In 1845, the bishop of the American Episcopal Church W. J. Boone bought an area in Hongkew to create real estates in Shanghai, in the name of building a church. Later Boone proposed to create an American settlement in 1848, the Shanghai County agreed with him. On 25 June 1863 American consul George Seward signed an agreement with the head of Shanghai County Huang Fang (黃芳) to create the American Concession in Shanghai, which also confirmed the boundary of area.[1] On 21 September 1863, the American area was merged with the British as the Shanghai International Settlement.