UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Ray Lyman Wilbur, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
George Otis Smith, Director

Bulletin 817

BOUNDARIES, AREAS, GEOGRAPHIC CENTERS AND ALTITUDES OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE SEVERAL STATES

WITH A BRIEF RECORD OF IMPORTANT CHANGES

IN THEIR TERRITORY AND GOVERNMENT

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. - -

Price 50 cents

Reprinted with minor corrections, 1932

X VIMU AIMBOLIAO

ENGINEERING LIBRARY

1982

Engineering
Librory

CONTENTS

Page

Foreword..

How boundaries are established and changed..

Boundaries of the United States and additions to its territory..

Boundaries of the United States___

Provisional treaty with Great Britain, 1782.

VII

1

8

8

Louisiana, the areas formerly belonging to Mexico, and the Oregon

Length of the coast lines of the States and the principal outlying

possessions.

252

Geographic centers of the continental United States and of the several

States ---

253

Extreme and mean altitudes of the States and principal possessions__

The United States and its possessions..

254

257

4. Map of the United States showing routes of the principal ex-

plorers from 1501 to 1844.

5. The Mitchell map of the British and French dominions in North

America, 1755..

In pocket.

6. Part of the Disturnell map of Mexico, 1847..

In pocket.

7. Highest and lowest points in the United States: A, Mount

Whitney; B, Death Valley.--.

40

8. Northernmost and southernmost points in United States terri-

tory: A, Point Barrow, Alaska; B, Rose Island, Pacific

Ocean__

9. Typical boundary marks, old and new..

40

120

10. A, Section of a tree that had been used as a boundary mark;

FIGURE 1. Map of Maine showing claims of the United States and Great

Britain...

16

2. Map of the United States showing accessions of territory from

1803 to 1853___.

40

3. Map of the United States showing accessions of territory since

1853_

41

4. Map showing the relative size of Alaska and the United States__

5. Map of the Canal Zone.......

45

52

6. Relative size of possessions of the United States.

7. Map of the Gore, at the northeast corner of Vermont_

8. Historical diagram of New York...

63

84

109