Mason Dixon Line Re-Survey

[johnnyb]

To monument seekers, boundary line surveyors/historians, and the just curious: in 1632 English King Charles I charter to Cecil Calvert, Lord Baltimore II, for the Maryland colony established the northern boundary at 40 degrees north latitude. The 1681 charter granted to William Penn set the Pennsylvania colony southern border at 40 degrees latitude. This put Philadelphia in Maryland. The Penns established their boundary just north of Havre de Grace, where the Susquehanna river enters Chesapeake Bay. With taxes at issue disputes escalated up to violence with Cresaps War in the late 1730s. English King George II was forced to negotiate a truce. Charles Mason, astronomer, and Jeremiah Dixon, surveyor, were commissioned to set a line at 39 degrees, 43 minutes., starting in 1765 at a point 15 miles south of Philadelphia. They set stones at 1 and 5 mile points, the latter weighing some 600 lbs. Native Americans served as guides and protected them; they were warned of hostile Indians in southern Green Co., near Dunkard Creek.
A volunteer group of members of Maryland and Pennsylvania surveyor societies will begin this year what they call a reconnaissance survey of the 196 mile line. The Maryland Department of Geological Survey is overseeing the project.
The goal is use the data recorded to support an application to have the stones placed on the National Register of Historic Places to enable them to be the subject of maintenance grants.
More details, names of participating persons, etc., appear in a March 09, 2020, article in the Huntingdon, PA “The Daily News”, by Joe Napsha of the Pittsburgh, PA, “Tribune-Review”.

 

[manumuskin]

I have always wanted to find these stones.There is a website with all the locations and pics of most of the stones,many are on private property. I have seen a few along roads.Also there are other stones marking the "arc" which ios the northern border of delaware that arcs from I believe the original capitol in New Castle,I believe a church steeple there or something is the pivot for the arc.I have viewed several of these stones,some are along curbs abd even a few in peoples yards.

 

[johnnyb]

The article about the Mason Dixon re-survey says the stone locations will be measured using cell towers.
Lotsa luck

Some years ago we used cell towers to record the location of an uncommon plant in a woods near Six Flags. When wee went back and used the cell tower data they put us across a road and out of the park, many 100s of feet away. from where they were

 

[manumuskin]

cell towers will never be able to triangulate your position like satellites.The irrgularities of the earths surface make anything on earth a bit ineffective.Thats why were always losing service.You can't hide from a satellite unless of course your in a cedar swamp