Monthly Archives: July 2011

States that disappeared

Posted on July 27, 2011 by

Not all of the states previously formed in our history ended up making the final fifty.  As mentioned in an earlier post, the State of Franklin had a four year life before being absorbed into Tennessee.  The State of Deseret … Continue reading →

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No fighting over who’s bigger

Posted on July 19, 2011 by

Here are four states that have one unique feature in common – – – they are all exactly three degrees (latitude) of height.  North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas were all created after the Louisiana Purchase was finalized, but … Continue reading →

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Breaking off a chunk of Illinois

Posted on July 12, 2011 by

The borders of Illinois have been altered on a number of occasions – sometimes by the decisions of man, and at least once by the power of Mother Nature.   When Illinois became a territory the capital was established at … Continue reading →

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Which state turned down a fortune in gold?

Posted on July 5, 2011 by

That awkward distinction goes to Washington state.  In the mid 1800’s the territory of Washington was considerably larger than the current state we recognize.  Oregon had just achieved statehood and established north and east borders that helped define Washington territory … Continue reading →

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