Butler Maps has mapped the Rocky Mountains for motorcyclists and now wants to tackle the Appalachians. Their maps rate roads The Appalachian Mountains, courtesy Wikimedia Commons for their motorcycleness, and the twistiest and most panoramic the better. In this new series they want to highlight historic places and they need someone to help them separate the wheat from the chaff. Take the over 2000 markers we show for North Carolina, for example. Which ones of them point to the 100 most interesting historic sites in the mountains and foothills of the North Carolina Appalachians? If you are interested in consulting for Butler Maps, drop me a note and tell me your region of expertise and what you would charge: Their maps will cover parts of Alabama, Georgia, The Carolinas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey (yes, New Jersey; maps are rectangular and tend to fall of mountains around their edges), New York, and New England. Butlermaps.com

 
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I posted a note in one of my markers (to the editor) suggesting a new category for markers and I thought about it afterwards and thought I'd mention it here on the forums for others to contribute to. I posted two new markers, one for the Boston Molassas flood (#40677) and one still pending for the Cocoanut Grove fire (#40673). During my preparation for the posting of these two places, I noticed that with all the other categories, we don't have a "Man-made Disaster" category. In thinking about it, I'm not sure that this name is appropriate so I thought I'd see if anyone else has any good ideas for how to handle something like this. I know there's more markers like this out there (Floods, fires, etc.) and I wonder what others think about this. Just getting the conversations going. :) Thanks for your time!

 
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Are we speaking about Environmental disasters, Structural defaults? I chose an "event" category. Might depend on how the markers percieve the subject. i.e. a one time event, notable for a certain date.

 
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I've just renamed the "Natural Disasters" category to "Disasters". This covers both kinds. Bill Pfingsten made the suggestion and it was an easy one to implement.

 
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I, too, suggested a new category with one of my first markers - "Journalism" The marker in question is of Frederick Douglass' North Star offices. The reason I feel this category is worth considering is because I know that Journalism organizations have erected markers elsewhere, including one at Fort Monroe (my photo of it is not on this computer, and I couldn't easily find it in the database). Also falling under Journalism are two I just confirmed are in the database: Ida B. Wells and John Peter Zenger. Freedom of the Press is one of the "big 5" in the First Amendment (which leads me to wonder about Speeches, Meetings and Petitions... I see Churches is already here).

 
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Wouldn't "Journalism" be covered by the Communications category?

 
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Another candidate in Boston is the marker on the Commonwealth Mall for the Hotel Vendome fire in the early 1970's that killed several firemen. DRM

 
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I thought about the "Journalism" as a "Communications" subcategory, and maybe it is, but I would argue that Journalism is an important enough subcategory to get its own entry. Communications implies a degree of the technology (Telephone, Telegraph, Pony Express, etc.) while Journalism can often involve people, freedom, rights and speech. There are already some subdivisions here: Government, Politics, Political Subdivisions; Civil Rights, Abolitionists & UGRR, African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans

 
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I would also like to see a "Journalism" category. I have a marker pending for Horace Greeley and George Jones, the founders of the New York Tribune and New York Times, respectively. I placed it under "Communications", among other things, but I'm not sure that is where I would search if I was looking for it.

 
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I submitted my very first (and second) National Register of Historic Places plaques this week, (I've not shot a bunch that I can go back to if I desire) and when submitting it, I had to choose "Education" because it was a school building (the other is a botanical garden, so I think I went with "agriculture" or "man-made feature," I forget now). Even if that was the correct way to do this, given that the submission guidelines/instructions on the "About Us" page indicate that these are allowed, do we want to have a check box somewhere for "Is there a National Register of Historic Places plaque?" or something similar? Obviously, my answer would be "yes," but I'm wondering what others' ideas are.

 
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I agree we should have a separate category for Historic Landmarks (National, State, County, etc.), and within that category (building, district, etc.) Some of the ones I have submitted are from Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation and show 'Historic Landmark' and the name and date. Not much information, but they still have historic significance. Possibly a check box like the ones for 'historic marker' or 'war memorial'? Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation Historic Plaque Program

 
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Several contributors have recently suggested new categories. Since we now have over 58,000 markers, adding new categories creates a major problem for the editors, because we then need to root out all the previously submitted markers to re-categorize them. Rather than add new categories, I prefer to create a new marker series when I find 10 or more markers related by subject, area or theme.

 
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I totally understand the problem with having to go through 58K markers to update them if/when new categories are added. However, is this a responsibility you have to take on your own? Could you open a new topic in this forum, indicate that you're planning to open a new category of "xxx." Then ask the community at large to do some of the rooting around for you. Many people who participate regularly probably have a good idea of what they've submitted, and at least those won't need you to root 'em out. I'm sure people could also check the markers in a specific geographic region using the Google map. Just an idea. There sure are a lot of categories, and while they should be enough, there does seem to be a couple gaps (through no fault of anyone - not a criticism) that could be filled, and I'm sure many would be happy to help!

 
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Ingress, the augmented-reality massive-multi-player game from Google’s Niantic Labs, is the next evolution of mobile gaming. It imbues landmarks, many with historical markers, with certain qualities visible only to gamers when they approach. The Historical Marker Database is one of the sources for the physical location of these “augmented” landmarks in Ingress. Currently the game is only for Android phones and is by invitation only, at this website, where you’ll find a video. There is a good description of the game Here on Wikipedia. It sounds like a lot of fun and gets you outdoors walking your city or town. If you want to run around electronically attaching resonators to portals on behalf of your chosen faction, apply for an invitation to join, and if you’re asked tell them HMdb.org sent you.

 
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For what it's worth, the linked video describing the game was filmed mostly in San Francisco, mostly along the Market Street and Embarcadero corridors, with the notable exception being a couple of shots of Berkeley. Also, FWIW, the name of Niantic Labs (creator of Ingress)was drawn from the SS Niantic, a Gold-Rush era ship that ended its seagoing career in San Francisco after being converted to a hotel. There is a marker for the Niantic in the HMdb.

 
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I am looking for monuments that were erected by my great-grandfather's company, Butler Bros. or Butler Marble and Granite Company; Marietta, GA. I have documentation that the company existed for 18+ years from 1891-1909. I have found monuments in Covington, GA; Decatur, GA; Forsyth, GA; Due West, SC; and Abbeville, SC. I don't know how to perform this kind of search on this site.

 
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I'm wondering if a study or inventory has ever been done of horse watering troughs erected by the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)back during the 1890's and early 1900's. There is a very ornate one on Block Island, and a plain one in East Hardwick VT (built 1908). How many were built? How many still exist?

 
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I've got no idea, but I saw my first this summer in the Southern Tier of New York just east of Alleghany Park. Are these acceptable (I had to include it as an add-on the the war memorial right next to it)? If I see another (and I think I did recently), should I submit it?

 
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There's an Associated Press Article today concerning the memorial plaque in Hackensack, New Jersey, for Korean "comfort women". To the extent there are tensions over the issue, these would concern the wording on the plaque, and ultimately how one would best name those responsible for the atrocity. Similar plaques are planned for a number of cities in the US, so these would make for interesting additions to HMdb.

 
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The marker is Hackensack has still not been placed, but the original "Comfort Woman" plaque mentioned in the article in Palisades Park has been entered in HMDB. http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=62935

 
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Hackensack, NJ has finally erected their Comfort Women marker. http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?MarkerID=64465

 
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(Could this open the door to other groups suing to correct or change marker texts?) The Full Story from the "Austin American-Statesman"

 
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An update to this story. The Texas 3rd Court of Appeal will hear the case on May 8, 2013. Austin American-Statesman Article from April 6, 2013

 
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Have you taken a look at the database files you can download from the Texas Historical Commission's Texas Historical Sites Atlas? Seems to be most of their Historical Markers, Landmarks, etc. No photos. I did find some problems with the "Official Data" already where some entries are missing the text that is on the marker, address or GPS info. Plus it does not allow me to search on marker numbers. http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/index.asp

 
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I was tempted in the early days of this database to import marker entries from the many publicly available registries like the one the Texas Historical Commission maintains. Ultimately the decision to make sure a correspondent stood in front of the marker and took its picture before it could be included in our database proved best. It ensures that our registry is the most up-to-date with respect to actual location; and the fresh look by a correspondent can break chain where initial typographical and other errors are automatically carried forward from old databases to new ones. The Commissions's new presentation is very nice. Our correspondents can use it to create lists and mark their county maps with markers to be hunted. Texas' rich history is reflected by its many historical markers and this database has a long way to go before we catch up. The Texas Historic Sites Atlas is a great tool to help us accomplish this.

