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A
UNIQUE LANDMARK
by Bob Bowman | |
Travelers
who take the time to wander down Farm Road 31 between Deadwood, Texas, and Logansport,
Louisiana, will find a one-of-a-kind historical landmark.
A granite shaft
set into the ground on April 23, 1841, marks the only international boundary existing
within the continental United States. |
International
Boundary Republic of Texas-United States Marker
Photo courtesy Gerald
Massey, February 2009 |
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The marker established
the boundary between Texas and Louisiana, but there
was a time when the border underwent contests between France, Spain, the U.S.
and the Republic of Texas.
Before there was a Texas, both France and
Spain claimed the region on both sides of the Sabine
River -- an area known as the “neutral ground” or “no man’s land” because
of early explorations by both nations.
French explorers claimed all land
drained by the Mississippi River and its tributaries as Louisiana Territory. Spain
claimed all southern lands beginning with the first watershed west of the Mississippi.
The dispute arose over claims that the “first watershed” was the Sabine
or the Atchafalaya River. As a result the land between the two rivers was claimed
by both nations. When the U.S. purchased the Louisiana territory in 1803 and inherited
France’s claims, the U.S. and Spain agreed that the disputed strip would be neutral
territory until an agreement could be reached by the two nations.
The
strip soon became a refuge for outlaws and deserters seeking to avoid the laws
of any government, leading to the violent Regulator-Moderator
War in Shelby and surrounding counties.
The boundary was further
confused in 1819 when the U.S. purchased Florida from Spain and a new, tentative
agreement established the Sabine as the international boundary. Texas, at the
time, was still Spanish territory, but became a part of Mexico when Mexico won
its independence from Spain.
When
the Republic of Texas was born in 1836, it became a matter of urgency to mark
the actual boundary between the Republic and the U.S.
A joint commission
was established in 1838 to survey and map the land along the boundary. W.J. Stone,
a young engineer, was commissioned by President Martin Van Buren to perform the
task “with all speed and accuracy.” The work was scheduled for completion in 1840,
but wasn’t actually finished until 1841.
The western bank of the Sabine
was mapped and marked as the boundary from its mouth to the 32nd parallel, just
north of Logan’s Ferry (today’s Logansport). |
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The
granite block marking the International Boundary
Photo courtesy Gerald
Massey, February 2009 |
To establish the line,
a granite shaft was driven into the ground near the river. Three miles north,
a second shaft was set. Each mile between the two shafts was marked by an earthen
mound containing bottled information and a wooden mileage pole.
With
the passage of time and a crumbling river bank, the shaft on the Sabine was lost.
The remaining marker on Farm Road 31 was damaged in the 1920s by loggers,
but was repaired and still stands about 50 yards off the highway between Deadwood
and Logansport.
The landmark carries three simple inscription. On the
south side are the words, “Merid. Boundary Established 1840.” On the east side,
it reads: “U.S.” and on the west side are the words, “R.T” for Republic of Texas. |
International
Boundary Historical Marker
Photo courtesy Gerald
Massey, February 2009 |
An illegal
trophy collector tried to dig up the marker in the 1970s, but gave up when he
discovered it had a concrete foundation of ten to fourteen feet.
Apparently,
someone in the past wanted to make darned sure the marker wasn’t going anywhere.
(See
also Last
Remaining International Boundary for The Republic of Texas by Gerald Massey) |
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