M. C. Cooke v. Albert Smith

Basically, this is a suit in ejectment and to quiet title to real estate in the Mississippi River. The involved land mass is now situated across a chute, just east of Osceola, Arkansas. It originally was close to the Tennessee shore and the main channel of the river was toward the right descending bank against the Arkansas shore. Due to changes in the channel, the island appeared to "migrate" across the river. In Tennessee v. Arkansas, 454 U.S. 351, 102 S.Ct. 962, 70 L.Ed.2d 539 (1981), the United States Supreme Court held that the land was part of Tennessee and established the boundary line between the two states. The impact of such a decision on record titles, combined with the nature of the land involved, provides a natural catalyst to litigation of this type.