In 1859, on the formation of the State of Oregon, the residue of the Territory of Oregon, the part extending from the east boundary of the State 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 the State of Washington are as follows: Beginning on the coast at the mouth of Columbia River; following up the main channel of the Columbia to its point of intersection with the forty-sixth parallel of latitude; thence east on the fortysixth parallel to Snake River; thence down the main channel of 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.85

Washington was declared admitted as a State by proclamation dated November 11, 1889, with its limits as above defined. The enabling act was dated February 22, 1889.

See pages 20-21 for survey of the northern boundary, page 211 for survey of the eastern boundary, and page 214 for the survey of the boundary on the forty-sixth parallel.

OREGON.

The Oregon region in early days was a source of many disputes between the United States and Great Britain, which nearly led to war. It was claimed by the United States at different times as a part of the Louisiana Purchase, by right of discovery (see Pl. II), and as a part of the Spanish cession. In the convention of 1818 with Great Britain joint occupancy for 10 years was provided for. This status continued until 1846, when Congress by resolution authorized the President to give notice of its discontinuance. The United States at that time claimed the area as far north as latitude 54° 40', but by the treaty with Great Britain of 1846 (see p. 18) the disputes regarding title were forever settled and the forty-ninth parallel was made the northern boundary.

Oregon Territory was organized August 14, 1848, with boundaries described as follows 87 (see fig. 22):

all that part of the Territory of the United States which lies west of the summit of the Rocky Mountains, north of the forty-second degree of north latitude, known as the Territory of Oregon, shall be organized into and constitute a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Oregon.

See articles relating to the northern boundary in Oregon Hist. Soc. Quart., March and

December, 1919.

86 25 Stat. L. 676.

879 Stat. L. 323.

1904-1906 by the General Land Office. The surveyor who ran the line in 1906 found the tri-State mark about 6 miles too far north. He therefore replaced it with a new mark in the corrected position. (See p. 196.)

The thirty-ninth meridian boundary (116° 03' 02.3" west of Greenwich) was surveyed in 1874 and resurveyed by the United States Geological Survey in 1898-99, and 92 metal or stone marks were placed along a measured distance of 70.7 miles.83

For reference to the northern boundary see page 20, and for the southern boundary see pages 205 and 208.

WASHINGTON.

The Territory of Washington was organized March 2, 1853, from a part of Oregon Territory. (See fig. 22.) Its original limits

FIGURE 22.-Historical diagram of Washington. (The heavy line below the word Snake" does not mark a boundary and should be a light line.)

44

were defined in the following clause from the act of Congress creating it: 84

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 constitute a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Washington.

83 See U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 170 for complete report and plat. 94 10 Stat. L. 172.

In 1859, on the formation of the State of Oregon, the residue of the Territory of Oregon, the part extending from the east boundary of the State 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 the State of Washington are as follows: Beginning on the coast at the mouth of Columbia River; following up the main channel of the Columbia to its point of intersection with the forty-sixth parallel of latitude; thence east on the fortysixth parallel to Snake River; thence down the main channel of 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.85

Washington was declared admitted as a State by proclamation dated November 11, 1889, with its limits as above defined. The enabling act was dated February 22, 1889.

See pages 20-21 for survey of the northern boundary, page 211 for survey of the eastern boundary, and page 214 for the survey of the boundary on the forty-sixth parallel.

OREGON.

The Oregon region in early days was a source of many disputes between the United States and Great Britain, which nearly led to war. It was claimed by the United States at different times as a part of the Louisiana Purchase, by right of discovery (see Pl. II), and as a part of the Spanish cession. In the convention of 1818 with Great Britain joint occupancy for 10 years was provided for. This status continued until 1846, when Congress by resolution authorized the President to give notice of its discontinuance. The United States at that time claimed the area as far north as latitude 54° 40', but by the treaty with Great Britain of 1846 (see p. 18) the disputes regarding title were forever settled and the forty-ninth parallel was made the northern boundary.

Oregon Territory was organized August 14, 1848, with boundaries described as follows 87 (see fig. 22):

all that part of the Territory of the United States which lies west of the summit of the Rocky Mountains, north of the forty-second degree of north latitude, known as the Territory of Oregon, shall be organized into and constitute a temporary government by the name of the Territory of Oregon.

*See articles relating to the northern boundary in Oregon Hist. Soc. Quart., March and

December, 1919.

86 25 Stat. L. 676. 879 Stat. L. 323.