 
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The Memorial Day Foundation has teamed with HMdb.org to publish an online registry of War Memorials. Paul D’Elia is the Executive Director of this organization dedicated to Memorial Day awareness. He is currently in the process of populating his online registry and is using the Historical Marker Database as one of his sources. You can take a look at what he has done so far Here. And you can help him by continuing to add war memorial entries to HMdb.org.

 
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I had an idea for an app that would allow the retrieval of historic sign information listed on your site while driving down the road. The cell phone knows where you are, all you need is a link to you. There is a similar app that you may be able to connect with: [http://www.fieldtripper.com/#] Hope this helps people learn more. Barry http://www.fieldtripper.com/#

 
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The Field Trip app Barry mentions is now available for iPhones and iPads, and the price is right: Free! You'll find it beginning today at the Apple App Store, and for your Android phone or tablet it's been at Goggle Play for a while. Field Trip uses the Historical Marker database to tell you every historical marker near you plus a bunch of other information from other databases and resources. The defaults out-of-the-box are not bad, but if the application starts to annoy you, it is easy to reconfigure. Hint: Double-tap the text of a marker and your device will read it to you out loud.

 
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I have used this application for a week on my iPhone, and the app will make my Historic Marker hunting much easier. It links to all records in the HMDB, but also allows you to identify those markers that you come across on the road which are not in the HMDB. A couple of other quick thoughts from my use of the app: There is not an iPad or tablet version of the app, but you can install the smart phone version on your iPad or tablet. The app uses the location services of the phone and may drain your battery rapidly and also has the same issues of other location services (data expenditures, location tracking, etc.). I sign out of the application each time I use it which seems to address the battery issue, but I have to go through the start up screens each time when I restart the app. Although the app is location based and will show you the markers in your area, you can also zoom out, scroll, and then zoom in to any part of the United States on the map (I haven't tried the rest of the world yet) and it will show you the markers in that particular location. The Field Trip app shows the location and the first photo and text of the historical marker, but also provides a weblink to that particular record in the HMDB website.

 
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For whatever reason the Marshall Hall Foundation somehow forgot to mention in it's piece on John Hanson a very important fact which was that Mr. John Hanson was a black man.,Why?

 
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Because Of This.

 
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While it did not mention the database by name, this article does cover the work I've done in tracking markers in the Upstate of South Carolina. Scott investigates 'huge puzzle'

 
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Kudos! It's always good to read about other's efforts in documenting historical markers. There are a handful of states whose marker pages I enjoy reading not just for the content, but for the care and effort that certain contributors put into them, as well. Certainly South Carolina is one of those states, thanks to your efforts. Keep up the good work!

 
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Was watching the LA Lakers game on television the other night in a bar, and there came on a commercial for the US Marines. 30-second clip consisting of a number of short shots meant to illustrate a proud young Marine as he walked through his neighborhood. One of the cuts was of a the corner of a brick building with a historical marker (plaque on wall type). A quick search on the Marines website shows it was this commercial found here on Youtube:Fighting with a Purpose . The marker shows for less than half a second (at 7 seconds in), and the focus on it was soft for half that half second. That said, although the rest of the text was illegible, the marker title is clearly "Legge Alley". For which a quick internet search indicates that it is one of a series of 40 markers for the 22 alleys which crisscross Old Pasadena. See http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/landmarks/memorials/leggealley.html Can anyone think of any other markers appearing in commercials?

 
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Not a commercial, but early episodes of the CBS television series The Mentalist showed a California Historical Landmark plaque on an inside wall of CBI headquarters in Sacramento, near the elevator. The title, “J. Walker Chandlery” was legible but not the text. It did not have a marker number typically shown on authentic California historical markers, and it was inside on an upper floor. Finally, it is not on the list of official California Historical Landmarks. Conclusion: merely a set decoration. But was there once a chandlery on the Sacramento waterfront called “J. Walker”? Google is no help on this.

 
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Interesting - had never watched The Mentalist, so I had no idea it was set in Sacramento. The J. Walker Chandlery is in good company, given that The Condor Club in San Francisco, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, and the San Luis Obispo County Courthouse are also plaqued with faux California State Historical Landmark markers. Whether there was ever really such a chandlery I'll check by perusing the old City Directories in the main library. The Mentalist CBI HQ may indeed have other historical markers visible, as apparently (if I am to believe what I read in blog-land) the show uses the backside of the Pico House in Los Angeles as that location. The Pico House does have a marker and is in the HMdb, so keep an eye out for other guest appearances by historical markers. Another possible marker-on-film candidate appears in the T-Mobile commercial Helicopter, at about 6 seconds in. Very brief shot of an interpretive panel-on-legs type of marker in the background. I'm not even 100% sure it's a historical marker, but it does look like the panel has a couple of b/w photos on it, which would increase the odds. Hard to say with all the lensing, cuts, and effects where it is, but my best guess would be Alameda (possibly Middle Shoreline Harbor Park), based on the angle the Bay Bridge and San Francisco are presented.

 
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The 1851 and 1854 Sacramento Directories have been checked and there is nothing for the Chandlery. There were no Walkers listed in the 1851 directory and the 1854 directory listed William Walker & Co, a wholesale liquor business at 115 J Street (old numbering), and his residence was in San Francisco. Also listed was George Walker, painter with Rivett & Co. He was from Indiana. So it looks more and more like it was just a prop.

 
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So I got inspired by the speed with which Mr.Coughlin went out and got the "Comfort Women" marker entered (see post 502), and so went out to get that historical marker that appears to appear in the T-Mobile commercial "Helicopter" (see post 500). The marker is indeed in Middle Harbor Shoreline Park (in Oakland). However the interpretive panel on legs in the commercial that looks like a historical marker isn't. It's a "future-ical" marker, because it's content relates to something that hasn't yet happened - the ecological restoration of the waters in the immediate vicinity. So that's one interpretive panel that won't be in HMdb. The funny thing is there is a historical marker there where the commercial is filmed, mounted to the base of the flagpole there on the point. It's funny, because while it's plain as day on the site, it is not visible in the commercial (see Seconds 1 and 8 in the commercial, where it should easily be visible). As far as I can figure, they either digitally removed it, or perhaps even physically removed it for filming and then reset it in the base. At any rate, although that marker was apparently not photogenic enough for Hollywood, I've submitted it to the database (Rear Admiral R.J. "Bear" Arnold), and it should appear shortly.

