point thus 

found a random line was run south to the 45th parallel. The mark at 

the northeast corner of Wyoming on this parallel, as established in

1880, -was reported to be 70.68 chains west of the 27th meridian as

fixed by the random line. A point for the intersection of the 45th

parallel and the 27th meridian (the southeast corner of Montana) was 

marked by a stone post. Both these corner marks were replaced in 1904 

by 6-foot cut-stone posts. See page 234 for the geographic position 

of the Wyoming corner.

From the point marked as the southeast corner of Montana, the 

line was run north to the 49th-parallel boundary, a measured distance 

of 276 miles 27.80 chains. The Northern Pacific Railway was crossed

at 133 miles 63 chains; the Yellowstone River, between mileposts 195 

and 196; and the Missouri River, between mileposts 207 and 208.

Most of the marks on this line were wooden posts, many of which 

have since been destroyed. The part from the 193d to the 218th
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES CALIFORNIA 237

milepost was retraced in 1901, and the posts were found to be poorly 

alined, varying as much as 50 minutes to the east or west for a single 

mile.

The geographic position of the southeast corner of Montana is 

lat 44°59'53.19" N. and long 104°02'20.83" W. Farther north (at 

lat 47 0 12'41.45" N.) there is an accurately located boundary mark, the 

longitude of which is 104°02'39.88" W. This mark is an old oak 

post. (Bowie, 1914, p. 93, 94.) The longitude of the intersection 

of the east boundary line with the northern boundary of the United 

States is 104°02'48.13" W. These values are for 1927 N.A.D.

CALIFORNIA

The act of September 9, 1850 (9 Stat. L. 452), admitting California into the Union reads in part as follows:

Whereas the people of California have presented a constitution and asked 

admission into the Union * * * Be it enacted * * * that the State of California 

shall be one and is hereby declared to be one of the United States of America 

and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states in 

all respects whatever.

The constitution of California describes the boundaries of the 

State as follows (Thorpe, 1909, v. 1, p. 405) : °°

Commencing at the point of intersection of forty-second degree of north latitude with the one hundred and twentieth degree of longiture west from Greenwich, and running south on the line of said one hundred and twentieth degree 

of west longitude until it intersects the thirty-ninth degree of north latitude; 

thence running in a straight line in a southeasterly direction to the river Colorado, at a point where it intersects the thirty-fifth degree of north latitude; 

thence down the middle of the channel of said river to the boundary line 

between the United States and Mexico as established by the treaty of May 30, 

1848; thence running west and along said boundary line to the Pacific Ocean, 

and extending therein three English miles; thence running in a northwesterly 

direction and following the direction of the Pacific coast to the forty-second 

degree of north latitude; thence on the line of said forty-second degree of north 

latitude to the place of beginning. Also all the islands, harbors, and bays 

along and adjacent to the Pacific coast.

California is part of the territory acquired from Mexico by the 

treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, between the United States and Mexico, 

proclaimed July 4, 1848. From that date until December 20, 1849, 

when the State constitution was adopted and a governor elected, the 

future State was governed by the commanding officer of the U.S. military forces, Brigadier General Biley. Thus California never had the 

status of an organized territory, but was admitted directly into the 

Union.

80 For a brief review of the events that resulted in the adoption of the boundaries of 

California as at present fixed, and of attempts to change them, see Guinn (1905).
238 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

To determine the proper position for the northeast corner of California (lat 42° N., long 120° W.), an astronomic station was established at Camp Bidwell, where more than 3,000 measurements of 

lunar distances were said to have been made for longitude in 1868-69. 

The position for the corner was computed to be 9 miles 56 chains north 

and 4 miles 78 chains east from the observatory. From the corner 

thus found, the line was run west a distance of 212 miles 28 chains to 

a terminal mark 12 chains from the shore of the Pacific Ocean. The 

]927 N.AJX position of this post is lat 41°59'54.65" N., long 

124°12'28.31" W. The mile marks along the line consisted of wooden 

posts or small stones having "O" cut on the north side, "C" on the 

south, and the mile number and date on the other sides. This survey 

was made by D. G. Major, U.S. deputy surveyor and astronomer. The 

field notes are among the records of the General Land Office and are 

filed in the U.S. National Archives.

The 120th meridian boundary between California and Nevada north 

of Lake Tahoe was first surveyed in 1860-63 and a second line was 

run in 1868. However, the official survey, which still governs, was 

made by A. W. Von Schmidt, U.S. deputy surveyor, in 1873. Von 

Schmidt went to Verdi to a station on the Central Pacific Kailroad 

(now part of the Southern Pacific Lines) and established telegraphic 

communication with San Francisco, where there was an astronomic 

station. After determining his longitude by difference in time, he 

measured over to the 120th meridian and started north along it from 

Crystal Peak. When he reached Smokey Creek, he received instructions that his line must run south from the point established by Major 

in 1869 as the northeast corner of California, the mileposts to be numbered from that point. He therefore left his line and began a new 

one running south from Major's monument. Reaching a point opposite 

the north end of his earlier line, he measured east and found the distance between the two lines to be 3 miles and 24.51 chains. Because he

felt certain that his longitude determination on the railroad was much 

closer than that of the initial point on the Oregon border, he was 

inclined to accept the former, but hesitated to disregard his orders 

to begin at the corner set in 1869. In his report, he stated that after

considering the fact that it was the intent of Congress that the boundary should be 1206 west of Greenwich, he decided to set a new initial 

point on the 42d parallel.

Von Schmidt computed the convergence of the meridians for the

difference in latitude and subtractd this value from the east-west

distance between his two lines. He then surveyed east from Major's

monument 3 miles 18.73 chains to a point for the northeast corner of

California where he set a post 8 feet long and 8 inches square in a

mound of stone. A triangulation station of the U.S. Coast and Geo-
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES CALIFORNIA 239

detic Survey (Nev.-Calif.-Ore. Ecc.) is 117 feet southwest of the post 

marking the corner. The coordinates of this station are lat 

41°59'41.36" N., long 119°59'55.60" W. (1927 N.A.D.). The field 

notes arid the report on this survey are in the U.S. National Archives.

From this point Von Schmidt ran the line south, setting mileposts on 

the boundary. He made a satisfactory closure in the east-west direction with his line north from the railroad and continued to the north 

shore of Lake Tahoe.

The gap of more than 3 miles between the monuments of Major 

and Von Schmidt was not monumented. When the fractional township at the northeast corner of the State was surveyed in 1879, the 

north-south section lines were closed against the line between the two 

monuments. These closing corners serve to mark the State boundary.

The oblique boundary line between California and Nevada, from 

its northern terminus in Lake Tahoe to its southern terminus on the 

Colorado River at lat 35° N. was originally surveyed under authority 

of an act of Congress of 1860. Several surveyors took part in the 

work of surveying this line, among them Lt. Joseph C. Ives, who 

made astronomic observations for position at the Colorado River 

end of the line and on the south shore of Lake Tahoe. For determination of longitude at the Lake Tahoe site, he had the use of a telegraph 

line to San Francisco.

The first complete running of this boundary was by Von Schmidt 

in 1873. His mileposts were numbered in continuation of the line 

from the Oregon border, number 211 being near the southeast corner 

of the lake. He ran a random line, computing an azimuth to close 

on the position established by Lieutenant Ives. His closure on this 

point was 20 chains. He found that the river had changed its bed by 

a distance of a mile and a half. In reply to his request for instructions from the General Land Office, Von Schmidt was told he should 

make his own decision as to the intersection of the middle of the channel of the Colorado and the 35th parallel as he saw it at that time, 

inasmuch as the Ives survey had never been accepted.

Work on a resurvey of this boundary was initiated by the U.S. 

Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1893 and completed in 1899. No fieldwork was done in 1896 and 1897. In the annual report of this agency 

for 1900 (Sinclair, 1901), it is stated that corrections to his random 

line were distributed by Von Schmidt only along the south one-third 

of his line. New determinations of latitude and longitude were made 

for the terminal points on the line. The position of the river channel 

at the 35th parallel was chosen as a point midway between the cut 

banks between which the river meandered.

The random line for the newr survey was put in by triangulation, 

beginning at the Lake Tahoe end. The final boundary marks were
240 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

offset from this line, by whatever amount the adjustment required. 

Most of the marks were wooden posts surrounded by a rock cairn 3 

to 5 feet high. In a total distance of 405 miles, 137 monuments were 

set. These monuments, scribed with the letters "C" and "N" on the 

appropriate sides and the number on the northwest, mark the accepted 

boundary. Fifty marks of the 1873 survey were recovered. The line 

surveyed in 1873 crosses the Coast and Geodetic Survey line twice 

and at one place is over a mile northeast of it.

The principal islands claimed as part of the State of California 

are:

Santa Catalina and San Clemente, 20 to 50 miles off the coast, included in Los Angeles County.

San Nicolas, 6Q miles from the coast, included in Ventura County.

Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel, 20 to 25 miles from the 

coast, included in Santa Barbara County.

These and many smaller islands passed under the control of the 

United States in consequence of the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. 

The question of sovereignty over these islands has been raised several 

times, the claim being made that as they were not mentioned in the 

treaty lof 1848, Mexico had not given up its title to them; but it is 

evident from the following references that it was generally understood after the treaty was signed that the islands were a part of the 

territory ceded to the United States.

A general assertion of jurisdiction of the "islands adjacent to the 

Pacific coast" was made in the State constitution of 1849, which was 

formally approved by Congress in 1850.

In an act of Congress approved August 31, 1852 (10 Stat. L. 91), 

an appropriation was made for subdividing these islands, several of 

which were mentioned by name, "so that said islands may be readily 

disposed of under the laws of the United States."

The U.S. Supreme Court at its December term, 1859, decided a case 

relating to a land grant on the island of Santa Cruz (23 Howard 465), 

in which the claim was based on a Mexjcan grant of 1839. The question of jurisdiction of the United States over the island was not 

brought up,,although it must have been considered.

Patents have been issued from time to time by the General Land 

Office for land on the several islands, and reservations have been made

on behalf of the United States for lighthouses.

So far as can be ascertained, no formal adverse claim to these islands

has ever been presented by Mexico, and in view of the foregoing facts 

it is certain that none can now be made with a hope for favorable 

consideration. (U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1895, p. 106.)
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES OREGON 241

The south boundary of California from the Colorado Kiver to the 

Pacific Ocean is also the international 'boundary between the United 

States and Mexico. For description of the survey of this line by the 

joint international commission in 1849, see page 44.

Owing to thq continual shifting of the bed of the Colorado River, the 

States of California and Arizona executed a compact on March 12, 

1963, to fix their common boundary. The compact specified that a 

joint commission would define the boundary in such a manner that 

further movement of the river would not affect it. Near the south end 

of this boundary, the bed of the river has not been confined by the topography as it was farther north. Because determination of the position of the midchannel at the time California entered the Union would 

be difficult now, it was decided to place the boundary line in a position 

that would provide an equitable distribution of the land that had been 

affected by the movement of the riverbed.

The compact called for the determination of the positions of 34 

points by precise geodetic methods. The first of these points is at the 

center of the river where the California-Nevada boundary intersects it. 

The 34th point is at the international boundary with Mexico. Twelve 

of these stations are on structures over the river. Some 200 additional 

stations are identified on aerial photographs taken for the purpose, 

and their coordinates will be measured and computed by precise analytical photogrammetry. This work is now in progress (1964). 

Where successive points fall in the middle of the channel of the river, 

the boundary will follow the stream rather than being a straight line 

between them, the aerial photographs being retained as evidence of 

the position. The controlling points were considered sufficiently close 

together and the river stabilized to the extent that no problems would 

arise.

OREGON

The Oregon region in early days was a source of many disputes 

(Mowry, 1902, chap. 7) between the United States and Great Britain, 

nearly to the point of war. It was claimed by the United States at 

different times as a part of the Louisiana Purchase, by right of discovery (see pi. 1), and as a part of the Spanish cession.61 In the 

convention of 1818 with Great Britain, joint occupancy for 10 years 

was provided. This status continued until 1846, when Congress by 

resolution authorized the President to give notice of its discontinuance. 

The United States at that time claimed the area as far north as lat

61 For a brief outline of the principles governing acquisition of territory by discovery 

and occupation, see Queensland Geog. Jour., Brisbane, Australia, 1923, v. 38, p. 61. This 

article contains a reference to the Oregon dispute. See also Schafer (1911, p. 273-299) 

and Moore (1898, v. 1, chap. 7 and 8).
242

54°40' N., but by the treaty with Great Britain of 1846 (see p. 28) 

the disputes regarding title were forever settled and the 49th parallel 

was made the northern boundary.

The Territory of Oregon was organized August 14,1848, with boundaries described as follows (see fig. 27; 9 Stat. L. 323) :

* * * all that part of the Territory of the United States which lies west of the 

summit of the Rocky Mountains, north of the forty-second degree of north latitude, known as the Territory of Oregon, sihall be organized into and constitute a 

temporary government by the name of the Territory of Oregon.

