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BORDER MARKER

Program
NYS Historic
Subject
Government
Location
218 Boston Corners Rd, Millerton, NY 12546, USA
Lat/Long
42.0524, -73.5205
Grant Recipient
Town of Ancram
Historic Marker

BORDER MARKER

Inscription

BORDER MARKER
STONE SURVEY MARKER ON THIS
SITE DETERMINED SOUTHWEST
CORNER OF MASSACHUSETTS,
AKA BOSTON CORNER. LAND CEDED
TO NEW YORK STATE IN 1855.
WILLIAM G. POMEROY FOUNDATION 2020

In the settlement of the New York State and Massachusetts boundary, a portion of Massachusetts (known as Boston Corners) was isolated by a mountain range with the only access via New York State. This became a notable issue when John Morrissey and James “Yankee” Sullivan chose this location to fight a bare knuckle boxing match for the championship of United States in October 1853 due to the difficultly of policing the area. In 1855 the U.S. Congress passed, and the President signed, an act to cede this portion of Massachusetts to New York State.