Kentucky geography and borders with other states (Henderson, Paris: homes, earthquake)

[marino760]

I'm finding the KY state borders with other states quite interesting and perhaps others here that are more knowledgeable than I am can shed some light on this.

The KY border with the states of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana extend past the Ohio River in some spots into towns and counties in these other states. Also, there is a small area totally within the state of Missouri and not physically connected to the rest of KY which belongs to KY.

How did this happen with the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers being the traditional boundary of KY? Are these geographical oddities the result of the river shifting due to the New Madrid earthquake or were these borders already like this when KY became the 15th state admitted to the Union?

[kygman]

The state lines were set as the northern border of the Ohio River...in 1792. Since then the river has shifted south. Silt deposited on the northern bank and washed off the southern. Driving from Henderson to Evansville Indiana, the state line is close to a mile on the other side of the river.
There's one part of Kentucky where you have to drive to Tennessee to get to it.
https://www.kentuckytourism.com/the-...-kentucky-bend

Another little bit of trivia, did you know Kentucky has more navigable miles of water than any other state, except Alaska?
90,000 miles of streams provides one of the most expansive and complex stream systems in the nation.
It is also the home of the largest lake by volume (Lake Cumberland) and by acreage (Kentucky Lake) east of the Mississippi River.

[marino760]

Originally Posted by kygman

The state lines were set as the northern border of the Ohio River...in 1792. Since then the river has shifted south. Silt deposited on the northern bank and washed off the southern. Driving from Henderson to Evansville Indiana, the state line is close to a mile on the other side of the river.
There's one part of Kentucky where you have to drive to Tennessee to get to it.
https://www.kentuckytourism.com/the-...-kentucky-bend

Another little bit of trivia, did you know Kentucky has more navigable miles of water than any other state, except Alaska?
90,000 miles of streams provides one of the most expansive and complex stream systems in the nation.
It is also the home of the largest lake by volume (Lake Cumberland) and by acreage (Kentucky Lake) east of the Mississippi River.

Thank you!!! I'm a geography and history buff and this question has been gnawing at me for some time.

[recycled]

Originally Posted by marino760

Thank you!!! I'm a geography and history buff and this question has been gnawing at me for some time.

There was an interesting educational series on the History Channel called How the States Got Their Shapes. It had a total of 29 episodes, so in most episodes they discuss the boundaries of several states. Like Kygman pointed out with the KY river boundaries, nature eventually overpowers all else so it is not surprising that the mighty Ohio and Mississippi have changed course over the centuries. There are all sorts of other interesting historical coincidences too that led to drawing state boundaries.

[GWoodle]

Originally Posted by marino760

I'm finding the KY state borders with other states quite interesting and perhaps others here that are more knowledgeable than I am can shed some light on this.

The KY border with the states of Missouri, Illinois and Indiana extend past the Ohio River in some spots into towns and counties in these other states. Also, there is a small area totally within the state of Missouri and not physically connected to the rest of KY which belongs to KY.

How did this happen with the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers being the traditional boundary of KY? Are these geographical oddities the result of the river shifting due to the New Madrid earthquake or were these borders already like this when KY became the 15th state admitted to the Union?

Establishment Of Kentucky’s Border With Indiana And Ohio
The Ohio River forms the boundary between the states of Indiana and Kentucky. The border initially separated the Holdings of Virginia and the Old-Northwest Territory. The deed documenting the cessation was silent on the exact borderlines, and that resulted in a dispute between Indiana and Kentucky over the border. Kentucky held that its border extended on the opposite side of the shore at the highest watermark. The dispute was forwarded to the Supreme Court which held that the lowest watermark would form the border, which favored Indiana's claims. The ruling did not end the dispute as Kentucky claimed the whole river to be its territory and collected millions of dollars in revenue over the river's use. Another ruling was delivered by the US Supreme Court in 1980 establishing the low water mark on the Indiana and Ohio shores as the boundary as was the case in 1792 when Kentucky became a state. The states were directed to settle the matter. Determining the low water mark proved to be challenging as the river's course had changed considerably since 1792. The low water mark of 1792 was finally established by the US Geological Survey using data obtained from surveys conducted in 1896 and 1914 by the Corps of Engineers.