In 1853 the Territory was reduced by tlhe -formation of Washington 

Territory, and on February 14,1859 (11 Stat. L. 383), it was admitted 

as a State with its present limits. The boundaries were described in 

the State constitution of 1857 as follows (Thorpe, 1909, v. 5, p. 3015) :

Beginning one marine league at sea due west from the point where the fortysecond parallel of north latitude intersects the same; thence northerly, at the 

same distance from the line of the coast lying west and opposite the State, 

including all islands within the jurisdiction of the United States, to a point due 

west and opposite the middle of the north ship channel of the Columbia River; 

thence easterly to and up the middle channel of said river, and, where it is 

divided by islands, up the middle of the widest channel thereof, and in like 

manner up the middle of the main channel of Snake River to the mouth of the 

Owyhee River; thence due south to the parallel of latitude forty-two degrees 

north; thence west along said parallel to the place of beginning, including jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases upon the Columbia River and Snake River 

concurrently with States and Territories of which those rivers form a boundary 

in common with this State. But the Congress of the United States, in providing 

for the admission of this State into the Union, may make the said northern 

boundary conform to the act creating the Territory of Washington.

The U.S. act of February 14, 1859, concludes the description as follows (11 Stat. 383) :

* * * to a point near Fort Walla-Walla, where the forty-sixth parallel of north 

latitude crosses said river; thence east on said parallel to the middle of the main 

channel of the Shoshonnes or Snake River; thence up the middle of main channel 

of said river, to the mouth of the Owyhee Biver; thence due south, to the parallel 

of latitude forty-two degrees north; thence west, along said parallel, to the place

of beginning.

The Oregon-Washington 'boundary on the 46t'h parallel, between 

the Snake and Columbia Rivers, was surveyed and marked in 1863-64 

under the direction of the General Land Office. The latitude used 

was derived from more than 500 observations with the Sextant. Two 

observation stations were occupied, one near the foot of Cathedral

Bock on the Columbia, the other near Cottonwood Creek on the west

side of the Blue Mountains. A random line was run between them, 

which showed an apparent difference of latitude of 4". The final

line was run on the mean latitude. Marks were set at mile intervals

for 42 miles east from the Columbia, then at irregular intervals over 

the Blue Mountains. The measured length of the line was 96 miles
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES WASHINGTON 243

57 chains. The easternmost mark, which was placed 3 chains from 

the west 'bank of the Snake River, was a 7y2 -foot post 12 inches in 

diameter, marked "W" on the north, "O" on the south, and "46 L 1868" 

on the east side; it was set in a 6-foot pile of stones.

By a joint resolution approved June 10, 1910, Congress gave its 

consent to Oregon and Washington to fix their common boundary in 

the Columbia River and to cede, the one to the other, islands the title 

to which had been in dispute. Owing to the continual shifting of the 

main channel of the Columbia River, it was decided to define the boundary by a series of tangents, the ends of which were recorded geodetic 

positions. A compact was made by the States of Oregon and Washington, and Congress approved the new boundary on July 31, 1958 

(72 Sta,t. 455). These straight lines connect 191 points between the 

mouth of the Columbia and the point where the boundary leaves the 

river and continues eastward along the 46fch parallel. These lines 

approximate the channel of the river, and a point is established on the 

centerlines of bridges and dams crossing the river.

The meridian boundary between Idaho and Oregon from the middle 

of the main channel of the Snake River at the mouth of the Owyhee 

southward to the calculated position of the 42d parallel, was surveyed 

and marked in 1868 under the direction of the General Land Office. 

The latitude of the north end of this line was determined from more 

than 300 sextant observations as 43°48/41.1" N. The position for the 

south end was also determined from sextant observations. The measured length of the line was 124 miles 17.2 chains. The marks consisted of wooden posts, small stones, or mounds of stone. The U.S. 

Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1915 located a point on this line near 

its north end, the position of which is lat 43°43'21.34" N., long 

117°01'32.70" W. (1927 N.A.D.). For discussion of the south boundary, see California, p. 238, and Nevada, p. 248-249.

WASHINGTON

The Territory of Washington was organized March 2, 1853, from 

a part of Oregon Territory. (See fig. 27.) Its original limits were 

defined in the following clause from the act of Congress creating it 

(10 Stat. L. 172) :

That from and after the passage of this act all that portion of Oregon Territory lying and being south of the forty-ninth degree of north latitude, and north 

of the middle of the main channel of the Columbia River from its mouth to 

where the forty-sixth degree of north latitude crosses said river, near Fort Walla 

Walla, thence with said forty-sixth degree of latitude to the summit of the Rocky 

Mountains, be organized into and constitute a temporary government by the name 

of the Territory of Washington.
125° 123° 121° 119° 117° 115° 113° III" 10SP

FIGURE 27. Historical diagram of Washington.

In 1859, on the formation of the State of Oregon, the residue of the 

Territory of Oregon, the part extending from the east boundary 

of the State to the crest of the Rocky Mountains, was added to 

Washington. This area, together with the part of Washington lying 

east of its present limits, was included in Idaho on the formation of 

that Territory in 1863.

The present boundaries of the State of Washington are as follows: 

Beginning on the coast at the mouth of the Columbia River; following 

up the main channel of the Columbia to its point of intersection

with the 46th parallel of latitude; thence east on the 46th parallel 

to the Snake River; thence down the main channel of the Snake 

River to the mouth of the Clearwater; thence north on the meridian 

which passes through the mouth of the Clearwater to the boundary 

line between the United States and the British possessions; thence west 

with that boundary line to the Pacific.62

Washington was declared admitted as a State by proclamation dated 

November 11, 1889, with its limits defined as above (25 Stat. L. 676).

The enabling act was dated February 22,1889.

See pages 29-31 for reference to the survey of the northern boundary, page 24'6 for survey of the eastern boundary, and pages 242-243 

for the survey of the boundary on the 46th parallel.

62 See articles relating to the northern boundary In Elliott (1919a, b).
245

REDUCTION j

FIGURE 28. Historical diagram of Idaho. 

IDAHO

The Territory of Idaho was formed March 3, 1863, from parts of 

Washington, Dakota, and Nebraska. (See figs. 23, 24, 27, 28.) Its 

original limits, which included the present States of Idaho and Montana and all but the southwestern part of Wyoming, were given as 

follows in the act organizing the Territory: 63

That all that part of the territory of the United States included within the 

following limits, to wit: beginning at a point in the middle channel of the Snake 

River where the northern boundary of Oregon intersects the same; then follow 

down said channel of Snake River to a point opposite the mouth of the Kooskooskia, or Clearwater River; thence due north to the forty-ninth parallel of 

latitude; thence east along said parallel to the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west of Washington; thence south along said degree of longitude to the 

northern boundary of Colorado Territory; thence west along said boundary to 

the thirty-third degree of longitude west of Washington; thence north along said 

degree to the forty-second parallel of latitude; thence west along said parallel 

to the eastern boundary of the State of Oregon; thence north along said boundary to the place of beginning.

83 12 Stat. L. 808. For historical sketch of the formation of the Territory of Idaho 

see Washington University Historical Society (1930).
246 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

In 1864 the Territory of Montana was formed from a part of this 

area. (See p. 234-235.) From another part, together with a part 

transferred to Dakota by the act of 1864, the Territory of Wyoming 

was formed in 1868. These changes reduced the limits of Idaho to 

those described as follows in the act of admission to statehood, approved July 3, 1890 (26 Stat. L. 215) :

Beginning at the intersection of the thirty-ninth meridian with the boundary 

line between the United States and the British Possessions, then following said 

meridian south until it reaches the summit of the Bitter Root Mountains; thence 

southeastward along the crest of the Bitter Root range and the continental 

divide until it intersects the meridian of thirty-four degrees of longitude; thence 

southward on this meridian to the forty-second parallel of latitude; thence west 

on this parallel of latitude to its intersection with a meridian drawn through the 

mouth of the Owyhee River; north on this meridian to the mouth of the Owyhee 

River; thence down the mid-channel of the Snake River to the mouth of the 

Clearwater River; and thence north on the meridian which passes through the 

mouth of the Clearwater to the boundary line between the United States and the 

British Possessions, and east on said boundary line to the place of beginning.

The west boundary of Idaho from the mouth of the Clearwater to 

the 49th parallel was surveyed and marked in 1873 by Kollin J. Eeeves 

under contract with the General Land Office. Mr. Keeves was very 

conscientious in his efforts to comply with the description set forth in 

the statehood act placing the boundary on a meridian passing through 

the mouth of the Clearwater. This definition involved locating the 

point common to the centerlines of the main channel of both the Snake 

and the Clearwater. Several expedients were tried to locate this 

point, one being a floating keg tied by a rope to a stake at the point of 

land between the two rivers. The strong currents pulled the keg under. Finally, he was forced to select an approximate position. 

Three Government officials happened to be in Lewiston at the time, 

and the surveyor asked them to confirm his judgment, which they did.

This line was retraced and 177" stone or iron posts were set on it by 

the U.S. Geological Survey in 1908.64 Boundary monument 12 is at 

lat 46°35'57.06" N., long 117°02'19.47" W. (1927 N.A.D.).

The east meridian boundary, from the 42d parallel northward for a 

measured distance of 245 miles 56% chains, was surveyed in 1874 

under the direction of the General Land Office, and a mark was 

set on the assumed crest of the Rocky Mountains (the Continental 

Divide) for the corner common to Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. 

From this mark along the crest of the mountains to the intersection 

with the 39th Washington meridian, the survey was made in 1904-6 

by the General Land Office. The surveyor who ran the line in 1906 

found the tri-State mark about 6 miles too far north. He therefore 

replaced it with a new mark in the corrected position.

64 See Marshall (1911) for descriptions of these surveys and a final report and plat 

of the line as retraced.
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NEVADA 247

The 39th-meridian boundary (116°03/02.3// west of Greenwich) was 

mentioned on page 236. Ninety-two metal or stone marks were placed 

along a measured distance of 70.7 miles.

For reference to the northern boundary, see pages 30-31, and for the 

southern boundary, see pages 248 and 251.

In 1931, Congress granted its consent for the States of Idaho and 

Wyoming to adjust their common boundary (46 Stat. 1039). A commission was appointed consisting of an engineer from the Department 

of the Interior and one commissioner to represent each State. The 

commission held three hearings in the local communities in the area 

crossed by the boundary, to learn the desires of local residents.

Owing to the mountainous character of the region, there had been 

some agitation to adjust the boundary line so as to place each of two 

valleys entirely in one State or the other. At the hearings, the great 

majority of those present disapproved of any change. The commission so reported to Congress, and the matter was dropped (U.S. 

Cong., 1933, 2d Sess., S. Doc. 212.) For the meridian boundary between Idaho and Oregon, see Oregon, p. 243.

NEVADA

The Territory of Nevada, as organized by act of March 2, 1861, 

consisted of territory taken from Utah. (See fig. 29.) The following are the boundaries as described in the act (12 Stat. L. 209) :

* * * beginning at the point of intersection of the forty-second degree of north 

latitude with the thirty-ninth degree of longitude west from Washington ; thence 

running south on the line of said thirty-ninth degree of west longitude, until it 

intersects the northern boundary Mne of the Territory of New Mexico; thence 

due west to the dividing ridge separating the waters of Carson Valley from 

those that flow into the Pacific; thence on said dividing ridge northwardly to 

the forty-first degree of north latitude; thence due north to the southern boundary of the State of Oregon; thence due east to the place of 'beginning.

The limits thus described included a small area to be taken from 

the State of California. It was therefore

Provided, That so much of the Territory within the present limits of the State 

of California shall not be included within this Territory until the State of 

California shall assent to the same.

California having failed to cede the territory west of the 120th 

meridian,65 Congress by act of July 14, 1862 (12 Stat. L. 575), added 

to Nevada a strip of land more than 50 miles wide, west of the 38th 

meridian from Washington and extending from the north line of 

New Mexico to the 42d parallel of latitude. The boundaries as de65 See California Senate Jour, for 1861, p. 630, and for 1862, p. 525. 

776-664 O-66 17
248 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

scribed in the enabling act of March 21, 1864 (13 Stat. L. 30), were 

as follows:

That the said state of Nevada shall consist of all the territory included 

within the following boundaries, to wit: Commencing at a point formed by the 

intersection of the thirty-eighth degree of longitude west from Washington with 

the thirty-seventh degree of north latitude; thence due west along said thirtyseventh degree of north latitude to the eastern boundary line of the state of 

California; thence in a northwesterly direction along the said eastern boundary 

line of the state of California to the forty-third degree of longitude west from 

Washington; thence north along said forty-third degree of west longitude and 

said eastern boundary line of the state of California to the forty-second degree 

of north latitude; thence due east along the said forty-second degree of north 

latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the aforesaid thirty-eighth 

degree of longitude west from Washington; thence due south down said thirtyeighth degree of west longitude to the place of beginning.

Nevada became a State by presidential proclamation dated October 

31, 1864.

An act approved May 5, 1866, further enlarged the area of Nevada 

by the addition of territory taken from Utah and Arizona, described 

as follows (14 Stat. L. 43) :

That, as provided for and consented to in the constitution of the State of 

Nevada, all that territory and tract of land adjoining the present eastern boundary of the State of Nevada, and lying between the thirty-seventh and the fortysecond degrees of north latitude and west of the thirty-seventh degree of longitude west of Washington, is hereby added to and made a part of the State of 

Nevada.

