12′′.39, longitude 72° 49′ 13′′.51; thence north 82° 17′ west 242 chains 40 links to a white oak tree, marked by commissioners in 1717, which is in latitude 42° 02′ 15′′.84, longitude 72° 52′ 47′′.74; thence north 84° 24′ west 205 chains 50 links; thence north 85° 7' west 62 chains 15 links; thence north 82° 52′ west 109 chains 35 links to a stone monument in latitude 42° 02′ 17′′.03, longitude 72° 58′ 22′′.52; thence north 82° 52′ west 275 chains 91 links; thence north 81° 45′ west 70 chains; thence north 81° 50′ west 328 chains 74 links to a stone monument, which is in latitude 42° 02′ 31′′.11, longitude 73° 07′ 35′′.94; thence north 82° 11′ west 395 chains 50 links; thence north 82° 9' west 430 chains; thence north 82° 52′ west 140 chains to a stone monument on the road from Salisbury to Sheffield, which is in latitude 42° 02′ 58′′.11, longitude 73° 22′ 55′′.27; thence north 82° 52′ west 239 chains 39 links; thence north 85° 30′ west 239 chains to the northwest corner of Connecticut, which is in latitude 42° 02′ 58".54, longitude 73° 30' 06".66.

According to the survey of the cession of Boston Corners, by Massachusetts to New York, in 1855, the south boundary of Massachusetts from the northwest corner of Connecticut to the southwest corner of Massachusetts is as follows, viz:

A line running north 89° 08′ 4′′ west, 40 chains, by the true meridian. The courses of the line of 1803 are magnetic, with the variation as at that date, i. e., 5° west.

The latitudes and longitudes in the foregoing are taken from the Borden Trigonometrical Survey of Massachusetts of 1843.

In 1826 the line between Massachusetts and Connecticut east of the Connecticut River was run by commissioners appointed from each State. An abstract of the commissioners' report is here given:

Abstract of report of commissioners of 1826.-The commissioners first made the following survey: Commencing at the northeast corner of Connecticut, at a large pile of stones erected by commissioners of 1734; thence running due west on the latitude of 42° 3′ north to the west line of Woodstock, 15 miles 169 rods 15 links. (This is hereafter referred to as the "first line of latitude.") Thence north 3° west 54 rods 19 links to an old pine tree, the reputed northeast corner of Union; thence due west 25 miles 168 rods to Connecticut River. (This line is hereinafter referred to as the "second line of latitude," and the second line of latitude is 54 rods north of the first.) These lines of latitude were compared with the ancient survey, monuments, evidence, etc., of the line run by the commissioners of 1713; the said lines of latitude were found to vary in sundry places therefrom. Therefore, in order to conform as near as possible to the line of 1713, the line was run as follows, viz:

Beginning at the northeast corner of Connecticut and running west on "first line of latitude" 1,702 rods and 4 links to the road to the Merino road; thence in a direct line 1,372 rods 20 links to the road leading from Muddy Brook, so called, by Pennel May's to Southbridge; this point is 21 rods 10 links north of the "first line of latitude;" thence in a direct line 360 rods 5 links to the Norwich and Woodstock turnpike (this point is 20 rods and 5 links north of "first line of lati

NORFOLK I

COLE BROOK

HARTLAND

WEBSTER

THOMPSON

42°

tude"); thence in a direct line 954 rods 18 links to the road leading from West Woodstock by Abel Mason's to Southbridge (this point is 10 rods and 22 links north of "first line of latitude"); thence in a direct line 1,247 rods to the road leading from Union by Asher Bodgen's to Holland (this point is 2 rods 14 links south of "second line of latitude"); thence in a direct line 1,127 rods to the turnpike from Hertford, through Stafford and Holland, to Worcester (this point is 6 rods 23 links south of the "second line of latitude"); thence in a direct line 467 rods to an old white oak tree, an ancient bound, on the road from Stafford by Robert Andruss' to South Brimfield (this point is 1 rod 2 links south of "second line of latitude"); thence in a direct line of 1,615 rods to the road leading from Stafford by Henry Cady's to Monson (this point is 16 rods 15 links south of "second line of latitude"); thence in a direct line 256 rods to the Tracy road (this point is 12 rods 12 links south of "second line of latitude"); thence in a direct line 620 rods to the road leading from Stafford by Seth Sheldon's to South Wilbraham (this point is 14 rods 7 links south of "second line of latitude"); thence in-a direct line 1,066 rods to the road from Somer's by Walter Ainsworth's to Springfield (this point is 4 rods 1 link north of "second line of latitude"); thence in a direct line 523 rods to the road from Somer's by Abel Peas's to Springfield (this point is 6 rods 12 links south of the "second line of latitude"); thence due west 645 rods to the ancient line between Springfield (now Long Meadow) and Enfield; thence south 80° 30' west by the true meridian 645 rods to a monument at an old oak stump; thence south 51° 30' west by the true meridian 164 rods 18 links to a monument at an old pine stump; thence due west 349 rods 15 links to a monument on the Connecticut River 12 rods from the shore; thence due west to the Connecticut River. On the line are erected 49 monument stones, marked on the north side M and on the south side C.

The commissioners also surveyed and marked the line from the corner of Connecticut to the corner of Rhode Island, reporting as follows:

Beginning at the monument erected at the northeast corner of said State of Connecticut and running in a direct line to the ancient heap of stones on the north side of the turnpike leading from Hertford to Boston, through Thompson and Douglass, where we erected a monument, and thence running in a direct line to the northwest corner of the State of Rhode Island.

(For survey of 1826, see Private Laws of Conn., vol. 2, pages 1544 to 1550.)

The boundary between Massachusetts and New York at an early period became a subject of bitter dispute, New York claiming to the west bank of the Connecticut River, under the charters of 1664 and 1674 to the Duke of York, Massachusetts claiming, under her old charters, to the South Sea. After many fruitless attempts at a settle

ment, an arrangement was entered into in 1773 fixing the western boundary of Massachusetts where it meets New York territory. The Revolution following soon after, 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, viz:

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. (Vide Revised Statutes of New York, 1875, p. 122.)

The claims of Massachusetts to western lands 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 mile-stone of the Pennsylvania line, excepting certain reservations upon Niagara River. The title to a tract known as "The Boston Ten Towns," lying east of this meridian, previously granted by Massachusetts, was also confirmed. (Vide Hough's N. Y. Gaz., 1872, pp. 25, 26.)

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

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

In 1853 a small portion of territory in the southwestern corner of Massachusetts, known as Boston Corner, was ceded to New York, and the cession confirmed by Congress in 1855.

The cession of Boston Corner to New York changes the boundary, so that it is now as follows, viz:

Beginning at a monument erected in 1731 by commissioners from Connecticut and New York (known as the Connecticut monument), standing in the south boundary of Massachusetts, latitude 42° 02′ 58′′.54, longitude 73° 30' 06".66, which is the northwest corner of the State of Connecticut; thence along the south boundary of Massachusetts, north 89° 08′ 41′′ west, 40 chains; thence north 12° 57' 16" west 207.495 chains to a marble post marked on the east side M. S., on the west side N. Y., and on the south side 1853, which is in the line run by United States commissioners in 1787; thence north 15° 12′ 9′′ east on the line run by said United States commissioners ( 47 miles 73.705 chains) to a red or black oak tree marked by said United States commissioners, in the south boundary of the State of Vermont, latitude 42° 44′

a This distance has been obtained by subtracting the length of the west line of Boston Corner given in survey of 1853 from the entire length of west boundary of Massachusetts as given by the United States commissioners in 1787.