Weird State Borders - El Paso Area

The Boundary Act of 1850 finalized the shape of Texas as we know it today.

The area of interest in this video is the 25 miles of Texas/New Mexico line traced down the channel of the Rio Grande River, from 32 degrees north southward to the place where the Mexican Border intersects the river today.

This small section of stream, which forms the extreme western tip of Texas, changed course over many decades. By the 20th Century, the people of the area had forgotten where the river had been, which led to a major dispute between the two states.

The Supreme Court decided a surveyor would calculate where the 1850 channel of the river had been. The surveyor completed his work in 1930, setting 105 concrete monuments to mark this unusual state line in the El Paso area.

The state line winds through fields and buildings with no clear pattern.

In May 2021, my children and I stopped to take a look.

In 65 minutes, we explored the area, crossing the line 7 times.

This included a small detour to see the Mexican Border.

See references below: https://amerisurv.com/2019/02/10/unsung-hero-the-texas-new-mexico-border/

https://www.tsl.texas.gov/treasures/earlystate/boundary.html

https://www.tsl.texas.gov/treasures/earlystate/boundary-01.html

https://www.drtinfo.org/education/republic-of-texas-2/boundaries-of-the-republic-of-texas