Talk:Twelve-Mile Circle

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Contents 1 Potomac 2 New Supreme Court Case 2005/2006 3 Anywhere in the world? 4 Mason and Dixon

[edit] Potomac

It should perhaps be noted that the Potomac River falls entirely within the boundaries of Maryland (and a small part within those of Washington, D.C.).

Actually, the beginning of the Potomac (northern branch) is in Virginia (or maybe West Virgina now, I forget which, and don't have a map handy). According to the original grant, Baron Baltimore was to get the land from the Delaware river up to the 40th parallel, and then west until it hit the meridian of the true source of the Potomac. Because the river flows west then curves north and back east from the "true source" (now considered the Fairfax Stone), then if one follows the meridian south from the 40th parallel, one hits the far side of the Potomac a few miles from the source. A whole article should probably be written about the western border disputes of Maryland and Virginia, including why the Northern Branch, rather than the Southern Branch was eventually accepted as the "true source" of the Potomac. — Eoghanacht ^talk 14:07, 25 September 2005 (UTC)

Or at least change the article so the possession of the whole width of the Delaware River is "unusual" rather than "unique". But pointing to the Potomac River article, or possibly Potomac_River#Legal_issues as well would be nice. — Occasional Reader 22:47, 12 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] New Supreme Court Case 2005/2006

Despite the USSC's ordering in its 1935 decision that New Jersey should be "perpetually enjoined from disputing the sovereignty, jurisdiction, and dominion of the state of Delaware over the territory adjudged to the state of Delaware by this decree," both states are still at it. New Jersey is threatening to unleash a battleship and Delaware may call out the National Guard.

King James II would be proud.

[edit] Anywhere in the world?

Is there information about any other circular bounderies anywhere else? I know I'm asking too much, but I'm honestly (and strangely) curious.--Daniel Trielli 04:41, 19 February 2006 (UTC)

  There are many--all boundaries defined by latitude are circular (or   rather   arc) boundaries.

I doubt that the statement is true, even within the United States. There are thousands of counties and tens of thousands of cities within the United States. Although I cannot name a particular example at this point (too exhaustive a search), it would not surprise me that at least a part of one of their boundaries was defined as a similar arc. I am not just going to leave this assertion at its face value, but shall attempt to find some kind of example, or at least one that appears outwardly on first glance at a map to be one. I shall keep you apprised. Backspace 19:01, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

I'm confused... do you dispute that latitude boundaries are arcs? What "example" are you looking for? --Beefyt 06:41, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I only meant that the statement from the article "The Twelve-Mile Circle is the only territorial boundary in the United States that is a true arc..." is probably not true. I realize that proving a negative is quite hard; you'd pretty much have to examine all possibilities, but then there are a lot of them! I haven't found any yet, but then, I haven't been spending a lot of time looking. Backspace 04:17, 1 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Mason and Dixon

I don't have time, but hopefully someone will eventually enter in the story behind Mason and Dixon setting out the arc (I'm assuming that the events told in Pynchon's "Mason and Dixon" are based on some truth). As I recall, Penn drafted the grant assuming that the arc would intersect perfectly with the Maryland-Delaware border. Mason and Dixon, who were assigned to plot out the border were put in the awkward situation of pointing out this error, thus the "Arc Line". Of course, maybe Pynchon just made it up... —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 65.196.116.2 (talk) 00:20, 4 January 2007 (UTC).