That there is hereby added to and made a part of the State of Nevada all 

that extent of territory lying within the following boundaries, to wit: Commencing on the thirty-seventh degree of north latitude at the thirty-seventh 

degree of longitude west from Washington, and running thence south on said 

degree of longitude to the middle of the river Colorado of the West; thence 

down the middle of said river to the eastern boundary of the State of California ; thence northwesterly along said boundary of California to the thirtyseventh degree of north latitude; and thence east along said degree of latitude

to the point of beginning-.

The present State of Nevada according to statute 66 is now bounded

on the east by the 37th meridian of longitude west of Washington, on 

the south by the middle of Colorado River to the 35th parallel, on 

the southwest by the California line, on the west by the 120th

meridian of longitude, and on the north by the 42d parallel.

The north boundary of Nevada was surveyed in 1873 from an

initial point on the Utah-Nevada line, whose latitude had been carefully determined in 1871, westward to a post set in 1868 for the

northeast corner of California. The measured distance was 310 

miles 48 chains. The marks placed on the line were mounds of earth,

M Enabling act of 1864 (13 Stat L. 43) with additions of 1866 (14 Stat. L. 43).
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NEVADA 249

wooden posts, or small stones. This line passed the meridian boundary between Idaho and Oregon at 152 miles 72 chains from the 

northeast corner of Nevada and 4 chains south of the terminal mark 

of the 1868 survey.

The boundary following the middle of the Colorado was further 

defined between Davis Dam and the California-Nevada line by a 

compact between Nevada and Arizona that was approved by Congress 

June 16, 1961 (75 Stat. 93). It involves 31 points, connected by 

bearing and distance from monumented points.

The east boundary of Nevada, which follows the 37th meridian 

west of Washington, was surveyed in 1870. The longitude for the 

initial point was found by direct measurement east from Pilot Peak, 

whose latitude and longitude had been determined by triangulation 

 from the Salt Lake City astronomic station. The assumed longitude 

of Pilot Peak was 114°04:'55.4" west from Greenwich; the latest determination (1939) by the U.S. Geological Survey is 114°04'35.56" 

(1927 N.A.D.). The initial point thus selected for the boundary was 

in the middle of the track of the Central Pacific Railroad (now the 

Southern Pacific). From this point the line was run northward a 

measured distance of 46 miles 40 chains to a position which sextant 

observations indicated was the 42d parallel of latitude. In 1871 a 

long series of observations made with a zenith telescope showed that 

the mark at this point was too far north; consequently it was moved 

south 1 mile 12 chains in 1873.

From the initial point the line was then run south to the Colorado 

River. At a point 1.16 chains south of the railroad track a granite 

shaft 8 feet high, its top dressed to 1 foot square and suitably marked, 

was placed in a pile of rocks, and 298 miles 56 chains south of the 

railroad a mark was set for the southwest corner of Utah. This 

mark was later found to be too far north and in 1901 was moved 

1 miles 31.51 chains south. (Seep. 251.) The distance as then measured, from the initial point on the railroad to the Colorado River, 

was 356 miles 23.76 chains. This part of the line as "well as that 

north of the railroad was marked with wooden posts, single stones, 

or mounds of earth and stones.

The following positions on the boundary line between Utah and 

Nevada have been determined by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey 

(Bowie, 1914, p. 105-107):

Mark

Do. .. ......

Do... .........

Latitude (N.)

41°20'32.38"

41°01'15.92"

40°56'06.87"

40°55'24.36"

40°00'18.42"

Longitude (W.)

114°02'22.87'

114°02'27.74'

114°02'29.23'

114°02'29.37'

114°02'43.96'

Mark

Do.. .

Do.. ........

Latitude (N.)

39°58'57.40"

39°53'46.16"

39°09'45.06"

38°00'60.90"

38°00'47.09"

Longitude (W.)

114°02'45.59"

114°02'25.17"

114°02'52.31"

114°02'49.31"

114°02'58.41"
250 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

For a discussion of the California-Nevada boundary, see California, 

p. 238-239.

UTAH

The Mormons settled in Utah in 1847. In 1849 they organized a 

territorial government which they called Deseret, but a delegate sent 

to 'Congress was not recognized by that body.

Utah was established as a Territory by act of September 9, 1850, 

and included part of the area acquired from Mexico by the treaty of 

Guadalupe-Hidalgo. (See fig. 29.) Its limits are given in the 

following extract from the act by which it was created (9 Stat. L. 453) :

All that part of the territory of the United 'States included within the following 

limits, to wit: bounded on the west by the State of California, on the north by 

the Territory of Oregon, and on the east iby the summit of the Bocky Mountains, 

and on the south by the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude, be, and the 

same is hereby, created into a temporary government, 'by the name of the 

Territory of Utah.

FIGURE 29. Historical diagram of Utah.

This area was reduced by the formation, in 1861, of the Territories 

of Nevada (see p. 247) and Colorado (see p. 228) and in 1864 and 1866

by the extensions eastward of the limits of the State of Nevada.

The present boundaries of Utah are by statute as follows: Commencing with the intersection of the 42d parallel of latitude with the

34th meridian of longitude west from Washington; running thence

south on this meridian to the 41st parallel of latitude; thence east on

this parallel to the 32d meridian of longitude; thence south on this 

meridian to its intersection with the 37th parallel of latitude j thence 

west upon this parallel of latitude to its intersection with the 37th 

meridian of longitude; thence north on this meridian to its intersec-
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES UTAH 251

tion with the 42d parallel of latitude; thence east on the 42d parallel 

of latitude to the place of beginning.

The enabling act for Utah (28 Stat. L. 107), approved July 16,1894, 

fixed its boundaries "as at present described." The admission to statehood was declared in effect by the President's proclamation of January 4, 1896.

The Utah-Idaho line was surveyed and marked in 1871 under the 

direction of the General Land Office. The initial point was fixed by 

reference to an astronomical station near the Bear River. The 

position for the terminal mark was determined by a long series of 

observations for latitude with a zenith telescope. The initial mark 

was a wooden post 8/2 feet by 12 inches by 7 inches, marked "34° 

W L" on the east, "UTAH" on the southwest, "IDAHO" on the northwest, and "42 L 1871" on the north, which was surrounded 

by a large pile of stones. From this point a line was run due west a 

measured distance of 153 miles 56 chains to a point where an 8-foot 

cedar post was set in a mound of rocks and suitably marked for the 

common corners of Nevada and Utah on the Idaho line. A mark 

set in 1870 for these corners was destroyed, the new mark being placed 

1 mile 12 chains farther south.

The Utah-Arizona boundary, on the 37th parallel of latitude, was 

surveyed and marked in 1901. The mark set in 1870 for the southwest corner of Utah was destroyed, because observations for latitude 

showed that it was 1 mile 31.51 chains too far north. A new corner 

mark was established 7.88 chains south of the 300th mile mark of the 

Nevada boundary survey of 1870. This mark consisted of a sandstone post 6 feet by 16 inches by 12 inches, set in a pile of stones and 

marked "NEVADA" on the northwest, "UTAH" on the northeast, 

"ARIZONA" on the southeast, and "37 N L 1901" on the southwest. 

The line was run thence due east, checked by five latitude stations,67 

a measured distance of 277 miles 5.18 chains; the line intersected the 

post at the southwest corner of Colorado, set in 1875. The mark for 

each mile of this line is a stone post or iron pipe. Between the 152d 

and 153d mile marks the line passes over a sandstone butte, the summit of which rises about 1,000 feet above the plain. (See fig. 30.) Surveys by the General Land Office in 1927 show that there is a break in 

this line near long 110°30' W. (T. 43 S., R. 13 E., Salt Lake base and 

meridian), milepost 197 being 33 chains (2,178 feet) farther north 

than milepost 199.68

For reference to the survey of the west boundary of Utah, see 

Nevada, page 249; and for reference to the east boundary, see Colorado,

"For descriptions of these stations, see Beall (1925, p. 259).

68 For further reading on the settlement of Utah and its boundaries, see Brlghtman 

(1940, p. 87-95).
252 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

FIGURE 30. State Line Butte on Utah-Arizona line.

page 231. All these lines were run under the direction of the General 

Land Office.

NEW MEXICO

The original area of New Mexico was taken in part from the region 

transferred by Mexico to the United States by the treaty of GuadalupeHidalgo and in part from the territory ceded by Texas. (See p. 43, 

198; figs. 21, 31.) The act of Congress of September 9, 1850, fixing 

the northern boundary of the State of Texas west of the 103d meridian 

and providing for the payment of $10 million to that State for land 

to be ceded to the United States, provided also for the creation of the 

Territory of New Mexico, when the transaction with Texas was completed. The formation of this Territory was announced by presidential proclamation of December 13,1850.

The boundaries fixed in the act of 1850 were thus described (9 Stat. 

L. 447) :

That all that portion of the territory of the United States bounded as follows: 

Beginning at a point in the Colorado River, where the boundary line with the 

Republic of Mexico crosses the same; thence eastwardly with the said boundary 

line to the Rio Grande; thence following the main channel of said river to the 

parallel of the thirty-second degree of north latitude; thence east with said
BOUNDARY LINES OF THE STATES NEW MEXICO 253

C 0 L 0 R A D

FIGURE 31. Historical diagram of New Mexico.

degree to its intersection with the one hundred and third degree of longitude 

west of Greenwich; thence north with said degree of longitude to the parallel 

of thirty-eighth degree of north latitude; thence west with said parallel to the 

summit of the Sierra Madre; thence south with the crest of said mountains to 

the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude; thence west with said parallel to 

its intersection with the boundary line of the State of California; thence with 

said boundary line to the place of beginning be, and the same is hereby, erected 

into a temporary government by the name of the Territory of New Mexico.

There has been considerable uncertainty as to what mountain range 

was intended for the west boundary of New Mexico and the east 

boundary of Utah between lat 37° and 38° N. as fixed by the acts of 

1850. The name Sierra Madre used in the New Mexico act is one 

given to many widely separated mountain groups. Emory (1857b, 

p. 40) refers to Sierra Madre as a general name for the mountains 

along the Continental Divide. On some old maps the name is given 

to the nearest mountains east of the Kio Grande between 37° and 38°. 

This group is now officially designated as a part of the Rocky Mountain system. On other old maps the mountains west of the Rio 

Grande between 37° and 38° are called Sierra Madre. These are now 

known as the San Juan Mountains and are a part of the Continental 

Divide.

On the Melish map of 1818 the Mexican State of New Mexico is 

shown as extending north to lat 38° N. and including the Rio Grande
254 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

basin. The Carey and Lea map of 1822 gives the boundaries of New 

Mexico between lat 32° and 38° N. as irregular lines including the Eio 

Grande basin. The Tanner map of 1846 of the United States of 

Mexico shows the western line of New Mexico as extending to about 

long 107°30' W. between lat 37° and 38° N. and including the drainage 

tributary to the Rio Grande. The Disturnell map of 1847, referred to 

in the treaty of 1848 with Mexico, shows New Mexico as extending 

north to lat 40° N. and west to long 109° W., including the Rio Grande 

basin. A map of New Mexico compiled by 2d Lt. John C. Parke, 

published in 1851, shows the "Rocky Mountain Range" (referred to in 

the Utah act of 1850) between 37° and 38° as east of the Rio Grande. 

An undated map by "E. Gilman, draftsman," printed at "P. S. Duval's 

Steam Lith. Press, Phil a.," probably published between 1849 and 1853, 

shows the boundary of New Mexico between 37° and 38° at about 

long 108° W. and names the mountains Sierra Madre.

On an official map published by the War Department in 1859 entitled 

"Territory and Military Department of New Mexico, compiled in the 

Bureau of Top'1 Engrs.," the New Mexico boundary between 37° 

and 38° is plainly indicated as following the Continental Divide, west 

of the Rio Grande. On most other maps published between 1850 and 

1960, the location of the New Mexico boundary is not indicated.

In fixing the summit of the Rocky Mountains as the eastern boundary of the Territory of Utah in the act of 1850, the lawmakers probably assumed that the main range of the Rocky Mountains followed the 

Continental Divide through what was then an unexplored area.

The Rio Grande is a stream of great importance to New Mexico, 

and the only apparent reason for assigning to the Territory of New 

Mexico land north of lat 37° N. was to give it control of the Rio Grande 

basin. The Republic of Texas claimed an area as far west as the Rio 

Grande and from its source to the 42d parallel. The area north of the 

32d parallel and west of the 103d meridian was sold by Texas to the 

United States in 1850, and it would seem logical to give the Rio Grande

basin, which is all south of the 38th parallel, to New Mexico. (See

fig. 31.)

Mr. L. R. Hafen, historian, department of history, Colorado State 

Historical and Natural History Society, in a letter of December 1,1924, 

published in Colorado magazine in May 1926, wrote as follows:

The San Lllis Valley (through which the Rio Grande flows) was actually

administered as a part of New Mexico from 1850 to 1861. The governor and 

superintendent of Indian affairs reports on this area. In his report of September 1, 1854, Governor Merriwether says that the Utahs of New Mexico inhabit 

"all the northern tributaries of the Rio Grande which lie in New Mexico and

north of the 37th parallel of latitude" (33d Cong., 2d sess., H. Ex. Doc. 1, Report 

of Commissioner of Indian Affairs to Secretary of the Interior). In 1860 the
255

superintendent in New Mexico reports that Agent Head has been placed in charge 

of the Tabahuaches band of Utahs and his agency located on the Conejos (west 

of the Rio Grande and north of 37°).

