Volume XII
Number 50
Moy 12
1945
THE STATE
A Weekly Survey of North Carolina
Entered ai «econd-cla»» matter. June 1. 1933. at the Poitofflce at Ral«l*h. North Carolina, under the Act of March 3.
187».
Boundary Line Dispute
Is Settled By a Tree
Anil liad it not l»c»4»ii for this trot», chances
arc that \orth anil South Carolina still
would he squahhliii;»’ about the exact lo¬
cation of the line.
DID you know that the original
boundary line between North
and South Carolina, estab¬
lished more than two centuries
ago, was clearly proved in recent
years by a stately pine tree whose
age exceeded 350 years?
That’» an actual fact, and the
circumstances in connection there¬
with reveal that an inanimate ob¬
ject, without the power of speech,
may resolve itself into a witness
whose testimony can neither be
denied nor assailed.
Until about twenty years ago,
the exact boundary line between
the two states, especially in that
section between the ocean and the
Lumber River near Fair Bluff.
Columbus County, was more or less
in dispute. Transfers of land. etc.,
had served to confuse the issue.
Deeds in many instances made
mention of hazy and hard-to-locate
boundary points, in many cases
extending beyond what was sup¬
posed to be the dividing line.
A Sketchy Survey
In fact the actual survey of the
line, many years before, was done
in a most inaccurate manner. "The
king had fixed its beginning," ac¬
cording to Wheeler's History of
North Carolina "at the north-east
of Long Bay. to run thence North¬
west to 35 degrees north latitude,
thence west to the South Sea. The
commissioners on the part of North
Carolina were Robert Holton. Mat¬
thew Rowan, and Edward Mosely.
The commissioners began at a
cedar stake on the seashore, by the
mouth of Little River, and having
By LOUIS T. MOOIll
run a North-west line until they
arrived, as they conceived to 35
degrees, they altered their course
by 'mutual consent’ and ran west
to the Pee Dee. This stopped the
line for the present. Afterwards,
it was extended twenty miles by
private persons. It was continued
in 1754. This was taken for the
true line, according to Governor
Tryon's proclamation (May 1765).
Governor Martin, some years after
<17711. informed the Assembly
that he was instructed to continue
said line as far as the Salisbury
road, thence until it strikes the
lands of the Catawba Indians,
thence leaving those lands to the
south, to the Catawba River, then
due west. The ridiculous zigzag
THE COVER PICTURE
The “Shelby Daily Star"
recently got out a "Baby
Edition." There were scores
of baby pictures in it. The one
that appealed to us most was
that of Walter Lee Fanning.
Jr., son of Major and Mrs.
Walter I»ec Fanning, and a
grandson of I)r. and .Mrs.
Zeno Wall. So we wired
Photographer Willis, of Shel¬
by. for the original picture so
we could publish it on the
cover this week.
that our southern line presents was
the effect of private intrigue."
When this situation was called
to the attention of Governor A. W.
McLean, his curiosity was aroused
and lie began to make some investi¬
gation concerning it. Inquiry de¬
veloped that no one seemed to
know exactly where the line was.
The canny Governor then decided
that something ought to be done
about the matter.
As the result of a subsequent
survey, for which he was largely
responsible, Governor McLean had
the satisfaction of knowing that
there would be no further dispute
or argument. The completion of
the survey and the placing of the
last marker on Gat Island, between
the Lumber River and the Atlantic
on December 4. 1928. made the
line for that distance of 43.08
miles a definite, permanent and
irrevocable fixture. Inasmuch as
that area appears to have been the
one most in doubt, the remainder of
the line west of the Lumber has
been accepted as correct and in ac¬
cord with the original surveys.
While he was looking into the
matter. Governor McLean dis¬
covered that the North Carolina
Assembly of 1915 had made pro¬
visions for a survey of the bound¬
ary line from the ocean to the
Waccamaw River, a distance of
eight miles, and that the 1919
session amended the act. providing
for the survey to be extended to
the Lumber River. When he found
that no action had been taken
under the laws which had been
( Continued on page 16)
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