Wisconsin v. Michigan

Two Supreme Court cases, Wisconsin v. Michigan, 295 U.S. 455 (1935) and Wisconsin v. Michigan, 297 U.S. 547 (1936), settled a territorial dispute between Wisconsin and Michigan.

Background

The 1836 boundary description between Wisconsin and Michigan described the line through northwest Lake Michigan as "the most usual ship channel". This description needed clarification as two routes were in use into Green Bay. Multiple islands lay in between and all were claimed as part of both Door County, Wisconsin, and Delta County, Michigan. A similar case, Michigan v. Wisconsin 270 U.S. 295 (1926), had previously been brought to the Supreme Court but was dismissed.

Decision

In 1936, the Supreme Court decision chose the ship channel through the Rock Island Passage as the more common, so Wisconsin retained the intervening water area with its islands: Plum, Detroit, Washington, Hog, and Rock.

File:ISS048-E-3055 - View of Earth.jpg

The Rock Island passage, taken on June 20, 2016 from the International Space Station. St. Martin Island in Michigan is at the top. Rock Island and the much smaller Fish Island and Fisherman's Shoal below are in Wisconsin.

See also

• Toledo War: a border dispute between Michigan and Ohio

References

• (Archived September 25, 2009)
• (Archived August 3, 2008)
• Captain Cram's reports were printed in:

External links

• Text of Wisconsin v. Michigan, 295 U.S. 455 (1935) is available from: Justia Library of Congress
• Text of Wisconsin v. Michigan, 297 U.S. 547 (1936) is available from: Justia Library of Congress