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north boundary line of the sai! State of Indiana to the northeast corner thereof; and thence south with the east boundary line of Indiana to the place of beginning. (Twenty-fourth Congress, first session.)

The above boundaries remain unchanged.

WISCONSIN.

Wisconsin was organized as a Territory July 3, 1836. As originally constituted its area comprised all that part of the former Territory of Michigan which lay outside of the present limits of the State of MichiThe limits are defined in the act for its organization as follows: Bounded on the east by a line drawn from the northeast corner of the State of Illinois, through the middle of Lake Michigan, to a point in the middle of said lake and opposite the main channel of Green Bay; and through said channel and Green Bay to the mouth of the Menomonee; thence through the middle of the main channel of said river to that head of said river nearest to the Lake of the Desert; thence in a direct line to the middle of said lake; thence through the middle of the main channel of the Montreal River to its mouth; thence with a direct line across Lake Superior to where the territorial line of the United States last touches said lake northwest; thence on the north with the said territorial line to the White Earth River, on the west by a line from the said boundary line following down the middle of the main channel of White Earth River to the Missouri River, and down the middle of the main channel of the Missouri River to a point due west from the northwest corner of the State of Missouri, and on the south from said point due east to the northwest corner of the State of Missouri; and thence with the boundaries of the States of Missouri and Illinois as already fixed by acts of Congress. (Twenty-fourth Con

gress, first session.)

In 1838 all that part of the territory lying west of the Mississippi and a line drawn due north from its source to the international boundary—that is, all that part which was originally comprised in the Louisiana purchase was organized as the Territory of Iowa. (See Iowa, p. 124.)

On August 9, 1846, an enabling act for Wisconsin was passed giving the boundaries as follows:

Beginning at the northeast corner of the State of Illinois, that is to say, at a point in the center of Lake Michigan where the line of forty-two degrees and thirty minutes of north latitude crosses the same; thence running with the boundary line of the State of Michigan, through Lake Michigan, Green Bay, to the mouth of the Menomonee River; thence up the channel of said river to the Brule River; thence up said last-mentioned river to Lake Brule; thence along the southern shore of Lake Brule in a direct line to the center of the channel between Middle and South islands in the Lake of the Desert; thence in a direct line to the headwaters of Montreal River, as marked upon the survey made by Captain Cramm; thence down the main channel of the Montreal River to the middle of Lake Superior; thence through the center of Lake Superior to the mouth of the Saint Louis River; thence up the main channel of said river to the first rapids in the same, above the Indian village, according to Nicollet's map; thence due south to the main branch of the river Saint Croix; thence down the middle of the main channel of said river to the Mississippi; thence down the center of the main channel of that river to the northwest corner of the State of Illinois; thence due east with the northern boundary of the State of Illinois to the place of beginning. (Twenty-ninth Congress, first session.)

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On March 3, 1847, a supplementary act for the admission of Wisconsin was passed by Congress, in which the western boundary of the proposed State was changed as follows:

That the assent of Congress is hereby given to the change of boundary proposed in the first article of said constitution, to wit: Leaving the boundary line prescribed in the act of Congress entitled "An act to enable the people of Wisconsin Territory to form a constitution and State government, and for the admission of such State into the Union," at the first rapids in the river St. Louis; thence in a direct line southwardly to a point fifteen miles east of the most easterly point of Lake St. Croix; thence due south to the main channel of the Mississippi River or Lake Pepin; thence down the said main channel, as prescribed in said act. (Twenty-ninth Congress, second session.)

On May 29, 1848, Wisconsin was admitted into the Union.

The boundary between this State and Minnesota from St. Louis to St. Croix River was surveyed and marked in 1852, under the General Land Office.

MISSOURI.

The name of the Territory of Louisiana was changed in 1812 to Missouri, by act of Congress. At that time the Territory comprised all of the original Louisiana purchase, excepting the State of Louisiana, which had been formed from it. The Territory of Arkansas, with limits very similar to those of the present State, was formed from it in 1819. On August 10, 1821, the State of Missouri was formed and admitted, with limits, excepting as to the northwest corner, the same as at present.

