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of the "Southwick jog," in latitude 42° 00' 11" .881 and longitude 72° 46' 01.841; thence south 81° 33′ 28" west, 13,827 feet to a granite monument at the southwesterly corner of the Southwick jog," in latitude 41° 59' 51'.787 and longitude 72° 49′ 02''.976; thence north 3° 33′ 56′′ east, 14,261 feet to a granite monument known as the " "Crank Monument," in latitude 42° 02′ 12.399 and longitude 72° 48′ 51''.223.

From this corner the line runs on a general westerly course, bearing about 1° north of west, to

a large rock, marked 1803 on its southerly side, in Sage's Ravine, in latitude 42° 03' 02.214" and longitude 73° 26' 00.030"; thence south 88° 31′ 58'' west 14,787 feet to a granite monument at the northwesterly corner of the State of Connecticut and marking the corner of Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut, in latitude 42° 02′ 58.427'' and longitude 73° 29′ 15.959"."

The boundary between Massachusetts and New York was from an early period a subject of controversy, New York claiming to the west bank of the Connecticut River, under the charters of 1664 and 1674 to the Duke of York, and Massachusetts claiming to the "South Sea," under her old charters. After many fruitless attempts at a settlement, an arrangement was entered into in 1773 fixing the western boundary of Massachusetts where it now meets New York territory. The Revolution soon following, the line was not run. In 1785 Congress appointed three commissioners to run the line, who performed that duty in 1787. The line was as follows: 50

Beginning at a monument erected in 1731 by commissioners from Connecticut and New York, distant from the Hudson River 20 miles, and running north 15° 12′ 9′′ east 50 miles 41 chains and 79 links, to a red or black oak tree marked by said commissioners, which said line was run as the magnetic needle pointed in 1787.

The claims of Massachusetts to western lands within the territory of the State of New York were finally settled December 16, 1786, by a joint commission of the two States. By this agreement Massachusetts surrendered the sovereignty of the whole disputed territory to New York and received in return the right of soil and preemption right of Indian purchase west of the meridian passing through the eighty-second milestone of the Pennsylvania line (see fig. 8), except certain reservations upon the Niagara River. The title to a tract known as "The Boston Ten Towns," lying east of this meridian and previously granted to New York by Massachusetts, was confirmed.51

On April 19, 1785, Massachusetts executed a deed transferring to the United States all title of the State of Massachusetts to territory west of the present western boundary of New York.

49 For the full notes of this boundary see Massachusetts acts of 1908, ch. 192; and Connecticut acts of 1913; see also 38 Stat. L. 727. For a description of each of the 214 marks on this line see Board of Harbor and Land Commissioners Twenty-ninth Ann. Rept. Massachusetts Pub. Doc. 11 of 1907, pp. 106-117, Boston, 1908.

50 New York Rev. Stat., 1875, p. 122.

51 Hough's New York Gazette, 1872, pp. 25, 26.

In 1820 Maine, previously a part of Massachusetts, was admitted into the Union as an independent State.

In 1853 an area of about 1,010 acres (see insert, fig. 8) in the southwest corner of Massachusetts, known as Boston Corners,52 was ceded to New York, and in 1855 the cession was confirmed by Congress.53

The present boundary between Massachusetts and New York was thus described from resurveys by a joint commission in 1899:

Beginning at bound 1, a granite monument set in ledge on the side of a wooded mountain peak six hundred and nine feet east of Ryan Bush Road, in latitude 42° 02′ 58.427" north of the Equator, and longitude 73° 29' 15.959" west from Greenwich, and marking the northwest corner of Connecticut, a corner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and a corner of the State of New York; thence on an azimuth of 90° 43′ 49'', twenty-six hundred and twenty-four feet to bound 3, a granite monument set in ledge on the steep westerly slope of a wooded mountain, in latitude 42° 02′ 58.756" and longitude 73° 29' 50.737'', at the southwest corner of Massachusetts, also in the eastern line of New York, and marking a corner of the towns of Mount Washington, in Massachusetts, and Ancram and Northeast, in New York; thence on an azimuth of 167° 08′ 15", thirteen thousand six hundred and forty-nine feet to bound 9, a granite monument set in ledge on the westerly wooded slope of Alandar Mountain about a quarter mile west of its summit, in latitude 42° 05′ 10.205" and longitude 73° 30' 31.031", at the corner of Mount Washington, in Massachusetts, and Copake, in New York; thence on an azimuth of 195° 12′ 22′′, two hundred forty-nine thousand two hundred and forty-six feet, by the towns of Mount Washington, Egremont, Alford, West Stockbridge, Richmond, Hancock, and Williamstown, in Massachusetts, and Copake, Hillsdale, Austerlitz, Canaan, New Lebanon, Stephentown, Berlin, and Petersburg, in New York, to bound 112, a granite monument set in ledge and earth on an open easterly slope about seventy-five feet west of a private roadway, in latitude 42° 44′ 45.201" and longitude 73° 15′ 54.904" at the northwest corner of Massachusetts, also in the east line of New York and in the south line of Vermont, and marking a corner in the boundaries of the towns of Williamstown, in Massachusetts, Petersburg, in New York, and Pownal, in Vermont.