 
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Meticulous folks are drawn to history and don’t have to be taught to faithfully reproduce what they are transcribing, complete with archaic spelling and misspelling, military and archaic abbreviations, artistic constraints or embellishments, and even incongruous line breaks. Until the dawn of digital cameras this was crucial, because after you left the archives and went back home, all you had to study was your transcription; the original was safely back in the archive—or in our field, left behind at the distant historical site. Corrections and explanations went into footnotes, and original spelling errors were reinforced with “(sic).” The written transcription was the closest thing you had to the original document or inscription. This common sense was reinforced in school whether you studied history or not: when you quote, you are to quote faithfully, indicating omitted text with three dots and inserted text with square brackets. The digital age started visually, with text, then photographs. But it is now galloping at full speed to sound and motion. Cantering, or maybe just trotting slowly, the Historical Marker Database is also moving in this direction and the next stop for us is sound. I’ve been experimenting with it for years without success and now a cell phone app is dragging HMdb.org kicking and screaming into the spoken word. In order to make our database talk naturally, I am asking our community of transcribers, meticulous all, to break their habits and grit their teeth to, in some cases, unfaithfully transcribe marker entries. Here’s the rationalization: Every marker page has a photograph that faithfully reproduces the text of the marker much better than a transcription ever could. So why try to be faithful when (a) you can’t do it perfectly and (b) you will compromise the spoken version of the marker’s inscription if you faithfully transcribe it. Let the photo be the faithful reproduction. The text transcription in HMdb.org is not there to quote the marker. It is there on our pages (1) to make it easier for humans to read the marker, (2) to allow search engines index it, and now to (3) let a machine read it out loud to humans. To this end, transcribe marker text unfaithfully by     • Spelling out abbreviations     • Correcting spelling and typographical errors     • Adjusting or add punctuation     • Keeping your parenthetical asides to a minimum     • And above all, avoiding [square brackets]. But don’t alter meaning, please. And don’t make it harder for us humans to read it. You must stop short of phonetically spelling words so the text-to-speech engine will pronounce, say, Occoquan, correctly. (By the way, it is pronounced ah-co-cuan not oh-co-QU-an). But anything else you can do to make the text read smoothly is encouraged. And by this I mean read smoothly by a human reader. Aim for the non-historian, the child who has been handed a sheet of paper to read out loud by his 8th grade history teacher on the first day of class. This is the first time he has seen this piece of paper. You can’t add, remove, or reorder words, but what can you do to help him read it perfectly the first time?     • “Gen. Ulysses S. Grant” → “General Ulysses S. Grant”     • “fhall be eftablifhed by law” → “shall be established by law”     • “the President, went before Congress” → “the President went before Congress” I’ve been playing with Google’s Field Trip application on my cell phone (today Android-only, coming soon for the iPhone). It uses HMdb for its historical information. I have it set to wake up and tell me about places I’m walking or driving by—boy, does that use up the battery even when it has nothing to say! It has a mind of its own and you can’t predict when it is going to speak up, but you can also double-tap on the “card” for the nearby location-of-interest to make it speak out loud. She does a good job speaking with most restaurant reviews, but mangles plenty of historical marker text. Apparently, the speech engine does not come with the application; it came with your phone when you bought it and the app just makes use of it, so the app can’t be improved to speak “historical” because it is not responsible for speaking. For example, the engine pauses for dots after a word (but not after a single letter) because that normally indicates the end of a sentence. It also mangles certain unusual proper names (there is nothing we can do about this). It does not ignore bad punctuation. And it reads certain less common punctuation out loud. Take this marker: The Battle of Harrisonburg, Here is how the phone read it to me a few weeks ago when I was in Harrisonburg: “Pennsylvania Bucktails under cole [long pause] Kane were defeated in a hard fight with the 58th vah [long pause] under cole [long pause] Letcher and gen [long pause] Turner Ashby and the 1st em-dee [long pause] under cole [long pause] Bradley Johnson.” And when it comes across something like “[Front of Marker]” it says “Left square bracket front of marker right square bracket.” So please be unfaithful: take a minute and spell out abbreviations, fix up spelling errors, adjust punctuation, ignore line breaks. And please use parenthesis in place of square brackets—speech engines seem to know about those and don’t speak them out loud. Or better yet, don’t bother explaining which side of the marker the text came from. After all, it is plainly evident in the photographs sitting right next to the text.

 
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So, this titled marker Capt. Charles Henry Allyn should read and sound as Captain Charles, throughout ? and , for instance, titled marker Hope Lodge No. 4 reads (and sounds) Hope Lodge Number 4. Is this our objective ?? I'm just making sure. And how about streets that appear on the map and most important, out in the field? Numerous occasions I have found the map doesn't agree with the street sign, i.e. map reads N Broad Street , and the sign in front of you reads just Broad Street, and visa-versa. I tend to go with the actual sign... should I ?? Thanks, - Mike http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=60715

 
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Admittedly I am not a computer / cell phone expert. In the arena of History - there has for many years been an on going concern and battle about Historical Integrity. I would be careful not to let the newest cell phone apps sway HMdb from Historical Integrity. I can see a small section of the marker page dedicated for the passing cell phone usage to pique interest - but people yet need the full blown text (in its original) to really enlighten them of the topic. Between cell phone apps -and- search engine capabilities, the best set up for Historical Integrity and search engines remains most important! ! ---------------------------- Attached is something I ran across which may be the same thing your attempting to do. ----------------------------- It is my suggestion to throw the problem to the cell phone app makers and let them solve the problem. This would save you much time and anguish. In this way we can yet work on gathering the raw data yet standing along all those busy roads and public places. And, the cell phone app makers can swing up to history. Pennsylvania - Cell Phone App.

 
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In addition to these public replies, I've received many privately. It seems many folks are worried about the “slippery slope” that leads to the re-writing of history, and about helping a technology that is not widely used and that will surely be improved in the future to the point where it will need no assistance. No correspondent said they agreed with any aspect of this post, so I need to do some backpedaling. Members of an organization of self-directed volunteers, by definition, are not obliged to take direction. And they will certainly not do something they are not comfortable doing if there is no consensus within the organization. So I’m going to scale down the suggestions and try again. I, too, worry about many slippery slopes, and the criticism that adjusting the text during transcription is the beginning of rewriting history is a reasonable concern. But I don’t agree with the argument that we should not be worrying about a technology (text to speech) because it is still in its infancy and not used much. We need to worry about it if we want to attempt to rescue history from the obscurity it occupies in today’s society. The criticism that the assistance I want to give the technology will eventually not be needed is also valid. But I don’t want to wait. I want to help the first widely available application to introduce local history to people who would not otherwise be exposed to it. In that application we are competing with dozens of other voices (Zagat restaurant reviews, the travel channel, real estate descriptions, and much more). It is real easy for the individual to turn off our feed if it annoys them, and after that we are lost to that person forever. No one who responded defended the use of square brackets, so let’s stop using them, and let’s stop adding helpful comments to the transcriptions, with or without square brackets, unless they are absolutely necessary. My other requests are withdrawn. I’ll be adding code to spell out abbreviations on the outgoing database feed, and that will solve the most annoying deficiency of today’s smart phone text-to-speech engines. I’ll let you know how that works out. Thank you for your candid responses to this post. Without your hard work this website would not have become a significant resource for local history. Your input is always valued.

 
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Quick Response Codes have started appearing on Markers in Delaware. I have run across a few in various locations recently Qu QR Code example in Delaware, lower right ick reads for those with modern cell phones and devices. Seeing these codes everywhere now, I guess Historical Societies and such, are keeping pace

 
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I recently saw some markers in Nuremburg (Germany) with those as well. Not only did they have the QR code, but they had some kind of speaker-recording thing attached(which I couldn't figure out how to operate), as well. Highest tech markers I'd ever seen. I'll get around to submitting one of them soon....

 
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My school that I attended all twelve years which was in existence at least 100 years was consolidated with another school, changed the name/ mascot, and the entire school was torn down and the land is now vacant, but needs a Historical Marker for future generations to know that was the spot where our school existed for all those years!How do I go about getting a Historical Marker on that location? Sincerely P.Hubbs, Louisiana

 
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Your question brings up the wonderful opportunity to involve the young (either in school or church) with a very worth while project of establishing a historical marker. Get them involved and enjoy the experience together. Young people can do many of the technical items, with more ease, than older folks. Start with seeking direction and help with your county (Parish in Louisiana) Historical Society, I believe it is the St. Landry Parish Historical Society. At the same time contact the Louisiana State Historical Society to help move it along. If all else fails, get a marker made and erected - - but follow the guidelines that most historical societies have on hand to avoid problems of land owner-ship and local laws. It is always best to have a sponsoring group in using this method. Once done and in place everyone (especially the young) can be proud of the event of the “Marker Dedication”. Take plenty of photos and video of the entire process. A “Dedication Program”, newspaper clippings, photos, and video - - will be items of historical worth themselves. One of Many - fine marker makers::

 
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Could we start a separate series for them? Currently there a lot of them on this site, but they are all mixed in to the rest of New York's signage. It is very hard to search for them individually since there is no criteria to separate them from any other signs listed. To be clear I am only referring to the small location signs put out from the 1920's - 1950's, not the large format signs put out in the 1960's, which do already have a separate series here. An example of the signs I'm referring to.

