Tri-Territory Site

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TRI-TERRITORY SITE

Claimed area- Red River Basin became a part of State of Maine top Steamboat Mountain in (1818) (1842) Sweetwater County, Wyoming Oregon where the 42nd Parallel crosses the Compromise Continental Divide you will find a (1846) pyramidal stone monument. The Louisiana monument documents the “Tri-Territory Site” with a Mexican Purchase A (1803) bronze plaque testifying to the geographic location of Cession the coincidence of three very important occurrences (1848) in the history of the expansion of “The West” United States and States of America. Territories (1800) The first half of the Nineteenth Century was a time of great excitement about what was west of the Gadsden Texas Purchase Annexation Florida Mississippi River, that great, mostly unexplored land (1853) (1845) Cession that was yet to become part of the United States. This (1819) Claimed area- vast wilderness was, in fact, claimed in part by Spain, became part of France, England, Mexico and Texas Republic and State of Louisiana (1812) was inhabited by many Native American tribes and numerous, thus far unfamiliar, wild animals. No one was more curious or excited about what Major United States land acquisitions great adventure and discoveries laid in that mysterious between 1800 and 1860 “West” than President Thomas Jefferson. He rued the SOURCES: U.S.GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 1970 fact that his political duties forbade his own expedi- tions into that uncharted land. He, having been a surveyor in his President Jefferson issued orders to the two Captains to “explore youth, would have loved nothing more than to survey and map the whole line [of the Missouri] even to the Western ocean” and the new territory and record its geology, flora and fauna. But, alas, on May 14, 1804, the Corps of Discovery, in a keelboat and two this was not to be so. The next best way to satisfy his yearning for pirogues, embarked on an unbelievable expedition up the Missouri this great adventure was to groom a prodigy to carry out his quest River. Thus, barely six months after congress ratified the sale of the for knowledge and imperialist ambitions. That chosen person was Louisiana Territory (October 1803) from France to the United States, Captain Meriwether Lewis. Jefferson personally tutored Lewis in did the co-commanders of the Corps of Discovery unveil President mathematics and in the use of surveying instruments of the day Jefferson’s dream of making America a world power by expanding and sent him to scientists in Philadelphia for studies of botany, the Empire from “sea to shining sea”. celestial navigation, zoology and medicine; all in preparing him to The Discovery mission took the Corps beyond the extents of the lead an expedition into the “West”. Captain Lewis chose William Louisiana Territory to the northwest where laid a vaguely defined Clark to be co-commander of the Corps assigned to make this region known as Oregon Country. This was a wild, uninhabited (by expedition and insisted that Clark be assigned the rank of Captain white men), Indian controlled region traversed by the Columbia to make sure they were equally in charge. River, claimed in shadowy documentation by France, Spain, Great

» HARRY KESSNER, PE, PS

Astoria

COLUMBIA RIVER U.S.

COUNTRY SNAKE

Adams-Onis Treaty Line 1819 RIVER

Lander

42° Parallel MEXICO Rock Springs

Oregon Country

Britain, Russia and the United States. George their explorations of the coast during the late Britain contesting the rights to the terri- Vancouver explored Puget Sound in 1792 and 1700s. Spain later, through treaty, granted tory and as a result of the Anglo-American claimed it in the name of Great Britain. In Great Britain rights to the northwest without Convention of 1818 the two countries agreed 1807-08 David Thompson and Simon Frazier relinquishing its claim to the territory or to “joint occupancy” of that territory between explored much of the lands and rivers establishing a northern border for Spanish the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. contributing to the Columbia River and in the summer of 1811 Thompson became the first known white man to traverse the length This was a wild Indian-controlled of the Columbia. On July 11, 1811, Thompson’s “ group camped at the confluence of the Snake region claimed in shadowy document River and the Columbia and it was there that Thompson claimed the country for Great ation by France, Spain, Great Britain, Britain by erecting a pole monument with such notice and a declaration that a trading Russia, and the United States. post would be erected at the site. Thompson ” continued his survey of the Columbia in that same year culminating at the still under California. Then, as part of the Adams-Onis Settlement of the Oregon Country grew construction Fort Astoria at the Columbia Treaty of 1819, Spain relinquished any rights dramatically with trappers exploiting the rich River Bar on the Pacific Ocean. Besides remaining to the United States for territory populations of beavers and other fur bearing the Lewis and Clark expedition the United above the 42nd parallel. Russia followed in animals. This growth was soon expanded States based its claim to the region partly on the 1820s, in separate treaties with Great on by settlers from the east via the Oregon Robert Gray’s exploration into the mouth Britain and the United States, giving up Trail in the late 1830s. Competition between of the Columbia in 1792. Spain’s claim was its claims to any territory east of the 141st Great Britain and the United States grew as based on old treaties such as the Treaty of Meridian and south of 54°40’ parallel. Thus, a result of settlement of Americans from the Tordesillas and Inter caetera of 1493-94 plus that left only the United States and Great east and British Canadians from the Red

