Attempts to Establish and Change a Western Boundary

Abstract. The Arizona-Utah boundary follows 37° north latitude. This boundary is a good example of how a Western boundary was established, and, once it had been drawn, what techniques were used to have it changed. Western boundaries were drawn by Eastern congressmen who had little understanding of the physical and cultural geography of the area, and, for the sake of convenience, usually used lines of longitude and latitude as boundaries. These congressmen were much more interested in national issues and concerns (in drawing 37° that interest was slavery) than in the needs and desires of local residents. It is understandable why few were happy with the resultant boundaries. Thirty-seven degrees developed as one such boundary, and soon after it was drawn there were attempts to change it. Nevada was successful in having that boundary eliminated along its westernmost end; but Utah, though it had good arguments to have the boundary shifted, and tried many times under several different circumstances, and with various techniques, was never successful. The boundary remains along 37° between Arizona and Utah, but the problems caused by that boundary also remain.