Boundaries are defined as follows:

Beginning in the middle of the Mississippi River, on the parallel of thirty-six degrees of north latitude; thence west along that parallel of latitude to the Saint Francois River; thence up and following the course of that river, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the parallel of latitude of thirty-six degrees and thirty minutes; thence west along the same to a point where the said parallel is intersected by a meridian line passing through the middle of the mouth of the Kansas River where the same empties into the Missouri River; thence from the point aforesaid north along the said meridian line to the intersection of the parallel of latitude which passes through the rapids of the river Des Moines, making the said line to correspond with the Indian boundary line; thence east from the point of intersection last aforesaid along the said parallel of latitude to the middle of the channel of the main fork of the said river Des Moines; thence down and along the middle of the main channel of the said river Des Moines to the mouth of the same where it empties into the Mississippi River; thence due east to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River; thence down and following the course of the Mississippi River, in the middle of the main channel thereof, to the place of beginning. (Sixteenth Congress, first session.)

In 1836 the boundaries were extended on the northwest to the Missouri River, as described in the following act of the legislature amendatory to the constitution of 1820:

That the boundary of the State be so altered aud extended as to include all that tract of land lying on the north side of the Missouri River and west of the present boundary of this State, so that the same shall be bounded on the south by the middle

of the main channel of the Missouri River and on the north by the present northern boundary line of the State, as established by the constitution, when the same is continued in a right line to the west, or to include so much of said tract of land as Congress may assent.

This was ratified by Congress in the following act:

AN ACT to extend the western boundary of the State of Missouri to the Missouri River. That when the Indian title to all the lands lying between the State of Missouri and the Missouri River shall be extinguished, the jurisdiction over said lands shall be hereby ceded to the State of Missouri, and the western boundary of said State shall be then extended to the Missouri River. (Twenty-fourth Congress, first session.) The north boundary of Missouri was surveyed and marked in part in 1816, and the remainder in 1850, under the General Land Office. The western boundary was run and marked, from the mouth of Kansas River to the southwestern corner of the State, in 1823.

The territory remaining after the formation of the State bore the name of Missouri for many years thereafter. Meanwhile, however, it was reduced by the formation of several Territories which were carved from its area. In 1834 the part north of the State of Missouri and east of Missouri and White Earth rivers was annexed to the Territory of Michigan. (For further history of this portion, vide Michigan, p. 120; Iowa, below; Minnesota, p. 125; and Dakota, p. 129.). In 1854 Kansas and Nebraska Territories were formed, absorbing the remainder. (Vide Kansas, p. 126, and Nebraska, p. 127.)

The following are the boundaries of Missouri as at present established: The east boundary is the mid-channel of the Mississippi River from the mouth of the Des Moines to its point of intersection with the thirty-sixth parallel of latitude; the south boundary begins at the latter point and runs west on the parallel of 36 degrees of latitude to the Saint Francis River, thence up the mid-channel of that river to the parallel of latitude 39° 30', thence west on that parallel to its intersection by a meridian passing through the middle of the mouth of the Kansas River; the west boundary is the last-mentioned meridian as far north as the mouth of the Kansas River, thence it follows northwestward the mid-channel of the Missouri River to the parallel of latitude passing through the rapids of Des Moines River, which is approximately the parallel of 40° 35'; the north boundary is the lastmentioned parallel as far east as its point of intersection with the Des Moines River, whence it follows the mid-channel of the Des Moines River southward to its mouth.

IOWA.

Iowa was organized as a Territory on July 3, 1838, being formed from a portion of Wisconsin Territory. The limits were defined as follows in the act creating it:

All that part of the present Territory of Wisconsin which lies west of the Mississippi River and west of the line drawn due north from the headwaters or sources of the Mississippi to the Territorial line. (Twenty-fifth Congress, second session. See Wisconsin, p. 122.)

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