MEXICAN GREEN CESSION RIVER

COLORADO

PACIFIC

OCEAN RIO GILA RIVER

GADSDEN GRANDE PURCHASE MEXICO 1853

Mexican Cession via. Treaty of Gaudealupe-Hidalgo 1848

River country settling on farms near Fort annexation of Texas but in 1845 when James lying in southwestern Wyoming merited Vancouver. This grew into what was known Polk became president that all changed and some form of recognition, the Kiwanis as the Oregon Boundary Dispute. Despite Congress voted to annex Texas. Annexation Clubs of Rock Springs, Lander, Riverton much haggling over where to divide the terri- caused a dispute over the border between and Rawlins, acting in cooperation with tory into United States and British Columbia Texas and Mexico and Congress declared BLM officials, conceived a plan to erect and with no desire by either country to go war with Mexico in 1846. The war continued a monument at the site where the three to war again, an agreement was reached until September 1847 when America acquisitions meet. with the Oregon Treaty of 1846. This treaty captured Mexico City. Then in February 1848 A 24”x18” bronze plaque is mounted on divided the territory west of the Continental the two countries came to an agreement and a native stone masonry monument at the Divide along the 49th parallel to George signed the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in determined location. The site is enclosed Strait, leaving all of Vancouver Island under which Mexico recognized Texas as a state in a fenced area also containing four flag British control. That border remains today. of United States and ceded a large part poles, for the four nations involved, and a Meanwhile, as this destiny of Oregon of Mexico to the United States for about BLM interpretive sign. Elevation of the site Country was proceeding, many American fifteen million dollars. This deal known as is 7,775 feet. settlers and Tejanos (Mexicans living in the Mexican Cession deeded lands to the The position of the coincidence of Texas) in Texas, which was a part of Mexico United States that would later become Utah, the three historical acquisitions was at the time, were unhappy with rule by Santa Nevada, California, and parts of Arizona, established by B.L.M. cadastral survey in Ana, Mexico’s President, and decided to fight New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. July 1967, determined from G.L.O. Station for Texas independence. After Santa Ana Thus, through war, treaty, extraordinary No. 25 (Sweetwater County, C.I. Asinkson, beat down the Texans at the Alamo, Sam bravery and tenacious pioneering these three 1931) by traverse through section lines Houston led a Texan army that captured pieces of the United States mosaic were added adjusted to sea level distances. The Santa Ana in a battle at San Jacinto. As the and President Jefferson’s dream of a United position is 42 feet east along the 42nd. result of Santa Ana’s release, Santa Ana States “from sea to shining sea” was realized. Parallel from the section line between gave Texas its independence. President Believing that these three significant Sec. 1 and Sec. 2, T23N, R102W. The 42nd Van Buren, for various reasons, was against events in U.S. history and their coincidence Parallel lies 1315.6 feet southerly (S0°05’E)

Displayed with permission • The American Surveyor • June 2015 • Copyright 2015 Cheves Media • www.Amerisurv.com from the NW Section Corner of Section 1, region of the Tri-Territory acquisitions. recognized in some national historic archive T23N, R102W. In all histories of the United States, “The as a place of distinction. There was an attempt by the Kiwanis Northwest Territory” was the area that The BLM has recognized the historic Clubs and the BLM to include the Tri- was to become the States of Ohio, Indiana, relevance of the site and the importance to Territory Site in the National Register Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and a part of provide the public access to it by posting of Historic Places. BLM officers vigor- Minnesota. The correct designation should direction and distance signs from both ously pursued the proposal through the be, “Oregon Country”. The second weakness highways 191 and 28 to the site. ◾ Wyoming Recreation Commission. The to the proposal was that the site “is not in Commission cited two weaknesses in itself a place at which any historic event the BLM proposal one of which could be occurred”. Because of these “weaknesses” Harry J. Kessner, PE, PS, earned his civil corrected and another “which can be in and other bureaucratic obstacles the nomi- engineering degree at the University of no way avoided”. The first weakness to the nation was vetoed. No attempt to change Wyoming. After graduation he spent two years active duty and six year reserved duty proposal, that which could be corrected, the wording on the plaque or to militate the in the U.S. Army. He was project engineer/ was the wording on the plaque which read, other deficiencies in the nomination has to division engineer for the Union Pacific RR; in part “…Louisiana Purchase (1803) The date been attempted. branch manager for Bennett-Carder Assoc. Northwest Territory (1846) and Mexico Because of the importance of these providing engineering and surveying services; and owner and president of Loham Walsh (1848)”. The reviewing historian, Ned Frost, acquisitions to the United States and the LLC. Today he enjoys semi-retirement in the correctly pointed out that “The Northwest proximity of their common enjoinder Eastern slopes of the Wind River Mountains Territory” is an incorrect reference to that it seems only logical that the site be at Lander, Wyoming.

Tri-Territory Historic Site