The term "azimuth" as used in this description is the angle which a line makes at its point of beginning with the true meridian, reckoning from the south around by the west.

This location of the line was approved by Massachusetts May 8, 1901, and by New York June 9, 1910.5*

Massachusetts is one of the very few States that has had her boundary lines adequately marked and by frequent inspection maintains the marks in good condition. In addition to the marking of her exterior lines the State has also had comprehensive surveys made of interior township boundaries. The lines and corners are controlled by an accurate system of triangulation, so that if any num

52 See U. S. Geol. Survey topographic map of Copake quadrangle, N. Y.-Mass. 53 10 Stat. L. 602.

54 Massachusetts acts of 1901, ch. 374; New York acts of 1910, ch. 447.

ber of marks were destroyed the exact positions for new ones to replace them could be readily ascertained from the triangulation data. The results of these surveys are published by the State Harbor and Land Commission in a series of folios, which give plats of the lines, positions of triangulation stations, descriptions of boundary marks, extracts from laws by which the lines were fixed, and some historical matter. This action by the State is highly commendable and could be followed by other States with profit.

RHODE ISLAND 5

The present State of Rhode Island was settled by Roger Williams and other immigrants, who left Massachusetts Bay and established. themselves at Providence in 1636.55

In 1643 a patent was granted for the Providence Plantations, from which the following are extracts: 56

And whereas there is a Tract of Land in the Continent of America aforesaid, called by the Name of Narraganset Bay; bordering Northward and Northeast on the Patent of the Massachusetts, East and Southwest on Plymouth Patent, South on the Ocean, and on the West and Northwest by the Indians called Nahigganneucks, alias Narragansets; the whole Tract extending about twentyfive English Miles unto the Pequot River and Country.

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And whereas divers well affected and industrious English Inhabitants, of the Towns of Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport, in the tract aforesaid, have represented their Desire, give, grant, and confirm to the aforesaid Inhabitants of the Towns of Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport a free and absolute Charter of Incorporation, to be known by the Name of the Incorporation of Providence Plantations, in the Narragansett Bay, in New England.

In 1663 Charles II granted a charter to the governor and company of the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, of which the following is an extract:

57

all that parte of our dominiones in New-England, in America, conteyneing the Nahantick and Nanhyganset Bay, and countryes and partes adjacent, bounded on the west, or westerly, to the middle or channel of a river there, commonly called and known by the name of Pawcatuck, alias Pawcawtuck river, and soe along the sayd river, as the greater or middle streame thereof reacheth or lyes vpp into the north countrye, northward, unto the head thereof, and from thence, by a streight lyne drawn due north vntil itt meets with the south lyne of the Massachusetts Collonie; and on the north, or northerly, by the aforesayd south or southerly lyne of the Massachusetts Collony or Plantation, and extending towards the east, or eastwardly, three English miles to the east and northeast of the most eastern and northeastern parts of the aforesayd Narragansett Bay, as the sayd bay lyeth or extendeth itself from the ocean on the south or southwardly, vnto the mouth of the river which runneth towards the towne of

55 The legal name for this State is "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."

58 Thorpe, F. N., op. cit., vol. 6, p. 3210.

57 Idem, p. 3220.

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Providence, and from thence along the eastwardly side or banke of the sayd river (higher called by the name of Seacunck river), vp to the ffalls called Patuckett ffalls, being the most westwardly lyne of Plymouth Collony, and soe from the sayd ffalls, in a streight lyne, due north, until itt meete with the aforesayd line of the Massachusetts Collony; and bounded on the south by the ocean; and in particular, the lands belonging to the townes of Providence, Pawtuxet, Warwicke, Misquammacok, alias Pawcatuck, and the rest vpon the maine land in the tract aforesayd, together with Rhode Island, Blocke Island, and all the rest of the islands and banks in the Narragansett Bay and bordering vpon the coast of the tracts aforesaid (Fisher's Island only excepted),

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This charter was in force until 1843, when the constitution adopted in 1842 became effective.

For a history of the northern and eastern boundaries see Massachusetts, pages 93-94.

