McKissick Island

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View from the south showing confluence of the Nishnabotna River with the Missouri River. The southeastern side of the island is roughly bordered by the bed of the Nishnabotna River. The Nishnabotna itself now flows from Missouri briefly through McKissick Island, Nebraska, and back into Missouri before hitting the mouth. McKissick Island is further back in this photo. Nishnabotna River aerial.jpg
View from the south showing confluence of the Nishnabotna River with the Missouri River. The southeastern side of the island is roughly bordered by the bed of the Nishnabotna River. The Nishnabotna itself now flows from Missouri briefly through McKissick Island, Nebraska, and back into Missouri before hitting the mouth. McKissick Island is further back in this photo.
View from the north during the 2011 Missouri River flood. The entire island is inundated. The point where the Nishnabotna on the left makes a curve to the right is where the Nishnabotna flows in and out of the island. Corp of Eng. 6-16-11A 102.jpg
View from the north during the 2011 Missouri River flood. The entire island is inundated. The point where the Nishnabotna on the left makes a curve to the right is where the Nishnabotna flows in and out of the island.
Section of the USGS topographic map of the area Map of the McKissick Island of Missouri and Nebraska.jpg
Section of the USGS topographic map of the area

McKissick Island (also known as McKissick's Island) is a former island in the Missouri River that is part of Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States. It is now fully east of the river, which is Nebraska's normal eastern border, and it can only be reached by land from mainland Nebraska by first going through Iowa and Missouri.

Contents

It is sometimes described as a Nebraska enclave within Missouri, although it is not a true enclave, since it is physically attached to Nebraska through the river. [1]

A dispute over whether Missouri or Nebraska had jurisdiction was determined in a 1904 United States Supreme Court decision, but it was not until 1999 that the two states entered an interstate compact, with the approval of the United States Congress, that enacted the boundary into law. [2] [3]

The area is about 5,000 acres in size and has always had a small population. As of 2006 it was reported that only one house was on the island.[ citation needed ] The only road sign on it uses the Nemaha County street grid of 647A Avenue and 739A Road rather than the Atchison County, Missouri grid which surrounds it.

The island was alluded to but not mentioned by name in the XKCD cartoon "River Border" [4] on 27 April 2018.

Name

The island derives its name from the McKissick family, who bought land in the area in the 1840s before Missouri's borders with Nebraska and Iowa had been finalized with those states' entry into the union. The family were among the first settlers of Fremont County, Iowa, where they founded McKissick's Grove about one mile north of the McKissick Island, thinking it was in Missouri. When Iowa entered the union in 1846, that grove near today's Hamburg, Iowa was determined to be in Iowa. [5]

The McKissicks moved to California in 1861. [5]

The island is officially called McKissick Island on the Geographic Names Information System. [6] The island is northeast of the line that otherwise forms Nemaha County/Otoe County, but is considered a precinct (equivalent of a township) of Nemaha County. Maps interchangeably refer to it under both McKissick Island and McKissick's Island. [7] However, the Supreme Court ruling calls it "McKissick's Island." [8]

History

A map of the river attributed to Robert E. Lee in 1837 showed the island on the Nebraska side.[ citation needed ]

On March 1, 1867, Nebraska entered the union with officially recognized boundaries including McKissick's Island. Missouri had extended its border to the Missouri River in northwest Missouri in 1836 in the Platte Purchase and did not claim the island when those borders were drawn.

On April 24, 1867, the 1867 Manhattan, Kansas earthquake (5.1 on the Richter magnitude scale) occurred 130 miles from the island, shaking Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. The quake was near the Nemaha Ridge. While there was no reported direct connection to the earthquake and the rerouting of the Missouri River, some residents have said it may have contributed. [9]

On July 5, 1867, a little more than four months after Nebraska entered the union, a flood avulsion dug out the slough on the west side of the island, straightening its flow around the oxbow meander. The channel separating it from mainland Nebraska deepened following an 1880s flood. In the meantime, the riverbed that had flowed to the east of the river dried up, and the land became tillable and de facto connected by land to Missouri, while those from Nebraska had to access it by ferry (no bridges had been built nearby at the time).

In 1895 the county surveyors of Nemaha County and Atchison County surveyed the abandoned bed of the Missouri River. [8]

On February 24, 1904, Missouri filed a claim with the Supreme Court claiming jurisdiction. Nebraska filed a cross suit. Missouri argued that when Congress approved the extension of borders under the Platte Purchase, the border was to be the middle of the river (although the border was not surveyed at the time). Nebraska argued that its borders were surveyed when it entered the union.