Fort Massachusetts, established in 1852 in the San Luis Valley, was under the 

jurisdiction of the Department of New Mexico. When Gunnison and Beckwith 

went through there in 1853 they spoke of the fort as being in New Mexico. G. H. 

Heap, accompanying Beale's expedition of the same year, speaks of the territory 

about Fort Massachusetts as the most fertile portion of New Mexico.

During the fifties a number of towns were founded in the San Luis Valley 

and were governed as parts of Taos County.

The national census of 1860 lists the towns of Costilla, Conejos, and others 

in San Luis Valley as parts of Taos County, N. Mex.

This territory was enlarged on August 4,1854, by the addition of the 

Gadsden Purchase (10 Stat. L. 575) and was reduced by the formation 

of Colorado Territory in 1861 (p. 228) and Arizona Territory in 1863 

(p. 257). The boundaries as thus changed are the same as those of 

present-day New Mexico and are described as follows: Beginning at 

the point of intersection of the 103d meridian of longitude west of 

Greenwich with the 37th parallel of latitude; running thence south to 

its point of intersection with the 32d parallel of latitude; thence west 

on this parallel to its intersection with the Rio Grande; thence southerly down the main channel of the Rio Grande as it was September 9, 

1850, to its point of intersection with the boundary line between the 

United States and Mexico; thence with this boundary to its intersection with the 32d meridian of longitude west from Washington; thence 

north along this meridian to the 37th parallel of latitude, and east 

along that parallel to the place of beginning.

The enabling act for the admission of New Mexico to the Union, 

dated June 16, 1906, included also provisions for the admission of 

Oklahoma and Arizona, the boundaries of each to be "as at present 

described." (34 Stat. L., pt. 1, 267.) Further provisions for the 

admission of New Mexico were made by the act of June 20, 1910 

(36 Stat. L., pt. 1, 557), and by the joint resolution of August 21, 

1911 (37 Stat. L., pt. 1, 39), which required the acceptance of the 

Texas-New Mexico boundary line as described in the joint resolution 

of February 16, 1911 (p. 201). The proclamation by the President 

declaring New Mexico's admission to statehood in effect was dated 

January 6,1912.

In 1874, John G. Major began his survey of the east boundary 

of New Mexico at the Johnson monument for the 103d meridian 

(see Colorado, p. 229), 57 miles 4.50 chains west of the southeast corner 

of Colorado and 142.00 chains west of the Macomb monument already 

referred to. Major then surveyed his line for the east boundary 

of New Mexico south 34 miles and 40 chains to a point which he 

designated the northwest corner of Texas. However he did not
256 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

find the true northwest corner of Texas established by John H. 

Clark. Subsequent retracements show that Major's line is 2 miles 

13.50 chains west of the northwest corner of Texas established by 

' Clark and 4 miles 28.50 chains west of the Chaney and Smith position for theCimarron meridian in long 103° W.

For reference to the New Mexico-Oklahoma line, see page 227; the 

New Mexico-Texas line, page 201; and the New Mexico-Color ado 

line, pages 229-230.

From the south end of the Oklahoma-New Mexico boundary line, 

there is a jog in the New Mexico east line of about 2.1 miles westward along the Texas north line to long 103°02'28.27" W. (1927 

N.A.D.).

The line between New Mexico and Arizona was surveyed in 1875 

under the direction of the General Land Office by C. Bobbins on a 

meridian determined by reference to a peak named The Needles, located 

by the Wheeler Survey in 1874. Bobbins refers to this point as the 

"southwest needle point of Wilson's Peak" and gives its position as 

lat 36°41'40.3" N., long 108°50'26.1" W.69 This peak is now known 

as Ship Bock and the summit is inaccessible. (See fig. 32.) It is 

an intersected point in the triangulation of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. The line was run west and north to the intersection 

of the 32d meridian west of Washington with the south boundary of

 Colorado as marked by Darling in 1868 (see p. 229). Bobbins' point 

was 1 mile 45 chains east of the earlier mark established for the southwest corner of Colorado and became the accepted location of "the four 

corners" (see p. 231). The position was marked by a sandstone monument and was used later in running the boundary between Colorado

 and Utah and that between Utah and Arizona. Because it was not 

possible to make astronomic observations from the boundary corner, a

28-incli cottonwood tree a few hundred feet away was cut down and

the stump used as a pedestal for the theodolite. Observations were 

made for latitude, azimuth, and time. The geodetic position of the

monument has since been determined as lat 36°59'56.30" N., long 

109°02'40.24" W. (1927 N.A.D.).

From the monument, the line was surveyed south, with marks at

mile intervals (most of them small stones inscribed "ABIZ" on the 

west side and "N MEX" on the east), a measured distance of 390

miles 48.31 chains to an intersection with the United States and Mexico 

boundary line. This intersection was marked by the 1891-96 Mexican

60 The position given in Tables of Geographic Positions, from data gathered by parties

of the U.S. Geographical Surveys west of the 100th Meridian, is lat 36°41'28.0" N., long 

108°50'18.1" W. (Macomb, 1885, p. 22).
BOUNDARY LINES OP THE STATES ARIZONA 257

FIGURE 32. Ship Rock, N. Mex., point of departure (or Arizona-New Mexico

boundary survey.

boundary survey with monument 71, whose position is given as lat 

31°19'5'6.35" N., long 109°02'56.82" W. (approximate 1927 N.A.D.).

For a description of the south boundary, see pages 201-202. (See 

fig. 33.)

Suit was instituted in the U.S. Supreme Court in the October term, 

1920, by New Mexico against Texas to have the boundary between the 

two States, south of lat 32° N., fixed at the midchannel of the Rio 

Grande as it flowed in 1850, when New Mexico was made a Territory; 

the New Mexico claim was that prior to an avulsion which occurred 

in 1864, the river was in many places east of its present position. 

In the case before the Supreme Court, both States agreed to the 

boundary being the midchannel as it was in 1850, but each presented 

a different map to show its location. The Court appointed a special 

master who filed a report that the correct boundary was as claimed 

by Texas. The intersection of this line with the 32d parallel was 

stated to be 750 feet west of Clark monument 1, reestablished by commissioners in 1911. (275 U.S. 279; 276 U.S. 559.) A commissioner 

was designated on April 9, 1928, to survey and mark the boundary, 

and his report (283 U.S. 788) was confirmed by the Court on March 

23, 1931. There are now 105 concrete monuments on the line.

ARIZONA

Arizona was organized as a Territory by act of February 24, 1863, 

from the western part, of the Territory of New Mexico (fig. 31) with 

boundaries described as follows (12 Stat. L. 665) :

That all that part of the present Territory of New Mexico situate west of a 

line running due south from the point where the southwest corner of the Ter-
258 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

FIGURE 33. Marks on the tablet 

at the southeast corner of New 

Mexico.

ritory of Colorado joins the northern boundary of the Territory of New Mexico 

to the southern boundary line of said Territory of New Mexico be, and the same 

is hereby, erected into !a temporary government by the name of the Territory 

of Arizona.

In 1866 an area of approximately 11,600 square miles north of the 

middle of the Colorado River and west of the 37th meridian west from 

Washington was added to Nevada (14 Stat. L. 43).

The admission of Arizona to the Union was provided for in acts of 

June 16, 1906 (34 Stat. L., pt. 1, p. 267), and June 20, 1910 (36 Stat. 

L., pt. 1, p. 570), and in a joint resolution approved August 21, 1911 

(37 Stat. L., pt. 1, p. 39). It was declared in effect by proclamation 

dated February 14,1912.

The present boundaries of Arizona are described as follows: Beginning at the point of intersection of the 37th parallel of latitude with 

the 32d meridian of long'itude west from Washington; thence south 

along this meridian to its intersection with the boundary line between

the United States and Mexico; thence with this boundary to the Colorado Kiver; thence up the middle of the main channel of the Colorado 

River to its point of intersection with the 37th meridian of longitude; 

north on this meridian to its intersection with the 37th parallel; and 

eastward along the 37th parallel to the place of beginning. 

For reference to surveys of the boundaries, see pages 46,251, and 256.

ALASKA

In 1946, at the general election, Alaskans voted in favor of statehood. In subsequent sessions of Congress, bills were introduced to

admit Alaska to statehood. At a. StatC election 111 1955, d^gatCS

were chosen to meet and draft a constitution. This proposed constitu-
259

tion was approved by the voters in April 1956. An enabling act was 

passed by Congress and signed by the President on July 7, 1958 (72 

Stat. 339). The Presidential proclamation admitting Alaska as the 

49th State was issued on January 3,1959.

The statehood act defines the boundaries of the State simply in these 

words:

The State of Alaska shall consist of all the territory, together with the territorial waters appurtenant thereto, now included in the Territory of Alaska.

For a discussion of the boundaries of the Territory and their legal 

definition, see pages 46-51.

The constitution provides for minor civil divisions called boroughs. 

Five years after Alaska became a State, these boroughs had not been 

established.

The census of 1960 gives the population of Alaska as 226,167. This 

figure includes 43,081 Indians and Eskimos, who are U.S. citizens.

HAWAII

Statehood bills for Hawaii were introduced in Congress beginning 

in 1922. For various reasons, Congress was reluctant to make Hawaii 

a State, one being the fact that it is not contiguous to the continental 

United States. After the admission of Alaska, the objections seemed 

to carry less weight. A constitution had been drafted in 1950 and 

approved that year and again in 1959. The statehood act was passed 

by the U.S. Senate on March 11,1959, passed by the House on the following day, and signed by the President on March 18,1959 (73 Stat. 

4). The Presidential proclamation admitting Hawaii as the 50th 

State was signed on August 21,1959.

The statehood act defines the State as including the following:

All the islands, together with their appurtenant reefs and territorial waters, 

included in the Territory of Hawaii on the date of the enactment of this act, 

except Palmyra Island, Midway, Johnston, and Sand Islands, and Kingman 

Reef.

For a list of the islands included in the Territory, see pages 52 and 

53.

The population of Hawaii according to the 1960 census is 632,772. 

It is interesting to note that of this number, 203,455 are classed as 

Japanese, 114,405 as Hawaiian, 69,070 as Filipino, and 38,197 as 

Chinese. All these groups have U.S. citizenship.
260

GENERAL STATISTICS RELATING TO THE UNITED

STATES

REFERENCES

Nearly all boundaries of States west of the Mississippi, as well 

as those of many central and southern States, were surveyed under 

the direction of the General Land Office. Notes of all such surveys 

and plats for most of them are now on file in the Bureau of Land 

Management, Department of the Interior, or in the Cartographic 

Records Division, National Archives and Records Service, Washington, D.C. Many of the field notes are in excellent form, in books especially prepared for them, and are illustrated by photographs or 

sketches. Other notes are in books of field notes with the regular 

township surveys. Many resurveys or retracements of short parts 

of boundary lines have been made, and numerous corners have been 

reestablished in connection with the regular surveys of the public 

lands, which are not mentioned in the foregoing pages but are noted 

in the records of the General Land Office.

The notes and plats are open to public inspection and are indexed 

so that reference to them is easy; also, copies are supplied to anyone 

on payment of nominal fees.

Historical diagrams showing changes in State or national boundaries are to be found in many publications, a few of which are listed 

below:

Faris, J. T., 1926, The romance of the boundaries: New York, Harper & Bros. 

This book contains a bibliography of boundary references with 138 entries.

Lamberton, R. H., 1884, An historical atlas * * * from the dawn of history 

to the present time: 7th ed., New York, Townsend MacCoun.

MacCoun, Townsend, 1901, An historical geography of the United States: 

Revised ed., New York, Silver, Burdett & Co.

Mowry, W. A., 1902, The territorial growth of the United States: New York, 

Silver, Burdett & Co.

Stocking, S. W., 1874, Areas and political divisions of the United States, with 

map, in Statistical atlas of the United States: Bureau of the Census, Washington.

U.S. Bureau of Statistics, Monthly summary of commerce and finance of the 

United States for August 1902.

ORGANIZATION OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

The name "united States of America" was used in the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, and the use of the name "United 

States" for all State papers was ordered by the Continental Congress 

on September 9-, 1776. The first of the "Articles of Confederation

and perpetual Union * * *" of 1777, is "The stile of this Confederacy 

shall be The United States of America."
GENERAL STATISTICS EARLY SESSIONS OF CONGRESS 261

The Articles of Confederation were agreed to by delegates from the 

Thirteen Original Colonies on November 15, 1777. The defects in 

the form of government thereby instituted were so many that steps 

were soon taken to change it. A convention called in 1787 to draft a 

constitution for the United States completed its labors on September 

17 of the same year. The Constitution of the United States of America was ratified and the Thirteen Original States became members 

of the Union on various dates between 1787 and 1790 (table 2).

