that gap is now the panhandle of oklahoma. and what does that have to do with the northern border of iowa? by creating this baseline at 37 degrees whether intentionally or not i can't tell you because stephen douglas never spoke treacly to what his intentions were but what evolves over the the coming years were eight years prairie states with six ackley three degrees a tight. kansas, nebraska, north dakota and south dakota and just to the west using the st baseline mountainous states, less good for a culture with 4 degrees of height, color river, wyoming and montana. if you look at i love it has almost exactly 3 degrees of height. more to the point what we see here is a jefferson's vision of the states being created from a mathematical finally emerged