St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-02-07
The Most Northern Point of the United
States.

StOksSs
If the question were asked, Which is
the most northern part of the United
States, except Alaska? perhaps many
would say, The line of 10 deg. from the
Lake of the Woods to the Strait of De
Fuca. But that answer would be incOr-
rect. There is a point where the United
States reaches 10 deg. % sec. 81 min.
north latitude. 1t is in longitude 50
deg. Il min. So sec. west from Green
wich.
In other words, at Lake of the Woods,
in Minnesota, our territory includes
small area reaching beyond 40 deg.
more than Is miles. This little ex-
crescence, jutting out into British Amer
lea, is recently put down upon some of
our maps, but | have not seen it on
many of them. 1t is indicated, though
roughly, upon Cases large map of the
United States and upon the large map
published by the Government and issued
by the Land Office. | observe it also in
Waren's School Biographies.
The map which shows it most accu-
rately is perhaps the Map of Minnesota,
published by the St. Paul Book and
Stationary Company, at St. Paul. On
most of the maps the Lake of the Woods
Is by no means correct, or even APP
proXimately so.
After learning the fact that our coun-
try does hold this little jutting piece of
both land and water, the question arises,
How did it happen that the boundary
should take this circuitous direction?
The answer is as follows: In the detini
tive treaty of Paris, signed september
3, 1889 by John Adams, David Hart
ley, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay,
Article Ii. defines the boundaries of
this country. In this article we find that
from Lake Superior westward the
boundary is given as follows:
"Thence through the middle of Long
Lake and the water communication be-
tween it and the Lake of the Woods;
thence through the said lake to The most
northeastern point thereof, and from
thence in due west course to the river
Mississippi.'
Evidently it was then supposed that
the source of the Mississippi was to
the north and west of this point. When,
however, it was subsequently ascer-
tanned that the headwaters of this river
were to the southwark, the line was
made to run from this 'most north
western point of said lake, due south to
latitude 40 deg.
We next find allusion to the matter in
the treaty of ''Amity, Commerce, and
Navigation signed at London, Nov.
10, 179G by Grenville and John jay.
The 4th Article proposes that, " Where
as it is uncertain whether the river Mis-
sippi extends so far to the northward as
to be intersected by line to be drawn
due west from the Lake of the Woods,
measures shall be taken "to make a
joint survey" and "the two parties will
thereupon proceed to amicable negotia-
tons to regulate the boundary line in
that quarter
By the eth Article of the treaty of
Client it was agreed to refer to commits
sioners the boundary line from Lake
Superior to the Lake of the Woods.' In
1927 the commissioners made their final
report, with maps of actual survey from
Lake Huron to the Lake of the Woods.
In this report they say:
"The extreme northwestern point of
the Lake of the Woods is declared to
be at lat. n. 40 deg. % min. 81 sec. and
lon. w. 50 deg. IA min. So Sec; SO that
in conformity with the treaty this point,
having been ascertained to be north of
parallel 40 deg, line is drawn
due south from it to parallel
40 deg, on which parallel it is
to be continued to the Rocky Mountains.
No means have yet been taken to delin-
cate the boundary westward from the
Lake OF the Woods"
The commissioners were Peter B.
Porter and Anthony Barclay. No change
was made from these agreements by
the " Webster Ashburton Treaty." of
1912.
1t is to be hoped that all future school
biographies and large maps will show
this boundry.-Prot. Nm. A. Moaory, in