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A
UNIQUE LANDMARK
by Bob Bowman
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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.
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).
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.
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.
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Things Historical
February 1, 2005 Column
Published with permission
(Distributed by the East Texas Historical Association. Bob Bowman
is a member of the Texas Historical Commission and the author of
more than 30 books about East Texas.)
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