TABLE 2. Date and order of admission of the 50 States into the Union

1. Delaware_______.__ Dec. 7,1787

2. Pennsylvania________ Dec. 12,1787

3. New Jersey._____._... Dec. 18,1787

4. Georgia______.___ Jan. 2,1788

5. Connecticut________ Jan. 9,1788

6. Massachusetts_._____ Feb. 6,1788

7. Maryland............ .... Apr. 28,1788

8. SouthCarolina...__.__ May 23,1788

9. New Hampshire____.... June 21,1788

10. Virginia..................... June 26,1788

11. New York....... ........ July 26,1788

12. North Carolina............. Nov. 21,1789

13. Rhode Island............... May 29,1790

14. Vermont,._______..__ Mar. 4,1791

15. Kentucky...___...___ June 1,1792

16. Tennessee....____..__ June 1,1796

17. Ohio.. ... . Feb. 19,1803

18. Louisiana__________ Apr. 30,1812

19. Indiana.....________. Dec. 11,1816

20. Mississippi..____.___ Dec. 10,1817

21. Illinois..... .............. Dec. 3,1818

22. Alabama..._________ Dec. 14,1819

23. Maine............ , Mar. 15,1820

24. Missouri... . Aug. 10,1821

25. Arkansas._________ June 15,1836

26. Michigan.... . Jan. 26,1837

27. Florida._....... ....... Mar. 3,1845

28. Texas___________. Dec. 29,1845

29. Iowa.... Dec. 28,1846

30. Wisconsin..________. May 29,1848

31. California. Sept. 9,1850

32. Minnesota... May 11,1858

33. Oregon...... Feb. 14,1859

34. Kansas-_____-___.- Jan. 29,1861

35. West Virginia. . June 19,1863

36. Nevada - - Oct. 31,1864

37. Nebraska______.___ Mar. 1,1867

38. Colorado....__.-...__. Aug. 1,1876

39. North Dakota. _______ Nov. 2,1889

40. South Dakota.... ....... Nov. 2,1889

41. Montana...-.______._ Nov. 8,1889

42. Washington. Nov. 11,1889

43. Idaho._____.______ July 3,1890

44. Wyoming. . July 10,1890

45. Utah... Jan. 4,1896

46. Oklahoma.. . Nov. 16,1907

47. New Mexico__...___. Jan. 6,1912

48. Arizona .. Feb. 14,1912

49. Alaska . Jan. 3,1959

50. Hawaii...____._____ Aug. 21,1959

THE U.S. FLAG

Congress, by act approved April 4, 1818, effective July 4, 1818,70 

ordered that "the flag of the United States be thirteen horizontal 

stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be twenty stars 

[there were then 20 States], white in a blue field," and that "on 

the admission of every new State into the Union, one star be added 

to the union of the flag" on the 4th of July following.

EARLY SESSIONS OF CONGRESS

The place and time of the early sessions of Congress are indicated 

below.

Continental Congress and Congress of the Confederation

Philadelphia__________________ Sept. 5, 1774, to Oct. 26, 1774. 

Do_ _________________ May 10, 1775, to Dec. 12, 1776.

Baltimore____________________. Dec. 20, 1776, to Mar. 4, 1777. 

Philadelphia__________________ Mar. 5, 1777, to Sept. 18, 1777.

70 3 Stat. L. 415. See also 1 Stat. L. 341 and Preble (1917).
262 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES .

Continental Congress and Congress of the Confederation Continued

Lancaster, Pa_________________. Sept. 27, 1777 (1 day only). 

York, Pa_________________'._____. Sept. 30, 1777, to June 27, 1778. 

Philadelphia___________________ July 2, 1778, to June 21, 1783. 

Princeton, N.J_________________ June 30,1783, to Nov. 4,1783. 

Annapolis, Md_________________ Nov. 26,1783, to June 3,1784. 

Trenton, N.J__________________ Nov. 1, 1784, to Dec. 24, 1784. 

New York City________________. Jan. 11, 1785, to Nov. 4, 1785.

Do______________________ Nov. 7, 1785, to Nov. 3, 1786.

Do_____________________ Nov. 6, 1786, to Oct. 30, 1787.

Do______________________ Nov. 5,1787, to Oct. 21, 1788.

Do______________________ Nov. 3, 1788, to Mar. 2, 1789.

U.S. Congress 

New York City_________________. Mar. 4,1789, to Sept. 29, 1789.

Do______________________ Jan. 4, 1790, to Aug. 12,1790.

Philadelphia was the meeting place for subsequent sessions from 

December 6, 1790, until November, 1800, when the seat of Government was moved to Washington.71

AREAS OF THE STATES AND OVERSEAS TERRITORY

The following information relating to the area of the United States 

and its overseas territory has been assembled in tabular form for 

convenient reference. The areas are approximate only. Exact outlines of drainage basins of large rivers that form boundaries are in 

many places not well established even on the best maps.

Original area of the United States and areas of continental changes (except 

Alaska and Canal Zone)

Square miles

The territorry of the United 'States, as recognized by Great 

Britain in 1783: The area limited by the present accepted 

northern 'boundary from eastern Maine to a point near the 

northwesternmost angle of the Lake of the Woods, thence by 

a direct line to the source of the Mississippi River, down that 

river to the 31st parallel of latitude, thence eastward along that 

parallel and the north line of Florida to the Atlantic Ocean 

(excluding the water surfaces of the Great Lakes, except Lake

Michigan, and the Atlantic Ocean) __ x 869,735 

The parts of the Great Lakes on the international boundary 

which are under the jurisdiction of the United States_____ SS^O

1 This value was obtained by adding the accepted areas of the 24 States and the District 

of Columbia (723.947 sq ml) which lie wholly within the 1783 treaty limits, including

the parts of Alabama (49,359 sq ml) and Mississippi (44,079 sq mi) north of lat

31° N. and the part of Minnesota (,29,950 sq mi) east of the Mississippi and Lake of the 

Woods lines. The Lake Michigan area (22,400 sq mi) was also included, as it is within 

the original cession.

71 1 Stat. Li. ISO. See "A Biographical Congressional Directory," U.S. 61st Cong., 2d

sess., S. Doc. 654, p. 25, 1913, and 69th Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 783,^. 31, 1928, for places 

and dates of meetings of the Continental Congress. See annual Congressional Directory for

dates and meetings of tne U.S. congress; also u.s. G9tn cong., ist sess., H. DOC. sos. 

p. 1062, 1927. U.S. 56th Cong., 2d sess., H. Doc. 552, 1901, gives illustrations of the eight 

buildings in which sessions of Congress were held.
GENERAL STATISTICS AREAS OF STATES, OVERSEAS TERRITORY 263

Original area of the United States and areas of continental changes (except

Alaska and Canal Zone) Continued

Square miles

A 3-mile strip along the Atlantic coast-_ ________ 5,000

Louisiana Purchase, 1808: The part of the drainage basin of the 

Mississippi River west of that river, including the basin of the 

Missouri River and the area south of the 31st parallel between 

the Mississippi and Perdido Rivers:

South of the 49th parallel____________________ 2 909,130 

North of the 49th pafallel___________________ 3 12,365

Red River Basin and Lake of the Woods drainage: South of the 

49th parallel, west of the head of the Mississippi River___ 48, 080

By treaty with Spain in 1819 the United States acquired East and 

West Florida, an area of 58,666 square miles, and areas west of 

the Mississippi River (principally in Louisiana) amounting to 

22,834 square miles, but relinquished to Spain 97,150 square 

miles (of the Louisiana Purchase), or a net loss of______ 15,650

Texas, annexed in 1845 (including 95,650 sq mi of the area relinquished to 'Spain in 1819) ______________________ 388, 687

Oregon Territory, title established in 1846___________ "286,541

Mexican cession, 1848 (included 775 sq mi relinquished to Spain 

in 1819) __________________________________ " 529,189

Gadsden Purchase, 1853_______________________ "29,670

2 If it is assumed that the United States had no valid claim to the area south of lat 

31° N. and between the Perdido and Mississippi Rivers, then this value should be reduced 

by an area of 13,433 sq mi and that amount added to the area of the Florida Purchase. 

Of the 13,433 sq mi, 2,639 sq mi is now a part of Alabama, 2,786 a part of Mississippi 

and 8,008 a part of Louisiana.

3 The Canada Year Book, 19'29, Ottawa, p. 11.

4 Areas from Bond, (1912, p. 13), chief clerk, General Land Office).

Table 3, showing land and water areas, is taken from the "Statistical 

Abstract of the United States," 1962, published by the U.S. Bureau 

of the Census. The water areas include only "inland water" as defined 

below, and exclude those parts of the Great Lakes and certain other 

bodies of water under the jurisdiction of the United States.

The average or mean area of the 50 States is 72,303 square miles.

Table 4 (p. 265) includes the areas of overseas territory of the 

United States. These figures also were taken from the "Statistical 

Abstract" of the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

TABLE 3. Land and water area of the United States, by States

Area, in square miles

State(s)

United States... _________________________

New England .................................................

Rhode Island. ............................................

Total

3, 615, 211

66,608

33, 215

9,304

9,609

8,257

1,214

5,009

Land '

3, 548, 974

63.126

31,012

9,014

9,276

7,867

1,058

4,899

Inland 

water 2

66, 237

3,482

2,203

290

333

390

156

110

See footnotes at end of table.

776-664 O-66 18
264 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES 

TABLE 3. Land and water area of the United States, ~by States Continued

State (s)

Area, in square miles

Total Land i Inland 

water 2

Middle Atlantic........ 102,745

New York................................................ 49,576

New Jersey. ______ ___________ 7,836

Pennsylvania__________________________ 45,333

East North Central......__...__.___.___.___ 248,283

Ohio. . .. ........-..-....... 41,222

Indiana... .._._...__......____________ 36,291

Illinois...._______.____.____________ 56,400

Michigan..................... ......................... 58,216

Wisconsin................................................. 56,154

West North Central _____....__.__.___...... 517,247

Minnesota...________________________ 84,068

Iowa . ___________ 56,290

Missouri._____________________________ 69,686

North Dakota. ________________________ 70,665

South Dakota...____...__.______________. 77,047

Nebraska________.____________________ 77,227

Kansas.... . . ..__. ___________ 82,264

South Atlantic.___________________________ 278,902

Delaware. ..___.____________ 2.057

Maryland . .....__...__.________ 10,577

District of Columbia____________________ 69

Virginia . . ___________ 40,815

West Virginia_________1______________ 24,181

North Carolina.._____________________ 52,712

South Carolina.______.__._____._____ 31,055

Georgia..... . ........................ 58,876

Florida....... ....._____.__......._____ 58,560

East South Central._____...._________.____ 181,964

Kentucky.. ..... ....__....__._______ 40,395

Tennessee......____._....______._____ 42,244

Alabama.. .______________.........___ 51,609

Mississippi._________________________ 47,716

West South Central.____.___.________.__..___.. 438,885

Arkansas... ..______....____________ 53,104

Louisiana... ..______...____________ 48,523

Oklahoma..___________________________ 69,919

Texas....__.__..___......______.__......._ 267,339

Mountain_____________________________ 863,887

Montana.. .__....__.____._______ 147,138

Idaho...___.___.__...__._________... 83,557

Wyoming. .. .........____. ..._____ ...... 97,914

Colorado...._____._________....__.__.__ 104,247

New Mexico.......... ....... ... .... ........ 121,666

Arizona 113,000

Utah.____________________ -________ -. 84,916

Nevada ..... .. ... 110,540

Pacific. ................ 916,690

Washington.. . 68,192

Oregon._...____.______._____.___.__ 96,981

California..___...______...._______.__.___.. 158,693

Alaska.... .. ... . 586,400

Hawaii... . 6.424'

100,467

47,939

7,521

45,007

244,811

40,972

36,185

55,930

57,019

54,705

509,674

80,009

56,032

69,138

69,457

76,378

76, 612

82,048

267,695

1,978

9,874

61

39,838

24,079

49,067

30,272

58,274

54,252

179,908

39,863

41,762

51,060

47,223

429,332

52,499

45,106

262,840

856,951

145,736

82,708

97,411

103,884

121,510

113, 575

82, 339

109,788

897,010

66,709

96,248

156,573

571,065

6,415

2,278

1,637

315

326

3,472

250

106

470

1,197

1,449

7,573

4,059

258

548

1,208

669

615

216

11,207

79

703

8

977

102

3,645

783

602

4,308

2,056

532

482

549

493

9,553

605

3,417

1,032

4,499

6,936

1,402

849

503

363

156

334

2,577

752

19,680

1,483

733

2,120

15,335

1 Dry land and land temporarily or partially covered by water, such as marshland, 

swamps, and river flood plains; streams, sloughs, estuaries, and canals less than oneeighth of a statute mile in width; and lakes, reservoirs, and ponds less than 40 acres in 

area.

2 Permanent inland water surface, such as lakes, reservoirs, and ponds having 40 acres 

or more of area; streams, sloughs, estuaries, and canals more than one-eighth of a statute

mile in width; deeply indented embayments and sounds, and other coastal waters behind 

or sheltered by headlands or Islands separated by less than 1 nautical mile of water; and 

islands of less than 40 acres of area. Does not include water surface of the oceans, bays, 

the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes, Long Island Sound, Puget Sound, and the Straits of 

San Juan de Fuca and Georgia, lying within the jurisdiction of the United States.
GENERAL STATISTICS GEOGRAPHIC CENTERS 265

TABLE 4. Area of the United States

Region

Overseas territory:

Panama Canal Zone ______ ._. . ___ 

Area, in square miles

Total

3, 615, 211 

3,022,387

3,435 

133 

212 

76 

553

Land

3, 548, 974 

2, 977, 128

3,421 

132 

209 

76 

362

Inland water

66, 237 

45, 259

14 

1 

3 

0 

191

GEOGRAPHIC CENTERS OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES 

AND OF THE SEVERAL STATES 72

There being no generally accepted definition of "geographic center" 

and no completely satisfactory method for determining it, a State or 

country may have as many geographic centers as there are definitions 

of the term. The geographic center of an area may be defined as the 

center of gravity of the surface, or that point on which the surface 

of the area would balance if it were a plane of uniform thickness.