Establishment Of The Mississippi River Border
The Mississippi River boundary, unlike the Ohio River boundary, was set to be at the Middle of the River. The Mississippi River boundary was determined by the 1783 Treaty of Versailles that ended the American Revolution. The Treaty which included England and Spain as signatories was separate from The Treaty of Paris that was signed between the United State and England. In the Treaty of Paris, England agreed that American boats could float goods on the Mississippi River. England, however, signed the Treaty of Versailles with Spain which held control of the Louisiana Territory giving it exclusive rights to the river. Spain was against letting Americans boats floating goods to New Orleans, and this led to years of dispute between the two sides.

The Southern Border With Tennessee
The boundary between Kentucky and Tennessee is not straight as it shifts down and up multiple times between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. The border is seen to shift by a couple of miles between the lakes before shifting south by 12 miles at the point where Tennessee River goes into the territory of Kentucky. The boundary then runs in a near perfect straight line all the way to the Mississippi River. The shifts in the boundary have been blamed on faulty and difficult to use survey equipment that was used at the time. The history of Kentucky's southern border with Tennessee is divided into two periods. The first period starts from the 1665 grant of Charles II to the cessation Act of North Carolina in 1790 when the borderline between Virginia and North Carolina was established. The second period starts from the Cessation Act of 1790 to the completion of the borderline in 1860. The borderline had previously formed the bounder with the Southwestern Territory until 1796 and later with the state of Tennessee.

In 1776 Kentucky was made a county of Virginia. In 1792 Kentucky became the 15th state. The New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1813 had a substantial effect on the Ohio & Mississippi rivers.

[Crazee Cat Lady]

Originally Posted by GWoodle

The Southern Border With Tennessee
The boundary between Kentucky and Tennessee is not straight as it shifts down and up multiple times between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. The border is seen to shift by a couple of miles between the lakes before shifting south by 12 miles at the point where Tennessee River goes into the territory of Kentucky. The boundary then runs in a near perfect straight line all the way to the Mississippi River. The shifts in the boundary have been blamed on faulty and difficult to use survey equipment that was used at the time. The history of Kentucky's southern border with Tennessee is divided into two periods. The first period starts from the 1665 grant of Charles II to the cessation Act of North Carolina in 1790 when the borderline between Virginia and North Carolina was established. The second period starts from the Cessation Act of 1790 to the completion of the borderline in 1860. The borderline had previously formed the bounder with the Southwestern Territory until 1796 and later with the state of Tennessee.

In 1776 Kentucky was made a county of Virginia. In 1792 Kentucky became the 15th state. The New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1813 had a substantial effect on the Ohio & Mississippi rivers.

What I think is really neat is Fulton....Fulton is a town in Kentucky and the south part of the town is in Tennessee....it sits right on the border of Tennessee and Kentucky.


https://www.pinterest.com/pin/555139091560800789/


https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...arch/Fulton_KY


https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...outh-Fulton_TN

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But then again, there is Virginia point park in West Virginia where you can see three states at once.
Then again there is the Cumberland Gap where three states meet (Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia)
Can you stand in three states at once?

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/kent...peak-trail-ky/



And then there is the Birch Knob Observation tower in Virginia

The view from this perspective can allow one to see Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. On a clear day, it is also possible to see Ohio. From the parking lot, a trail down the mountain leads to Jenny Falls. The hike is approximately 2 miles.
https://dickensonva.org/311/Birch-Kn...ervation-Tower

Maybe it's a small world after all.

[kygman]

Originally Posted by Crazee Cat Lady

What I think is really neat is Fulton....Fulton is a town in Kentucky and the south part of the town is in Tennessee....it sits right on the border of Tennessee and Kentucky.

I don't know who remembers the "Hands Across America" back in 1985, but the line crossed into Kentucky from Tennessee and left between Wickliffe and Cairo, Illinois. Peter Fonda was filming a movie in the Land Between the Lakes and he stood in the line with one foot in Ky. and one in Tenn. I was further up, about a mile out of Wickliffe.

[marino760]

So, how did that spot of Kentucky totally surrounded by Missouri happen? I still don't understand that.

[kygman]

I believe a little bit of the silt deposits like I mentioned along the Ohio plus the New Madrid Fault backing up.

[marino760]

Originally Posted by kygman

I believe a little bit of the silt deposits like I mentioned along the Ohio plus the New Madrid Fault backing up.

It's actually almost surrounded by the Mississippi River, not the Ohio. Here's pic of what it looks like. I found some info on it from Wikipedia. It's called the Kentucky bend or New Madrid bend. There's some interesting history including TN disputing that it belongs to KY.