Search This Blog

Followers

Friday, February 3, 2017

Boundaries

What's over the bank of this arroyo?
In the desert west of Tortugas Mountain Becca and I came upon the below-pictured boundary marker for the third or fourth time.  I have tried in vain to discover information about this particular marker with no success.  This U.S. General Land Office Survey took place just fifteen years after New Mexico became a state.  I don't know why my curiosity is so piqued by this marker, but I've got to find out what it means.  Here's what Wikipedia says about the General Land Office.  "The GLO oversaw the surveying, platting and sale of public lands in the Western United States and administered the Homestead Act and the Preemption Act in disposal of public lands.  The frantic pace of Public Land sales in the 19th century American west led to the idiomatic expression 'Land Office business,' meaning a thriving or high-volume trade."

Edited to add this:  After extensive research I found the survey plat for the marker.  If you compare the marker information to the plat image at the very bottom you'll see S26/S25 correspond.  But, upon further perusal, I'm not sure I'm looking at the damned thing correctly. :)
I was waiting for a second shot of this Ladderback when he flew away

About to cross an arroyo on the Crosscut Trail

Organ Mountains

Hedgehog Cactus

Exploring another arroyo

3-foot Barrel Cactus growing next to a tree

Chihuahuan Desert flora

Found this boundary marker yet again

Quick sit-down in the desert

Barrel Cactus and Prickly Pear

Dense (for a desert) growth west of Tortugas Mountain

Resting in an arroyo

Desert hills and dales

Reaching out from an arid grave?

We're heading for that yucca

Getting closer

Other yuccas along the way


Becca's not close yet, but you get an idea how big this Torrey Yucca is

A real beauty


1 comment:

Dr. K said...

As always, your photos show the vastness and beauty of the desert in southern NM. I hope you find out more about that boundary marker.

Low Country and then High

This & next:  Pyrrhuloxia (aka Desert Cardinal) Willow and I did our regular hike this morning, returning afterward to finish packing fo...