(For the history of the eastern boundary, vide North Carolina, p. 101; for the southern boundary, vide Georgia, p. 105, Alabama, p. 109, and Mississippi, p. 109.)

The Mississippi River forms its western boundary under the treaty of peace of 1783.

The line which divided Virginia and North Carolina was the southern boundary of Kentucky. Virginia and North Carolina, prior to the creation of the States of Kentucky and Tennessee, appointed commissioners, Messrs. Walker and Henderson, to run and mark the line on the parallel of latitude 36° 30'. From a point on the top of the Cumberland Mountains, now the southeastern corner of Kentucky, Walker ran and marked the line to a point on the Tennessee River. This line, called Walker's line, was regarded for many years as the dividing line between Kentucky and Tennessee. It was ascertained, however, that Walker's line was north of latitude 36° 30'.

The Indian title to the land west of the Tennessee River being extinguished by the treaty of 1819, the legislature appointed Robert Alexander and Luke Munsell to ascertain the true point of latitude 36° 30' on the Mississippi River, and to run and mark a line east on that parallel, which was done as far east as the Tennessee River. (For above, see Gen. Stat. Ky., 1873, p. 167.)

In 1820 commissioners were appointed by Kentucky and Tennessee, respectively, to settle the boundary. Their report was ratified, and is as follows, viz:

ART. I. The line of boundary and separation between the States of Kentucky and Tennessee shall be as follows, viz:

The line run by the Virginia commissioners in the year 1779-'80, commonly called Walker's line, as the same is reputed, understood, and acted upon by the said States, their respective officers and citizens, from the southeastern corner of Kentucky to the Tennessee River; thence with and up said river to the point where the line of Alexander and Munsell, run by them in the last year under the authority of an act of the legislature of Kentucky entitled "An act to run the boundary line between this State and the State of Tennessee, west of the Tennessee River, approved Feb. 8, 1819," would cross said river, and thence with the said line of Alexander and Munsell, to the termination thereof on the Mississippi River below New Madrid.

Then follow nine other articles.

Article III provides for running and marking the line at any subsequent time. (See General Stat. Kentucky, page 170.)

In 1858-59 commissioners were appointed by Kentucky and Tennessee to run this line.

The detailed report of the commission on the part of Tennessee can be found in Statutes of Tennessee, 1871, Vol. I, pages 223-243, giving courses, bearings, milestones erected, and a map of the boundary.

The report of this commission on the part of Kentucky was published at Frankfort, by the State Printer, 1860, in a pamphlet of 98 octavo pages, with latitudes and a map of the line, on a scale of 1:108,000.

(For a history of the boundary between Virginia and Tennessee, vide Virginia, p. 97.)

KENTUCKY.

Kentucky was included in the original limits of Virginia, and was a part of the county of Augusta. Augusta County was formed in 1738. In 1769 Botetourt County was created from a portion of Augusta County; in 1772, Fincastle from Botetourt; in 1776, Kentucky from Fincastle. The boundaries of all these counties may be found in Hening's Laws of Virginia, Vols. I to IX.

In 1789 Virginia passed an act giving her consent that the county of Kentucky, within her jurisdiction, should be formed into a new State. Accordingly, June 1, 1792, Kentucky was admitted into the Union, with substantially her present boundaries.

By the cession of 1784, by Virginia to the United States, of the territory northwest of the Ohio River, this river became the northwest boundary of the State of Kentucky.

The western boundary, the Mississippi, was fixed by the treaty of peace in 1783.

(For a history of the boundary between Kentucky and Virginia and West Virginia, vide Virginia, p. 96; for the boundary between Kentucky and Tennessee, vide Tennessee, p. 115.)

OHIO.

Ohio was the first State formed from the original territory northwest of the river Ohio. It was admitted as a State on November 29, 1802, with limits given in the enabling act as follows:

Bounded on the east by the Pennsylvania line, on the south by the Ohio River, to the mouth of the Great Miami River, on the west by the line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami aforesaid, and on the north by an east and west line drawn through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan, running east after intersecting the due-north line aforesaid, from the mouth of the Great Miami until it shall intersect Lake Erie or the territorial line; and thence with the same through Lake Erie to the Pennsylvania line aforesaid: Provided, That Congress shall be at liberty at any time hereafter either to attach all the territory lying east of the line to be drawn due north from the mouth of the Miami aforesaid to the territorial line, and north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan, running east as aforesaid to Lake Erie, to the aforesaid State, or dispose of it otherwise, in conformity to the fifth article of compact between the original States and the people and States to be formed in the territory northwest of the river Ohio. (Seventh Congress, first session.)

In the constitution of Ohio of 1802, Article VII, the boundaries are defined as follows:

Bounded on the east by the Pennsylvania line; on the south by the Ohio River, to the mouth of the Great Miami River; on the west by the line drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami aforesaid; and on the north by an east and west line drawn through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan, running east after intersecting the due-north line aforesaid from the mouth of the Great Miami, until it shall intersect Lake Erie or the territorial line; and thence with the same through Lake Erie to the Pennsylvania line aforesaid; provided always, and it is hereby fully understood and declared by this convention, that if the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan should extend so far south that a line drawn due east from it should

not intersect Lake Erie, or if it should intersect the said Lake Erie east of the mouth of the Miami River of the Lake, then, and in that case, with the assent of the Congress of the United States, the northern boundary of this State shall be established by, and extending to, a direct line running from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan to the most northerly cape of the Miami Bay, after intersecting the duenorth line from the mouth of the Great Miami River as aforesaid; thence northeast to the territorial line, and by the said territorial line to the Pennsylvania line.

