Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/302

 242 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI ritory south of Missouri river be formed iuto a separate state. It was to be extended further to the west than the proposed western boun- dary' of Missouri which, at that time, was fixed at the western limit of the Osage Purchase. In 1818, on November 22nd, the territorial legislature adopted a memorial to Congress for the admission of Missouri as a state, and proposed new boundaries for the state. It is probable that the agitation over the southern boundary was carried on in the legislature bj' Stephen Ross of New Madrid coimty, in the house of Dr. Robert D. Dawson, also of New Madrid county, in the legislative council, and by the members from Laurence county, as it was then constituted, which were : Perry Magness, Joseph Harden and John Davidson. It was their desire that the boundary should be moved far enowgh south to include the prin- cipal settlements on the Mississippi and also on White river. Owing, doubtless, to their influence, this memorial fixed the southern boimdary as foUows: "Beginning at a point in the middle of the main channel of the Mis- sissippi river at the 36th degree of north lati- tude and running in a direct line to the mouth of Black river, a branch of "White river; thence in the middle of the main channel of White river to where the parallel of 36 de- grees and 30 minutes north latitude crosses the same; thence with that parallel of lati- tude due west." This memorial, with its proposed boun- daries, was the subject of considerable debate in Congress, and after this discussion, the southern boundary was fixed as it now stands, that is to say, rvmning west from the Missis- sippi on the parallel of 36 degrees to the St. Francois river; thence up and in the middle of the main channel thereof to a parallel of 36 degrees and 30 minutes, and thence west. There can be no doubt that the man most in- fluential in securing the joining of the terri- tory now included in Dimljlin and Pemiscot coimties to Missouri, was J. Hardeman Walker. He was at that time a most influen- tial, energetic resident of Little Prairie and he carried on a vigorous agitation to secure the extension of the southern boundary to in- clude this territory. It is quite probable that he had the assistance of other representatives from Southeast Missouri, including John Scott, the territorial delegate, Alexander Buckner, John James Evans, Judge Richard S. Thomas and Dr. Dawson. Those who were interested in this extension of the boimdary and the inclusion of the ter- ritory in Missouri were actuated b.y a number of motives : one was the feeling that Little Prairie and the other settlements in what is now Pemiscot coimty were really a part of Missouri. They had been made about the same time of the Missouri settlements, they had practically the same population, and were engaged in the same general industries. Their trade and association had been very largely with Missouri, and for this reason they re- garded themselves as a part of the territory of Missouri. It was natural, too, for them to wish to be a part of a territory which was about to be admitted into the LTnion as a state. The advantages of state government over territorial government are obvious, and it was felt that it might be some years before the territory of Arkansas would be admitted as a state. These reasons, along with others of a similar nature, moved the men mentioned to vigorous effort to fix the boundary of the state as it now stands. The only other boundary dispute directly concerning Southeast Missouri occurred at a