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To: Red Badger

Ok ... as a Hoosier expat, I’m curious. I suppose the question is how the border was defined originally.

Ohio, Indiana and Illinois had an epic, decades long battle with Kentucky over the state line, which was originally defined as the north bank of the Ohio River. Since the Ohio River got the Corps of Engineers treatment long ago, with locks and dams for navigation, it has not been a natural river for a loooong time.

That was a very minor issue as long as the friction arose from Kentucky revenooers prowling the north bank to make sure nobody was fishing in Kentucky’s river without a Kentucky fishing license, or putting in a small boat without paying Kentucky for the privilege.

But then Kentucky started getting greedy on water intake and discharges, with Kentucky running shakedown rackets on Ohio, Indiana and Illinois cities, towns, power plants, barge loading stations, and industrial development. It eventually went to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the border was now out in midstream, so Kentucky couldn’t extort tribute. I.e., Kentucky got too greedy and got slapped down.

But what’s the issue between Indiana and Michigan? How was the border defined originally? They had precise surveys at the time, so I’m reasonably sure it wasn’t one of those “straight line due west from the big oak tree in Cletus Smith’s cornfield” things.


7 posted on 11/30/2025 7:36:45 PM PST by sphinx
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To: sphinx

They used wooden markers apparently that have long since rotted away..............


8 posted on 11/30/2025 7:40:13 PM PST by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: sphinx

My gripe is with those little enclaves created when the boundary rivers changed course, but the state boundaries didn’t.


12 posted on 11/30/2025 11:37:15 PM PST by rxh4n1
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