Report of the Boundary Commission Upon the Survey and Re-Marking of the Boundary Between the United States and Mexico West of the Rio Grande. 1891-1896

Year: 1898-1899

Publisher: Government Printing Office

Place: Washington, DC

Description:

3 parts in 2 volumes. Parts 1 Report of the International commission: 56 pages with frontispiece, photographic plates, charts and tables; Part 2 Report of the United States section: 240 pages with photographic plates, charts, tables, figures, folding triangulations, drawings and maps. Folio (11 ¼ x 8 ¾") bound in library binding of full red cloth, spine lettered in gilt, marbled endleaves; Part 3 Album: 258 photographic plates. Oblong quarto (10 ¾ x 13 ¾") bound in library binding of modern full brown cloth with spine lettered in gilt.

This report was created from the findings of the International Boundary and Water Commission established by the United States and Mexico in 1889 in order to maintain the border and allocate water resources between the two countries.

n the 1870s and 1880s, border disputes broke out when valuable natural resources were discovered near the United States-Mexican border. The International Boundary Commission, which set out in 1891, consisted of two main parties, one from the U.S. and one from Mexico. Although the replacement of mid-19th century monuments marking the border between the two countries was the main goal of the expedition, Edgar A. Mearns, the assistant surgeon on the U.S. field party and an experienced amateur naturalist, recognized the potential for a valuable natural history survey. As Mearns wrote to Lieutenant Colonel J. W. Barlow, the leader of the American expedition, "such an opportunity of studying and gathering specimens from this extensive, unexplored, and inhospitable region will not soon occur again."

Condition: Parts 1& 2 minor rubbing to binding, text toned, with some marginal chipping, some occasional soiling, embossed stamp of New London library on first two leaves, a few pages with ink or pencil notations. Album bound in library binding of full red cloth, spine sunned with paper library label, some rubbing to binding, withdrawn bookplate of the United States State Department on the front pastedown, withdrawn inkstamp on verso of title-page, front free endpaper torn near hinge, tape on verso of frontispiece, text a bit toned, bookplate residue on back pastedown else good. Due to the size and weight of this item additional postage may be required.