The Boundary Line between California and Oregon

Abstract

On August 19,1818, Captain James Biddle, U.S.N., by order of the Presi dent, officially took possession of the basin of the Oregon or Columbia River. Spain had formerly established forts along the Oregon coast, but these had been abandoned before 1800, although Spain retained a claim to the area.1 Negotiations were in progress in 1818 and early 1819 between Spain and the United States, toward a treaty to settle various differences, including the location of the boundary line between this country and the Spanish posses sions.2 During those treaty negotiations many different lines were proposed and discussed through a series of compromises. In much of the discussion, Latitude 41 ? was the line considered for use as the boundary west of the Rocky Mountains, but in the final treaty 42 ? was adopted.3 By this treaty Spain ceded Florida to the United States and relinquished claim to Oregon. In 1828, Mexico and the United States concluded a treaty in the same terms.4 Later, after the line between the United States and the British territories had been settled, Oregon Territory was established by act of the United States Congress in August 1848, with the 42 d parallel as its southern boundary.5 California and other territory having been ceded to the United States by Mexico in the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in 1848, the Constitution of California, adopted by convention in 1849, specified latitude 42 ? as the northern boundary of the state. That constitution was approved by Con gress, and the state admitted to the Union on September 9,1850. During all that time the boundary line seems not to have been surveyed, although the treaties with Spain and Mexico made provisions for the ap pointment of joint commissions to survey and mark the line. Soon after the admission of California as a state, a dispute developed about the Althouse and Sailor Diggings mining camps, which were claimed by both California and Oregon. The legislature of California in 1854 appropriated $3,500 for a survey from the coast to the vicinity of Pilot Knob.6 Thaddeus P. Robinson, county surveyor of Klamath County, was ap pointed to make the survey.7 He was assisted by George H. Van Cleft and 368