John Russell Bartlett's United States Boundary Survey

Bartlett's Arizona Travels

The United States and Mexican War ended less than two years after it began, with the American forces victoriously occupying Mexico City. On February 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed by representatives of both countries. The treaty ceded New Mexico (which included Arizona), California, and Texas to the United States, described the new international boundary, and set forth the terms of peace. It called for Border Commissioners and Surveyors to be appointed by both nations to survey and mark the new border which, in some areas was rather vaguely described in the treaty.

John Russell Bartlett was appointed United States Border Commissioner in 1850. His experiences are recorded in the two-volume set Personal Narrative of Explorations and Incidents in Texas, New Mexico, California, Sonora, and Chihuahua 1850-1853. Although Bartlett’s duties took him to all these places, I am primarily interested in the time he spent in Arizona.

In Arizona, the original international border was the Gila River. One of the many reference markers placed by the surveyors was atop a small knoll at the confluence of the Gila and Salinas (Salt) Rivers, west of the modern city of Phoenix (now on the grounds of the Phoenix International Raceway). This spot was later agreed upon as the initial point for all land surveys in the state of Arizona. In the summer of 1851, Bartlett spent a few weeks camped at Maricopa Wells, north of the present town of Maricopa, Arizona. His experiences there provide fascinating reading to anyone interested in the history of the area around Phoenix.

Part of Bartlett’s survey work would only stand for a short time, however, for in 1852 the United States acquired almost 30 million more acres from Mexico in the Gadsden Purchase. This moved the international boundary in southern Arizona and New Mexico to its current location. Major W.H. Emory completed a survey of the new boundary in 1855.

Bartlett Places:

[ Iron Mountain ] [ Canyon on the Gila ] [ Yuma ] [ Petroglyphs ] [ Big Horn Mountain ] [ Initial Point ] [ Pima Villages ] [ Mesa Grande ] [ Red Mountain ] [ Tucson ] [ Organ Mountains ]

Expeditions & Information:

[ Home ] [ Emory ] [ Sitgreaves ] [ Bartlett ] [ Whipple ] [ Ives ] [ Beale ] [ Wheeler ] [ Special Places ] [ Links ] [ Bibliography ] [ Contact Me ] [ Site Map & Search ]