 
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Being a New Yorker, I can see a need for this. I have submitted over 100 this summer since finding this site, and a good percentage are NYSED signs. I'd be happy to click a checkbox if one were added. Do other states have a body like NYSED that put out a huge number of markers in a short time? Or even a long time?

 
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To follow up on my earlier reply... Further details about these signs from "Landmarks of the American Revolution" by Mark M. Boatner: "About 8,000 historic markers were erected in the 10 years following appropriation of state funds for this purpose in 1927. The program was not controlled, typographical and historical errors were common, and proper records were not established." If this site were to have a series of these we might be able to be the one source that has the most comprehensive listing of these.

 
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Next time you're rushing through Delaware, get off the interstate at Christiana, stop at the Red Robin for a burger, and be the first to submit this marker about the border dispute with Maryland. More info and a photo in this recent News Journal article by Robin Brown.

 
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I found it. See Talbot's Fort. Bill Pfingsten Board of Editors, HMdb

 
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Bill Coughlin is featured in this article by Tatiana Schlossberg in Bergen County’s The Record. Photographer stakes out history’s path

 
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A virtual visit to some HMdb markers is possible using Street View in Google Maps. Image quality of Street View is inadequate to read a marker's inscription, but it does permit virtual exploration of a marker's environs to supplement photos on the HMdb marker page. Copy the whole latitude/longitude text as it appears in the Location section of a marker's HMdb page. As an example, for HMdb marker number 48676, copy the text: 29° 30.242′ N, 82° 16.779′ W (WITHOUT the period that follows W). Paste the lat/lng text into the search box on the standard Google Maps web page, then initiate a search. Click on the green pointer in the resulting map (zoom-in if necessary to separate it from the red push pin). Open Street View by its link in the pop up window. This link is present if Street View is recorded near enough to this location. Street View also requires installation of free Adobe software. Move the view location by clicking one of the arrowheads in the image. Click, hold & drag the mouse to rotate the image. Notice the image date annotated at bottom of image. Google Maps

 
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This is a great suggestion. It is also useful to double-check the location entered when submitting a new marker.

 
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I recently found an album of old pictures of my family. In it, there is a photo showing my ggg-grandfather George Garwood (b. 1825-d.1909) far left, and his son William in the center. They are standing upon a very precarious looking rock and in the foreground is a historical marker that appears to begin "Battle of W???own" I know it's a long-shot, but I figured that maybe someone here knows this location. It is atop a mountain or large hill, with a river down below. Thanks for any help you can give. Brenda (Garwood) Smith brendaj1964@gmail.com

 
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Thanks to "anyjazz65" on "Flickr" (see attached tag) looks like your photo was taken at "Umbrella Rock" in Tennessee. Said "anyjazz65" has a number of items about the location on the attached 'tag'. ((This exact marker shown in the photo ("Battle of Wauhatchie") is NOT in HMdb. If the Historical Marker is still there - - talk about a marker listing ! ! Anyone up to the climb? Not - me!)) "anyjazz65" on "Flickr" ::

 
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Hey i have one just like it with my Great aunts and uncle's

 
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I did just (January 2) did a Google search for Umbrella Rock, Point Lookout, TN." The first return Here was an eBay listing, with three pages of postcards of Umbrella Rock. Most were the same view, but it's clear that this was a popular subject for postcards of all types (colorized, Real Photo Post Cards, etc.) In the first postcard, it appears that there were at least three marker plaques at the site.

 
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Umbrella Rock is located at the base of the Ochs Museum observation deck in Point Park atop Lookout Mountain, TN. The markers Umbrella Rock March 2012 Rock wall to the right is the base of Ochs Museum that were near the rock in the 1900's have been removed. Ochs Museum is down a non-handicapped accessible path at the far side of Point Park from the entrance gate. The path has stone steps and handrails on the steep sections, concrete walkways elsewhere. For more information including the name of the photographer who made his living taking pictures of tourist on umbrella rock search the Chichamauga Chattanooga NPS website. Chichamauga Chattanooga NPS

 
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Interesting story about the person for whom the Ochs Museum was named. Ochs Story

 
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I visited Point Park, up on Lookout Mountain, this summer and posted a number of the markers that I saw on the "hmdb.org" web site. Two of these postings included photos of "Umbrella Rock." One is of the "Point Park" marker (link included) and the other is the "Lookout Mountain Trails" marker. From my perspective, it is too bad that "Umbrella Rock" is no longer accessible and that there is no marker specifically for this historic landmark. "Point Park"

 
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Mark your calendar...from Georgia Historical Society, a marker dedication: September 15, 2012 "Second Atlanta International Pop Festival" Saturday, September 15, 2012 3 p.m. Middle Georgia Raceway 4015 US Hwy 41 North Byron, GA

 
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See you there . . . .

 
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From the Georgia Historical Society newslatter: "The Georgia Historical Society, in collaboration with the Savannah Ocean Exchange and Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, will dedicate a historical marker for the Nuclear Ship Savannah on Wed., Aug. 22, 2012, at 5 p.m. The dedication will take place at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center." Full article

 
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Recorded... Just missed the dedication due to car troubles, but still got the marker Nuclear Ship Savannah

 
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London's first memorial commemorating the bestselling queen of crime fiction Agatha Christie has been given the go-ahead. Agatha Christie memorial to be erected

 
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I create loc files from my db, mainly because they are simple to format and can be read in a text editor. Both types (loc and/or gpx) can be uploaded to Google Earth. Normally when I am headed out to look for markers, I upload my loc file to Google Earth (and my GPSr) to plan my route. PS - my db is in MS Access, so had to use Visual Basic to write the code to create the file.

 
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Between 1942 and 1945, 230 aviators died in 57 crashes around South Carolina while in training exercises. Supporters are trying to raise funds for a monument with the names of the aviators. Monument sought for ‘forgotten’ aviators

 
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On July 31st, hackers unknown breached HMdb.org's defenses and trashed the entire database with viruses and the like. I recovered the database from backup and patched the entry point only to have them trash it again and again. I was always one step behind them with the spackle. Finally, I put the database in read-only mode (no changes or additions allowed) to allow time to inspect each field of each form and each parameter of each URL for potential malicious entry points. After reading up on the latest "best practices" for thwarting SQL Injection attacks, I rewrote the website's input validator and applied it to each field and parameter on each page. I think the database is safe again, but only time will tell. Also, all of this fiddling with the website's code is bound to have stirred up some problems. I will spend the rest of the evening testing things but I may miss something. Please let me know if something does not work just right by email to Editor@hmdb.org. As I went back in time to recover the database from backups again and again I lost just a few of your latest entries. Please check your My Markers page to see if you lost any work and if you did I hope you will take the time to enter it again. Please accept my apologies for the trouble you may have run into this past week. I hope we've seen the last of them.

 
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Thanks for all the hard work and for the great web site.

 
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Thank you very much for all your time!

 
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You are DA MAN! Excellent job on handling the virus and on all you've done on the website.

 
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Thank-you for taking the time to save a great site. Too much of our history is disappearing daily, especially in urban areas. As for those who attacked - spit, spit, spit; may a thousand fire ants crawl into their shorts. Everyone, feel free to add your own wishes for them.

 
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Thank you for all you do. I was having some bad withdrawal symptoms without my frequent HMdb fix. May the hackers find themselves hacked to pieces.

 
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J. J., I know it has been a tough two weeks for you and your crew - - fighting ""THE HACKER""!! Thank You for not giving up the Efforts and Dedication. You have done a Great Job !!! Indeed HMdb is beyond all of us now. It is the source of many insights, photos, and the talent of the each contributor whom care for the general body of knowledge on the markers - and - especially for the readers no matter young or old. More than reading - the process of "marker hunting" and up-loading to HMdb is the best teaching / learning tool on the inter-net. Indeed HMdb is in total a historical Work of Art - - applied with each key stroke, photo, comment, or link. THANK YOU ! Al Wolf and family - Veedersburg

 
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Glad you have a good back-up system! Thanks for fixing the database. It's a great resource and fun to browse.

