Cavechat.org

Posted: **Jun 9, 2008 12:01 pm**

I went to the VAR-SERA this weekend and rode the Virginia Creeper Trail.

I passed an historical marker I did not read, and now I am wishing I had.

The marker concerned the "Tennessee Offset," which is that section of TN that sticks up into VA west of NC.

Does anyone know why this offset exists. I'd be interested in knowing.

The VAR-SERA was great, as was the Virginia Creeper Trail. We had a great time. The Gray Museum was also very nice.

:shrug:

Posted: **Jun 9, 2008 12:56 pm**

From wikipedia:

Tennessee was admitted to the Union in 1796 as the 16th state. The state boundaries, according to the Constitution of the State of Tennessee, Article I, Section 31, stated that the beginning point for identifying the boundary was the extreme height of the Stone Mountain, at the place where the line of Virginia intersects it, and basically ran the extreme heights of mountain chains through the Appalachian Mountains separating North Carolina from Tennessee past the Indian towns of Cowee and Old Chota, thence along the main ridge of the said mountain (Unicoi Mountain) to the southern boundary of the state; all the territory, lands and waters lying west of said line are included in the boundaries and limits of the newly formed state of Tennessee. Part of the provision also stated that the limits and jurisdiction of the state would include future land acquisition, referencing possible land trade with other states, or the acquisition of territory from west of the Mississippi River.

There is a newly published book (whose title I forget) about the states and how their boundaries were formed. There might be something in there, too.

Posted: **Jun 9, 2008 1:17 pm**

I read that too, but I didn't think it explained why they didn't just continue the VA-NC state line west.

Plus the Virginia Creeper thought that, whatever the reason, it was important enough to rate an historical marker.

Posted: **Jun 9, 2008 9:48 pm**

http://www.tngenweb.org/tnland/walker.htm

Other stories attribute the 36 deg 30' line to Peter Jefferson, Tommy's dad, and error due to magnetic deflection, inebriation, or just plain carelessness with the sextant.

It may also have had to do with influential local landowners. Apparently Eastern Tennessee was really Appalachia, (and ended up being anti-succession) whereas the Virginia contingent tried to out-Southern, their southern neighbors. The only reason Missouri has a bootheel (south of the 36 deg 30 minute line) is because of an influential local landowner who emphatically wanted to be include in Missouri, and he owned much of the land, and a few legislators at the time.

Posted: **Jun 10, 2008 7:39 am**

THANKS Teresa!!

Now I know there are two offsets in TN, one in NE TN and the other on the TN River.

Maybe I should say "at least" two offsets...

I bet you are right though--that it has something to do with a big-time landowner. That's why that hunk is taken out of WV on the New River. A big plantation owner wanted to stay with VA.

And I also know that there are a lot of problems with magnetic declination with state boundaries. People just didn't know about it. I think the not-east-west VA-MD line on the Eastern Shore is one example.

But I'm still trying to figure out why the offset exists in NE TN, where TN, VA, and NC come together. So if anyone has any answers...

Posted: **Jun 10, 2008 7:57 am**

George Dasher wrote:THANKS Teresa!!

But I'm still trying to figure out why the offset exists in NE TN, where TN, VA, and NC come together. So if anyone has any answers...

http://www.virginiaplaces.org/boundarie ... ndary.html

It is the Jefferson Story, about the area near Damascus Virginia.

Google Tennessee-Virginia border and you get a number of websites about this.

Posted: **Jun 10, 2008 10:02 am**

THANKS again Teresa!!

OK, I think I understand. Peter Jefferson, for reasons unknown (but speculated on), doglegged to the north while surveying west from the Patrick County area. That is one heck of a dogleg, by the way.

Then later surveyors tried to fix the problem by moving the state line south to about the "proper" latitude.

Later TN was "cut out of" NC at the location of the dogleg.

Thanks again.

Posted: **Jun 10, 2008 10:05 am**

My vote, by the way, is that the reason involves "the strong will of the Tennessee people."

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