The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-11-12
HOW WISCONSIN, WAS DEPRIVED
OF VALUABLE TERRITORY.
1Erom Tbe Milxankee sentinel Oct. p.

fFrom The Milwaukee Sentinel. Oct, 3d.
Chicago would have been a Wiscon
sia city, if this state had been allowed to
reiain the territory which once rightfully
belonged to her." said Gen. Hobart yes
terday, in conversation with reporter.
''The story is long one, and covers
nearly 100 years OF the history of the ter
ritory out of which Wisconsin was form
ed. Not only was Wisconsin deprived
of all the territory which was added to
Illinois, but the Upper Michigan PENN
sula belonged to Wisconsin by rights,
and was added to Michigan before Wis
consin was strong enough to assert her
rights Wisconsin was the last state COM
posing the Northwest territory to be ad-
mitted into the union, and had to con-
tent herself with taking what was left.
The words of Gen. Hobart suggested
an examination into the early settlement
and organization of the states included
in the Northwest territory. The first
link in the claim of title is to be found
in the sordinrnce of 1887" an instrument
adopted by Virginia in the year mention
ed, by which the territory northwest and
west of the Ohio river, and east of the
Mississippi river, known as Northwest
territory, was coded to the United States.
The ordinance stipulated that in the set
Element of the territory ii might be divid-
ed into not less than three nor more than
five states. The western state was to be
| bounded "by the Ohio and Wabash riv-
ers direct line drawn from the Wabash
and Post Vincents, due north to the ter
ritorial line between the United States
| and Canada; and by the said territorial
| line to the Lake of the Woods and Mis-
| sissippi river The middle state should
be bounded by ''the said direct line. the
Wabash from Post Vincents to the Ohio;
by the Ohio, by direct line drawn due
north from the mouth of the Great Miami
| to the said territorial line, and by the
said territorial line." The boundaries
| for the eastern state were to be ''the last
mentioned direct line, the Ohio, Pen
nsylvania and the said territorial line. .
Following the designated boundaries
of the three states was provision ano
declaration that the boundaries of these
three states should be subject so far tt
be altered, that if it should have author
ity to form one or more states ID tina
part of the territory lying north of an cas-
and west line drawn through the souterly
bend or extreme of Lake Michigan.
The first division of the Northwest ter
ritory was in 1900, when part was Be
off and known as Indiana territory. Ii
1909 Indiana was again divided, and Iii
Eois territory was formed, the northern
boundary being the east and west lin
drawn through the southern extremit,
of Lake Michigan. Indiana was admit
ted as state in 1916, and its northern
boundary was extended 10 miles north o
that line, thus encreaching to that exten
on the territory of the future state O
Michigan. On April IS, 1918, Illinoi
was authosized to form a constitution
and its boundary was continued north
ward to longitude 40 deg. 80 min., thu
curtailing the future state of Wisconsi
, to that extent, and taking in the presen
countries of McHenry and Cook, POI
ton of Will county, and all the territor
lying westward as far a the Mississippi
: river. While the boundaries thus mad
= were legally fixed by act of congress
their establishment was manifest injul
tice to the territories of Michigan an
u Wisconsin, which had not then bee
: formed.
Ohio was the first state to be forme
from the Northwest territory. The stat
g was admitted into the union in 1902; Ii
diana came next in 1916, and Illino
followed in 1878 Thus the whole Nortl
), west territory, was formed into state
b except that part from which Wisconsi
q and Michigan were afterwards formed
The territory of Michigan included I'll
pdfdBRss % thsf Is now k6o%n as Vie Opp
oh il ,,,A1
new territory. When Michigan apple
for admission into the union, a contr
versy sprung up between Michigan an
: Ohio in relation to the boundary liz
t. between those states, which eliminate
IL in what was known as the Toledo wa
So much excitement prevailed that bot
parties sent military forces to the dispu
ed frontier. Congress decided the dis
pute in favor of Ohio, and assigned
Michigan, in place of the fertile strip
It dispute along her southern border, abo,
5000 square miles of barren, mountain
Gus country on the shores of Lake ST.
perior. Thus Wisconsin, which at th
: time was but sparcsly settled. was d.
: prived of a large portion of her territol
II which geographically belonged to he
and which has since been found to
Q remarkably rich in mineral resources.
Is Surprising that the natural BOUNDARY
= formed 10y the great lakes on the nort
r east, and by the Mississippi and st. Gro
; rivers on the west, had remained as I'll
. boundaries of Wisconsin, and that I'll
n original southern boundary provided
F" the ordinance of 1887 had remained
a force, Wisconsin's present wonderful r
sources would have been largely increa
3 ed, and Wisconsin could by this tin
have been truthfully called the Empil
state of tue west.