The Boundary Surveys
November 1, 2007
So, how did we get the border that we now have with Mexico?
This is the story of engineers, surveyors and politicians. Once the United States had signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, it set out to map the southern boundary of the territory it had acquired from Mexico. A number of surveys were eventually drawn. It was not until 1855, after the U.S. made an additional purchase of land from Mexico, that the lines were finally agreed upon. In the early 1890s, however, another joint boundary commission reran the lines to replace the monuments that had been destroyed and verify the earlier survey. Now the current surveys utilize global positioning systems to further finalize the accuracy of the lines as was intended over a hundred and fifty years ago. If that is ever possible.
One year to the day after the signing of the Treaty, a Joint United States and Mexican Boundary Commission was to meet in San Diego, California to begin the drawing of the line. According to the Treaty, the line was to follow the Rio Grande, the southern line of New Mexico, the Gila River, and a line running from the confluence of the Gila and Colorado rivers to the Pacific Ocean one league south of the bay of San Diego. Mexico wanted to keep El Paso and Baja California and a land bridge between it and Sonora.
Sounds simple, but there were problems on the U.S. side immediately. The politicians in Washington did not understand the terrain the line would go through. But problems involved just getting to San Diego across the Isthmus of Panama, political appointments vying with military types, and money, always the lack of funding by the U.S. government. The first Commissioner, John B. Weller, made it to San Diego and presided over the first leg of the survey, from the Pacific to the confluence of the Gila and Colorado Rivers. Part of his entourage was military and part was not, which led to difficulties. William Emory held the position of chief astronomer and Andrew Belcher Gray was appointed surveyor. (This makes sense because surveying depended on astronomical calculations.) Lt. Amiel W. Whipple was also part of the surveying crew. The Joint Commission successfully determined the point below San Diego on the Pacific Ocean where the boundary would start. Lt Whipple led the crew that went to determine the point on the Colorado where it met the Gila. This was accomplished by the first of December 1849, but not without conflicts and a question as to why no official but Whipple was there .
Then money ran out and both laborers and engineers were in short supply due to the California Gold Rush. The price of everything had gone sky high. The two southern points of California were marked, but not the line in between. Back in Washington, funds were being held up for political reasons. Part of the problem was that President Polk and his successor in the year 1849, Zachary Taylor, were from two different parties (Democrat and Whig). James Buchanan (later President from 1857-61) was Secretary of State under both of them. The Commission was filled with political appointees, and Congress could appropriate money for it as it saw fit. Unfortunately, it did not see fit, and money ran out, leaving Weller and his surveyors and engineers stranded in San Diego. Weller was relieved of duty and a new commissioner, John C. Fremont was appointed. but briefly, because soon he became a Senator from California. Next, John Russell Bartlett, was appointed. He was to take up the survey in El Paso.
The Mexican Boundary Commission was more organized and had less internal difficulties, somewhat better funding, but had poor equipment. General Pedro García Condé, an engineer and cartographer, was well suited for the job of Commissioner. He was outfitted with appropriate surveyors and support, but was not able to get adequate surveying equipment. He had expected to have the whole border surveyed in the time it took to get the two California points.
After they were re-outfitted, the Commission met again in El Paso, Texas, in 1850. John R. Bartlett (Bartlett Mountain is named for him) was not someone you would expect to be interested in rough living in the West, but he was interested in history, natural history and in researching the “noble savage.” An idealist to the max, he had no experience as an explorer. Again, he faced constant bickering (including murder) among the team members and less than adequate funding.
One major problem that surveyors had in 1848 was with the map it intended to use as a basis for the boundary lines. This Disturnell Map was made in 1847 and was very inaccurate. The American and Mexican boundary commissioners met in El Paso in December of 1850 and intended to use this map as a starting point. Finding it to be inaccurate, they each made a compromise. The Mesilla valley was favored by Mexico and the Santa Rita silver mines near Silver City were favored by the U.S., so the commissioners compromised by choosing a point in between. One serious problem was determining the upper reaches of the Gila River, which was to be considered the southern boundary in western New Mexico (now Arizona). Bartlett spent his time investigating the flora and fauna while not working with the topographical engineers.
To be continued next time…
Copyright 2007 Mary Kasulaitis
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