No marked or monumented point has been established by any 

Government agency as the geographic center of either the 50 States, 

the conterminous United States, or the North American Continent. 

However, a monument was erected in Lebanon, Kansas, by a group of 

citizens who hired engineers to determine the position of the geographic center of the United States.

Meades Ranch triangulation station, about 12 miles north of Lucas, 

Kansas, is sometimes confused with the geographic center of the 

United States. This triangulation station is the reference point for 

all property lines and city, county, State, and international boundaries 

on the North American Continent that are tied to the national triangulation networks of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central 

America. Its location is lat 39°12'26.686" N., long 98°32'30.506" W. 

This triangulation station is the base point or origin of geodetic 

positions and directions in the triangulation net of the United States 

because it is at the junction of the main east-west transcontinental 

triangulation arc stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast 

and the main north-south arc, which follows approximately the 98th 

meridian from the Canadian border to the Rio Grande. (See page 

10.)

Because many factors, such as the curvature of the earth, large 

bodies of water, and irregular surfaces, affect the determination of 

geographic centers, the locality of the centers (table 5) should be 

considered as approximations only.

The geographic center of the conterminous United States (48 States) 

is near Lebanon, Smith County, Kansas. Its latitude is 39°50' N. and 

its longitude is 98°35' W. (Deetz, 1918, p. 57.)

71 Other information on geographic centers is contained in Adams (1932, p. 586-587) 

and Cullcy (1949, p. 98-99).
266 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES 

TABLE 5. Geographic centers of the several States

State

TTo.'Wfli \

Illinois 

North Dakota ...............

South Carolina 

Texas. .... ... .... 

Utah ...... . .....

Vermont... 

West Virginia.. .............

County

Ohllton...... . .......

Park ........ .......

Kent...- - -..

Story..... ..............

Wexford. ________

Miller.-. ..... ......

Kent ...... .... ...

Kichland ... ... .... ..

McCulloch ..............

Sanpete... ------ ...

Washington. . .......

Braxton...... ... . Wood 

Fremont ................

Locality

63°5(y N., 152°00/ W., 60 miles northwest of

Mount McKinley.

30 miles northwest of Pikes Peak.

At East Berlin.

20°15' N., 156°20' W., off Maui Island.

15 miles northeast of Brady. 

3 miles north of Mantl.

3 miles east of Koxbury.

4 miles east of Button.

9 miles southeast of Marsfield.

68 miles east-northeast of Lander.

EXTREME AND MEAN ALTITUDES OF U.S. TERRITORY AND

THE CONTINENTS

The following altitudes (table 6), which give the height of the land

above sea level, unless otherwise stated, were determined by the Geological Survey. Inasmuch as the United States is not entirely mapped, 

the locations of the highest and lowest points, as well as the values 

given for some of the points, are doubtful and are subject to change as

the areas are mapped.
GENERAL STATISTICS EXTREME AND MEAN ALTITUDES 267

IB^^"
TABLE 6. Extreme and mean altitudes in the United States an

[Corrected to February 1964]

State or region

District of Columbia. 

FloridaIllinois-- 

Tnrliana

"Kansas

Maryland..... __ . ..

Montana....... ___

Highest point

Name

Magazine Mountain. _...... __ -..

Mount Frissel, on south slope. 

On Ebright Road __ .. _____

Sec. 30, T. 6 N., R. 20 W 

Brasstown Bald... 

Franklin Township Sec. 3, T. 

15 N., R. 1 W. 

T. 100N., R. 44W -- -

Mount Sunflower Sec. 12, T. 

12 S., R. 43 W.

Driskill Mountain __ ... - - 

Backbone Mountain near 

Kempton, W. Va.

Mount Curwood Sec. 30, T. 

50 N., R. 31 W.

Granite Peak..... _ __ ... 

County

Balboa District. ____

Litchfleld. .... ... ...

New Castle. ............

Walton... ... -. -

Hawaii... 

Wallace.. 

Cook. . .....

Park... ... .... ...

Altitude 

(feet)

2,407 

20,320 

* 12, 670 

2,823 

2 14, 495

3 1, 205 

14,431 

2,380 

442 

410

345 

4,784 

8 1,329 

13, 796 

12, 662

1,241 

1,257

1,675 

4,026

4,145

535 

5,268 

3,360

3,491 

1,980

2,301 

806 

1,772 

12.799

Nam

 -do .. 

 ..do ....

... -do- 

 do -

Kootenai Ri
GENERAL STATISTICS .EXTREME AND MEAN ALTITUDES 269

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270 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES

The following list (table 7) is given to permit a comparison between 

altitudes in the United States and those in other parts of the world. 

These figures are subject to change as better maps become available. 

However, the information on North America is accurate.

TABLE 7. Extremes of altitude in the continents

North America. . 

South America. .

Africa... ........

Antarctica ___

Highest point

Location

Mount McKinley, Alaska .

Mount Aconcagua, Argentina.

Caucasus Mountains.

Tanganyika Territory.

New South Wales. 

Vinson Massif Group,

Ellsworth Mountains.

Feet 

above 

sea-level

20, 320 

22,834

18, 481

29,028

19, 340

7,316

16,860

Lowest point

Location

Death Valley, Calif, (fig. 

35). 

Salinas Grandes, 

Peninsula Valdez, 

Chubut Province, Argentina.

and Iran.

dan (fig. 36).

tralia.

Feet 

below 

sea-level

282 

131

09

1,286

436

39

Approximate 

mean 

altitude 

(feet)

2,000 

1, 800

osn

3,000

i onn

1,000

6,000

The altitude of Mount Everest was reported to the National Geographic Society by Brigadier I. H. R. Wilson, Surveyor General of 

India, as 29,028 feet. This determination was made by the Survey of 

India from observations and calculations in 1952-54. An accurate 

altitude for the summit of a mountain as high and as inaccessible as 

Everest is difficult to obtain. Corrections must be made to the observed altitude for refraction of the atmosphere, the shape of the 

geoid, and the varying amount of snow on the peak. For discussions 

of the height of Mount Everest, see De Graaff-Hunter (1955) and

Gulatee (1954) . (See fig. 3T.)

The greatest ocean depth thus far discovered is in the Mariana

Trench in the Pacific, about 200 miles southwest of Guam (lat 11°21' 

N., long 142° 12' E.). It has been called the Challenger Deep. The 

depth, measured by soundings in 1957, is 6,033+ fathoms, or 36,201 

feet, and this value is generally accepted by scientific organizations.

In 1960 the bathyscaph "Trieste" descended to the ocean floor.in

the same locality. It registered a depth of 5,967 fathoms 35,802 

feet. (For a description of this descent, see Piccard, 1960; p. 221.)

The greatest confirmed depth recorded in the Atlantic is 4,583 fathoms

(2T,498 feet). The position of this depth is in the Puerto Rico Trench,

about 90 miles northeast of the eastern end of the Dominican Republic, a* lat 19°42' N., long 67°05' W,
GENERAL STATISTICS EXTREME AND MEAN ALTITUDES 271

FIGURE 35. Highest and lowest points in the conterminous United States. Both 

in California and only 86 miles apart. A, Mount Whitney, 14,495 feet above 

sea level. View from a point 3 miles northwest. B, Death Valley, lowest 

altitude determined to date, 282 feet below sea level.
272 BOUNDARIES, UNITED STATES, THE SEVERAL STATES
GENERAL STATISTICS FACTS OF GEOGRAPHIC INTEREST 273

FIGURE 37. Mount Everest, Himalaya Mountains, altitude 29,028 feet above sea 

level, highest point on earth. Photograph, courtesy of Embassy of India.

FACTS OP GEOGRAPHIC INTEREST CONCERNING U.S. TERRITORY

The table below (table 8) lists extreme points in the cardinal directions, considering first the 50 States, then the continental United 

States, and finally the conterminous 48 States.

The southernmost point in U.S. territory is Rose Island of the 

Samoan group almost exactly 1,000 miles south of the Equator.
274

Point Barrow, the extreme north point of Alaska, is nearly 5,000 miles 

north of the Equator. (See fig. 8.)

TABLE 8. Points of extreme latitude and longitude of the United States

The United States (50

(49 States).

C onterminous United 

States (48 States).

Extreme point

Cape Wrangell, Alaska (Attu Island) ....

Key West, Fla__ __ .________________ .

Cape Wrangell, Alaska (Attu Island) .... 

Lake of the Woods Projection, Minn. _ . 

Key West, Fla.. ....... ......... ........

Direction

North.....

South .....

East. .....

West...... 

North.. ...

South. ....

West...... 

North..... 

South .....

West......

Latitude 

(N.)

71°23'

18°56'

44°49'

52°55' 

71°23'

24°33'

44°49'

52°55' 

49°23' 

24°33'

44°49'

48°10'

Longitude 

(W.)

156°29'

155°41'

66°57'

172°27' (E.) 156°29'

81°48'

66°57'

172°27' (E.) 95°09' 

81°48'

66°57'

124°44'

Alaska with its islands extends from 130° W., past the 180° line to 

lY2i/2 °E., or 571/2° of longitude. The difference in time (3 hr, 50 min) 

between these two extremes is greater than that between New York 

and San Francisco.

The following distances in statute miles are computed to mean sea 

level: (a) West Quoddy Head, Maine, along the parallel to the Pacific 

Ocean, 2,807 miles; (&) the south point of Texas due north to the 49th 

parallel, 1,598 miles; (<?) West Quoddy Head, Maine, to Cape Wrangell, Alaska, 4,839 miles; (d) West Quoddy Head, Maine, to Kure Island, Hawaii, 5,788 miles; (e) Mangrove Point, Fla., to Cape Wrangell, Alaska, 5,496 miles; (/) Mangrove Point, Fla., to Kure Island, 

Hawaii, 5,848 miles. The length of the northern boundary, excluding 

Alaska, is 3,987 miles; the Canadian-Alaskan boundary, 1,538 miles; 

and the Mexican boundary from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific 

Ocean, approximately 1,933 miles.

The geographic positions of the following points are of interest:

Latitude (N.) Longitude (W.) 

Cape Mendocino, Calif. ___________________________ 4O°27' 124°24'

Cape Sable, Ma. (on mainland) ______________ 25°07' 81°05'

Kure Island, Hawaii ___________________ __ 28°25' 178e22'

Extreme south point of Texas _______________ 25°50' 97°24'

The two points farthest apart in the conterminous 48 States are West 

Quoddy Head, Maine, and Point Arena, Calif. The distance 'between

them is 2,897 miles. From a point 10 miles south of Brunswick, Ga.,

to a point 12 miles south of San Diego, the distance is 2,088 miles,

which is the shortest distance between two points, one on the Atlantic 

and one on the Pacific.

The highest point in North America is Mount McKinley, in Alaska, 

20,320 feet above sea level (frontispiece).
BIBLIOGRAPHY 275

The highest point within the conterminous 48 States is Mount 

Whitney 14,495 feet above sea level. The lowest point of dry land 

is in Death Valley 282 feet below sea level. These two points, both 

in California, are only 86 miles apart. (See fig. 35.)

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INDEX

[Italic page numbers indicate major references]

Page 

Acadla, charter of 1603.................... 81,91,112

inclusion in Province of Massachusetts

Bay in 1691... . . .83, 98

Alabama, admission and boundaries... 173

boundaries, eastern. 160,164

northern 163,175

southern... 167

western.. _ 174

Alabama Territory.._ __________ 173

Alaska, admission. . ..._ 269

boundaries... . .........__ 46,50,274

Canadian claims . . 47 

Point Barrow- 274 

Alaska Purchase_______________ 48 

Alexandria, Va., temporary inclusion in District of Columbia. _...... 140

American Samoa... __.....______ 56

Annapolis, Nova Scotia. _.________ 81 

Antarctica.. .._____ 64 

Arbitration, -Emperor of Germany, northwestern boundary of conterminous 

United States.. . 29 

King of the Netherlands, northeastern 

boundary of conterminous United 

States...................._..... i4

Area, average, for the 60 States_._____ 263

Arizona, admission and boundaries_____ 258

boundaries, eastern. _...____ 256

northern ......__ 251,256

southern .._______ 34,45 

western__ ____________ 248 

Arizona Territory.._____________ 80,257 

Arkansas, admission... ________ 78,193 

boundaries.. ________ 193 

official spelling and pronunciation of name. 191 

/skrkansaw Territory..____________ 78,191 

Ashburton, Lord, British-United States boundary.. . ...... ____ 25

Astronomy, boundary location.._______ 10 

Augusta County, Va.. _..._ 179 

Avulsion, boundaries unchanged......... 7,191,257

land separation, Arkansas.. .... 194

Dakota Territory 221 

Illinois... 188

Mexico 202 

Texas... ....__________ 202

Vermont... 95 

Azimuth, definition.... ..__._____ 105

B 

Baker Island... ....._____ 63

Baltimore, Lord- ________ 125,130,132 

Bancos in Rio Orande, elimination_____ 203

Page

Barbfi-Marbois, testimony on limits of Louisiana . 37 

Bay of Fundy, islands in 17 

Bedloes Island, N.Y....... .... 117

Belcher, Governor, New Hampshire-Massachusetts boundary._ 88 

Berkely, Lord John, New Jersey ... 113,121 

Bermuda Islands, part of Virginia-Colony. 145 

Bibliography 14,260, 975

Boston Corners and Boston Ten Towns, N.Y. 105 

Botetourt County, Va 179 

Boundary problems. * 

Breda treaty.... 112

Bureau of Land Management, formerly General Land Office.. 183 

records... ....... 260

Burnt Swamp Corner, Rhode Island-Massachusetts boundary 98 

Byrd, Admiral, Antarctica.. 64 

Byrd, Col. William,-North Carolina boundary

survey__ . . 153,157

California, admission and boundaries 79,237

boundaries, eastern. «S«,241,247

northern.__ 238

southern..... - 34,44,241

geographic facts.... 274

islands claimed. 240

Canadian boundary. See Northern boundary

of conterminous United States. 

