I may make a few more calls... but the woman who answered the phone seemed
dumbfounded when I asked her if she or any local history buff there could
tell me why here borough was shaped like a stop sign. It was almost like she
didn't know that it was. Perhaps she thought it was only a Yield sign and
that she could roll through without coming to a complete stop.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: aletheiak [mailto:aletheiak@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 12:33 PM
> To: BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [BoundaryPoint] Re: STOP Sign in Northern New Jersey
>
>
>
>
> hahahahaha
> nice play
>
> were they surprised or amused or anything
>
> & how about the library
>
> --- In BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com, "Flynn, Kevin"
> <flynnk@r...> wrote:
> > I just talked to the borough clerk's office and the woman told
> me that
> > neither she, nor the mayor, nor anyone in the office at the
> moment has any
> > idea why their town is shaped as an octagon.
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: aletheiak [mailto:aletheiak@y...]
> > > Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 12:12 PM
> > > To: BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com
> > > Subject: [BoundaryPoint] Re: STOP Sign in Northern New
> Jersey
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > http://tinyurl.com/59fvv
> > > narrows the difference between the longest & shortest sides
> of
> > > the octagon to perhaps as little as 125 feet
> > > or only about 6 percent
> > > & all the angles measure close to perfect regularity too
> > >
> > > the directional offset of the octagon appears to follow the
> general
> > > direction of the main drag
> > > on which a pair of its diametric extremities evidently do fall
> > >
> > > but i guess theres nothing left to do but call boro hall
> > > & just ask them if they know what the deal is
> > >
> > > there is after all at least half a chance that the boro was
> formed &
> > > surveyed within living memory
> > >
> > > & another half a chance that local pride has remained aware
> of
> > > or somehow actually commemorated the unusual shape
> > >
> > > like what if they get several calls a week on this very question
> &
> > > have a faq already prepared
> > >
> > > --- In BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com, "aletheiak"
> > > <aletheiak@y...> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > handsome & fascinating find mike
> > > >
> > > > & tho further info on this municipality is elusive
> > > > its absence from a 1903 topo indicates it is relatively recent
> > > > & thus presumably had a fairly accurate border survey
> > > >
> > > > curiously enough tho
> > > > the octagon only gives the impression of having a perfectly
> > > > cardinal orientation
> > > > yet is actually off by several degrees
> > > >
> > > > &
> > > > measurements indicate the octagon isnt so nearly
> equilateral
> > > as
> > > > it looks either
> > > > what with the longest sides being about 200 feet longer
> than
> > > the
> > > > shortest
> > > >
> > > > all of which suggests someone may well have tried for but
> > > > somehow not quite achieved geometric perfection
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > but if the powers that were really did want to make the
> easiest
> > > > possible work of an otherwise hard job
> > > > as you surmise
> > > > then such minor inexactitudes as these come as no great
> > > > surprise either
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > circular municipalities are actually fairly common tho
> > > > especially in the postbellum south
> > > > nor do they even necessarily require any demarcation
> > > > as an examination of plains georgia for example has
> revealed
> > > > http://egroups.com/group/BoundaryPoint/message/1550
> > > >
> http://topozone.com/map.asp?lat=32.03389&lon=-84.39278
> > > >
> > > > --- In BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com, spookymike@a...
> > > > wrote:
> > > > > For reasons unknown to me, the Borough of Sussex, in
> > > > Sussex County, New
> > > > > Jersey, is octagonally shaped. As with many other NJ
> > > > boroughs, towns, etc., it is
> > > > > completely surrounded by another municpality. Perhaps
> the
> > > > powers what be
> > > > > wanted to make a circular borough, but found it easier to
> > > > survey the eight
> > > > > straight segments of the octagon, rather than risk
> duplicating
> > > > the boundary mess in
> > > > > northern Delaware?
> > > > >
> > > > > Have a look: http://tinyurl.com/5r68d
> > > > >
> > > > > Mike Schwartz
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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