 
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In addition to my responsibilities on HMdb.org I am also a docent at the Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Museum located in the Old The Old Sacramento Schoolhouse Sacramento Historic District and State Historic Park in Sacramento, California. We are currently putting together information on One-Room Schoolhouses throughout the country for our 35th anniversary to be celebrated in September. If during your marker hunting travels you happen upon a one-room schoolhouse I would greatly appreciate it if you could send me photos, the location of the schoolhouse and any other information you were able to find. Personal stories are always appreciated and used in our documentation. You can e-mail me at S.Whittle@hmdb.org Thank You!

 
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You've checked HMdb, right? For example, I've created a list of Dane County one-room schoolhouses.

 
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Thank You!

 
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I want to thank all of you that have contacted me. Keep those locations and photos coming!!!

 
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In 1953 our USAF family lived on an Enid, Oklahoma wheat farm of a spry 80-year-old in exchange for some labor (helping harvest, cooking, chores, etc) There was no kindergarten, so I missed out on that. There was a one-room school house nearby, but it was used only as a community room. Filled with huge dartboards on easels, the locals would gather there aft6er dark for socializing. So even that far back and out in the countryside, the one-room schoolhouse was a relic of times past. Others are working on the same kind of project in OK.

 
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I wonder if anybody might know what is done with the visitor logs that have been at the base of this monument (I presume since its erection in 1958)? Are they stored somewhere by the Park Service? Thanks in advance for any help with this question.

 
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There are 47 filled monument visitor logbooks stored at Guadalupe Mountains National Park's Pine Springs Visitor Center, just The nearby exciting metropolis of Salt Flat, TX (Streetview collage) north of U.S. Highway 180, about 20 miles southwest of where it crosses the New Mexico border. Fun visitor center facts: 1. Most of the employees live in Carlsbad, NM. 2. Electricity is run from the highway on underground lines. 3. They have their own water well. 4. And septic system. 5. Two large propane tanks (visible from Google Earth) provides heating. 6. A propane-powered generator backs up the electricity. 7. While there is an Extension 2124, it is highly unlikely they have 2,100 telephones. 8. Twenty miles to the west lies the non-bustling town of Salt Flat, known for not being any closer. The visitor center is clearly visible from Google Earth. Once one leaves the mountainous area, the desolation of the surrounding countryside reminds one of central Nevada. Larger version of the Salt Flat collage (worthy of close study)

 
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Not sure how many of these older signs are in the database but if anyone lives in or around Corinth, Mississippi, new markers are being erected to replace outdated ones. 'Confusing' outdated Civil War tourism signs get yanked

 
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We have 17 Corinth markers in the database, probably six of them belonging to the original driving tour. Shame we didn't get them all before they took them down. Corinth, Mississippi Markers

 
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My great, great, great unclcle Capt John Cussons, VADC to Brig. Gen E M Law was a member, and for some time secretary, of the rebel thespians. On the marker board that shows a copy of a handbill dated 7th October 1863. I believe my gggu might be named on it, but even zooming onto the handbill, I can't read the text. I really would like to get a readable copy of it. Can you help please?

 
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I can't zoom in any better, so can't read the handbill on the marker. However, the Confederate War Journal, volume 1, has a transcript of the bill. While he is not listed as a cast member on this particular handbill, under the title, "Brilliant Array of Talent," there is listed a Capt. Cussons of Alabama. Here is the link: Confederate war journal, Volume 1

 
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The database’s 3000th marker was published today. It was submitted by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland, titled “Serving the Community’s Health Care Needs” and was found in Gaithersburg, Maryland, near the train station. The 2000th marker was just published two months ago September 2nd. It was “Patsy Cline: Country Music Singer” found in Winchester, Virginia, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. The 1000th marker was published about 5 months ago on June 8th. It was the “Cape Mendocino Lighthouse” marker in Shelter Cove, California submitted by Karen Key of Sacramento California. . The 1st marker was published December 27, 2005, a few days before the database website went live on January 1, 2006, and even then I don’t think anyone noticed it until Google started to list the site on its searches a few months later. That marker is titled “Ravensworth” and is in Springfield, Virginia and, naturally, I was the contributor. It took a a year and a half to get to 1000, and not much time at all to get to 2000 and 3000, thanks to all of you hard-working contributors. I appreciate your efforts and hope your contributions to this website are giving you the same satisfaction it is giving me.

 
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Congratulations! Of course, making the site simple and responsive has no doubt helped in it's success. Funny you mention Google taking a few months to list your first marker. I've not timed it, but I've noticed that process probably is now under a minute after publishing a new marker.

 
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Thanks. It was the RRS feed added earlier this year that made Google listings nearly instantaneous. Before that it took about a week for a marker to get listed.

 
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According to my differential equations, based on the current growth rate, every historical marker on the face of the earth will be cataloged by sometime in late August 2008......

 
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Congrats on 3000! I think a growth graph would be an interesting addition to the database statistics report. :)

 
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The database’s 4000th marker was published today. It was submitted by Keith Peterson of Cedar Park, Texas. Titled “Jolly Cemetery,” it was found in Jollyville. 1000 markers were added between November 6th and today, in less than two months. The rate of additions to the database continues to accelerate. I wonder if the dead of winter will slow things down. A heartfelt thanks to all of you who took the time to upload your finds, and to our editors who worked tirelessly to get them published. Happy New Year!

 
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The database’s 5000th marker was published earlier today. It was submitted by Christopher Busta-Peck of Baltimore, Maryland, and is titled “Catonsville: A Turnpike Town.” It is one of a series of interpretive panels that dot the route of the National Road through Maryland from Baltimore to the Pennsylvania State line west of Grantsville. Even in the dead of winter, it only took 50 days to add 1000 markers to the database. I wonder what’s going to happen this spring! Thank you, contributors and editors—volunteers all—for all the time and effort you’ve put into growing this database. I truly appreciate it.

 
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Another Historical Marker Database milestone was reached when the 10,000th historical marker was published. It was submitted by David Seibert of Sandy Springs, Georgia, about the 1822 Oothacaloga Mission, a Monrovian Mission station to the Cherokee Nation in Georgia. Thank you David and and all you other contributing correspondents for jointly creating a significant online resource for local history. David Seibert is an old hand at marker hunting. With pencil, paper, computer spreadsheet and a few sets of tires he catalogued just about every marker in Georgia more than 10 years ago. His catalog became the basis for the Georgia Historical Markers database at the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia—one of the first online marker databases. I’m real pleased he is now canvassing Georgia for the Historical Marker Database. There are plenty more historical markers out there, and I am very pleased to report that HMDB’s hardware and software still has plenty of excess capacity. Markers are still being fetched and their page rendered for the most part in less than 100 milliseconds, just like they were last November when the new server was installed and there were only 5,000 markers. There is a lot to complain about Microsoft software, but their SQL Server database engine is not one of them. It looks like we should be able to reach in excess of 100,000 markers without it breaking a sweat. 10,000 markers in less than 3 years; the last 5,000 markers in less than one year. That is a lot of markers and it could not have been possible without not only the contributors, but the editors who publish every single one of them—just 12 of us—and most especially our Board of Editors. While I'm wielding the wrench (and sometimes the hammer) on the server, they are taking up the slack. Thank you, everyone. Next stop: 25,000!

 
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Wow. Congrats to all involved! One thing I really like about this website is the "box of chocolates" approach to history - I never know what I'm going to get til I click on the link. I can't claim to having read more than 1/4 of the entries, if that many, so I'm sure I've missed some great ones. Visually, one of my favorites was the Ladew Topiary Gardens, as I really liked the last photo of the fox hunt. And there have been so many interesting entries it would be hard to pick one, but the one that comes to mind the most is the "lazy susan" jail. Can't remember what state or who submitted it, but that was one entry that just astounded me. But there have been so many entries that are just fascinating....

