3 messages. Also: I belive the Red River boundary between Texas and
Oklahoma has a very long, complex, and bitter history. There have been
past commissions. I have not looked at this in a long time, but it should
be well covered in the literature (boundary studies and historical geography)
The boundary was a major problem in the post Civil War period. Some money
must be involved for this to become a major problem today. Wonder what it
is? All the boundary problems in this country are only studied and litigated
when the profit is high enought for one side.---------Johnnie
Also: To elaborate on P. Andrew's comments in the second message below:
Dr. DeVorsey is one of the leading experts on historical boundaries in the
United States. He has been an expert witness in many boundary cases.
However I am sure the South Carolina folk did/do not view him as helpful in
the GA/SC boundary case, as Dr. DeVorsey was an expert witness for Georgia.
(The reason for the GA/SC case, which involved only the mouth of the Savannah
River, was mining rights off the coast. The court compromise upheld most of
the SC claims. There are much earlier GA/SC boundary cases. There are
currently major problems with the Tennessee - Georgia boundary. One of the
early land frauds in the U.S. saw Georgia sell land that was later found to
be in other states - well Georgia saw no reason why it could not sell
Mississippi River bottom lands!).-----------------Johnnie
------------------------------------------Johnnie
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Date: Tue, 09 Jan 1996 21:06:57 -0500 (EST)
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Oklahoma-Texas Border Commission
Linda Zellmer wrote,
" There was an interesting article in Sunday's _Denver Post_ about a
new commission that has been appointed to determine the CORRECT
location of the Texas-Oklahoma Border, which is technically the south
side of the Red River as it was some time in the 1830s (I think the
date is correct, I am writing this from memory).
Of course, trying to determine the location of the river at that
time is difficult, if not impossible."
Interesting. If that definition of the border is accurate, it would
be an exception to a long-established system for defining river
borders. On the Mississippi, for example, state borders usually
follow the middle of the river until there is a meander cut-off
or unless an island moves across the stream by natural processes.
Speculating, I would imagine that the trouble with the Texas border,
like so many Texan legal peculiarities, is connected to its
status as an "independent" republic before joining the United
States.
-Frank E. Reed
Clockwork Software, Inc.
http://www.clockwk.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 08:50:19 -0400 (EDT)
>From: [log in to unmask] (Paige Andrew)
>Subject: Re: Oklahoma-Texas Border Commission
Linda,
Perhaps a call to Dr. Louis DeVorsey at the University of Georgia would be
helpful. He was, from my understanding, a big help in helping to clarify the
centuries-old border dispute between Georgia and South Carolina. Johnnie can
probably give you more details and/or suggest other experts who helped with
the GA/SC border "resolution".
Paige
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hello All,
>
> There was an interesting article in Sunday's _Denver Post_ about a
>new commission that has been appointed to determine the CORRECT
>location of the Texas-Oklahoma Border, which is technically the south
>side of the Red River as it was some time in the 1830s (I think the
>date is correct, I am writing this from memory).
>
> Of course, trying to determine the location of the river at that
>time is difficult, if not impossible. However, the question of the
>border's location causes all kinds of confusion--who answers
>emergency calls (police, fire and ambulance), taxation, and so on.
>
>Anyway, this commission has until 1998 to address the problem. There
>have been other commissions in the past that were unsuccessful.
>
>Any ideas from map people?
>
>Linda Zellmer
>University of Wyoming
>
Mr. Paige G. Andrew
Maps/Nonbook Cataloger
E506 Pattee Library
Pennsylvania State University Libraries
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA 16802
[log in to unmask]
phone: 814-865-1755
fax: 814-863-7293
----------------------------------------------------------------------
>From: "Tom" <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 09:04:59 EST
>Subject: Re: Oklahoma-Texas Border Commission
Linda, et al:
They may have to activate their National Guard units to occupy
contested territory. I seem to remember something like that
happenning between Indiana and Kentucky along the Ohio River to
protect a New Albany power plant from annexation.
Tom
Tom Hanley, Department of Chemistry and Geology, Columbus
College, 4225 University Ave., Columbus, Georgia 31907-5645.
email: [log in to unmask]
phone: 706-568-2075 (secretary and answering machine).
706-568-2074 (office)
FAX: 706-569-3133
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