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. 119; Iowa, below; Minnesota, p. 124; and Dakota, p. 127.) In 1854 Kansas and Nebraska Territories were formed, absorbing the remainder. (Vide Kansas, p. 125, and Nebraska, p. 126.)

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 thirtysixth 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 midchannel 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 last-mentioned 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 sonthward 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. 115.)

The following clause from an act passed in 1839 is supplementary to the above act:

AN ACT to define and establish the eastern boundary line of the Territory of Iowa. That the middle or centre of the main channel of the river Mississippi shall be deemed, and is hereby declared, to be the eastern boundary line of the Territory of Iowa, so far or to such extent as the said Territory is bounded eastwardly by or upon said river. (Twenty-fifth Congress, third session.)

Iowa was admitted to the Union on March 3, 1845. As originally constituted the limits of the State were quite different from those which it has at present.

The following extract from the enabling act gives the original limits: That the following shall be the boundaries of the said State of Iowa, to wit: Beginning at the mouth of the Des Moines River at the middle of the Mississippi; thence by the middle of the channel of that river to a parallel of latitude passing through the mouth of the Mankato, or Blue Earth River; thence west along the

said parallel of latitude to a point where it is intersected by a meridian line, seventeen degrees and thirty minutes west of the meridian of Washington City; thence due south to the northern boundary line of the State of Missouri; thence eastwardly following that boundary to the point at which the same intersects the Des Moines River; thence by the middle of the channel of that river to the place of beginning. (Twenty-eighth Congress, second session.)

On December 28, 1846, an act was passed changing the boundaries of the State and giving it its present limits.

The following extract from the act defines the boundaries as at present constituted:

Beginning in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River, at a point due east of the middle of the mouth of the main channel of the Des Moines River; thence up the middle of the main channel of the said Des Moines River to a point on said river where the northern boundary line of the State of Missouri, as established by the constitution of that State, adopted June twelfth, eighteen hundred and twenty, crosses the said middle of the main channel of the said Des Moines River; thence westwardly along the said northern boundary line of the State of Missouri, as established at the time aforesaid, until an extension of said line intersect the middle of the main channel of the Missouri River, to a point opposite the middle of the main channel of the Big Sioux River, according to Nicollet's map; thence up the main channel of the said Big Sioux River, according to said map, until it is intersected by the parallel of forty-three degrees and thirty minutes north latitude; thence east along said parallel of forty-three degrees and thirty minutes, until said parallel intersect the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River; thence down the middle of the main channel of said Mississippi River to the place of beginning.

Its northern boundary was surveyed and marked in 1852, under the General Land Office.

MINNESOTA.

The Territory of Minnesota was organized on March 3, 1849, and originally comprised the portion of the former Territory of Iowa, outside of the limits of the present State of Iowa, extending east to the west boundary line of Wisconsin. The terms of the act creating this Territory, so far as they relate to its boundary, are as follows:

All that part of the territory of the United States which lies within the following limits, to wit: Beginning in the Mississippi River, at the point where the line of forty-three degrees and thirty minutes of north latitude crosses the same; thence running due west on said line, which is the northern boundary of the State of Iowa, to the northwest corner of the said State of Iowa; thence southerly along the western boundary of said State to the point where said boundary strikes the Missouri River; thence up the middle of the main channel of the Missouri River to the mouth of the White Earth River; thence up the middle of the main channel of the White Earth River to the boundary line between the possessions of the United States and Great Britain to Lake Superior; thence along the western boundary line of said State of Wisconsin to the Mississippi River; thence down the main channel of said river to the place of beginning. (Thirtieth Congress, second session.)

Minnesota was admitted as a State on May 11, 1858, with the same boundaries which it has at present. These are given in the enabling act as follows:

Beginning at the point in the center of the main channel of the Red River of the North where the boundary line between the United States and the British Possessions