Evolution of the Texas–Louisiana Boundary: In Search of the Elusive Corner by Jim Tiller and John P. Evans (review)

In our technologically connected world, the task of finding a single point on the Earth can be done with remarkable precision and speed. Want an aerial photo, a satellite image, or historical photos? No problem. Understanding how that was done in the early 1800s absent all our modern tools is the focus of this work.

The main "character" in this book is one of the most disputed locations in Texas history: the spot at which the thirty-second parallel of latitude intersects the middle of the Sabine River. From that point of intersection with a meandering river, a boundary line was defined in 1811 going due north, separating the state of Louisiana from Spanish Texas. Due to the nature of the instruments available at the time to locate that parallel, the east-west meander of the river, and the absolute wilderness of the river bottoms, a half-mile error north or south of the parallel could add to or remove from each territory hundreds of square miles.

This work by Jim Tiller and John P. Evans, a geographer and a surveyor, respectively, details the history of the many efforts by the United States, Spain, Mexico, and the Republic of Texas to locate that point of intersection. Rather than the geopolitical issues, the authors researched the physical difficulties of finding that point and the repercussions of each iteration of mapping.

For anyone with an innate love of maps or an interest in surveying, this is a master work. Dozens of illustrations by Nancy Tiller, full-color maps of the era, and meticulous research create outstanding and engaging documentation. Photographs of historic points on the ground from the intersection with the Sabine west of Logansport, Louisiana, all the way up the boundary are a feast for readers who have embarked on their own cross-country quests for places like these.

The authors explain that while earlier works about this boundary had an emphasis on diplomacy or even interpersonal relationships, the intent of their work is to focus firmly on the ground and the sense of place that is the fabric of any history. By doing so they allow many readers to connect with the subject, whether they have a scholarly interest or can manage the technical aspects of the work to appreciate the stories of this place. Those who live along the present Texas–Louisiana border certainly understand the significance of the placement of that point of intersection at the Sabine. If one of the historical surveys had become final, most of Caddo Lake, the cities of Atlanta and Texarkana, and even parts of Trammel's Trace could have become part of Louisiana rather than Texas.

As part of the body of work about the boundary between Texas and Louisiana, this book gives the reader a down-and-dirty account of what it took to survey a wilderness fraught with alligators, mosquitoes, and quasiequatorial heat and humidity. It is one thing to consider the definitions of a boundary with a quill pen in hand, and quite another to use early nineteenth-century science in the middle of a cloud-covered swamp. The authors allow their readers to make that trip and avoid the bugs.