Rebuilding Monument 40
1892-1894
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This photograph was taken by D. H. Payne, under the direction of the U.S. section of the International Boundary Commission, along the Mexican border west of the Rio Grande.
The boundary between the United States and Mexico was defined by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and subsequently modified by the Gadsen Purchase. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was concluded on Feb. 2, 1848, by Mr. Nicholas Trist of the United States and Señores Don Bernardo Couto, Don Miguel Atristain, and Don Luis Gonzaga Cuevas of Mexico. To carry the treaty into effect, U.S. and Mexican commissioners and surveyors were appointed to survey and set the boundary between the countries.
Fifty-three markers were set. The majority were piles of stones, while a few were more durable and inscribed. As time passed, it became difficult to determine the exact location of the markers, with both countries claiming the originals had been moved or destroyed. To solve the problem, a convention between the two countries was concluded in the 1880s; and a survey was done that verified the need for definite demarcation of the boundary.
The International Boundary Commission was created to relocate the monuments and mark the boundary line. The U.S. commissioners employed a survey photographer to record various views of each monument located and erected by the U.S. Section. The photographs, such as this one, were compiled into a set of four albums at the conclusion of the survey.
The boundary between the United States and Mexico was defined by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and subsequently modified by the Gadsen Purchase. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was concluded on Feb. 2, 1848, by Mr. Nicholas Trist of the United States and Señores Don Bernardo Couto, Don Miguel Atristain, and Don Luis Gonzaga Cuevas of Mexico. To carry the treaty into effect, U.S. and Mexican commissioners and surveyors were appointed to survey and set the boundary between the countries.
Fifty-three markers were set. The majority were piles of stones, while a few were more durable and inscribed. As time passed, it became difficult to determine the exact location of the markers, with both countries claiming the originals had been moved or destroyed. To solve the problem, a convention between the two countries was concluded in the 1880s; and a survey was done that verified the need for definite demarcation of the boundary.
The International Boundary Commission was created to relocate the monuments and mark the boundary line. The U.S. commissioners employed a survey photographer to record various views of each monument located and erected by the U.S. Section. The photographs, such as this one, were compiled into a set of four albums at the conclusion of the survey.
This primary source comes from the Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers.
National Archives Identifier: 519682
Full Citation: Photograph 77-MB-442D; 'Rebuilding Monument 40.' By D. H. Payne, under the direction of the U.S. section of the International Boundary Commission, along the Mexican border west of the Rio Grande; 1892-1894; Albums of Photographs of Boundary Monuments American Border, 1892 - 1894; Records of the Office of the Chief of Engineers, Record Group 77; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/monument-40, October 13, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.