North, South Carolina to Get New Border—Their Old One

When the king of England demanded borders be set for North and South Carolina in the 1700s, surveyors battled swamps and panthers, and notched trees to demarcate the line. The boundary was officially set in 1772, and after nearly two decades of hard work, research, and some GPS help, the states are tweaking the since-shifted 335-mile-long border, restoring it to that colonial original. Unsurprisingly, there are some issues, reports the New York Times in a fascinating look at the process—and consequences.

Take, for instance, South Carolina resident Judy Helms. Or former resident. Her four acres have been chopped up by the new line: Her house is now in North Carolina, her backyard dog still lives in South. She now needs a new driver's license. She'll have to pay higher taxes. She'll vote for new politicians. She's one of about 30 homes and a gas station dealing with the change, reports the Times, and both states' attorneys general's offices are trying to minimize the effects of the changes on them. The two boundary commissions have about 40 miles left to figure out, and hope to do so by year end. Click to read the entire piece, which outlines other, less friendly boundary battles between the states. (More North Carolina stories.)