I'm surprised you didn't talk about what may be our most famous boundary markers: the Washington DC Boundary Stones, which are the original survey markers erected in the early 1790s as part of the land surveys to mark out the new federal capitol's land. They are some of the earliest artifacts that we have that show the words "United States" on them. NPR did a story on them last year: https://www.npr.org/2024/07/04/nx-s1-4940122/boundary-stones-washington-monuments
Mathematician YouTuber Matt Parker (standupmaths) did a video on the DC boundary stones in which he traversed one side and tried to locate the markers. https://youtu.be/h6ws1znxvF4?si=MaxBK8ASsVWoieDu
Which subsequently led me to find out that the PA, OH, and WV tripoint, or at least the nearest land to it as it is in the Ohio River was the start of the US Public Land Survey
Great stuff so far this week! As a maps and roads nerd this definitely satisfies my itch. Thanks for the info on "The Slash". I had always wondered how our northern border was maintained in such remote places such as Montana, Idaho, etc. And to learn that there are so many monuments for this! I appreciated yesterday's post about Michigan's "Lost Peninsula". As a Michigan resident I've always wanted to visit but could never find an excuse. Something else but more border-adjacent in Michigan is the Meridian-Baseline State Park. While not the geographic center of the state it is the basis of all land surveys in Michigan. There is a giant marker in the middle of the woods that seems rather Lovecraftian in a way. https://www.michigan.gov/recsearch/parks/meridian
The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge spans the Missouri River, connecting Omaha, Neb. and Council Bluffs, Iowa, with the state line designated in the bridge decking.
I couldn't immediately find it, but there is a sophomoric picture of a dachshund standing with two feet in each state with a caption of "my wiener spans two states".
I grew up in the border metropolis of El Paso, Texas, USA and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. We also have a three-state border monument where Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua meet. But we also have a national monument to the last settled border dispute and territorial acquisition in the continental United States: the Chamizal National Memorial. This park commemorates the settlement of the US-Mexico border dispute caused by the frequent course changes of the Rio Grande before it was tamed into a concrete channel separating downtown El Paso from downtown Juarez in the 1960s. It's a very nice way to see this bit of history, as well as a boundary marker up close just off of Interstate 10 (and very close to some of the best Mexican food in North America). Check it out: https://visitelpaso.com/places/chamizal-national-memorial
I'm surprised you didn't talk about what may be our most famous boundary markers: the Washington DC Boundary Stones, which are the original survey markers erected in the early 1790s as part of the land surveys to mark out the new federal capitol's land. They are some of the earliest artifacts that we have that show the words "United States" on them. NPR did a story on them last year: https://www.npr.org/2024/07/04/nx-s1-4940122/boundary-stones-washington-monuments
I didn't know about those. Thank you for teaching me!
Mathematician YouTuber Matt Parker (standupmaths) did a video on the DC boundary stones in which he traversed one side and tried to locate the markers. https://youtu.be/h6ws1znxvF4?si=MaxBK8ASsVWoieDu
I got married at the lighthouse that sits above the initial southern stone!
Delighted to find out there’s a wiki page about tri-points https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tripoints_of_U.S._states
Which subsequently led me to find out that the PA, OH, and WV tripoint, or at least the nearest land to it as it is in the Ohio River was the start of the US Public Land Survey
Our Scout troop regularly camps in Connecticut and hikes to the CT/MA/RI tripoint.
Great stuff so far this week! As a maps and roads nerd this definitely satisfies my itch. Thanks for the info on "The Slash". I had always wondered how our northern border was maintained in such remote places such as Montana, Idaho, etc. And to learn that there are so many monuments for this! I appreciated yesterday's post about Michigan's "Lost Peninsula". As a Michigan resident I've always wanted to visit but could never find an excuse. Something else but more border-adjacent in Michigan is the Meridian-Baseline State Park. While not the geographic center of the state it is the basis of all land surveys in Michigan. There is a giant marker in the middle of the woods that seems rather Lovecraftian in a way. https://www.michigan.gov/recsearch/parks/meridian
Great series so far Paul. Can’t wait for tomorrow’s installment.
The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge spans the Missouri River, connecting Omaha, Neb. and Council Bluffs, Iowa, with the state line designated in the bridge decking.
I couldn't immediately find it, but there is a sophomoric picture of a dachshund standing with two feet in each state with a caption of "my wiener spans two states".
Loved this week of posts, by the way. More of the PREMIUM CONTENT I COME HERE FOR. Thanks, Paul!
I grew up in the border metropolis of El Paso, Texas, USA and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. We also have a three-state border monument where Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua meet. But we also have a national monument to the last settled border dispute and territorial acquisition in the continental United States: the Chamizal National Memorial. This park commemorates the settlement of the US-Mexico border dispute caused by the frequent course changes of the Rio Grande before it was tamed into a concrete channel separating downtown El Paso from downtown Juarez in the 1960s. It's a very nice way to see this bit of history, as well as a boundary marker up close just off of Interstate 10 (and very close to some of the best Mexican food in North America). Check it out: https://visitelpaso.com/places/chamizal-national-memorial