Georgia may be taking Tennessee to court. The goal? Move the state line 1.1 miles to the north, back to the 35th parallel that marked Georgia’s northernmost boundary when
Tennessee became a state in 1796. It turns out that a mapmaker, James Camak, incorrectly calculated the line and marked it with a stone boundary marker in 1818. Since no one has corrected the problem, about 51 square miles of Georgia have been treated as part of Tennessee ever since.

The reason it is coming up again is a simple one – Georgia wants water from the Tennessee River. But unraveling a boundary problem that is almost 200 years old will be tough. (more…)