The TX, OK, NM Tri-State Marker Is One You’d Miss If You Weren’t Looking

Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico share something special. At a certain point, all three states border one another. You would think something as unique as this would be memorialized in some grand fashion.

Nope. Instead they have a concrete stump in an empty field surrounded by dirt roads.

The World's Most Underwhelming Marker?

I've seen my share of underwhelming things on the road. I lived on the road for two straight years of my life, and I've been disappointed by plenty of road side attractions.

I would think, however, that the point where three states all share a border with one another would be something worth having a bigger monument to. Apparently I'm wrong.

Basically, this marker boils down to being a cement stump in a field. True story.

It Really Doesn't Do A Good Job Of Showing The Insane History Of The Spot

As you may well be aware, there was a bit of a screw-up when it came to the survey establishing the border of New Mexico with Texas. There was this guy named John, who made what some consider to be the worst survey error in history.

Let's just say there's a chunk of Texas that should have gone to New Mexico. Not that it would drastically change a whole lot, but it's enough that people noticed. Big time.

On second thought, it would have been disastrous for those proud Texans who suddenly found themselves living in New Mexico.

The Plot For New Mexico To Get The Land Back...

...was a pretty crafty one, you have to admit. They just "slipped" a clause into their statehood law that sought to remedy the situation. For XIT Ranch, that supposedly meant they'd lose a lot of ranch land.

According to legend, one of the investors of XIT Ranch employed the help of a buddy of his who just so happened to be the sitting president at the time. President Taft made the call to the leave the boundary as it was, and the rest is history.

For A Story About A Survey Gone Wrong, A President, And Legal Shenanigans...

...this marker leaves a little to be desired. Still, it's out there if you want to go find it and see it for yourself. Just keep a good eye out for it. You might just drive right by it and never know.