 
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J.J., Thanks for your comment -- it's a happy coincidence that I happened to hit the 10,000 mark for you. I'm far from finished, with another 800 or so photos to post...someday. I wish I'd carried a camera for all the trips in the past 35 or so years, but that omission does give me a good reason to return to much of rural Georgia. I must say that I think a major factor in the success of the Historical Marker Database has been the work of you and the other editors. I've been deeply impressed with the ease of use designed into the site, and the help provided by all the editors. My errors have been corrected, and material has been added to many of the markers; in every case my original submission was improved. The editors do an immense amount of work, not all of it visible to us; their six-figure salaries are well earned. (And now all your editors are going to be calling tomorrow morning..."Six figure salary?) So congratulations to all of you, and now it's back to work. David Seibert Sandy Springs, Georgia

 
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To Each and EVERYONE - - With HMDB and Fellow Contributors, A Big CONGRATULATIONS ! ! ! The 10,000th Office Party MUST have been a Big One.... ! ! ? - ? OH Well, at least a cold bottle of soda and an oatmeal cookie - at least. To All the Editors:: A big T H A N K S :: Y O U - A R E the B E S T ... !!!! A Special Congratulations to David Seibert ! ! ! -------------------- NUMBER > > > 25,000 watch out! You ARE in our sights...! Soon, very soon... HISTORY marches on - giving many mysteries to be solved, and has left a metalic trail to follow. Camera and G.P.S. in hand - - we are all enjoying "the chase" in solving the Past..!! (( The prizes of a new car, camera, GPS, and a trip to Greece - - none of them exist, matter, or surpass the excitement of digging up a "hidden historical fact". Oh well ! )) -------------------- Again, to Everyone - - - Congratulations see you at the "Marker" !!! Al Wolf - - Veedersburg, In.

 
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It's milestone time again. Our correspondent from Tucson, Bill Kirchner, submitted the database's 25,000th marker -- The Carriage House in Phoenix -- a couple of days ago. It was published today. Congratulations, Bill! This marker finds our database just over 4 years old; it went public January 1, 2006. 660 Contributing Correspondents, 13 Contributing Editors, and six Editors are submitting and publishing an average of 200 markers a week. We are nearing another milestone with 94,500 photographs submitted. All I can say is, wow! I never would have believed this little project that started with a couple of dozen markers could have gone this far this fast. Another surprise: the database now holds historical markers from twelve countries! Wow! Congratulations are also due to each and every one of you, my fellow historical marker hunters, for our collective success. We have made the Historical Marker Database a significant resource on the Internet. Thank you very much.

 
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Syd Whittle, our California Category Editor, published the database's 50,000th marker page earlier today. It was the Chinese Tong War marker, submitted by prolific Contributing Correspondent Barry Swackhamer of San Jose, California. Congratulations Barry! This is indeed a significant milestone. I once estimated that there should be at least 100,000 markers in the U.S. alone. I dimly recall spending quite some time to come up with this figure, using state size, population, historical age in the scheme of things, and markers currently discovered in our most well covered states. For all I know the final multiplier might have been correct, but I'm sure the count I started out with was irrelevant, making the result nothing more than a guess. Still, 100,000 markers is a lofty goal to shoot for and I am pleased to announce that we are now half way there only 6½ years after this website debuted January 1, 2006. (Readers who are not contributors to this database may not realize that we don't add markers to the database unless a correspondent has stood in front of it and photographed it. That's a lot of miles on our collective odometer! All 50,000 markers have been added—painstakingly one at a time—by a real human being, and an editor has followed up to publish it.) At the current run rate we'll get to 100,000 in less than 5 years. But with new correspondents starting up and current ones planning more hunting treks, who knows, we might get there in 3! The Historical Marker Database has become a significant resource for local history on the Internet, thanks to all you correspondents and editors. Congratulations are due everyone. Your entries got us to 50,000, and one by one, quicker than any of us thinks, each one will get us to the next milestone: 75,000. Thank you!

 
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You know what else I find amazing? That our tiny, barebones, Dell server is serving up 50,000 markers to all comers without breaking a sweat.

 
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Tri-City Herald story here: Newspaper Story

 
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I am looking for the roster of Confederate soldiers captured at Island Number 10.

 
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Are you trying to get more information about Confederate Rest?

 
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Is there an established consensus on how to enter names of cities/counties which are named for Saints? I find markers listed in "Saint Petersburg" or "Saint Paul" as well as "St. Petersburg" and "St. Paul", etc. The database treats these as different cities, so search results can be full of holes and the data in effected locales is really messy. This may be something editors may want to consider monitoring so that redundant cities and counties are not created as new pages are entered. Normally, I would advocate the "fully qualified name" rule that is used with street names, etc., but it seems less appropriate in this case. Usage of "Saint" or "St." in official capacities seems to vary based on locale or region. For instance, most references to the city in Florida use "St. Petersburg" (including the city's official website), whereas "Saint" appears more common in references to Minnesota's capitol city (again, including that city's official website, outside of its url). Usage on official government seals also varies, with "St." appearing on the seals of St. Louis, MO and St. Johns County, FL, while "Saint Paul" is spelled out on that city's seal. Also, is there any way to improve search options so that whether a person entered "St." or "Saint" in their search location, they would get the same results?

 
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I see that I cannot correct errors in the comments section. I assume commenters can correct errors in their own entries. Is this true? If so, is there a way to contact the commenter. I realize I could post a correcting comment, but these are small mistakes that I feel are more appropriately corrected in the original.

 
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You are correct. Commentaries in the comments section are locked when they are published and not even the original correspondent can change them. To point out corrections, add a commentary to the page but mark it Note to the Editor and explain what needs to be corrected. If an editor agrees with you he or she will make the correction on the original commentary.

 
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I added a duplicate photo to a new listing. How do I remove it?

 
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The only way to remove a photo is to ask an editor. If the photo has not yet been published, you can replace the photo with a different one. Click on the orange "Correct or Update" link under the photo and upload a different one, change the caption, etc. An editor would not normally publish a duplicate photo. You can help by changing the caption of an unpublished photo to something like "Duplicate photo, delete me please" and/or putting a note to the editor in the Note to the Editor section of the form. If the photo was published, put the note to the editor on the "Correct this page" form.

 
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I was wondering who or where the names came from that are on the Monument for the Town of milford? My great grandfather's name is on the Milford WWI East Plaque......... ANY help would be appreciate. He disappeared and nobody knows what happened to him and I was quite supprised to see his name. Unless, of course, its another Gerald D Booth....... which Cathy ctatcat2@aol.com

 
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Cathy - You ask an interesting question! I really have not thought about the source of names on veterans' monuments. In collecting markers in my vicinity, I noticed that some, but not all, towns have monuments with names of veterans beginning as early as the French and Indian War. I assume someone in the town hall, probably the town clerk, started a record and it was kept up. I recommend you contact these places: Milford Town Hall - www.ci.milford.ct.us/Public_Documents/Index VFW Post 7788 - www.vfw7788.org Veterans service records at the National Archives - www.archives.gov/veterans Good luck in your research. Michael Herrick Southbury, Connecticut michael.herrick@hmdb.org

 
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Could anyone help me with information on a Charles C Clarke ,who I believe died in the Civil War. Wife Martha Stevenson ,daughter Cordelia. Thanks EP

 
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Try the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors database at www.itd.nps.gov/cwss. It will help to know what state he volunteered in. Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System

 
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From 1911: "The photographic history of the civil war .." The "General Grant," under Acting Ensign J. Watson, with the other sturdy little vessels of the land-locked flotilla, aided in restoring order in the thinly settled districts along the river. She and the "General Burnside" engaged a battery which the Confederates had erected above Decatur, Ala., Dec. 12, 1864. On the 22d the "General Thomas" had a brush with some Confederate troops near the same place and they returned her fire with fury. Early in January of 1865, the "Grant", single-handed, silenced Confederate batteries at Guntersville and Beard's Bluff, Ala. Returning a few days later, she destroyed the entire town of Guntersville as punishment for hostile demonstrations agaiast the gunboats. Thus these little vessels were kept busily at . . . . "

