Subject: Re: [BoundaryPoint] mason dixon point of beginning continued
Date: Nov 04, 2003 @ 18:56
Author: Lowell G. McManus ("Lowell G. McManus" <mcmanus71496@...>)
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----- Original Message -----
From: "acroorca2002" <orc@...>
To: <BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2003 9:25 AM
Subject: [BoundaryPoint] mason dixon point of beginning continued
> reached the famous corner of south & second streets in philadelphia
> last night
> & scoured all the building facades along the south side of south
> street in both directions
> all the way to third street & then clear to front street too
> looking for some sort of commemorative announcement or historic marker
> of the mason dixon point of beginning
> at what is supposed to have been the southernmost point of
> philadelphia in 1763
>
> & tho philadelphia is full of historical signs
> since after all most of history did originally happen here
> i could find no trace of the history i was looking for
>
> exhausted i went to sleep right on the corner there hoping for a dream
>
> had a great one too
> & continued the try this morning at the free library
> where i am posting this interim report before returning to the scene
> for a closer look
>
> here at the library i have found the official 1762 map of
> philadelphia which mason & dixon were most likely working from
>
> it does indeed show cedar aka south street to be the southern limit
> but only as far east as second avenue
> where a narrow proruption of the plotted street plan is shown
> extending much farther south along the delaware river
>
> hmmm
> i cant figure out why mason & dixon didnt use the southernmost point
> of this proruption
> tho there is probably a perfectly good reason
>
> in any case
> because the proruption ends precisely at second street
> we can be pretty sure their point of beginning
> reportedly near second street
> is just east of second street rather than just west of it
> since that would be outside the city by either definition
>
> moreover the 1762 map shows only one house anywhere near the corner
> & it stands between 100 & 175 feet east of second street
>
> the next house on this street btw is at the corner of front & south
> & couldnt have been the right house
> or history would have said front & south rather than second & south
>
> so this single solitary house or its successor stands a very good
> chance of being the house i am looking for
>
> & since philadelphia tilts a bit southeast
> the northeast corner of the house
> is farther south than the its northwest corner
>
> so now i will go back & try to find & put my finger on precisely this
> northeast corner of precisely this building on the south side of
> south street precisely 175 feet east of second street
>
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