Canalization, Rio Grande... 203 

Canton Island....__ 63 

Carpenter, H.B., Colorado boundary survey 230 

Carteret, Sir George, New Jersey. 113,121 

Centers, geographic, United States and the

several States 966 

Challenger Deep, Pacific Ocean. 270 

Channels, boundaries in. See Water. 

Charles I of England, Maine granted to Sir

Ferdinando Gorges... 82 

Charles II of England, Rhode Island and

Connecticut charters.. 106,108 

Cherokee Outlet, Oklahoma Territory.. 227 

Choctaw line, Arkansas boundary 193 

Christmas Island 63 

Clark, J. H., Texas boundary surveys. 201 

Clark, William, map showing boundary of

Louisiana Purchase . 40 

Coastlines, lengths, contermlnlous United

States.. 274 

Collins, surveys of northern boundary of conterminous United States 93,115

285
286 INDEX

Page

Colorado, admission.. _ .. 79,228

boundaries, eastern________.___ 224

northern 222,234

southern.. __ 229

western . 231

Colorado River, California-Arizona boundary. 241

Colorado Territory.. _ 79,228

Columbia River, boundary denned by series of

tangents.. ______ 243

British boundary claim__________ 22

Congress, place and time of early sessions..... t61

Connecticut, boundaries, eastern... 107

boundaries, marking specifications 13

northern. __.. ... 102

western..__________-___ 108

cession of western lands . ____._ 71,75,112

colonial grants__.._______. ___ 108

territorial exchange with New York. __ 110

Continental Congress, place and time of

sessions._. _ ___ 861

resolution on western territory _. 1

Continental Divide, Montana boundary..... 235

supposed New Mexico boundary.. 263 

Continental Shelf-_ ..__ 68 

Cordova tract, United States-Mexico boundary. .. 204 

Corn Islands, Great and Little....... 65

Corner, four States... __ 231 

Countries, establishing boundaries. 4 

Court decisions, references._____ 14 

Crown Monument, New Hampshire-MaineCanada boundary . 86,91 

Crozat, Antolne de, Louisiana grant 34 

Cuba, U.S. naval base. . 65 

Culpeper, Lord, Virginia tract_ . 146 

Cutt, John, New Hampshire decree. 87

D

Dakota Territory, division into North and

South Dakota.. 217

formation. . .... 216

land transfers__ .. 216,219 

Darling line, Colorado boundary. 229 

Daughters of the American Revolution,

District of Columbia boundary... 142

Deakins line, Maryland-Virginia boundary 137

Definition of boundaries, methods. 6

Delaware, boundaries.. . 122.125, ISO

Duke of York and William Penn. 113,130

Maryland boundary, monument. 132

Pennsylvania boundary, triangular post.. 132

settlers "3.130

State government formed...... . 131

Delaware River, Delaware-New Jersey boundary.......... ..................... 122

Des Moines River, Iowa-Missouri boundary. 213 

Deseret, proposed territory . 250 

Dexter and Hopkins line, Rhode Island

boundary. 107 

Disputes, boundaries between States, settlement.. .. 5

District of Columbia, Alexandria retroceded

to Virginia....................... 140

boundaries.. ISO 

counties__________________ 140 

Maryland and' Virginia cessions. 138

Page

Disturnell, map of Mexico.__________ 44 

Donaldson, quoted on Pennsylvania boundaries......_._ ______... 124

Dutch trading companies, Delaware River.. 123 

Hudson River.______________ 112

Ellicott, Andrew, surveys... 18.120,128,162,163,167 

Ellis Island, N.Y ................. 117

Ellsworth, Lincoln, Antarctica._______ 64 

El Paso, 1963 convention between the United

States and Mexico. . 204 

Enderbury Island...__ ___.___ 63 

Erie triangle, Massachusetts and New York

claims __ 76 

sold to Pennsylvania- -.... _ 130 

survey of east line... ___ 120,130

Faden map, Louisiana Purchase and other

boundaries..___________ 39 

Fair Haven, Vt., part ceded to New York__ 95 

Fairfax, Lord, Virginia tract.._....__._ 146

Fan-fax Stone, Maryland boundary... 137,147 

Fincastle County, Va., part becomes Kentucky. ......................... 148,179

Fire Lands of Connecticut__________ 73 

Fishing, Continental Shelf._ .. 68 

Flag, United States, congressional act.... 261

Florida, admission._ 167 

boundaries....................... 32,70,163,167

division into East and West Florida... 35 

geographic facts.. 274 

treaties................................... 166

Florida Purchase 41 

Florida Territory.___ . . 167 

France, Louisiana Purchase.. ... 34 

Franklin, temporary State._ . 175 

Freeman, Thomas, Alabama boundary surveys.____ .. 175 

Fulton, Ohio boundary survey.. 182

Q

Gadsden Purchase, United States-Mexico

boundary. 41

Ganong, quoted on United States-Canada

boundary.... 28

Gast, Pterre du, Acadia charter... .. 81

Qatun Lake area, Canal Zone................ 59

General Land Office, former name of Bureau

of Land Management... 183

records______________ 260 

Gente Hermosa Island_.._____ ... 63 

Geodetic computations, boundary location... 10 

Georgia, addition of 1763 - 168,159

addition of 1802........................... 160

boundaries, description.... 159,160

eastern...______._____ 158,163 

northern.... .. 164,160,162

southern........... J6S

western.....__ 160,165

cession of western lands . .... 71,74,77,160

colonial charters__.______....... 159

geographic facts.... 274

Georgia, Strait of____ ... 29,30
INDEX 287

Page 

Germany, Emperor of, northwestern boundary

of conterminous United States_ 29 

Ghent treaty ______.__________ 17 

Gore, northeast corner of Vermont_____ 91 

Gorges, Ferdinando, Province of Maine sold

by................................ 83

Gorges, Sir Ferdinando, Maine charter granted

to................................ 82

Government of the United States, District of

Columbia... ___ 188 

organization and name...________ g60 

Government surveys, statute protecting

marks 13 

Grand Manan Island . _______ 17 

Great Britain, treaties:

1782............. ...................... 14

1783,1794................................. 16

1814................... ................ 17

1818...................................... SO

1842.. ................................. t5

1846. ............ ......... ... 18

1908,1910. ... . .. 19

1926. . ... 32

Great Corn Island..... ..___ 66

Great Lakes, northern boundary of conterminous United States.___. J4, J0.33 

Greenville treaty, boundary of Indiana

Territory__ _______ 186 

Greenwich meridian... . '.._.... 6

Greer County, added to Oklahoma 227 

dispute..._ __.... 198

Guadalupe-Hidalgo treaty, United States and

Mexico.... .. A 237

Guam. ..... 55

Guano Islands.. , . ... 81 

Guantanumo Bay, Cuba, U.S. naval base . 66

H

Hafen, L. F., quoted on New Mexico boundary_.....__...__._____ 264

Hall's Stream, northern boundary of conterminous United States._____ 26,91 

Hardwlck, Lord Chancellor, quoted on

Delaware boundary. ______ 132 

Haro, Strait of..____ ________ 29,31 

Harris, William, Ohio boundary survey....... 181

Hawaii.. . . 61, 269,274

Hawaii Territory... . ...___ . 62 

Hazzen, Richard, New Hampshire-Massachusetts boundary survey.___ . 88 

Henderson's line, North Carolina-Virginia

boundary._...________ 149 

Henlopen, Cape __ ...___ 132 

Henry IV of France, Acadla charter___ 81,112 

High-water line, definition ..___ 9 

Honduras, Swan Islands claimed by...... 63

Hopton, Lord, Virginia grant________ 146 

Howland Island_______________ 63 

Hudson Bay territory, southern boundary.... SO

Hunnewell Point, first Maine colony.__ 81

Ibervllle River, Bayou Manchac.. ____ 36 

boundary between British and Spanish

possessions____________ 36,38 

Louisiana boundary.. ......_ 36,171

Page 

Idaho, admission . 246

boundaries, eastern_______.. 234,236,236

northern______... ___ 33

southern______ _.. __ 248,281

western.__..___... ..._ 243

Idaho Territory, formation.. . 80,216,246

reduction of 1864.. - . 80,234,246

reduction of 1868. - .... ...... 80,233,246

Illinois, admission and boundaries. ..... 76, 188

Illinois Territory 76,186

Indian Stream Territory.... 91

Indian Territory.______.___..___ 76, US 

Indiana, admission__._ 76,186

boundaries-..... ..... 180,185 

Indiana Territory. _ 76,184 

Inspection and repair of boundary marks 13 

Iowa, admission 78,213

boundaries.... _ 191, tit

Iowa Territory..... ............. 76,78,208,212

Islands, Jurisdiction..__ . 6 

Itasca, Lake 212

James I of England, New England charters 81 

Virginia charters........................ 81,143

Jarvls Island... .. 63 

Jefferson, State of, proposed. 228 

Jones Point, District of Columbia, south

cornerstone.. 142 

Juan de Fuca, Strait of 29,31 

Junction, Snake and Clearwater Rivers.. 246

Kahoolawe, Hawaiian Islands 63 

Kansas, admission.... 223

boundaries.___________-__ 191, its 

Kansas Territory______ - _ 79,223 

Kauai, Hawaiian Islands.. 62 

Kentucky, admission..... 74,179

boundaries......... - 148,176,179

part separated by Mississippi River...... 179

Kentucky County, Va.._ 148,179 

Key of all keys, District of Columbia ___ 143 

Keya Paha River, area added to Nebraska... 221 

Kidder, Arthur D.. Colorado boundary

survey.. 230

Lake of the Woods, northern boundary of

conterminous United States.. 16,21,30,32 

Lake Superior, northern boundary of conterminous United States. 16,30 

Lanai, Hawaiian Islands. 63 

Lands owned by the Thirteen Original States. 70 

La Salle, discoveries. 84 

Latitudes, relation between degrees and

parallels - - 124

Little America, base_..... 64

Little Com Island... .... 66

London meridian. 42

London treaty 18

Long Island, N.Y., granted to Duke of York 113

Louisiana, addition of 1812.. 42

admission. ________________ 77,171

boundaries.__ 171
288 INDEX

Page

Louisiana, District of...____________ 77,170 

' Louisiana Purchase.--_________..-_._. 34 

Louisiana Territory, change of name. _... 171,188 

Lyon, Lucius, Illinois boundary survey...... 187

M 

Maine, admission......___________ 83

boundaries...................... 14,17, *«, 33,89

.colonial grants. 81 

geographic facts. 274 

Province of Massachusetts Bay.____ 83 

Major, D. Q., California-Oregon boundary

survey......_....______ 238

Major, John G., New Mexico boundary

survey.._.___________ 266 

Manchac Bayou, Iberville River.______ 36 

Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean._______ 270 

Mark 926, Lake of the Woods.____.__ 21 

Marking of boundaries.. ___________ 10 

Martha's Vineyard, granted to Duke of York. 113 

transferred to Massachusetts Bay. ___ 114 

Martin's Vineyard. See Martha's Vineyard. 

