PLSO The Oregon Surveyor January/February 2020

25 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org The Lost Surveyor Leaving Vancouver Island via the Tsawwas- sen Ferry is a beautiful ferry ride, and as you near Tsawwassen you encounter the first result of this agreement. As the boundary leaves the parallel following a southeasterly course along the channel the ferry crosses into the United States, and then back into Canada across the 49th Parallel just as the ferry reaches dock. Within view east of the ferry dock is the bluff upon which Boundary Park occupies the south side of the border on an overlooked portion of the United States. Apparently, when the 49th parallel was selected it was overlooked that Point Roberts, Washington would be landlocked by Canada. This might be the first point of controversy. To any seasoned land survey- or subjected to the grilling at the border crossing (both ways), Point Roberts seems ripe for a Property Line Adjustment! Alas, apparently many have thought of this, but it remains an oddity of U.S. possession. The 49th Parallel resulted from the 1846 Or- egon Treaty to settle the northern boundary of what two years later became the Oregon Territory. However, walk around Interna- tional BoundaryMonument #1 and you find that the monument is inscribed “Treaty of Washington June 15, 1846” (photos 5a-5e, next page) . Controversy! Washington only began to take form when the Oregon Ter- ritory was split to create the Washington Territory 1853 and it wasn’t until 1889 that Washington was admitted to the union as the 42nd state. How in the world do they claim a treaty in 1846? Well, it turns out the Oregon Treaty was not the end of the boundary dispute or negoti- ations to settle the international boundary. In 1859, the Pig War broke out in a dispute over the location of the boundary through the San Juan Islands. A war didn’t exactly take place, but apparently a pig suffered the consequences of the standoff and was the only casualty. Even though the pig was the only one who died that fateful day of June 15th, 1859, the British and American military nearly came to blows with troops, ships, and cannons. Although the nations had agreed upon a boundary following the main channel from the intersection with the 49th parallel to the Pacific Ocean, a dispute arose because they failed to understand there were two potential main channels. The Haro Strait and the Rosario Strait could both be con- sidered “main channels” through the San Juan Islands. Is this the earliest deed am- biguity in northwest surveying history? Maybe so, but much more research would Photo 4: Pillar Point Washington the southerly side compliment of Reference Mark #2 Continues on page 26 T