In 1703 substantially the present western boundary was adopted by an agreement made between the commissioners from the two colonies of Rhode Island and Connecticut, namely, "A straight line from the mouth of Ashawoga River to the southwest corner of the Warwick purchase, and thence a straight north line to Massachusetts." This line was actually run by Rhode Island and is still known as the Dexter and Hopkins line, but Connecticut would not accept the line as thus marked. Rhode Island appealed to the King, and the agreement of 1703 was confirmed in 1726. In September, 1728, commissioners from the two colonies met and ran the line.58

In 1839 commissioners were appointed by Rhode Island and Connecticut to survey the line and erect monuments. The following described line was established:

Beginning at a rock near the mouth of Ashawoga River, where it empties into Pawcatuck River, and from said rock a straight course northerly to an ancient stone heap at the southeast corner of the town of Voluntown, and from said rock southerly in the same course with the aforesaid line, until it strikes Pawcatuck River. From the southeast corner of Voluntown a straight line to a stone heap at the southwest corner of West Greenwich; from thence a straight line to the southwest corner of the ancient town of Warwick, and which is now a corner of the towns of Coventry and West Greenwich; from thence a straight line to the northwest corner of the town of Coventry; thence a straight line to the northeast corner of Sterling; thence a straight line to the southwest corner of Burrillville, and thence a straight line to a stone heap upon a hill in the present jurisdictional line between the States of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and at all of said corners, excepting said Warwick corner, we have erected monuments of stone, marked R. I. and C., and have also placed similar monuments on all the principal roads crossing the line, and at other suitable places.

And we have caused the ancient monument which was erected at the Warwick corner in November, 1742, to be reset and a large heap of stones to be made

58 For agreements of 1703 and 1728, decisions of English council, etc., see Rhode Island Hist. Soc. Coll., vol. 3, pp. 204-213, 1835.

around it. Said monument is marked with the letter C. on one side, and on the other RHODE ISLAND and the traces of other letters and figures," The work of these commissioners was ratified in 1846.

CONNECTICUT 60

61

In 1630 the Plymouth Council made a grant of Connecticut to Robert, Earl of Warwick, its president. This grant was confirmed by King Charles in 1631, and on March 19 of that year the earl conveyed his title to Lord Say and Seal, Lord Brooke, Sir Richard Saltonstall, and others, associated under the name of The Plymouth Company.62

A charter was granted by Charles II to Connecticut in 1662, of which the following is an extract: 63

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We, do give, grant and confirm unto the said Governor and Company, and their Successors, all that Part of Our Dominions in New England in America, bounded on the east by Narraganset River, commonly called Narraganset Bay, where the said River falleth into the sea; and on the North by the Line of the Massachusetts plantation; and on the South by the Sea; and in Longitude as the Line of the Massachusetts Colony, running from East to West, that is to say, from the said Narraganset-Bay on the East, to the South Sea on the West part, with the Islands thereunto adjoining.

Prior to this time the two colonies of Connecticut and New Haven had continued separate, but they were united under this charter, which was accepted by them April 20, 1665.64 The Duke of York having been granted a charter in 1664, by which the lands west of the Connecticut River were embraced in his jurisdiction, the question of boundary immediately arose. About this time Col. Richard Nichols, George Cartwright, Sir Robert Carr, and Samuel Maverick, had been appointed commissioners by the King and clothed with extraordinary powers to determine all controversies in the colonies. The matter was referred to them, and, after a full hearing, they determined that the southern boundary of Connecticut was the sea (Long Island Sound) and its western boundary the Mamaroneck River and a line drawn north-northwest from the head of salt water in that stream to Massachusetts. The territory south and west of these lines was declared to belong to the

Rhode Island acts and resolves, January, 1846, pp. 12, 13, 14.

60 For an excellent historical description of the boundaries of Connecticut see Bowen, C. W., The boundary disputes of Connecticut, Boston, 1882.

61 For a historical description of this and other royal grants of the Connecticut area and of lands now in Pennsylvania and Ohio formerly claimed by Connecticut, see Western Reserve Univ. Bull., August, 1923, pp. 37-57.

62 Dwight, Theodore, jr., History of Connecticut, p. 19, New York, 1840.

63 Thorpe, F. N., op. cit., vol. 1, p. 535. For a history of the claims made by Connecticut to a narrow strip of land called "the gore" along the 42d parallel (the south line of New York) and to the "Western Reserve" see Report of the Regents [of New York] Boundary Commission upon the New York and Pennsylvania boundary, pp. 418 et seq., Albany, 1886.

64 Thorpe, F. N., op. cit., p. 529.

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