Justice John Marshall Harlan delivered the opinion, saying, "The question is well settled at common law, that the person whose land is bounded by a stream of water, which changes its course gradually by alluvial formations, shall still hold by the same boundary, including the accumulated soil. No other rule can be applied on just principles. Every proprietor whose land is thus bounded is subject to loss by the same means which may add to his territory; and as he is without remedy for his loss, in this way, he cannot be held accountable for his gain." [8]

The court told the states to either accept the boundaries surveyed in 1895 or ask for a new survey. The boundary was not further defined until 1999 when the states agreed to have Midland Surveying, Inc. conduct the survey. This in turn led to the Missouri-Nebraska Compact, which the states and Congress approved in 1999. [2] [3]

The two closest Missouri River bridges offering access were built in the 1930s when the northerly route via Waubonsie Bridge (subsequently replaced by the Nebraska City Bridge) in 1930 and the southerly route through the Brownville Bridge opened in 1939. The Nebraska City route requires one to travel through Otoe County, cross into Iowa and then come back through Missouri. The Brownville Bridge (which was actually paid for by Atchison County) connects Nemaha County and Atchison County at Brownville, Nebraska. Prior to the 1920s the only non-rail land access between the sides involved either going to Omaha, Nebraska to the Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge or to Kansas City, Missouri to the ASB Bridge.

The island at various times had a Methodist church (built in 1897) and a school. In 1907 it had "30 families with 56 children, 36 of which were enrolled in school. In 1966 there were seven families living there, and a contract with the Hamburg, Iowa, schools provided for the education of the eleven pupils living on the island then." The old school house was used as a polling place. The Hamburg school meant that students had to travel from Nebraska and go through Missouri before attending school in Iowa. [10]

Most of the island's land was under 2 to 10 feet of water during the 2011 Missouri River Flood, as levees protecting it from the Missouri failed. [11]

Related Research Articles

Otoe County, Nebraska County in Nebraska, United States

Otoe County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 15,740. Its county seat is Nebraska City. The county was formed in 1854, and was named tor the Otoe Indian tribe.

Nemaha County, Nebraska County in Nebraska, United States

Nemaha County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 7,248. Its county seat is Auburn.

Atchison County, Missouri County in Missouri, United States

Atchison County is the northwesternmost county in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 5,305. Its county seat is Rock Port. It was originally known as Allen County when it was detached from Holt County in 1843. The county was officially organized on February 14, 1845, and named for U.S. Senator David Rice Atchison from Missouri.

Hamburg, Iowa City in Iowa, United States

Hamburg is a city in Fremont County, Iowa, United States, that is the most southwestern city in Iowa, hugging the borders of Missouri to the south and Nebraska to the west. It is situated between the Nishnabotna and Missouri rivers. The population was 890 at the time of the 2020 census. It derives its name from the German city of Hamburg.

Brownville, Nebraska Village in Nebraska, United States

Brownville is a village in Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 132 at the 2010 census.

Peru, Nebraska City in Nebraska, United States

Peru is a city in Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 865 at the 2010 census. Peru State College is located in Peru.

Platte River River in Nebraska, United States

The Platte River is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about 310 mi (500 km) long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over 1,050 miles (1,690 km). The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itself is a tributary of the Mississippi River which flows to the Gulf of Mexico. The Platte over most of its length is a broad, shallow, meandering stream with a sandy bottom and many islands—a braided stream.

U.S. Route 136 is an east-west U.S. highway that is a spur route of U.S. Route 36. It runs from Edison, Nebraska, at U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 34 to the Interstate 74/Interstate 465 interchange in Speedway, Indiana. This is a distance of 804 miles (1,294 km). US 136 never meets its parent, US 36; however, it does come within two miles of it at its interchange with I-465/I-74 at its eastern terminus.

Otoe Native American people of the Midwestern United States

The Otoe are a Native American people of the Midwestern United States. The Otoe language, Chiwere, is part of the Siouan family and closely related to that of the related Iowa, Missouria, and Ho-Chunk tribes.

Nishnabotna River

The Nishnabotna River is a tributary of the Missouri River in southwestern Iowa, northwestern Missouri and southeastern Nebraska in the United States. It flows for most of its length as two parallel streams in Iowa, the East Nishnabotna River and the West Nishnabotna River. The east and west branches are each about 120 miles (190 km) long; from their confluence the Nishnabotna flows approximately another 16 miles (26 km).

Brownville Bridge United States historic place

The Brownville Bridge is a truss bridge over the Missouri River on U.S. Route 136 (US 136) from Nemaha County, Nebraska, to Atchison County, Missouri, at Brownville, Nebraska.

A Half-Breed Tract was a segment of land designated in the western states by the United States government in the 19th century specifically for Métis of American Indian and European or European-American ancestry, at the time commonly known as half-breeds. The government set aside such tracts in several parts of the Midwestern prairie region, including in Iowa Territory, Nebraska Territory, Kansas Territory, Minnesota Territory, and Wisconsin Territory.

Native American tribes in Nebraska

Native American tribes in the U.S. state of Nebraska have been Plains Indians, descendants of succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples who have occupied the area for thousands of years. More than 15 historic tribes have been identified as having lived in, hunted in, or otherwise occupied territory within the current state boundaries.

