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Think you've touched all four states at the Four Corners? Think again.
I hate to break the news to you. Remember that time when you diligently placed a hand or foot in each of the four states at the Four Corners? You missed two or three states.Yes, the landmark that celebrates the intersection of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico is mislabeled. The real Four Corners is 2.5 miles away.
Big 'oops,' wouldn't you say? Apparently, when the location was surveyed by the government back in 1868, they goofed. It's not news to people-in-the-know though, and it seems unlikely that the landmark will move after so many years as a photo op.
This geometry-buff's dream isn't quite as perpendicular as you'd expect. The Deseret News mentions that 77 miles north of the spot, the Utah-Colorado border jogs significantly to the east--although (strangely enough) the Arizona-New Mexico border doesn't.
Filed under: North America, United States
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
joep Apr 23rd 2009 1:46PM
OK - so what this means is that the accepted borders of Utah and Colorado are not exactly what Congress ordered. I guess that was pretty common given the technology of the day. But there really is an interesting story here:
Starting with Google Maps, I found two strange points:
1. The supposedly straight UT- CO border does a 100 foot to the east slant to meet up with the NM - AZ border. So, either Google has stolen an acre of CO and given it to UT or CO owes UT a 100 foot wide strip all the way up to Wyoming.
2. The actual monument can be seen to be clearly in New Mexico, about 50 feet from the accepted point.
See the google map for yourself -
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=36.999074,-109.045221&daddr=&hl=en&geocode=&mra=mi&mrsp=0&sz=19&sll=36.999016,-109.04543&sspn=0.001465,0.002414&ie=UTF8&ll=36.999498,-109.045578&spn=0.005861,0.009656&z=17
Not doubting google, I checked my Official State Highway Map collection (they send them for free) to see how each state deals with this Border Dispute:
CO - The admit it is in NM, but they have the access road - US 160 (which is even deeper into NM right over the "4 corner" spot. That puts the monument on the wrong side of the map.
NM - They have it in the right place, but of course they would
AZ - put it smack where it isn't - at the intersection of the 4 states
UT - they were too cheap to send me the map.
And none of those maps show the "Google ZigZag"
Conclusions:
1. Never trust anyone to carry out Congresses intentions (see TARP, Bailout, etc)
2. If you really want to say you were in 4 states in one day - get out of the car and walk around. Venture out on a desert hike. Take a road trip (good sites for that - randmcnally.com, http://www.tripcart.com , fodors, frommers, etc.)
3. To engineers - someone will always find your bug no matter how well its patched up.