If you’ve spent time exploring Lake County, you might have stumbled upon two sleek, miniature monoliths—galvanized-steel obelisks that seem to echo the shape of the Washington Monument. These striking markers are part of Delimitations, a public-art initiative by artists Marcos Ramírez and David Taylor that physically traces the 2,300-mile boundary defined by the 1821 Adams–Onís Treaty between the United States and the newly independent Mexico.
What Are They?
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Form: Each obelisk is crafted from stacked, 20-gauge galvanized steel panels, assembled on-site.
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Markers: A total of 47 obelisks punctuate the historic line from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.
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Identification: Every monument bears a sequential number, a QR code linking to the artists’ blog, and the word “Delimitations.”
Why Here in Lake County?
The treaty’s original boundary cuts right through the Arkansas River Valley. In July 2016, Ramírez and Taylor drove cross-country—north along today’s U.S.-Mexico border, then east—erecting obelisks at key points where the 1821 line passes through each state. Lake County hosts two of these installations:
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Obelisk #20: Tucked into the high-country landscape north of Leadville, this marker sits along the treaty’s path prior to the Arkansas River’s eastward turn.
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Obelisk #21: Planted near the shores of the Hayden Reservoir, this monument aligns roughly with the latitude of Mount Elbert, Colorado’s tallest peak.
How to Find Them
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Look for pull-offs on Highway 24 (for #21) and Highway 91 (for #20).
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Scan the QR code on each obelisk to read the project’s bilingual blog—packed with photos, route maps, and reflections on the artists’ two-month journey.
Join the Exploration
Delimitations makes an invisible slice of history visible again. If you discover one of Lake County’s obelisks, snap a photo and share it on the Leadville Today Facebook page or email it to info@test.leadvilletoday.com. Keep your eyes peeled—and you might just connect with a 200-year-old boundary line made new.
