corners monument corners monument marks states arizona colorado new_mexico utah meet point united_states shared states leading area called corners region monument marks boundary semi autonomous native american governments nation maintains monument tourist attraction origins state boundaries marked monument occurred prior american_civil_war united_states congress acted form governments area combat spread slavery region early territories formed boundaries designated parallel lines beginning 1860s lines surveyed marked early surveys included errors markers placed legal boundaries written descriptions geographical parallels includes legally established corner states monument monument visitors simultaneously territory states maintained tourist attraction unlike attractions based primarily political boundaries berlin wall corners monument example political boundary tourist destination right monument consists granite disk embedded smaller bronze disk point surrounded smaller appropriately located state seals flags representing states tribal nations area point starting north disk reads words state meet freedom god states monument local sell food admission fee required view photograph monument monument popular tourist attraction despite remote isolated location early people traveled long distances pictures family friends monument like poses sitting disk circle friends family disk couples kiss directly disk location monument located west highway approximately miles southwest colorado monument centered addition states semi autonomous american indian tribal governments boundaries monument nation tribal boundaries coinciding colorado boundaries monument climate nearby community nos receives inches rain inches snow annually history area called corners initially american indian land beginning 16th century claimed spain following mexico independence spain area governed mexico ceded united_states treaty following victory mexican american war boundary monument set compromise created border territories defined 37th parallel north 31st united_states congress 36th united states congress transferred land previously allocated newly created southern border remain 37th parallel north new border colorado utah territories declared 32nd west washington line derived reference time washington prior outbreak american_civil_war group people southern portion passed resolution condemning united_states creating vast territory single small government place claimed ignored needs southern portion left functional system law order allowed situation deteriorate state chaos near anarchy group declared united_states announced intent join responded creating different partially overlapping boundaries confederate boundaries split new_mexico east west line 34th parallel north allowing single state connection texas confederacy access california pacific_coast union definition split new_mexico north south line 32nd west washington simply extended boundary colorado utah southward union plan eventually reality created modern corners split new_mexico resembled modern form slight differences surveying boundaries civil war efforts began survey mark actual borders survey set markers border colorado 37th parallel north border known line surveyor surveyed marked border arizona 32nd west washington began near mexico united_states border worked way north marking border near 37th parallel north line erected sandstone shaft sandstone shaft marked today location surveyed marked border newly created state colorado located sandstone shaft marker placed today began survey mark border colorado utah point northward surveyed marked border arizona utah completing survey borders making results surveys markers placed later accepted legal boundaries states marker transformation monument sandstone shaft marker placed disturbed broken replaced new stone simple cement pad poured marker modern government convened effort organize regulate increasing oil exploration activities lands play big role monument development surveyor found newer stone broken replaced brass disc marker set cement poured elevated cement pad brass marker pad included state border lines names tile monument completely rebuilt brass marker replaced disc shaped aluminum bronze plate set granite monument rebuilt disc shaped plate remained place controversy early 20th century controversies arisen accuracy monument placement initial surveys found borders exactly follow lines parallel intended primitive surveying technology available time left states asking correct borders exact lines parallel new accurate surveys needed markers placed initial surveys actual border issue resolved new_mexico sued colorado supreme_court ruled markers placed initial surveys actual borders markers locations includes corners monument today legal description border lines based original markers written description borders created territories formed borders states perfectly straight example border colorado utah area border west miles intended placed error occurred original survey superseded written description simply 32nd west washington border set markers remains border states issue brought forefront american media reports monument placed miles west intended location reports quickly corrected discovered sources forgotten initial surveys conducted washington offset modern reference united_states offset missed familiar history american surveying mistakes reports discovered spokesperson admitted monument placed feet east modern mark point defended accuracy original survey stating nailed considering primitive tools day pointing achievement given conditions stated ability replicate exact point phenomenal spot concluded stating claims errors location monument irrelevant survey commissioned establish boundary accepted involved parties survey markers legally binding regardless error later discovered similar statements issued defending work maintaining promoting monument addition general land principles law supreme_court established location monument legal corner states similar places canadian corners
Four Corners Monument