Box 23, Folder 4: Wisconsin: Geographical & Topographical 1844

[library marks MAR 14 1952 A 11602]

PREFACE.

THIS WORK is now given to the public with the hope not only of furnishing the thousands of new comers, who are annually flocking to our Territory, and to others, in a cheap and convenient form, a large amount of useful information, which it would be difficult for them to obtain from any other source; but also to preserve for the future historian many interesting facts which might otherwise soon be forgotten and lost. The author is fully sensible of its defects and omissions, but hopes that due allowance will be made, when it is considered that this is the first attempt of the kind relative to a country more than twice the extent of the great State of New-York, which has been made public. Many parts of the country are but thinly peopled, and but little communication exist between them and other settlements, so that it is difficult to ascertain what are their extent, population, improvements, &c. New settlements are commenced almost every day, and soon grow into important places without any notice being taken of them by the public. Towns and villages spring up so rapidly that one has to "keep a sharp look out" to be informed even of their names and location, to say nothing about their population, trade, buildings, &c. The building of a town has in a great degree ceased to be a matter of much interest — as much so as an earthquake formerly did in some parts of Missouri, where a traveller having stopped at a log cabin, was much concerned to hear the dishes begin to rattle on the shelves, and make a disagreeable kind of music, at which the chairs and

6

BOUNDARIES AND EXTENT.

United States lying between the State of Michigan on the east, and the Mississipi on the west, which separates it from the Territory of Iowa; and between the State of Illinois on the south and the British Possessions on the north; extending from forty-two and a half, to the forty-ninth degree of north latitude, and embracing about ten degrees of longitude. Taking the length of a degree of latitude and longitude in this part of the globe, it is ascertained that Wisconsin is about five hundred and fifteen miles from east to west, and four hundred and forty-nine miles from north to south, measuring from the extreme points. But the average or mean extent of the Territory in longitude [margin 185] is only about four and one third degrees, or two hundred and six or seven miles, showing a superficial area of about ninety ^eighty^-three thousand ^& 65^ square miles or sections or nearly twenty-six hundred townships of six miles square each. Wisconsin is, therefore, more than one-half larger than Virginia, (the largest state in the Union,) and more than twice as large as the State of NewYork. This calculation, however, is only an approximation to the truth, for so little is accurately known of the course of the Menomonee, Montreal, and a part of the Mississippi rivers, that no accurate estimate can be made of the extent of territory embraced within the limits of Wisconsin. The Menomonee has been ascertained to have a course very different from what was supposed, at the time it was selected as a part of the boundary; and a revision of that portion of the boundary between Michigan and Wisconsin which lies between Green Bay and Lake Superior becomes ne-

[sheet of handwritten paper over page 7 DISPUTED BOUNDARIES.]

Average extent of Wisconsin in Longitude on the parallel of 42 1/2 — 145 miles 43 — 174 " 43 1/2 — 176 " 44 — 202 " 44 1/2 — 250 45 — 283 45 1/2 — 318 46 — 288 46 1/2 — 164 47 — 63 47 1/2 — 187 48 — 231 48 1/2 — 90 49 — 20

14) 2591 Average — 185 Length N & S. 249 Area — 83.065

DISPUTED BOUNDARIES. 7

cessary, and will probably soon receive the action of Congress. A survey was made in 1840 and 1841, by Captain Cram, and it now only remains for Congress to decide upon the exact boundary. The Wasecota, a branch of the Menomonee, is ascertained to have its source nearest the Lake of the Desert, and will therefore probably be established as part of the boundary.

Wisconsin being a part of the "Territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio river," claims, and indeed, Congress has by direct action, confirmed to her* all the rights and privileges secured by the ordinance of Congress of July 13, 1787, one of which is, "that Congress shall have authority to form one or two States in that part of said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan"; thereby fixing unalterably (without common consent) the southern boundaries of Michigan and Wisconsin. Notwithstanding this plain provision of the ordinance, which is declared to be "articles of compact between the original States, and the people and States in the said territory, and forever to remain unalterable unless by common consent," yet Congress in establishing the boundaries of the State of Illinois, extended that State about sixty miles north of the line thus unalterably established by —— *In the act establishing the Territory of Wisconsin, section twelve, where it is expressly declared "that the inhabitants of the said Territory shall be entitled to enjoy, all and singular the rights and advantages granted and secured to the people of the territory of the United States northwest of the Ohio river by the articles of compact contained in the ordinance for the government of the said Territory, passed on the thirteenth day of July, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven."

8 DISPUTED BOUNDARIES.

the ordinance. This is claimed to be obviously unjust and contrary to the spirit and letter of the compact with the original States. The subject of reclaiming this portion of our territory has been agitated in the Legislative Assembly^.^ , and it is probable that Wisconsin will insist upon her rights when she is admitted into the Union as an independent State. Michigan was compelled by superior influence to submit to a compromise by which she obtained, besides other valuable considerations, a much larger portion of territory than that in dispute; and Wisconsin may from the same cause be obliged to submit to wrong for want of ability to enforce her rights.

It is also contended to many that the portion of country set off to Michigan on Lake Superior, between the straits of Mackina and the Montreal river, as a compensation in part, for the strip of land given to Ohio from her southern border, should also have constituted a portion of Wisconsin; and especially as Michigan never made the least claim to it, and as the convenience of the inhabitants (when it becomes inhabited) will be best consulted by uniting them with Wisconsin. The validity of our claim to this territory however, may be questioned; for it cannot be made out as clearly as in the case of the territory given to Illinois.

The difficulties which it has been apprehended might at some future time arise between the United States and Great Britain relative to that portion of our northern boundary lying between Lake Superior and the Lake of the Woods, have been prevented by the settlement of that question in the treaty of 1842, usually