In accordance with the provisions in the enabling act, and in the first constitution of the State, the northern boundary of the State was changed so that, instead of running on a parallel drawn from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, it followed the arc of a great circle drawn from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan to the most northern cape of Maumee ("Miami”) Bay.

Following are the texts of the acts providing for the examination of the northern boundary and making the change in the boundary:

AN ACT to provide for the taking of certain observations preparatory to the adjustment of the north. ern boundary line of the State of Ohio.

That the President of the United States cause to be ascertained, by accurate observation, the latitude and longitude of the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan; and that he cause to be ascertained, by like observation, the point on the Miami of the Lake which is due east therefrom, and also the latitude and longitude of the most northerly cape of the Miami Bay; also, that he cause to be ascertained, with all practicable accuracy, the latitude and longitude of the most southerly point in the northern boundary line of the United States in Lake Erie, and also the points at which a direct line drawn from the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan to the most southerly point in said northern boundary line of the United States will intersect the Miami River and Bay; and also that he cause to be ascertained, by like observation, the point in the Mississippi which is due west from the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan; and that the said observations be made and the result thereof returned to the proper Department within the current year. (Twenty-second Congress, first session, 1832.) AN ACT to establish the northern boundary line of the State of Ohio, and to provide for the admission of the State of Michigan into the Union.

The northern boundary line of the State of Ohio shall be established at and shall be a direct line drawn from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan to the most northerly cape of the Maumee (Miami) Bay after that line, so drawn, shall intersect the eastern boundary line of the State of Indiana; and from the said north cape of the said bay northeast to the boundary line between the United States and the province of Upper Canada, in Lake Erie, and thence, with the said last-mentioned line, to its intersection with the western line of the State of Pennsylvania. (Twentyfourth Congress, first session, 1836.)

The northern boundary was originally surveyed in 1817. The western boundary was surveyed in the same year from old Fort Recovery to the northwestern corner. South of Fort Recovery this boundary was surveyed as the first principal meridian of the General Land Office.

INDIANA.

By the act passed in the year 1800, to take effect on and after the 4th day of July of that year, the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio was divided into two parts, the eastern part to retain the old name, the western part to become the Territory of Indiana.

Under this act the Territory of Indiana was organized. The description of the boundary line between these two Territories is given in the following act establishing them:

That from and after the fourth day of July next all that part of the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio River, which lies to the westward of a line beginning at the Ohio, opposite to the mouth of Kentucky River, and running thence to Fort Recovery, and thence north until it shall intersect the territorial line between the United States and Canada, shall, for the purpose of temporary government, constitute a separate Territory, and be called Indiana Territory.

SEC. 5. That whenever that part of the territory of the United States which lies to the eastward of a line beginning at the mouth of the Great Miami River, and running thence due north to the territorial line between the United States and Canada, shall be erected into an independent State, and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original States, thenceforth said line shall become and remain permanently the boundary line between such State and the Indiana Territory, anything in this act contained to the contrary notwithstanding. (Sixth Congress, first session.) Ohio was admitted in 1802. Its western boundary, a meridian through the mouth of the Miami River, left a narrow strip of country between Ohio and the Territory of Indiana, which was by a clause in the enabling act of Ohio added to Indiana Territory. The following is the clause in question:

SEC. 3. All that part of the territory of the United States northwest of the river Ohio heretofore included in the eastern division of said Territory, and not included within the boundary herein prescribed for the said State, is hereby attached to and made a part of the Indiana Territory.

On the 30th of June, 1805, the northern portion of Indiana Territory was cut off and organized as Michigan Territory. (For the divisional line between these, see Michigan, p. 119.)

On March 1, 1809, Indiana Territory was divided, and the western portion of it organized as Illinois Territory. (For a description of the divisional line between these two Territories, see Illinois, p. 119.) On December 11, 1816, Indiana was admitted as a State with the limits as given in the following extract from the enabling act, which have not since been changed.

AN ACT to enable the people of the Indiana Territory to form a constitution and State government and for the admission of such State into the Union on an equal footing with the original States.

The said State shall consist of all the territory included within the following boundaries, to wit: Bounded on the east by the meridian line which forms the western boundary of the State of Ohio; on the south by the river Ohio from the mouth of the Great Miami River to the mouth of the River Wabash; on the west by a line drawn along the middle of the Wabash from its mouth to a point where a due north line drawn from the town of Vincennes would last touch the northwestern shore of the said river; and from thence by a due north line, until the same shall intersect an east and west line drawn through a point 10 miles north of the southern extreme of Lake Michigan; on the north by the said east and west line until the same shall intersect the first-mentioned meridian line which forms the western boundary of the State of Ohio. (Fourteenth Congress, first session.)

The north boundary of Indiana was surveyed and marked in 1827, and its west boundary by a joint commission of the two States, Indiana and Illinois.