Arizona republican., 1922-02-13
DECLARES NORTHERN
BOUNDARY OF COUNTY
DEFINITELY SETTLED

With the filing recently OF a report
TO the board of supervisors OF Mari
eopa county By Commander Milton
Updegraff. retired. of the United
States naval observatory. in which
ne states he has definitely fixed the
S4th parallel at point approximate
ly one and half miles north Of the
present boundary line between Mari
copa and YaVapai counties, George
d. Christy, deputy county attorney
announced yesterday that he would
file suit in the supreme court in
the next few days asking that the OBJ
| servations OF Commander Updegraff
| be declared as true boundary line
between the two counties, which the
state law fixes the 34th parallel.
For many years, Attorney Christy
said, Maricopa. county has contended
that the boundary line between the
two conties was placed too far south
but no action in the matter was
taken until last May when two Off
cials OF the Atchison. Topeka and
| Santa Fe Railway company, who
were in Phoenix in connection with
the new union depot called on the
board OF supervisors stating they
| we're OF the opinion that the railway
company was paying taxes to Yava-
pal county on its property north OF
Wickenburg which properly belonged
| TO Maricopa county.
| o. c. Thompson. local civil engin-
err and surveyor. was employed by
the board OF supervisors. he said, to
make. survey and reported TO the
board that he was of the opinion
| from his observations that the real
boundary line was one and an eighth
miles north Of the present line. In
some manner. Mr.. Christy said he
learned that Commander Updegraff.
who for many years had been in
charge Of the astronomical surveys
work in the naval observatory. was
living in Prescott and he asked him
to make a survey last August.
Commander UpdeEraff, he said
agreed to make the survey provided
no could obtain the necessary in
struments from the government OBJ
servatory at washington. In max
ing the survey. Attorney Christy
said, a cement platform was built in
November north Of Wickenburg on
which the instruments obtained from
Washington were placed Early In
January, Attorney. Christy said, Com
mander Updegraff with the assist
ance of Mr.. Thompson. working al
1 night. made many observations and
surveys and after checking the re-
ports for variations. definitely locat-
ed the 34th parallel This location
Mr.. Christy said. will not vary more
than few inches. IL that much, from
the true line Of the parallel. The
surveys, ne said. were finished OF
Jan. 16. and several days later. the
report was submitted to the board
OF supervisors.
Should the supreme court decide
the boundary is approximately one
and a half miles north OF the present
boundary line, Mr.. Christy said. al
OF the railroad property at the A. anC
G.. Junction north OF Wickenburg. al
OF the Santa Fe line to Los Angelo:
, until IL crosses into Yuma county
and approximately a half mile o.
. the road TO Prescott and Ashforl
will be in this county. This viii
give Maricopa county taxes from ap.
proximateiy $250.000 worth Of rail
.. road property which has formerly
been paid to Yavapai county in addi
tion to the taxes from many valu
able mining claims west Of Wicken'
burg.
, In 1885. Mr.. Christy said. thu
; boundary line between the two coun
ties was fixed by survey made b.
Burt Foster and Andrew Berry. sur
veyors respectively for Yavapai anC
Maricopa counties. At that time. h'
said the board of supervisors o
8 Maricopa county refused TO accep
! the survey as the true boundary lin
: because they felt the survey was no
: true. The state law. he says. fixe
the boundary line between the tw'
: counties as the 34th parallel. but un
{ I'll the recent astronomical survey o
Z Commander Updegraff. he said. thi
' line has never been located definitely
In 1891. he said. the board Of su
Z pervisors OF Yavapai county causes
e cement post to be placed north o
@ Wickenburg on the line as surveye
e by Foster and Berry as the houndar
4 marker. This post he said unde
: the survey of Commander Updegraf
{ is approximately one and half mile
/, south Of the true saith parallel
x -H0-