Interestingly enough, New Jersey got most of Ellis
Island. It's an interesting story, actually: at the time the
original boundary was defined, NJ owned the submerged land in that part of New
York Harbor (important, considering there was a substantial oyster bed
there at the time), and New York got everything above the water
line. The dispute originally arose in the
1870s when the island was tripled in size via landfill (material removed to
build the tunnels that are now the NYC subways and sewer system)
This raised the question: Did the state of NY have claim to the
landfill-created areas that were formerly underwater, and thus part of New
Jersey?
The Supremes ruled that New York owned only the
parts of Ellis Island that were above the water line in at the time the original
boundary was drawn, prior to the expansion of the island via landfill. The
majority of the island (the entire landfilled area) was ruled to be in New
Jersey.
However, I believe you're right: Despite the
lack of a judicial stamp on the matter Liberty Island is probably a New
York enclave in New Jersey, although a pretty strange one, at that.
Jon Amato (an escaped New Yorker)
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2002 5:51
PM
Subject: RE: [BoundaryPoint] Quiz
question
Jon, thanks for the clarification.
You're right about Ellis Island...I believe that New York got the lions share
of Ellis. I've been under the impression that there was a
discussion of the division of Liberty Island in that case, but I may be
incorrect.. Is anyone aware of any litigation still
pending?
Bill
Hm. I know there was a
dispute settled by the US Supreme court about 5 years ago over Ellis
Island (New Jersey v. New York, 523 US 767 (1998)), but I didn't
know that there was also a judicial resolution to the dispute over Liberty
Island, as well.
I do know that as recently as 1989, a New
Jersey congressman (who's name escapes me at the moment) was trying to bring
some kind of legislative action against NY over the sales
tax collected at the concession stands at Liberty Island (known as
Bedloe's Island prior to 1956, incidentally), but I can't find anything on
the Internet regarding the outcome of that action.
Jon
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2002 5:16
PM
Subject: RE: [BoundaryPoint] Quiz
question
And settled by the U.S. Supreme
Court.
New York, although that has been disputed
from time to time by the state of New Jersey.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, September 23, 2002
5:05 PM
Subject: [BoundaryPoint] Quiz
question
In what state do you find the Statue of Liberty?
Jesper
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