taken from Washington, Dakota and Nebraska. (See Idaho.; In 1882 a small area was transferred to Nebraska. (See Nebraska, above.) The following description, compiled from the act relating to Dakota and other territories formed from its area, gives its present limits:

The eastern boundary is the main channel of the Red river from the forty-ninth par allel southward to Big Stone lake; from the center of that lake to its outlet; thence by a due south line to the parallel of latitude 43 degrees 30 minutes; thence west on that parallel until it strikes the Big Sioux river; thence down the mid-channel of the Big Sioux river to its mouth. The south boundary is the main channel of the Missouri river until it intersects the forty-third parallel of latitude westward to the twenty-seventh degree of longitude. The west boundary is the twenty-seventh degree of longitude, and the north boundary is the forty-ninth parallel of latitude.

MARYLAND.

A charter for Maryland, defining its boundaries as follows, was issued in 1632 to Lord Baltimore: Bounded on the north by the fortieth parallel, on the south by the Potomac to its head, and a meridian drawn from the same to the said fortieth parallel, the southern!oundary to be continued from Watkins' Point across the eastern shore of the Chesapeake, leaving the lower end of the peninsula in Virginia.

WASHINGTON.

This was organized March 2, 1853, from a part of Oregon territory. Its limits, as originally constituted, were given in the following clause from the act of congress creating it:

That from and after the passage of this act, all that portion of Oregon territory lying and being south of the forty-ninth degree of north latitude, and north of the middle of the main channel of the Columbia river from its mouth to where the forty-sixth degree of north latitude crosses said river, near Fort Walla Walla; thence with said forty-sixth degree of latitude to the summit of the Rocky mountains, be organized into and constituted temporary government, by the name of the Territory of Washington. (Thirty-second congress, second session.)

In 1859, on the formation of the State of Oregon, the residue of the territory of Oregon, being the portion lying east of the present limits of the state, extending thence to the crest of the Rocky mountains, was added to Washington. This area, with the part of Washington lying east of its present limits, was included in Idaho on the formation of that territory in 1863. The present boundaries of Washington territory are as follows:

Beginning on the coast at the mouth of the Columbia river, following up the mair channel of the Columbia river to its point of intersection with the fiftieth parallel of lat

itude; thence east on the forty-sixth parallel to the Snake river; thence down the main channel of the Snake river to the mouth of the Clearwater; thence north on the meridian which passes through the mouth of the Clearwater to the boundary line between the United States and the British Possessions; thence west with that boundary line to the Pacific.

ΜΟΝΤΑΝΑ.

The Territory of Montana was organized May 26, 1864, from a portion of Idaho. Its limits, which have been changed but slightly, are given in the following extract from the organizing act:

That all that part of the territory of the United States included within the limits, to-wit: Commencing at a point formed by the intersection of the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington with the forty-fifth degree of north latitude; thence due west on the forty-fifth degree of latitude to a point formed by its inter. section with the thirty-fourth degree of longitude west from Washington; thence due south along said thirty-fourth degree of longitude to its intersection with the fortyfourth degree thirty minutes of north latitude to a point formed by its intersection with the crest of the Rocky mountains; thence following the crest of said Bitter Root mountains; thence northward along the crest of the Bitter Root mountains to its intersection with the thirty-ninth degree of longitude northward to the boundary line of the British Possessions; thence eastward along said boundary to the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west from Washington; thence southward along said twentyseventh degree of longitude to the place of beginning, be, and the same is hereby created into a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Montana. (Thirtyeighth congress, first session.)

In 1873 congress, under the erroneous impression that a portion of Dakota remained west of Wyoming and adjoining Montana, passed an act to attach it to Montana. As, however, no such detached area could by any possibility have existed, the compilers of the Revised Statutes sought to give the act effect by shifting a portion of the southern boundary of Montana from the parallel of 44 degrees 30 minutes to the continental water-shed, thereby reducing Montana's area. The following is the act referred to:

An Act to re-adjust the western boundary of Dakota territory. That all that portion of Dakota territory lying west of the one hundred and eleventh meridian of longi. tude which, by an erroneous definition of the boundaries of said territory by a former act of congress, remains detached and distant from Dakota proper some two hundred miles, be, and the same is hereby attached to the adjoining territory of Montana. (Forty-second congress, third session.)

The boundaries of Montana, 1891, are as follows:

Beginning at the intersection of the twenty-seventh meridian of longitude with the boundary line between the United States and the British Possessions, it follows said meridian south to the forty-fifth meridian, south on the thirty-fourth meridian to th point where that meridian intersects the continental water-shed, thence westward and north-westward, following the line of the continental water-shed and the summit of

the Bitter Root range, to its intersection with the thirty-ninth meridian, thence north on the thirty-ninth meridian to the boundary line between the United States and British Possessions, and east on that boundary line to the point of beginning.

IDAHO.

