Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1860-01-19
THE NEW YORK AND CONNECTICUT
BOUNDARY

The discussions which have lately been had
relative to the boundary between Connecticut and
New York, give some interest to the transac
tons between the parties in former years which
led to the final settlement of the question 1t is
nearly two centuries since the matter was first
agitated, and more than a century and quarter
since it was supposed that the limits between the
colonies were accurately and fully defined and
many Of the circumstances which then had a
bearing on the question are now quite forgotten
The following statement drawn from authentic
sources may be of interest to some of the read
crs of the ENQUIRER.
The original patent of Connecticut vas very
obscure in defining the western boundaries of the
colony contiguous to the Dutch possessions in
New York. The Dutch claimed to own as fal
east as Connecticut River, and afterwards when
it had been coded to the English, King Charles
Second granted the Province to his brother
James, then Duke York, and fixed the boundary
eastward to the full extent of the Dutch claim.
But the claim of Connecticut under its earlier
patent was finally recognized, and the location of
the lines of partition was matter of negotiation
for many subsequent years. 1t finally became
necessary for the government in England to in
terpose its authority, and in 1864 King Charles
Second appointed Richard Nichols, George
Cartwright and Samuel Maverick, Commission
ers to define the limits of the two colonies
The Commissioners decided that the western
boundary of Connecticut should be line parallel
with the general course of the North River, at
the distance of twenty miles from it, and estima-
ting, without actual mensuration, that the Mann
aronack creek would be the proper place for the
line of division to begin at ON the Sound, they
decided that the creek or river called Mamaro-
mack, which is reputed to be about twelve miles
to the east of West Chester, and line drawn
from the east point or side, where fresh water
falls into salt at high water mark, north north
"west to the line of Massachusetts, be the west
ern bounds of the colony of Connecticut" -
This demarcation of boundaries seems to have
been acquiesced in for nearly twenty years. In
the mean time the Connecticut people extended
their settlements along the coast, and the town.
ship of Rye, now in Westminster County, was
deemed to be in their jurisdiction and was for
many years represented in the Connecticut As
sembly In 1858 it was ascertained that the
Commissioners had committed gross error, in
asmuch as the line which they had established,
and which they intended to fix at the distance of
twenty miles from Hudson's River, would run
much nearer to it, and for that reason the Duke
of York refused to be bound by the decision of
the Commissioners, and the negotiations for the
settlement Of the question were re-opened. They
were conducted on the part of Connecticut by
Governor Treat and on the part of New York
by Governor Dongou. 1t was deemed very desi
rable that the Connecticut settlements which had
been made within limits Of twenty miles from
the River should be left within that jurisdiction.
and the line was afterwards so run as to accom-
plish that purpose, except that Rye fell within
the limits Of New York. But at the same time
it was agreed, that as much territory was surren-
dered to Connecticut in carrying out this arrange
ment, should be set off to New York from the
western border of Connecticut, north OF the north
bound established by the surveyors IN loo4' Inns
was afterwards ascertained to amount 10 siAty-
one thousand four hundred and forty acres. No
thine was done about running the boundary line
portherly into the wilderness towards Massachu-
setts till 1925, and it was not completed till
17a1 The Commissioners on the part OF Con-
necticut who finally adjusted the matter during
the latter year, were Samuel Eells of New Ha-
ven, Roger Wolcott of Windsor and Edmund
Lewis of Stratford. A straight line was first run
1t the distance of twenty miles from the River
at the point to which the former