Maryland, boundaries....... ___ 1S6, 131, ISt

Lord Baltimore.._________ 126,130,132

Virginia's claims... _ 132,146,146

Mason, Capt. John. New England grants.... 82,86

Mason and Dlxon line, Charles Mason and

Jeremiah Dixon..________ lie 

Massachusetts, Boston Corners ceded to New

York.___._______.__ 105 

boundaries.... .......___ 89,93, 96

Connecticut ......____ 102

Inspection and repair of marks....... 13,106

New York_____________ 104.114

Rhode Island__ __.______ 97

cession of western lands... 71,72,76,105

colonial charters __...._____ 95

investigation of Maine boundary dispute. 25 

Massachusetts Bay, colonial charters. 95 

Maul, Hawaiian Islands. 52 

Maurepas, Lake, boundary between British

and Spanish possessions . . 35 

Mellsh map, northern boundary of conterminous United States. 40 

Messinger, John, Illinois boundary survey.... 187

Mexico, first cession to United States........ 4S, 237

Gadsden Purchase___.......____ 45

Michigan, admission ..__._ 76.207 

boundaries..._____._.__ 33,180,205

Michigan Territory.....__.__._.. 76,78,205 

Michler, Lt. N., Maryland-Virginia boundary

survey.... 134

quoted on Fairfax Stone 147 

Military base leases.......................... 65

Milokai, Hawaiian Islands...... ........ 52

Minnesota, admission.__________.. 78,215

boundaries..____________ 33,010,215 

Minnesota Territory.... 78,214 

Mississippi, admission and boundaries IBS, 174 

Mississippi Territory.. 42,77,168.173 

Missouri, admission___ 78,188

boundaries...___.__-__-__ 188, 195,213 

 Missouri Territory....................... 78,188,190

Mitchell, George, New Hampshire-Massachusetts boundary survey 88 

Monroe County, W. Va____________ 161

Page

Montana, admission ... 236 

boundaries. 30,33, tS6 

Montana Territory 80,284 

Mount Everest, NepaL. . 270 

Mount St. Ellas, Alaska boundary . 47 

Mount Whitney, Calif..___............ 275

N

Nantuckett, granted to Duke of York 113

transferred to Massachusetts Bay. 114

Naval base leases 65

Navassa Island....... 62

Navigable water, boundaries in. 7

definition______ .. 8

Nebraska, admission__ . 219

boundaries.... 231,224

Nebraska Territory................. 79,214,219

Netherlands, King of, northeastern boundary

of conterminous United States.... 14

Nevada, admission___ . 79,248 

boundaries.-.- . 79,358,247

Nevada Territory. 79,247 

New Amsterdam_______________ 112 

New Caeserea, former name of New Jersey_ 121 

New Castle, Del., relation to Pennsylvania

boundary 124, Its 

New Connecticut, former name of Vermont.. 92 

New Hampshire, boundaries, description..... 86

boundaries, eastern ... 83 

northern . 26,33,91 

southern_______________ 87 

western._ . . 4,90 

colonial grants and jurisdiction... 86 

New Hampshire grants, former name of Vermont 92 

New Haven and Connecticut, colonies united. 108 

New Jersey, boundaries.-.- 115,191 

colonial grants 121 

ownership 113 

New Mexico, admission 266 

boundaries, act describing.: tSi 

Arizona.... - 256

Colorado__ 229 

Mexico............................... 34,46

Oklahoma 227

Texas... 201

New Mexico Territory.. __ 79, tSt

New Sweden, Pennsylvania settlement __ 123

New York, Boston Corners and- Boston Ten

Towns . 105

boundaries, Connecticut______. 13,108,114

length ...................... 33,115

Massachusetts-. .__.......... 104,114

New Jersey... 115

Pennsylvania-.. 119

Vermont..._____._...__ 93,94,115

cession of western lands.-- 71,76,114

colonial grants.. . 112

New York Bay, jurisdiction____ 118

Nlihau. Hawaiian Islands- 53

No Man's Land, Public Land Strip known as. 227

North .American Datum, 1927.......... 10

North Carolina, boundaries... 159 

cession of western lands.... 71,73,77,153

colonial grants.. 151
INDEX 289

North Carolina Continued Page

separated from South Carolina. ____ 152,158

Virginia's claims... .._______ 145

North Dakota, admission and boundaries. 33,216,217

See also Dakota Territory. 

Northeastern boundary of conterminous 

United States, British and United 

States claims- . _ .. 22,27 

marking. .. 29 

negotiations._________._____ 17,24 

treaties_ .... ..... ____ 14, £6

Northern boundary of conterminous United

States..................... 20, 28,29,274

See also Oreat Lakes, Lake of the Woods, 

Northeastern boundary, Rocky 

Mountains, and St. Lawrence 

River. 

Nova Scotia. See Acadia.

O

Oahu, Hawaiian Islands. 52

Ohio, admission __ . .. 76,179

boundaries....__ . 128,180

Oklahoma, admission_ . 80,228

boundaries, act describing. 225

Arkansas..________ . 193,194

Colorado..... . 229

Kansas 224 

Missouri.________ .. 190 

New Mexico...... 227

Texas....______. ........ 198

Oklahoma Territory_______ .... 80, M5

One-hundredth meridian, Texas surveys..... 199

Ontario, Province of, boundaries. 39 

Oregon, admission___....__ .. 79,242

boundaries....... .. .. . . 242,245,248

Oregon region, boundaries 28,31 

British and United States claims..... 22,28,241

relation to Louisiana Province S6

ten-year agreement. 20

Oregon Territory....... . 242,244

Original limits, United States. _..... .... 1,14

Orleans Territory..__ 77,79,170 

Orr and Whitner line, Georgia-Florida boundary..-___ . ... 164

Pacific Islands, Trust Territory of the 66 

Palmyra Island..... . 63

Panama, conventions concerning Canal Zone. 68 

Paltilla Point............ .............. 59

Paris treaty, boundary provisions.-- - 39

Passamaquoddy Bay, ownership of islands... 17,29

Pemaquid, annexed to New England 83,96,113

granted to Earl of Stirling- 81

sold to Duke of York. . 82

Penn, William, Delaware.._ 130

Pennsylvania._ 124

west New Jersey..... 121

Pennsylvania, boundaries, description 124 

boundaries, northern and eastern. 119,

122,124,129

southern, Delaware_ Its 

Maryland.. Its 

Virginia.......... ... 128,145,146

western___.. 128

Pennsylvania Continued Page 

Erie triangle.... _____ 130

granted to William Penn. _____ 124 

Swedish settlement... _____ 123 

Perkins, W. C., Colorado boundary survey... 230 

Philippine Islands- _____ 2 

Pigeon River. See Lake Superior. 

Pontchartrain, Lake, boundary between British and Spanish possessions....... 30

Plymouth Company, New Engand grant-_ 81 

Pocomoke River and Sound, Maryland-Virginia boundary. ______ 136 

Point Arena, Calif.. _____ 274 

Port of New York District, boundaries. ___ 121 

Portland Canal_.. __._______ 49 

Potomac River, District of Columbia boundary............................... up

Virginia boundary ____ 135 

Poultney River, land separation by avulsion.. 96 

Protection of bondary marks'. ____ 13 

Providence Plantations _.._ 106 

Public domain, origin.... ____ 1,70

payments to States from sale....... .. so

Public land, division into ranges and townships.-. .... . 129

Public Land Strip, boundaries.... _._ 227

Publications showing boundary changes... 160 

Puerto Rico.___ .... ____ 64

Q

Quebec, Province of, boundaries _ .. 38

Quintlpartlte deed, division of New Jersey... 121

Quiros Island__.. _.__ 63

Qulta Sueflo Bank_.. _.__ 62

Reclaimed land, ownership... 8 

Red River basin, ownership.. .. S7 

Reeves, Rollin J., Idaho boundary survey 246 

Rhode Island, boundaries, northern and

eastern... ... » ____ 97 

boundaries, western.__ ____ 107 

colonial grants.. _ 106 

Rio Grande, elimination of bancos 203 

limit of Louisiana Province __ . 34 

Rio Grande basin, Inclusion in New Mexico.. 254 

Rivers, boundaries In. See Water. 

Bobbins, C., New Mexico boundary survey 256 

Rocky Mountains, northern boundary of conterminous United States 20,28,30 

Roncador Cay.... 62 

Rose Island... 56,273 

Russia, Alaska purchased from. '46

8

Sablno peninsula, first Maine colony.. 81 

Saffrey, Solomon, Massachusetts Bay-Rhode

Island boundary survey. 97 

St. Croix Island... - .............. 61

St. Crolx River... . . . 17,24 

St. John Island 61

St. Lawrence River, northern boundary of

conterminous United States.. 14,17
290 INDEX

Page 1 

St. Lawrence Seaway, northern boundary of

conterminous Unied States___ 30 

St. Thomas Island.-. . _-_______ 61 

Sale of public domain, payments to States.... 80

Samoa Islands. .....____________ 66

San Ildefonso, treaty on Louisiana______ 36 

Santa Catallna and other California Islands... 240 

Serrana Bank. . ____________ 62 

Shoreline, definition ..._-______ 9 

South Carolina, boundaries, northern____ 16S 

cession of western lands........... 71,73,77,158

colonial grants _____________ 151,158 

separated from North Carolina......._ 152,158

Virginia's claims........__.__.__ 145,146

South Dakota, admission and boundaries..... 217

See also Dakota .Territory. 

South Sea, colonial grants extending to. _... 96,

108,145,162,159

former name of Pacific Ocean. ..._.. 145 

Southern boundary of the United States__ 16,

32,34, 43, 274 

Southwlck jog, Massachusetts-Connecticut

boundary. . _____ 102 

Spain, treaties:

1796...................................... St

1819......... . _._ 41

1898...................................... 64

Spokane, Wash, astronomic datum........... 236

States, boundary changes .. ...___ 4 

geographic centers ......_ S66

ownership of western lands. ..._ 70 

Statute of limitations, possession of land...... 5

Statutes, form of references...._______ 5

Stirling, Earl of, land grant_._______ 81

Streams, boundaries in. -See Water.

Submerged Lands Act.... ...... 68

Sullivan line, Oowa-Mlssourl boundary...... 214

Supreme Court reports, form of references.... 4

Swains Island. ...___ 63 

Swan Islands. 62 

Swedish West India Co., Delaware River

settlement 123

Tennessee, admission 77,176

boundaries, eastern. 166

northern.._______._.... no, tie

southern.... 162,170,176

western.._ . . .._.___ 176

State of Franklin formed In...... ..._ 176

Territorial waters, jurisdiction___-___ 67 

Territories, boundary changes................

Territory northwest of Ohio River, boundaries and divisions-.. 74,179,183 

government.. 76 

. Territory of the United States, additions..... 84

Territory south of Ohio River, boundaries 77

government.. 176

Texas, admission.......... .......... 78,197

boundaries, eastern 197

northern . 201

Qreer County dispute.. 198

seaward........ 69

.southwestern 34,44, toe, 257

western 201

geographic facts... 274

land division and sale.. 74,198

Page

Texas, Republic of..... ... 43,78, 195 

Thirteen Original Colonies... l 

Thoma, Joseph C., Colorado boundary

survey 230 

Thompson, David, British-United States

boundary survey... ...._ 21 

Thompson, John, Tennessee-Mississippi

boundary survey... ... .. 170 

Tiarks, J. L., British-United States boundary

survey . ...__ 21 

Treaties. See Great Britain and Spain. 

Tree marking, Virginia county lines. 160 

Tri-State Rock, position. -.................... 121

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands 66 

Tutuila Islands. 66

U

Ushur, John, Province of Maine 83

Utah, admission 261

boundaries, description 250

eastern... . 231

northern and southern .. . 251

western__.... . . . . 249

Utah Territory.............................. 79,247

Utrecht treaty, Louisiana boundary 40

Valentine, Vermont boundary survey... 93,116

Verendrye brothers, exploration... 38

Vermont, admission.. 93

boundaries..... .... 4,26,33,95

colonial grants 91

Virgin Islands of the United States. . 60

Virginia, boundaries, description.. 143

boundaries, Kentucky. 148

Maryland. .. ISt

North Carolina. 163,185

Tennessee . 149,177 

West Virginia-. 160,151

cession of western lands........ 71,74.149

charters... 81,143

land ceded for District of Columbia 138 

reductions in area.. 145, J# 

West Virginia separated 150

Von Schmldt, A. W., California-Nebraska

boundary survey. . 238

W

Wake Island... ...................... 66

Walker's line, Virginia-North Carolina boundary . - "9

Washington, admission and boundaries. 244

bounaries, eastern... 248

northern.... 30,34

southern.. 242

Washington meridian..................... 8,42,223

Washington Territory....... .. 79,248

Water, boundaries In... 6, 141,166,198 

boundaries In, international... 27,28,43

territorial............................. 87

Watklns Point, Maryland-Virginia boundary. ISS

Watson line, Georgia boundary..... . 185 

Webster-Ashburton treaty, United StatesBritish boundary. . 16
INDEX 291

Page 

Wentworth, Gov. Bennlng, New Hampshire

boundary._ ..... 89

West Quoddy Head, Maine.. ..__ 274 

West Virginia, admission.... ___... 160

boundaries................. 128,136,147,148,151

Western Reserve of Connecticut In Ohio. 71,73 

Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania and

Connecticut claims.. ___.. 125

Wilkes, Lt. Charles, Antarctica- ______ 64

Wisconsin, admission.._________ 76,208,211

boundaries, description__________ 808

northeastern___.. _____ 209

southern______ ____.. 187

western..... ..___.. £10

Wisconsin Territory___________ 76,78,208 

Woodward, Nathaniel, Massachusetts BayRhode Island boundary survey... 97 

Wrentbam, Mass., Rhode Island boundary.. 97

Page

Wyoming, admission____ 233

boundaries, eastern__.. 217,221,223

northern___ 233

western.......__.. . ..... 234,247

southern____ 234 

Yellowstone National Park.......... 233

Wyoming Territory......... .... . .. 80,233

Wyoming Valley, P»., claimed by Connecticut............................... 124

Yassous River. . 166 

Yellowstone National Park, Jurisdiction 233 

York, Duke of....................... 82,112,124,126

Zero milestone, public highways............ 143

Zones, degrees of latitude__ _.. 124

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1966 O 776-664