The territory of Idaho was formed March 3, 1863, from parts of Washington, Dakota and Nebraska. Its original limits, which included, besides the present territory, all of Montana and Wyoming, were given as follows in the act organizing the territory:

That all that part of the territory of the United States included within the following limits, to-wit: Beginning at a point in the middle channel of the Snake river, where the northern boundary of Oregon intersects the same; then follows down said channel of Snake river to the point opposite the mouth of the Kooskooska, or Clearwater river; thence due north to the forty-ninth parallel of latitude; thence east along said parallel to the twenty-seventh degree of longitude west of Washington; thence south along said degree of longitude to the northern boundary of Colorado territory; thence west along said boundary to the thirty-third degree of longitude west of Washington; thence north along said degree to the forty-second parallel of latitude; thence west along said parallel to the eastern boundary of the State of Oregon; thence north along said boundary to the place of beginning. (Thirty-seventh congress, third session)

From this were formed Montana in 1864 (see Montana), and Wyoming (see Wyoming) in 1868, thereby reducing this territory, with the small addition made in 1870 (see Montana), to its present limits. The present boundary line of Idaho is as follows:

Beginning at the intersection of the thirty-ninth meridian with the boundary line between the United States and the British Possessions, it follows said meridian south until it reaches the summit of the Bitter Root mountains; thence south-eastward along the crest of the Bitter Root range and the continental divide, until it intersects the meridian of 34 degrees of longitude; thence southward on this meridian to the fortysecond parallel of latitude; thence west on this parallel of latitude to its intersection with a meridian drawn to the mouth of the Owyhee river; thence down the mid-channel of the Snake river to the mouth of the Clearwater; and thence north on the meridian which passes through the mouth of the Clearwater to the boundary line between the United States and the British Possessions, and thence east on said boundary line to the place of beginning.

WYOMING.

Wyoming was organized as a territory on July 25, 1868, fror territory previously comprised in the territory of Idaho. Its limits, which are the same as originally constituted, are defined in the following clause from the act creating the territory:

That all that part of the United States described as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the twenty-seventh meridian of longitude west from Washington with the forty-fifth degree of north latitude, and running thence west to the thirty-fourth meridian of west longitude, thence south to the forty-first degree of north latitude, thence east to the twenty-seventh meridian of west longitude, and thence north to the place of beginning, be, and the same is hereby organized into a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Wyoming. (Fortieth congress, second session.)

ARIZONA TERRITORY.

Arizona was organized as a territory on February 24, 1863. Its area was formerly comprised in the territory of New Mexico. In 1866 a portion of it was cut off and given to the State of Nevada (see Nevada). The following from the act creating it gives its limits as originally constituted:

That all that part of the present territory of New Mexico west of the line running due south from the point where the south-west corner of the territory of Colorado joins the northern boundary of the territory of New Mexico, to the southern boundary line of said territory of New Mexico, be, and the same is hereby erected into a temporary government, by the name of the Territory of Arizona. (For limits of the piece cut off and added to Nevada, see that state.)

The present boundaries of Arizona are as follows:

Beginning at the point of intersection of the thirty-seventh parallel of latitude with the thirty-second meridian of longitude; thence south along this meridian to its intersection with the boundary line between the United States and Mexico; thence with this boundary to the Colorado river; thence up the middle of the main channel of the Colorado river to its point of intersection with the thirty-seventh meridian of longitude; north on this meridian to its intersection with the thirty-seventh parallel, and eastward along the thirty-seventh parallel to the beginning.

UTAH TERRITORY.

Utah was organized on September 9, 1850, from territory acquired from Mexico by the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. Its limits originally extend from the eastern boundary of California to the Rocky moun tains, and from the thirty-seventh to the forty-second parallel. This area was reduced by the formation, in 1861, of the territories of Nevada and Colorado, and in 1864 and 1866 by the extension eastward of the limits of the State of Nevada. The following is an extract from the act creating the territory:

All that part of the territory of the United States included within the following limits, to-wit: Bounded on the west by the State of California, on the north by the Territory of Oregon, and on the east by the summit of the Rocky mountains, and on the south by the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude, be, and the same is hereby, created into a temporary government, by the name of the Territory of Utah.

The present boundaries of Utah are as follows:

Commencing with the intersection of the forty-second parallel of latitude with the thirty-fourth meridian of longitude, running thence south on that meridian to the forty first parallel of latitude, thence east on that parallel to the thirty-second meridian of longitude; thence south on that meridian to its intersection with the thirty-seventh parallel of latitude; thence west upon this parallel of latitude to the intersection with the thirty-seventh meridian of longitude; thence north on that meridian to its intersec tion with the forty-seventh parallel of latitude; thence east on the forty-seventh parallel of latitude to the point of beginning.

NEW MEXICO.

New Mexico was organized as a territory on December 13, 1850. Its original area formed a part of the region transferred by Mexico to the United States by the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo and by Texas. It was subsequently enlarged by the Gadsden purchase. The formation of Colorado territory in 1861 and of Arizona in 1863, reduced its area to its present limits. (See Colorado above, and Arizona.) The following clause from the act creating the territory gives its original limits:

SECTION 2. And be it further enacted, That all that portion of the territory of the United States bounded as follows: Beginning at a point in the Colorado river, where the boundary line with the Republic of Mexico crosses the same; thence eastwardly with the said boundary line to the Rio Grande; thence following the main chanuel of said river to the parallel of the thirty-second degree of north latitude; thence east with said degree to its intersection with the one hundred and third degree of longitude west of Greenwich; thence north with said degree of longitude to the parallel of 38 degrees of north latitude; thence west with said parallel to the summit of the Sierra Madre; thence south with the crest of said mountains to the thirty-seventh parallel of north latitude; thence west with said parallel to its intersection with the boundary line of the State of California; thence with said boundary line to the place of beginning, be, and the same is hereby erected into a temporary government, by the name of the Territory of New Mexico. (Thirty-first congress, first session.)

The present boundaries of New Mexico are as follows:

Beginning at the point of intersection of the one hundred and third meridian of longitude west of Greenwich with the thirty-seventh parallel of latitude, running thence south to its point of intersection with the twenty-second parallel of latitude; thence west on that parallel to its intersection with the Rio Grande; thence southerly down the main channel with the Rio Grande to its point of intersection with the boundary line between the United States and Mexico, thence with this boundary to its intersection with the thirty-second meridian of longitude; thence north along the meridian to the thirty seventh parallel of latitude, and so along thai parallel to the point of beginning.