The Mason–Dixon Line (or "Mason and Dixon's Line") is a demarcation line between four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia (then part of Virginia). It was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America.
In April 1765 Mason and Dixon began their survey of the more famous Maryland-Pennsylvania line. They were commissioned to run it for a distance of five degrees of longitude west from the Delaware River, fixing the western boundary of Pennsylvania. However, in October 1767 at Dunkard Creek near Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, nearly 244 miles west of the Delaware, a group of Native Americans forced them to quit their progress.
The Mason–Dixon Line was marked by stones every mile and ”crownstones” every five miles, using stone shipped from England. The Maryland side says (M) and the Delaware and Pennsylvania sides say (P). Crownstones include the two coats-of-arms.
Obviously there are absolutely no stones to be found in Pennsylvania or Maryland! Can you imagine lugging 300 of these stones through the wilderness as you surveyed the boundary line?
The Twelve-Mile Circle is an arc that makes up most of the boundary between Pennsylvania and Delaware. The circle was first laid out by surveyors named Taylor and Pierson in 1701.
It is a circle with a twelve-mile radius, with the center of the circle in the center of the town, which happened to be the cupola of the courthouse, of New Castle, Delaware. The Twelve-Mile Circle continues into the Delaware River. Its existence dates from a deed to William Penn from the Duke of York on August 24, 1682.
Apparently the original Taylor and Pierson survey was later confirmed by David Rittenhouse (April 8, 1732 – June 26, 1796) who was a renowned American astronomer, inventor, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman, and public official. Rittenhouse was a member of the American Philosophical Society and the first director of the United States Mint.
A busy Mr. Rittenhouse also finished the Mason-Dixon line survey out west where hostile Native Americans had stopped Mason and Dixon.
What may be of interest to some, is that Rittenhouse was born and raised very near the Valley Green Inn and later lived on a farm whose property might have included the land my house stands on, and is now buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery.
6 comments:
Very interesting...
Mason-Dixon: Line that separates y'all from youse.
Several years ago, when I first moved to the south I'd heard a student talking to their history teacher about that line. The teacher (my now ex) had referred to it as the "Mason-Dixon Line"...as that's how we were taught to refer to it. The student had no clue what the teacher was talking about until one of the other students called it by another term at which point the first student understood. For the life of me I cant remember what they'd called it. Been looking most of the afternoon online for the answer and cant seem to find it either. Maybe I should ask hubby...he grew up south of it...
*laffs at the y'all-youse line*
:)
If you find out what that other name is, I'd like to know it.
I wondered just how soon it would be proper to call someone y'all when I was driving down south. :p
Interesting bit of info, Iggy.
Well Alice Kay - I think once you hit the Chesapeake House rest area on I-95 (mile maker 96), you are "good to go" with the "y'alling".
:)
You are just FULL of interesting stuff! I think I've mentioned I'm reading a book about Alexander Hamilton right now, and I just read the part where he wrote up a paper for Congress about minting money. They haven't actually got around to the time when the mint was created, so I haven't seen the name David Rittenhouse. And I believe Hamilton was also a member of the American Philosophical Society.
I always wondered exactly where the Mason-Dixon line was. I'm sure I was told at some point when I was in school, but it was one of those things that didn't seem important to remember.
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