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Indiana-Kentucky Boundary Papers

Indiana and Kentucky Boundary Papers
S1489, OBD35
1938-1951
1 folder, 1 ov. folder

Manuscripts & Rare Books Division
Indiana State Library

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Processed by: Barbara Hilderbrand, March 2007
                         

Historical Note:

In 1935, Kentucky filed a claim against the city of Evansville, Indiana to include real estate in the city on Kentucky tax assessment records.  The state of Kentucky claimed that the land was actually part of the state of Kentucky.  There had been a dispute between Kentucky and Indiana over land boundaries going back to 1820.  The case was brought to the United States Supreme Court in Handley’s Lessee v. Anthony and the court decided that the boundary line was the low water mark of the Ohio River.  However, when the plat maps were made the boundary line used was the high bank mark.

In 1873, Kentucky and Indiana both created commissions to ascertain the true boundary line between them.  In 1877, Kentucky adopted the report of the commission, while Indiana suspended their commission.  The legislature of Indiana gave the Governor the power to enter into negotiations with Kentucky for all the rights and jurisdiction of Green River Island and any lands on the Indiana side of the Ohio River.  The negotiations were unsuccessful and the case again came before the United States Supreme Court in Indiana v. Kentucky in 1890.  The court again found the boundary line to be the low water mark of the Ohio River but stated that it was the low water mark of the river at the time the area was controlled by the commonwealth of Virginia.  They decided that the land then passed to Kentucky when it entered the Union.  In 1944, the boundary was set by the United States Congress and they found that the Evansville Water Works plant was in Indiana.

Scope and Content Note:

This collection contains papers dealing with a land boundary dispute between Indiana and Kentucky dealing with the Evansville, Indiana Water Works plant.

Photocopying Policy:

Manuscript materials CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in their entirety. Photocopies and/or digital images cannot exceed 25% of a collection or a folder within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Check with a Manuscript Librarian for other options.

Item Listing

1 folder.

1938 Dec. 5 Kagan, S. J. to the Evansville City Attorney
1938 Dec. 6 Waren, Leo (Assistant City Attorney of Evansville) to Louis L. Roberts City Attorney
1938 Dec. 6 Summary of the Facts involved in a land dispute between the state of Indiana and the Commonwealth of Kentucky
1938 Dec. 6 Summary of the Facts involved in a land dispute between the state of Indiana and the Commonwealth of Kentucky (Copy)
1939 Jan. 20 Kagan, S. J. to Dr. Christopher B. Coleman
1939  May 3 Roberts, Louis L. to William E. Treadway, Administrative Secretary of the Commission on Interstate Cooperation
1943 May 24 H.J. Resolution 131
1951 The Case of the Missing Slough

OBD35, folder 1.

Undated  Kentucky and Indiana Boundary Commission Report and Plat of Resurvey of Kentucky and Indiana State Boundary Line

Collection Information

Size of Collection: 1 folder (8 items), 1 ov. folder (1 item)
Collection Dates: 1938-1951
Provenance: L. A. Smith, 13 April 1942 and WPA Historical Records Survey, 1939 Jan. 20
Access : The collection is open for research use
Restrictions: None
Reproduction Rights: Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript Section, Indiana State Library.
Language: Materials are entirely in English
Alternate Formats: None
Related Holdings: 
Notes: 

 

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