Off the Editor’s Desk 2-22-23
Growing concern over drugs in Oregon!
My friend, Dan Knoebel who lives in Boise, Idaho has been keeping me informed on a subject that some of the counties in Oregon’s want to move into Idaho.
He sent me a news clipping from the Idaho Press that quoted a state representative, Judy Boyle telling a state House Committee that she knows many eastern Oregonians who don’t agree with their state’s politics, especially regarding legalized marijuana and decriminalizing hard drugs.
According to the news story, “So far, 11, eastern Oregon counties voted in favor of becoming part of Idaho,” Boyle said.
It would take approval by both state’s legislatures and Congress to make the change, according to the story.
“If the full Greater Idaho proposal were implemented, it would add about 380,000 residents to Idaho, which would add another congressional seat for Idaho,” Boyle said.
So, how about the State of Wisconsin? Should we push for it to be increased to what it was when it was Wisconsin Territory?
The Territory at one time included all of the present-day states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa, as well as part of the Dakotas east of the Missouri River. And, while we are at it, we should also move the border with Illinois south to a line from the south end of Lake Michigan west to the Mississippi River and also include the upper part of the state of Michigan. That would probably make Wisconsin the largest state in the union except for Alaska and how many more congressional representatives would Wisconsin gain?
But being more realistic, who would want any part of Illinois? especially any part of Chicago and Michigan can keep the Upper Peninsula. But the Mississippi River divides all the states as it winds toward the gulf, all states, that is except Wisconsin. At Prescott, Wisconsin, the St. Croix River is the dividing line.
The original Wisconsin Territory included all land east of the Mississippi River that is now part of Minnesota. So, if that area were returned to Wisconsin, it would gain cities like St. Paul, Stillwater and Duluth. The name of the City of St. Paul would now be St. Paul, Wisconsin and that does not sound very good, so lets leave every state border as it is.
I though that maybe, you as readers would like some background about our state and I looked to Wikipedia for the following information.
“The Territory of Wisconsin was organized and incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1948, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was initially chosen as the capital of the territory. In 1837, the territorial legislature met in Burlington, just north of the Skunk River on the Mississippi, which became part of the Iowa Territory in 1838. In that year, 1838, the territorial Capital of was moved to Madison.
“Much of the territory had originally been part of the Northwest Territory, which was ceded by Britain in 1783. The portion in what is now Iowa and the Dakotas was originally part of the Louisiana Purchase was split off from the Missouri Territory in 1821 and attached to the Michigan Territory in 1834.”
If you are interested I am going to go further back in history provided by Wikipedia. “The portion that was formerly part of the Northwest Territory and which later became the state of Wisconsin was part of the Indiana Territory when this was formed in 1800. In 1809, it became part of the Illinois Territory; then, when Illinois was about to become a state in 1818, this area was joined to the Michigan Territory. Then the Wisconsin Territory was split from the Michigan Territory in 1836 as the state of Michigan prepared for statehood. In 1838, the section of the territory to the west of the Mississippi became the Iowa Territory.
In the 1840 United States census, 22 counties in the Wisconsin Territory reported populations. This according to Wikipedia, the only county in this area to report a population was St. Croix with 809 people. The total state population was 30,945 with Milwaukee County having 5,605 people.
Thanks for reading! Carlton