The Nemaha Half-Breed Reservation was established by the Fourth Treaty of Prairie du Chien of 1830, which set aside a tract of land for the mixed-ancestry descendants of French-Canadian trappers and women of the Oto, Iowa, and Omaha, as well as the Yankton and Santee Sioux tribes.

U.S. Highway 75 is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs for 1,239 miles (1,994 km) from Dallas, Texas to Kittson County, Minnesota where it ends just short of the Canada–United States border. Within the State of Nebraska it is a state highway that enters Nebraska on the Kansas state line about 9 miles (14 km) south of Dawson and travels north across the extreme eastern portion of the state, to the Nebraska–Iowa border in South Sioux City where it crosses the Missouri River along a concurrency with Interstate 129. The northern 210 miles (340 km) of the route generally travels parallel to the Missouri River. The 87.32-mile (140.53 km) section between the I-680 interchange in Omaha and the Interstate 129 interchange is designated the Lewis & Clark Scenic Byway, one of nine scenic byways in the state.

St. Deroin, Nebraska Ghost town in Nebraska, United States

St. Deroin is a ghost town in Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States, originally located below the river bluffs on the Missouri River. Formally chartered in 1854, the town had a popular ferry crossing over the Missouri River for more than three decades. The river changed course, ending the ferry. After a railroad spur bypassed the town, it drew off more commerce. The community rebuilt its school on the river bluff when it was threatened by flooding; this area was also used for the cemetery. The town was completely abandoned by 1920, as flooding had destroyed much of the townsite. The site is at the northern edge of Indian Cave State Park.

2011 Missouri River Flood

The 2011 Missouri River floods was a flooding event on the Missouri River in the United States.The flooding was triggered by record snowfall in Rocky Mountains of Montana and Wyoming along with near-record spring rainfall in central and eastern Montana. All six major dams along the Missouri River released record amounts of water to prevent overflow which led to flooding threatening several towns and cities along the river from Montana to Missouri; in particular Bismarck, North Dakota; Pierre, South Dakota; Dakota Dunes, South Dakota; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Sioux City, Iowa; Omaha, Nebraska; Council Bluffs, Iowa; Saint Joseph, Missouri; Kansas City, Missouri; Jefferson City, Missouri, and St. Louis, Missouri. Many smaller towns were also at risk, suffering the same fate as the larger cities if not worse. According to the National Weather Service, in the second half of the month of May 2011, almost a year's worth of rain fell over the upper Missouri River basin. Extremely heavy rainfall in conjunction with an estimated 212 percent of normal snowpack in the Rocky Mountains contributed to this flooding event.{1}

The fourth Treaty of Prairie du Chien was negotiated between the United States and the Sac and Fox, the Mdewakanton, Wahpekute and Sisseton Sioux, Omaha, Ioway, Otoe and Missouria tribes. The treaty was signed on July 15, 1830, with William Clark and Willoughby Morgan representing the United States. Through additional negotiations conducted in St. Louis on October 13, 1830, Yankton Sioux and Santee Sioux agreed to abide by the 1830 Treaty of Prairie du Chien. The US government announced the treaty and its numerous adherents on February 24, 1831.

References

Coordinates: 40°32′23″N95°40′25″W / 40.53972°N 95.67361°W / 40.53972; -95.67361

  1. ↑ "Iowa termini of Interstate 29". Iowahighwayends.net. 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  2. 1 2 Hayes, Troy (2006). "Missouri-Iowa Boundary Line Investigation" (PDF). The American Surveyor. Retrieved 2019-09-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. 1 2 Joint Resolution Granting the consent of Congress to the Missouri-Nebraska Boundary Compact. Public Law 106–101 (Nov. 12, 1999).
  4. ↑ "River Border". xkcd.com. 2018-04-27. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  5. 1 2 "Fremont County, Iowa: Madison twp History from the 1910 atlas". Iagenweb.org. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  6. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: McKissick Island
  7. ↑ Historic Map Works LLC. (2008-07-21). "Historic Map: Peru, McKissick's Island and Brownville Precincts, Atlas: Nemaha County 1922, Nebraska - Historic Map Works, Residential Genealogy ™". Historicmapworks.com. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  8. 1 2 3 "State of Missouri v. State of Nebraska, 196 U.S. 23 (1904)". Caselaw.lp.findlaw.com. Retrieved 2019-09-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ Walter Farwell  (View posts) (2006-10-20). "McKissick Wagon Train 1861 to Utah - it crossed McKissick Island in 1861 - Fremont - Family History & Genealogy Message Board - Ancestry.com". Boards.ancestry.com. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  10. ↑ http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nenemaha/comhist.html#McKiss [ user-generated source ]
  11. ↑ "But to What Extent Remains Unknown Nemaha County, Region Will Be Impacted by Flooding for Long Term". Anewspaper.4w.com. 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
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