The dip in the Conn and Mass state line.

[drc72]

I never understood why Connecticut allowed Mass to have that dip into our state. The stateline is relatively straight until you get to the I91 corrider, but then it straightens out once you pass Sourthwick going West.. Does anybody know the history on that dip? I think we should annex it so the border with Mass would become completely straight.

drc72

[Cotuit]

Does anybody know the history on that dip?

I believe it resulted from some sort of colonial era surveying error (of which there were many). Turned out there was a settlement that thought it was in one state, but was really in the other. The states did a few land swaps to make the settlement be in the actual state it thought it was in, but maintain the area of both states, the result was the little dip. Most of the state lines up here aren't perfectly straight. They run from point to point in straight lines, but those points don't all line up in an exactly straight line.

[mr2448]

I believe it resulted from some sort of colonial era surveying error (of which there were many). Turned out there was a settlement that thought it was in one state, but was really in the other. The states did a few land swaps to make the settlement be in the actual state it thought it was in, but maintain the area of both states, the result was the little dip. Most of the state lines up here aren't perfectly straight. They run from point to point in straight lines, but those points don't all line up in an exactly straight line.

There is currently a border dispute on the Ct-RI border in Foster, RI. Sterling or Killingly has started sending tax bill to Foster residents.

Mark

[drc72]

There is currently a border dispute on the Ct-RI border in Foster, RI. Sterling or Killingly has started sending tax bill to Foster residents.

Mark

Yeah I heard about a CT/RI dispute going on. Supposedly that will be resolved with satelite imaging.

I believe it resulted from some sort of colonial era surveying error (of which there were many). Turned out there was a settlement that thought it was in one state, but was really in the other. The states did a few land swaps to make the settlement be in the actual state it thought it was in, but maintain the area of both states, the result was the little dip. Most of the state lines up here aren't perfectly straight. They run from point to point in straight lines, but those points don't all line up in an exactly straight line.

I noticed RI's northern border with Mass is not all that straight either. Resulting in Mass getting a little more out of the deal.

[Cotuit]

Yeah I heard about a CT/RI dispute going on. Supposedly that will be resolved with satelite imaging.

I noticed RI's northern border with Mass is not all that straight either. Resulting in Mass getting a little more out of the deal.

Rhode Island and Mass. swapped land a lot even into the post-colonial era. Much of Rhode Island's East Bay was once part of Massachusetts, that's why we both have Bristol Counties. The eastern border of RI is very strange.

Providence is actually where it is now because of a border dispute. When Roger Williams was expelled from the Plimoth Bay Colony he originally settled in what is now East Providence, but the officials in Plimoth Bay told him to keep moving because that was theirs, so he ended up on the other side of the river in present day Providence.

[drc72]

Rhode Island and Mass. swapped land a lot even into the post-colonial era. Much of Rhode Island's East Bay was once part of Massachusetts, that's why we both have Bristol Counties. The eastern border of RI is very strange.

Providence is actually where it is now because of a border dispute. When Roger Williams was expelled from the Plimoth Bay Colony he originally settled in what is now East Providence, but the officials in Plimoth Bay told him to keep moving because that was theirs, so he ended up on the other side of the river in present day Providence.

Is the CT/RI border dispute still going on?

[redbaron]

I never understood why Connecticut allowed Mass to have that dip into our state. The stateline is relatively straight until you get to the I91 corrider, but then it straightens out once you pass Sourthwick going West.. Does anybody know the history on that dip? I think we should annex it so the border with Mass would become completely straight.

drc72

Growing up in Suffield,, I'm very familiar with the Jog, here is some info from the state library:

Connecticut's "Southwick Jog"

The notch in Connecticut's northern border, just above Granby, is sometimes called the "Southwick Jog".

In 1642 Massachusetts hired two surveyors, Nathaniel Woodward and Solomon Saffery, to survey the boundary between that colony and Connecticut. However, the point they established as the western end of the line was disputed by Connecticut and ultimately found to be eight miles too far south. According to a pamphlet in our vertical file, for the next 60 years, "surveyors hired by either Connecticut or Massachusetts set a number of boundaries favorable to the colony that employed them. The only result of these surveys was increased animosity between the two colonies. Even a joint survey in 1702 did little to settle the affair.

"To complicate matters, the citizens of Enfield, Somers, Suffield and Woodstock, unhappy with Massachusetts' high taxes, applied for admission into Connecticut in 1724. These towns claimed they were included within Connecticut's original boundaries and were entitled to return to that state."

"Naturally, Massachusetts refused to give them up, but in 1749 Connecticut voted to acquire them. A verbal battle raged for years, reaching crisis proportions. Appeals to England were ignored, since that country was embroiled in the Seven Years' War."

