HISTORIC DEDICATION - INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY MARKER - Panola Co, TX ***************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ Submitted by Mary Love Berryman - marylove@tyler.net Director of the Computer Interest Group, ETGS 25 April 2002 ***************************************************************** Originally published in the East Texas Family Records, Volume 4, Number 3, Fall 1980, by East Texas Genealogical Society. HISTORIC DEDICATION - INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY MARKER Contributed by Leila B. LaGrone, 512 Stadium St., Cartage, Texas. A one-of-a-kind International Boundary Marker, established in 1841, has been highlighted recently by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The first joint project of landmark dedication by both Texas and Louisiana Civil Engineers was the boundary marker between the REPUBLIC OF TEXAS and the UNITED STATES, at the state line on Highway #3l. The marker, a granite shaft some ten feet long and nine inches sguare, was prepared and dated in 1840; but the difficult journey up the Sabine River was not completed through the swamps until the spring of 1841. The joint Engineering Commission from the United States and Republic of Texas was let by W.J. Stone, who was charged by the President of the United States to "Complete the task with all due speed and accuracy." The granite shaft was sunk in a concrete foundation five feet deep. On the South side of the shaft was engraved "Meridian Boundary, Established A.D., 1840" on the East side, "U.S." and on the West side, "R.T." The story leading up to this marking of a boundary that had been in dispute for more than two hundred years is a fascinating one. Two shafts were originally established. One was on the western bank of the Sabine River where the river crossed the 32nd parallel of North Latitude; but with the flood waters of time the sandy bank crumbled and the shaft was lost in the river. The remaining marker was set three miles North of the river. From this point, each mile was marked with a post and a mound of pertinent information but the posts and mounds have long ago been destroyed. In April 1977, a small International Boundary Marker Park was dedicated at the site; and since that time it has been regis­tered as a National historic Shrine.