When parish maps were drawn, the parish borders had to be defined. The borders were usually defined by marks or places confirmed by the court, so no arguments over the borders broke out between neighbouring parishes. Sometimes, however, the borders were defined by marks or places that were only passed down as tradition and when no consensus was reached, the surveyor had to draw alternative borders between parishes. Bays, islands, large trees, rocks and swamp islands could be used as border markers, which at least nowadays seems somewhat imprecise. Surveyors resolved the issue by putting large markings on trees near the place that was agreed to be the border marker, just to be sure. The Finnish names that were written down by the surveyor could end up looking very strange indeed.

The list below shows the Jämsä parish borders marked out with numbers. The translation describes border point 1 in more detail, but the other border points are only mentioned by name.

  2. Tuohokotas lake, has small cape at north end
  3. Small Kilpa lake (this border is unclear as the people of Kalmavirta and Petäjävesi disagree; the latter claim that the border is no. 4)
  6. Läppinkivi stone or Upper Läppinkivi stone, in the middle of the stream
  8. Koirajärvensalmi strait, small creek between Koirajärvi lakes
10. Raijajärvensalmi strait (Rajajärvensalmi strait?)
12. Kaukojärvi lake, northern end where the winter road comes ashore
14. Kauko-ojansuu stream coming from Kaukojärvi lake.
16. Levalahti bay
18. Clattering pine, a growing pine situated on the northern side of the path between Juokslahti village and Old Maenmaa estate.
20. From here to the small strait between Juokslahti bay and the great Päijänne bay
22. Here ends the parish of Sysmä and the Kuhmo chapel border begins
24. Vuohenvirta stream
26. Lahnasilta bridge, where the road runs
28. Nytkinentaipale road, by the winter road
30. Ristivuori mountain
32. Limpsi rock
34. Jammajärvi lake rock

Copy: Heikki Rantatupa