In 1853 the Territory was reduced by the formation of Washington Territory, and on February 14, 1859,88 it was admitted as a State with its present limits. The boundaries were described in the State constitution of 1857 as follows: 89

Beginning one marine league at sea due west from the point where the fortysecond parallel of north latitude intersects the same; thence northerly, at the same distance from the line of the coast lying west and opposite the State, including all islands within the jurisdiction of the United States, to a point due west and opposite the middle of the north ship channel of the Columbia River; thence easterly to and up the middle channel of said river, and, where it is divided by islands, up the middle of the widest channel thereof, and in like manner up the middle of the main channel of Snake River to the mouth of the Owyhee River; thence due south to the parallel of latitude forty-two degrees north; thence west along said parallel to the place of beginning, including jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases upon the Columbia River and Snake River concurrently with States and Territories of which those rivers form a boundary in common with this State. But the Congress of the United States, in providing for the admission of this State into the Union, may make the said northern boundary conform to the act creating the Territory of Washington.

The United States act of February 14, 1859, concludes the description as follows: 90

to a point near Fort Walla-Walla, where the forty-sixth parallel of north latitude crosses said river; thence east on said parallel to the middle of the main channel of the Shoshonnes or Snake River; thence up the middle of main channel of said river, to the mouth of the Owyhee River; thence due south, to the parallel of latitude forty-two degrees north; thence west, along said parallel, to the place of beginning.

The Oregon-Washington boundary on the forty-sixth parallel, between Snake and Columbia rivers, was surveyed and marked in 1863-64 under the direction of the General Land Office. The latitude used was derived from more than 500 observations with the sextant. Two observation stations were occupied, one near the foot of Cathedral Rock on the Columbia, the other near Cottonwood Creek on the west side of the Blue Mountains. A random line was run between them, which showed an apparent difference of latitude of 4". The final line was run on the mean latitude. Marks were set at mile intervals for 42 miles east from the Columbia, then at irregular intervals over the Blue Mountains. The measured length of the line was 96 miles 57 chains. The easternmost mark, which was placed 3 chains from the west bank of Snake River, was a 7-foot post 12 inches in diameter, marked "W" on the north, "O" on the south, and "46 L 1868" on the east side, and set in a 6-foot pile of stones.

By a joint resolution approved June 10, 1910,90 Congress gave its consent to the States of Oregon and Washington to fix their com

88 11 Stat. L. 383.

89 Thorpe, F. N., op. cit., vol. 5, p. 3015.

90 11 Stat. L. 383.

00 36 Stat. L. 881. See also 211 U. S. 127 and 214 U. S. 217.

mon boundary in Columbia River and to cede the one to the other islands the title to which had been in dispute, but up to the present time no action appears to have been taken by either State to make use of the authority thus granted.

CALIFORNIA.

The area included in the present State of California is part of that acquired from Mexico by the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848. (See fig. 1.) From July 4, 1848, until December 20, 1849, it was under military control, the commanding officer of the military force stationed there acting as provisional governor. From the latter date until Congress passed the act for the admission of California to the Union, approved September 9, 1850,91 a form of local government was in effect.

The boundaries of the State, as described in the constitution of 1849, are as follows: 92

Commencing at the point of intersection of forty-second degree of north latitude with the one hundred and twentieth degree of longitude west from Greenwich, and running south on the line of said one hundred and twentieth degree of west longitude until it intersects the thirty-ninth degree of north latitude; thence running in a straight line in a southeasterly direction to the river Colorado, at a point where it intersects the thirty-fifth degree of north latitude; thence down the middle of the channel of said river to the boundary line between the United States and Mexico as established by the treaty of May 30, 1848; thence running west and along said boundary line to the Pacific Ocean, and extending therein three English miles; thence running in a northwesterly direction and following the direction of the Pacific coast to the forty-second degree of north latitude; thence on the line of said forty-second degree of north latitude to the place of beginning. Also all the islands, harbors, and bays along and adjacent to the Pacific coast.

For reference to surveys of the eastern boundary see pages 209-210. The principal islands claimed as part of the State of California

are:

Santa Catalina and San Clemente, 20 to 50 miles off the coast, included in Los Angeles County.

San Nicolas, 60 miles from the coast, included in Ventura County. Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel, 20 to 25 miles from the Coast, included in Santa Barbara County.

These and many other less important islands passed under the control of the United States in consequence of the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. The question of sovereignty over these islands has been raised several times, the claim being made that as they were not mentioned in the treaty of 1848, Mexico had not given up its title to them, but it is evident from the following references that it was

9 Stat. L. 452.

Thorpe, F. N., op. cit., vol. 1, p. 405.