 
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"On January 15, 1865, the General Grant, single-handed, silenced Confederate batteries at Gunthersville and Beard’s Bluff, Ala. Returning a few days later, forty Federal marines from the General Grant destroyed the entire town of Gunthersville as punishment for hostile demonstrations against the gunboats. The Union gunboats in this area would spend the remainder of the war transporting men and materiel for operations further south and occasionally returning fire of small Confederate units and scattered bands of guerillas. I just recently discovered that my great grandfather - Emory N. Campbell - served in the Civil War as a crewmember on the GENERAL GRANT gunboat. I also learned the following: "It is interesting to note that the GENERAL GRANT, GENERAL BURNSIDE, GENERAL THOMAS and GENERAL SHERMAN were manned by the Army but their officers were assigned by the Navy." Given my brief military experience in Vietnam, I have difficulty understanding why the Army soldiers on board didn't carry out the mission themselves. Put together in close quarters on a gunboat, they would have finished each other off! My great grandfather and I both share the dubious distinction of having served in worthless, futile wars! "Old men thinking of new wars for young men to die in." Thank you for allowing me to post. Jim Campbell jimhcampbell@msn.com

 
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For my Religious Studies class, I have to write a term paper on creating a historical marker. It's really not only that, but some how tying it in with Southern Religion. I guess my question are there any materials that might aid me in writing a historical marker? Something even better would be experts discussing written and oral histories. Thanks

 
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I recently photographed a sign that starts off "This trail is dedicated to..." but goes on to tell about the person and their contribution to history. Should I submit this as a historical marker? I posted it on my blog and have included the link. Aide to George Washington

 
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In response to the May 15th Marker of the Week request, this Nevada State Historical Marker (No. 188) is located near Needles, California. Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona found this marker in March of last year. It was placed here in 1974 to commemorate the boundary survey done by Allexey W. Von Schmidt, U. S. Astronomer and Surveyor. While surveying the official boundary between the states of Nevada and California in 1872/73, he was a little off. The actual boundary is ¼ of a mile north of the marker. There is also a California Registered Historical Landmark Marker (No. 859) at this same site. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 859 – Von Schmidt State Boundary: http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=29467 Nevada State Historical Marker No. 188-Von Schmidt State Boundery

 
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In 2010 the State of Texas erected a monument in Corinth, Mississippi honoring her Texas native sons who served at Corinth and its surrounding environs during the Western Campaign of 1862. Karl Stelly of Gettysburg, PA entered this marker on May 22, 2011. Texas Memorial

 
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Syd. not on topic, but many thanks for the awesome review of El Dorado Veteran's memorials! I saw some 3 or 4 years ago, but not able to upload then. You've covered them well!! [see also] Sept. 11 -- Sacramento?wait 24 hrs.

 
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If your photos are geotagged, there is no need to enter latitude and longitude when you are adding a new marker. Leave those  Portion of Picasa Screen fields blank. When you upload your first photo, the geotag will be read and the latitude and longitude will be automatically filled in. And now, there is a easy, painless, and free way to geotag your photos on your Windows or Apple computer. If you are not already using it, download a free copy of Picasa from picasa.com. Picasa is a photo organizer-and-editor from Google. It has no advertizing and it is real easy to use. It is probably easier to use and more comprehensive than the software that came with your camera. I've been using it since 2006 and have yet to find a better photo organizer, free or not. A new feature in the latest version if Picasa can geotag your photos. Open a map in the “Places” panel, move a pushpin to the marker’s location, and click OK to geotag the photo. That’s all there is to it. Click for step-by-step instructions. Picasa embeds the latitude and longitude map coordinates in the photo file. It does not tell you what they are, it just hides them in the photo. When you upload the geotagged photo to this database, the coordinates will be automatically pulled from the photo and stored in the database. You’ll never need to write down and type in latitude and longitude again.

 
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Good tip! I just tried it. I see that after doing that, I can click on "Full Details Page" and it displays the latitude and longitude along with size and copyright info.

 
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This very informative 130-page 2011 Thesis written by Joseph Bayless while at Virginia Commonwealth University recounts the o 1929 First Edition rigins of the Virginia historical marker program. Here is the abstract: “The thesis analyzes the origins and the formative period of Virginia’s historical marker program. It shows that historical markers were critical to the success of Harry Flood Byrd’s administration and his Commission on Conservation and Development. The thesis also examines how Virginia’s marker program set the standard for roadside commemoration across the entire United States. Lastly, the work appraises the influence of Dr. Hamilton James Eckenrode, his pioneering methods of historical commemoration, and his central role in the success of Virginia’s marker program.”

 
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You might also like http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma04/kane/thesis/markers.htm on the University of Virginia's website.

 
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Here is an article about a plaque with the title "Near Here." Clarity it may lack, but there’s something about this plaque

 
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Point your phone's browser to   hmdb.org/a   and if your phone is willing to cough up your location, you'll know what markers already in the database are around you. More info Here. This HMdb feature has been around for a while, but you had to type in your latitude and longitude manually. Now it will ask your phone for your location using the relatively new HTML 5 geolocation method. Only browsers on iPhone 3+, Android 2+ and Windows Phone 7.5+ are known to be able to respond automatically (after asking your permission). On other phones you'll still have to enter your latitude and longitude yourself with the keyboard. P.S. This would be a great way to get coordinates for a new marker you are photographing, but you can't rely on it. Sometimes the phone will provide location for the cell phone tower instead of your true location. There is no way to tell how accurate it is at any given time.

 
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C'est cool, no?

 
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There is a new link on the black right margin—the one on your screen right now—below the search button: Markers Near You. Click it to see a map showing markers near your location. It tries to use he same HTML 5 mechanism I told you about in the November 27 post. But if it fails, it falls back to the less precise method of finding out where your Internet Service Provider (or cell phone company) says your IP address is located. Sometimes it's accurate, and sometimes it's not. Even on desktops and laptops, Internet Explorer 9 can provide location information, when you give permission. Let me know by email if you have trouble with it.

 
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Relative to note # 408 I would be looking for a state(s)with a structure similar to Vermont in their Agency of Commerce & Community Development, available at: Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development

 
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I have been going through "Links & Books" to locate states which use their tourism and marketing departments to oversee public historic markers. If anyone can highlight states that use this model it would be helpful.

 
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In Catherine Bush’s play a modern-day couple retraces Robert E. Lee’s final march using historical markers, while in parallel almost 150 years earlier General Lee and his army journey to Appomattox. The play was commissioned by the Barter Theatre of Abingdon, Virginia, and is playing there through November 12th. If you find yourself in southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina, southern West Virginia, or eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, dinner and this play might be an interesting way to pass an evening. Show up early to see charming and historic Abingdon in daylight. The Barter Theatre itself is historic and sports its own historical marker. They bartered “ham for Hamlet” when they first opened in 1933. Search for “Barter Theatre” in this database and check it out. The Road to Appomattox at the Barter Theatre

 
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History in Carlisle is getting a technological upgrade. With the new Benjamin Rush Wayside Marker leading the way, more and more historical markers in the area will feature "Quick Response" codes that will connect users to even more history through their cell phones. Read more: The Rest of the Story

 
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I have a marker (and location) that refers to a subject 3/4mile away from the marker itself. Also, there's two more markers enroute to this subject each of which is a reasonable distance away from each other. So, I have four locations to record in order to provide proper directions to the marker and its subject. What's the right way to do this? Two of the markers aren't at all "Historic" themselves, they're just clarifications to the end subject. Opinions? Suggestions? Rules from the editors? :) Thanks.

 
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The rule of thumb is to give each historical marker its own page (and on its page record its location). The historic subject itself does not get its own page but you can note on the marker's page where it is in free-form text (including Latitude and Longitude if you would like) in the 'Optional Comments on the Subject Described in the Marker' field. Or in the sub-caption of one of the photographs of the subject. The question remaining is, do those enroute markers qualify as historical markers in their own right? If they are just a name and and directions, then no. In this case, put their photograph in the qualifying marker's page and use the photo caption to report their location. But if they repeat or otherwise state the historical information about the subject, then they get their own page.

