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Sep. 18th, 2007 11:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
learnedaxSo ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
komos pointed out to me a few days ago that if you look at the southern border of Massachusetts there's a random little square that juts out into what would clearly otherwise be Connecticut. It's got barely anything in it (the "populated place" of Gillett Corner, which is, I guess, not quite a town), and encompasses most of Lake Congamund, though random bits are part of CT (like, say, the land ends of several docks that then cross the border into MA).
So I wrote to the representative for the district this odd border chunk is in, politely inquiring if there were some good historic reason for it, and perhaps a name associated with it. Today she replied
...
Really? I'm overwhelmed with the high level of discourse our lawmakers maintain.
Independentlykomos turned up the information that it's called The Southwick Jog and exists because of a colorful history of partisan border surveyors and complex legal battles, with towns trying desperately to flee Massachusetts's high taxes and Connecticut ultimately compromising by giving back a 2.5 mi2 block to Massachusetts, but clinging to the eastern shore of the lake contained therein, finally settling the matter 162 years after the initial border dispute.
... which is just the sort of thing I was hoping the good representative would explain.
komos pointed out to me a few days ago that if you look at the southern border of Massachusetts there's a random little square that juts out into what would clearly otherwise be Connecticut. It's got barely anything in it (the "populated place" of Gillett Corner, which is, I guess, not quite a town), and encompasses most of Lake Congamund, though random bits are part of CT (like, say, the land ends of several docks that then cross the border into MA).So I wrote to the representative for the district this odd border chunk is in, politely inquiring if there were some good historic reason for it, and perhaps a name associated with it. Today she replied
Mr. [learnedax],
That particular jog is because of the congomond lakes structure.
...
Really? I'm overwhelmed with the high level of discourse our lawmakers maintain.
Independently
komos turned up the information that it's called The Southwick Jog and exists because of a colorful history of partisan border surveyors and complex legal battles, with towns trying desperately to flee Massachusetts's high taxes and Connecticut ultimately compromising by giving back a 2.5 mi2 block to Massachusetts, but clinging to the eastern shore of the lake contained therein, finally settling the matter 162 years after the initial border dispute.... which is just the sort of thing I was hoping the good representative would explain.
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Date: 2007-09-18 05:21 pm (UTC)The Penn Boys claiming the land "from 12 miles north of Newcastle towne" away from the hands of Baron Baltimore has a great charm, I think.
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Date: 2007-09-18 05:25 pm (UTC)The "this century" litigation between NJ and Delaware around Newcastle is particularly interesting, since it did affect commerce and building of factories in NJ.
And the second Supreme Court ruling which essentially said "Told you once - won't tell you again without some smack-down first" is amusing.