1 Battle of the Borders Today’s state lines came after years of controversies, errors, and court battles, despite the fact the 80% of its 1,378 mile boundary is clearly defined by rivers and lakes.

2 What might have been… 1784 the U.S. was deciding what to do with the “western wilderness” Thomas Jefferson – lands northwest of the Ohio River be divided into 10 new states. Congress decided followed the Northwest Ordinance – “… formed in the said territory, no less than three nor more than five states”

3 Wisconsin Territory Wisconsin Territory came into existence in 1836Had been part of the Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan territories. At first it was HUGE –included today’s state, plus part of the Louisiana Purchase (Minnesota, Iowa, and the eastern half of the Dakotas, all the way to the Missouri River) As far north as present-day Minnesota/Canada border Wisconsin became the victim of land grabs

4 Wisconsin before Land Grabs

5 U.P. – nonexistent water boundaryU.P. is the most prominent piece of WI that ended up in a different state. Given to Michigan as a bribe to settle problems to the south (making it a free state to balance slaveholding Arkansas) Michigan surrendered its claims in Ohio and Indiana in exchange for the remote/little-known U.P. and a cash payoff of $382,335 – becoming a state in 1837.

6 U.P. Boundary Line Act to designate the boundary line was based on a severely inaccurate map, defined the line as a continuous water boundary along the Menominee and Montreal rivers. Capt. Thomas J. Cram – all-water boundary was fictitious Run northwest from the Brule River to the passage between two main islands in Lac Vieux Desert, continuing to angle northwest to the head of the Montreal River.

7 Still Undecided… 1908 – discovery of newfound mineral wealth in the Gogebic Range, Michigan seized Cram’s ambiguities and wanted to move the state line south (issue being the Montreal River). U.S. Supreme Court (1926) – maintained that the land belonged to Wisconsin because the state had long exercised control over it. Boundary was resurveyed and marked.

8 Wisconsin/U.P. Border

9 Slanted 61-mile Illinois StripNorthwest Ordinance – “drawn through the southerly bend of Lake Michigan”, just touching the lower the lower end of the lake. Illinois petitioned for statehood in 1818 and Nathaniel Pope proposed moving the border north to latitude 42°30’, a distance of 61 miles. Illinois needed better access to ports on Lake Michigan – Great Lakes/Erie Canal – shifting trade away from the Mississippi River Therefore Illinois maintaining allegiance to the free states.

10 Continued… Congress placed the line at 42°30’ – WI lost 8,500 square miles of land, including the future site of Chicago. WI governor, Henry Dodge launched a vigorous protest – violated the Ordinance of 1787. Issue lost favor in the territorial government, where legislatures didn’t want to take on public debt and competing politicians WI accepted statehood without the 61-mile strip.

11 Boundary Line Lucius Lyon surveyed the land in 1831-32Technology was primitive and his accuracy was not impressive. The western-most starting point of the southern border, at the Mississippi River is about half a mile north of the statutory 42°30’ line. As they worked their way east, with a southward slant as they progressed – crossing the line in present day Green and Rock counties. The eastern end, at Lake Michigan south of Kenosha is half a mile too far south.

12 Wisconsin/Illinois Border

13 Battles over the Minnesota LineNorthwest Ordinance – WI western boundary be at the Mississippi River and a line running north from the river’s source, giving WI what is now the northeast corner of Minnesota. Mid-1840s, Congress detached the northwestern part of the territory to provide access to Lake Superior from the country north of Iowa (WI = not happy)

14 Boundary Line Referencing a map prepared 200 years prior, in the line was drawn from Lake Superior along the St. Louis River to the first rapids, then straight south to the St. Croix River, then following that to the Mississippi, to the southwest corner of the state. Essentially identical to the current boundary Controversy ensued due to interest in the St. Croix Valley (desire to hack off essentially all of present northwestern WI to create the new state of Superior) Could have lost some 2,000 square miles – St. Croix delegates were defeated in 1847/48

15 Still unsettled… Congress proposed a plan to run a boundary southwest from the St. Louis rapids to the Mississippi River Would have put both banks of the St. Croix and all or part of seven Minnesota counties and the city of St. Paul in WI. MN counterattacked with a petition to move the line east to the Chippewa River Congress just settled where it agreed on in 1848.

16 Borders settled – right?1848 President Polk made WI the 30th state – MN boundary issues were left hanging without complete resolution. Surveyor, George R. Stuntz, had trouble locating the rapids in the St. Louis so the line angles slightly, making the south end 708 feet farther west than the north end WI kept about 26 square miles more than Congress intended. 1917 – WI and MN agreed to swap two islands in the Mississippi WI got Baron Island opposite La Crosse, while MN got Island No. 72 opposite Winona Seemed to permanently settle things!

17 Wisconsin’ Western Border