Take a look at the northern border of the state of Connecticut and you’re likely to notice something intriguing. Along the northern border, there is a “notch” that cuts into the state. Why does it exist? What is its function?

Curious about the history, I spoke with two experts on the matter. One from Suffield, CT and the other from Southwick, MA. Both individuals were able to explain the history of the “notch” and its current status.

Contact Information: https://mieummedia.com/contact

Extended Interview with Lester Smith can be found here:

Extended Interview with Lee Hamberg can be found here:

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Citations:

#1: Stein, Mark. How the States Got Their Shapes. HarperCollins, 2009, p. 45-46.

#2: Hamberg, Lee. Phone interview. 16 Dec. 2018.

#3: Smith, Lester. In-person interview. 14 Dec. 2018.

#4: Maps.app, Apple, Accessed 19 Dec. 2018. I used some screenshots from Apple’s Map application.

#5: “The Southwick Jog.” Connecticut Museum Quest, CTMQ, 14 Apr. 2016, http://www.ctmq.org/the-southwick-jog/. Accessed 19 Dec. 2018.

#6: “The Granby Notch.” State Senator John A. Kissel, 25 Jan. 2010, ctsenaterepublicans.com/2010/01/the-granby-notch/. Accessed 19 Dec. 2018.

#7: Soniak, Matt. “The True Story of the Southwick Jog.” Mental Floss, 26 Dec. 2012, mentalfloss.com/article/32031/true-story-southwick-jog. Accessed 19 Dec. 2018.

#8: Suffield Historical Society, http://www.suffieldhistoricalsociety.org. Accessed 19 Dec. 2018.

#9: “Why is there a “jog” in Connecticut’s border with Massachusetts?” Connecticut State Library, libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/hg/maps/jog. Accessed 19 Dec. 2018.

#10: Southwick Historical Society, http://www.southwickhistoricalsociety.org. Accessed 19 Dec. 2018.

#11: Outro Song: “Fill Me In” by Atwaters featuring Yeon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW0iKqFMoxo Used with artist’s consent. The contents and views of this video may not necessarily be shared with the artist.