Volume 9 , Issue 30

1919-1923 - Oklahoma-Texas Boundary Dispute

After Oklahoma became the 46th State, there was this underlying boundary dispute between Oklahoma and Texas that erupted from 1919-1923.

The south bank of the Red River became the border of the United States in a treaty with Spain signed in 1819. This treaty did not give a precise definition of this boundary. This caused many problems after Texas became a state. The greatest troubles happened after oil was discovered in the riverbed in the Big Bend area in 1918. Indian tribes, prospectors and settlers on both sides of the river were often involved in violent incidents and legal actions. The governors of Oklahoma and Texas tried to resolve the dispute, but were unsuccessful. Oklahoma and Texas filed lawsuits. The boundary dispute was submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in October 1920. Much evidence was presented based on the history, physical geography, geology, plant ecology and hydrology of the Red River. You can research this case at the State Archives in the following collections. Attorney General Civil Case files, U.S. and Oklahoma Map Exhibits and Governors papers.

NOW days... The rivalry between the two states is when the governors of Texas and Oklahoma bet on the college football rivalry with OU Sooners and Hook'em Horns of Texas.
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