Morses Line Border Crossing

Morses Line Border Crossing
US Border Inspection Station at Morses Line, Vermont
Location
Country	United States; Canada
Location	US Port: 4475 Morses Line Road Franklin, Vermont 05457 Canadian Port: 10 Dutch Road, Saint-Armand, Quebec J0J 1T0
Coordinates	45°00′52″N 72°58′41″W / 45.014453°N 72.978058°W
Details
Opened	1934
US Phone	[phone]
Canadian Phone	[phone]
Hours	Open 8 AM to Midnight US / 8 AM to 4PM Canada
Website http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contacts/ports/vt/0212.xml

The Morses Line Border Crossing connects the towns of Saint-Armand, Quebec with Franklin, Vermont.

In 1871, a proprieter named J. Morse opened a store at this location directly on the US-Canada boundary. A small village grew around it on both sides of the border. In 1935, the US built a border inspection station at Morses Line, and Canada built their border station in 1952.^[1] Both buildings are still in use today.

Residents living near this remote border crossing have long fought the US and Canadian governments' attempts to make changes in the facilities and operations. In 1997, in an effort to offer local residents the opportunity to cross the border even after the crossing had closed for the night, the governments of the US and Canada committed to providing a Remote Video Inspection System. At a town hall meeting in Franklin, Vermont many residents raised objections, so installation of that system was halted. Then in 2009, the US Government planned to construct a new border station, a project that involved purchasing some land from an adjacent farm. The property owner refused to sell the land, and furthermore urged the government to close the crossing, stating that its existence was a waste of taxpayer money.^[2] In response, the Department of Homeland Security announced it would close the crossing.^[3] Eventually, other local residents began to recognize what the loss of the border crossing would mean to their economy and way of life, and fought to keep it open.^[4]

See also

• List of Canada–United States border crossings
• Morses Line, Vermont

References

1. "Did You Know... How the Border Crossing at Morses Line, Vt., Got Its Name?". US Customs and Border Protection. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
2. Filipov, David (May 17, 2010). "Vt. farmer draws a line at US bid to bolster border". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2013-03-24.
3. "Obtain information about the Morses Line Border Crossing". Help.cbp.gov. Retrieved 2013-03-24.
4. "Leahy, Sanders And Welch Ask CBP To Keep Morses Line Open". www.leahy.senate.gov. Retrieved 2013-04-02.