Subject: Oklahoma Tri-State Corners - Part III<br/>
Date: Jan 09, 2003 @ 03:51<br/>
Author: jparsell (&quot;jparsell&quot; &lt;jparsell@northnet.org&gt;)<br/>
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<div id="ygrps-yiv-855265712">This final part of the series should settle the debate of many <br/>
months ago regarding which of the several monuments in the near<br/>
vicinity of NM-OK-TX is at the tri-point.  For this discussion <br/>
refer to the lower half of attached map. Also attached are two <br/>
sets of photos.<br/>
<br/>
NM-OK-TX #1 pictures include one of the Highpointers group at <br/>
the tri-point.  Also a shot of one of the dogs perched on the <br/>
tri-point, and one of me at the almost identical looking monument<br/>
located 371 feet north of the tri-point which marks the Initial<br/>
Point of the Cimarron Meridian. <br/>
<br/>
The present Initial Point marker was placed by Hugh B. Crawford<br/>
in 1932.  The original I.P. monument was set in 1881.  The broken<br/>
pieces of the 1881 marker are buried a few inches below ground <br/>
level, with one piece each on the west, south and east sides of <br/>
the 1932 monument. Coordinates for the I.P. are 36d 30&#39;05.181&quot; N,<br/>
103d 00&#39;06.845&quot; W.<br/>
<br/>
Mr Crawford also set the monument at the closing corner of the <br/>
Cimarron Meridian with the Texas border in 1932.  This is the <br/>
accepted tri-point with coordinates of 36d 30&#39;05&quot; N, 103d 00&#39;03&quot; W.<br/>
Just the other side of the fence, north of the tri-point is the <br/>
1900 Preston monument which is now completely buried.  This red<br/>
sandstone marker has a brass tablet on top marked TEXHOMEX and on <br/>
the sides it is marked CM on the east, TEX on the south and N.M. on<br/>
the west.  In the open pasture west and north of the tri-point is<br/>
the 1902 Kidder monument.  These markers along with the original<br/>
NW corner of Texas marker are shown in NM-OK-TX #2 attachment.<br/>
<br/>
The early surveys by John H. Clark in 1859 to locate the 103rd <br/>
meridian were greatly in error.  The Clark survey line between <br/>
NM and TX is at 103d 02&#39;28&quot; W.  This line was in dispute between<br/>
NM and TX until Congress in 1911 passed a resolution accepting <br/>
the Clark line as the true western boundary of Texas.  The result <br/>
is the 2.71 mile extension of Texas into what should have been <br/>
New Mexico.  The Clark monument originally at this corner, but a<br/>
road widening project on route US 56 in 1991 resulted in the <br/>
marker being buried below the pavement. Its location is documented<br/>
by two witness poles located off the highway.<br/>
<br/>
For reference purposes Part I is BP message #7727 and part II is<br/>
BP message # 7929.<br/>
<br/>
Jack Parsell</div>