 
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As time and travel permits, I am building a public Civil War Trails GPS file that can be placed on a Garmin or TomTom. The file is located here for download: http://www.poi-factory.com/node/20069 I also hope that others, as they run across these historical markers, will email (accessed through the POI Factory Website) the GPS coordinates to me. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- You may also be interested in this GPS file: North Carolina Historical Markers http://www.poi-factory.com/node/9879 I do NOT maintain the Historical Marker file above. =================================================== CasualObservations

 
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I just wanted to let everyone know that the latest Next Exit History apps are now available through iTunes and the Android Ma iPhone Screenshot rketplace. Next Exit History teamed up with the HMDB last year and you can now find almost every entry in the HMDB database through your mobile phone. The apps are completely free and we would love to get your feedback about we can make them better. We are constantly adding new features in an attempt to make the user experience as good as possible. Hope you guys get a chance to check them out. iTunes Store Link

 
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A new series, "Top of the Town" in Northwest Washington, D.C., in the area of Nebraska Avenue, Reno Road, American University , and I noticed one at Ward Circle. Passing thru my old stomping grounds along Wisconsin Ave. near Tenleytown, Mass Ave. Maybe some around the National Cathedral( BTW Highest window in DC...top of the town) Too bad I was preoccupied... but heads up to you guys in the area. A good Sunday field trip from Northern Va. or Oxen Hill

 
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The Southside Neighborhood Association is searching for a group to take on the project of repainting some historic markers installed 25 years ago. News Story

 
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I am not referring to the copyright of the pictures of markers at this website - I have seen the copyright regarding pictures posted here but I am wondering - is someone able to film historical markers and use them say in a tv show for profit/commercial purposes? Again - I am not referring to using pictures here but if I were to go out and film and or take original pictures of my own- am I able to show them on tv for commercial purposes?

 
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The matter of using a marker for a commercial purposes depends on the agency that erected and owns the marker. First check with the agency that pertains to the marker in question, they might ask for a fee in return. See link pertaining to Pennsylvania's rule on commercial use of historical markers. If its a monument or marker over hundred years old, I doubt the organization that erected it will be sending you a cease and desist letter. PHMC Historical Marker Image Request

 
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This marker, in Lewisburg, Marshall County, Tennessee, does not appear to be in the database. The Marshall County Tribune is very specific about it copyright so I won't cut and paste, but there is information on how to obtain a state Directory of Tennessee Historical Markers for $3. See Mising Marker Story for story and information.

 
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"Virginia Pilot" about markers and Henrietta Lack marker: http://hamptonroads.com/2011/07/highway-marker-isnt-much-show-lacks-contribution WIBC-FM, 93.1 in Indianapolis: Washington Park, Birth of Black Baseball http://www.wibc.com/news/Story.aspx?id=1461472 Philly-burbs.com: Haunting Histories http://www.phillyburbs.com/lifestyle/travel/eastern-state-penitentiary-to-host-haunting-histories/article_a07a09f4-b3ba-11e0-ae7d-0019bb30f31a.html Akron.com: Shaw Cemetery marker approved http://www.akron.com/akron-ohio-community-news.asp?aID=13038 Smyrna-ViningsPatch: Civil War Breastworks Commemorated at Lovett Exhibit: http://smyrna.patch.com/articles/civil-war-breastworks-commemorated-at-lovett-exhibit

 
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This short article discusses new markers that are being placed across Georgia to recognizing the Civil War history of long-ignored groups such as women, blacks and Southerners loyal to the Union. Markers show neglected Civil War history in Ga.

 
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While the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission was busy erecting distinctive blue and gold monopole historical  marker "Mandata, named for Indian girl who lived where the town is now located. Founded 1880." s throughout the state early in the 20th century, the Pennsylvania Department of Highways was also busy erecting distinctive blue and gold keystone-shaped place name markers on the same roads. Called "keystone markers," anyone who has traveled Pennsylvania's back roads has seen them. They announce the name of the town, and typically also briefly explain why or how the town was named. Today they are orphans. The Department of Highways no longer erects or maintains the cast metal markers. Some of the ones that remain are in sad shape. They are not historical markers and therefore cannot be included in this database, so I wanted to alert you to another database where they are being catalogued. KeystoneMarkerTrust.org has over 700 markers and their locations. More than just an online catalog, The Keystone Marker Trust is dedicated to the preservation of existing keystone markers and to facilitating the erection of new ones. Take a look, and if you are interested and able, lend a hand. (Photo courtesy of the Keystone Marker Trust.)

 
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My dad's name is mentioned here. His is the last name listed under Civil War. His name should be listed under World War, because he was a World War II. veteran. His name is Edward L. Welton. The marker on his grave looks really nice. Thank you. Middlebuury Veterans Memorial

 
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I have added a note to the marker page regarding your dad. We strive for accuracy in transcribing marker text. If anyone at the unveiling noticed the error, imagine their dismay! Thanks for the information so I could add a note. It makes the marker even more interesting.

 
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Frank Gray, reporter for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, interviewed our intrepid Veedersburg Indiana correspondent Al Wolf by telephone last week and wrote up this excellent article titled “Historic task for retired teacher.” Take a look.

 
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Most HMdb contributors living in Massachusetts are familiar with the Massachusetts Tercentenary Markers located along highway The Old Oaken Bucket (Scituate,MA) s and local roads in the Commonwealth. The markers were commissioned by the legislature in 1930 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of The Massachusetts Bay Colony. A marker series was established during 2010 under Massachusetts Bay Colony—Tercentenary Commission Markers(http://www.hmdb.org/results.asp?SeriesID=100). This courtesy is greatly appreciated since the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; unlike many other states with similar castings, does not maintain a website to promote historical markers. This documentation effort has been promoted through the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the UMASS Boston, Massachusetts Studies Network. I would encourage all HMdb contributors to get out their cameras and join in the effort to document the remaining markers in their area. A complete catalog of the markers was printed in 1930 under the title; Historical Markers Erected by Massachusetts Bay Colony Tercentenary Commission (1930), available from The Internet Archive at http://www.archive.org/details/historicalmarker00mass.

 
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Galveston contributor Sam Collins III had an article in the Tuesday Daily News of Galveston County (Texas) paper calling on students out on summer vacation to canvas Galveston County for markers and submit them to HMdb.org. It it titled Locating historical sites a great summer project. He writes that there are 273 markers in the county but only 28 of them are in the database. Let's see how many more are added this summer! This article was brought to my attention by Al Wolf, our intrepid correspondent from Veedersburg Indiana. Thanks, Al.

 
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Our new Dell PowerEdge T410 arrived yesterday. Our current server, rushed into service November 26, 2007, has served us well for over three years but has been slowing down a bit as of late because of the growing size of the database, and will be out of photo space later this year. That, and its extended warranty expired last year. Like a kid with a new toy I promptly took it out of its box, wrestled it up to its perch (it's heavy!), plugged it in, turned it on, and have been marveling at its speed, capacity, and additional capabilities. It has 3 times the hard drive space, 6 times the usable RAM (for speed), and its Intel Xenon processor is 3 times faster than the one in our current server. Our old server was getting RAM-bound, so I'm hoping that the new server will have the capacity to serve more than 3 times the number of simultaneous users than the old one. The database should be able to exceed 100,000 markers before we run out of space on this server. As for new capabilities, it has the latest 64 bit Microsoft Server and SQL Server software, and the latest plug-ins from Persits, so there will be plenty to explore. I had to give up on getting the database to speak marker text a few years ago because Server 2003 software was not up to the task, so I will be finding out if Server 2008 software can handle it. Will the new Persits photo assist software stop truncating latitude and longitude minutes? We'll soon find out. I've been configuring it for our requirements and there is a good chance I can place it in service this weekend. This will require about half an hour of down time. Stay tuned.

 
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We are now running on the new server. Does it feel faster?

 
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