International Boundary marker gets antiquities landmark

BY STELLA WIESER

This story originally was published in The Panola Watchman

CARTHAGE — A Texas State Antiquities Landmark Medallion was officially unveiled at the Texas/U.S. international boundary marker in November 2021.

The international boundary marker was erected in 1841, when Texas was still a republic. The territory boundary was originally disputed by Spain and France in the 1700s, but it wasn’t until the Republic of Texas was founded that a joint commission was created to finally settle the issue. While the marker has sustained damage over the years, it still stands today near the Texas-Louisiana state line on FM 31.

“It is the only boundary marker of its kind still standing as far as the actual marker itself, and back when

The International Boundary Marker delineated the border between the Republic of Texas and the United States. It is a county, state and national historical landmark.

Texas was a republic, the Republic of Texas when it was an independent country, we backed up on the United States as far as a boundary was concerned, and so on one side of it, it says ‘R.T.’ for the Republic of Texas, and on the other side it says ‘U.S.’ for United States,” said Kay Mauritzen, chairperson of the Panola County Historical Commission. “So that was the official boundary between two countries for about nine years there while Texas was a republic.”

Panola County Surveyor Don Austin and Panola County Judge David Anderson served as guest speakers during the ceremony. There were representatives from Louisiana, including Louisiana state representative Larry Bagley, and a representative from the DeSoto Parish Historical and Genealogical Society. Both the honor guards from the sheriff’s departments in Panola County and DeSoto Parish will be present.

“So people are invited from both sides, Louisiana and Texas,” Mauritzen said. “Now it already has an historical marker on it, plus it has two or three other markers that have been placed on it to signify that it’s import-

- CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 ant. But now the state has wanted the antiquities marker put there also.”

The international boundary marker is located on the Louisiana-Texas border near the junction of Texas FM 31 and Louisiana 765, southeast of Deadwood.

To find the marker, go south from the Carthage Square on U.S. 59, travel three miles, turn left onto FM 2517 going east, travel 8.3 miles, turn right onto FM 31 South, travel 9.6 miles, and the marker will be on the left side of the road.