"In 1768, Massachusetts laid formal claim to the four towns; however, Connecticut did nothing about the edict and continued to govern them."

Following the Revolutionary War, in 1793, both states appointed Boundary Commissioners to run a straight boundary from Union, Connecticut to the New York state line. In 1797 the Commissioners recommended that a disputed 2.5 square mile tract be awarded to Massachusetts as compensation for its earlier losses of Suffield, Woodstock, Somers, and Enfield to Connecticut. However, it was not until 1804 that Connecticut agreed to yet another compromise that partitioned the 2.5 mile area at Congamond Lakes with Massachusetts receiving 5/8 of the disputed parcel along the west shore and Connecticut receiving the remainder, along the east shore.

[drc72]

Growing up in Suffield,, I'm very familiar with the Jog, here is some info from the state library:

Connecticut's "Southwick Jog"

The notch in Connecticut's northern border, just above Granby, is sometimes called the "Southwick Jog".

In 1642 Massachusetts hired two surveyors, Nathaniel Woodward and Solomon Saffery, to survey the boundary between that colony and Connecticut. However, the point they established as the western end of the line was disputed by Connecticut and ultimately found to be eight miles too far south. According to a pamphlet in our vertical file, for the next 60 years, "surveyors hired by either Connecticut or Massachusetts set a number of boundaries favorable to the colony that employed them. The only result of these surveys was increased animosity between the two colonies. Even a joint survey in 1702 did little to settle the affair.

"To complicate matters, the citizens of Enfield, Somers, Suffield and Woodstock, unhappy with Massachusetts' high taxes, applied for admission into Connecticut in 1724. These towns claimed they were included within Connecticut's original boundaries and were entitled to return to that state."

"Naturally, Massachusetts refused to give them up, but in 1749 Connecticut voted to acquire them. A verbal battle raged for years, reaching crisis proportions. Appeals to England were ignored, since that country was embroiled in the Seven Years' War."

"In 1768, Massachusetts laid formal claim to the four towns; however, Connecticut did nothing about the edict and continued to govern them."

Following the Revolutionary War, in 1793, both states appointed Boundary Commissioners to run a straight boundary from Union, Connecticut to the New York state line. In 1797 the Commissioners recommended that a disputed 2.5 square mile tract be awarded to Massachusetts as compensation for its earlier losses of Suffield, Woodstock, Somers, and Enfield to Connecticut. However, it was not until 1804 that Connecticut agreed to yet another compromise that partitioned the 2.5 mile area at Congamond Lakes with Massachusetts receiving 5/8 of the disputed parcel along the west shore and Connecticut receiving the remainder, along the east shore.

Mass was already a huge state. I can't believe they cried about losing 4 town to Conn. I still think that dip should belong to CT. By the way excellent post, very informative,.

[LItoCT]

I don't think the OP was talking about Southwick jog but rather the dip in the state line south of Springfield at I-91.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Springfield,...073954,0.244446

[runawayjim]

in a geography or history class when i was in middle school, i learned the following...

in the colonial days, MA owned some land in or near what is now ohio. CT was given that land in exchange for agawam (that small dip in the northern boundary of the state). obviously, CT has no claims to that land anymore... so CT got the short end of the deal.

[beerbeer]

Actuallly Connecticut kept the land in Ohio. I believe Rowland sold to Ohio in the last 15 years or so.

[runawayjim]

Actuallly Connecticut kept the land in Ohio. I believe Rowland sold to Ohio in the last 15 years or so.

interesting... i wonder how that worked...

had rowland really been governor that long?!?!

[Cotuit]

I remember hearing something about Ohio not actually being properly chartered and if you wanted to be technical, it's statehood was in question.

At one point, a number of the colonies did indeed claim that they crossed to the Mississippi River in straight lines. This was known as the Western Claims. Connecticut held on to Northwestern Ohio longer and the area that now includes Cleveland is known as the Western Reserve.

[drc72]

I don't think the OP was talking about Southwick jog but rather the dip in the state line south of Springfield at I-91.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Springfield,...073954,0.244446

Actually both.

[LItoCT]

You know, I was just looking and if it weren't for that dip at Agawam half of Six Flags New England would be in CT...you guys in CT should invade the and annex Six Flags.

[drc72]

You know, I was just looking and if it weren't for that dip at Agawam half of Six Flags New England would be in CT...you guys in CT should invade the and annex Six Flags.

Well somebody did say that CT owned Agawam at one time. But anyways I still hate that dip. It looks so freaking ugly and Mass of all states doesn't deserve it.