I spent a family vacation on Parker's Ranch in 1961. My whole family camped in one of Mrs. Parker's pastures. I used to meet Bobbie at the kiosk that had the coke machine, and the stone floor, and sit with Bobbie and she was very dear to me, at 5 years of age, and I'd love to reconnect with her. We were there for the Wild West Shows, the riding lessons, the trail rides, the steak roasts and Charly at one of the barns and my brother was there too, and the farm breakfasts. I wish I could find Bobbie. Wes Lemmon

 
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The Hunter Mill Defense League in Oakton, Virginia, invites you to the dedication of five historical markers on the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad (W&OD) Trail at its intersection with Hunter Mill Road on Saturday, November 21st, 2009, starting at 10 a.m. One silver-and-black Virginia State marker, one Civil War Trails marker, and three Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority markers will be unveiled. The Civil War Trails marker is already in the database. For more information click on the link to see the complete invitation and for parking instructions. Invitation to the Unveiling

 
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Indeed - - 220 Historical Markers > > Hal Smith - Director of the "Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition" announced in an August 20, 2008 news release. ( lookingforlincoln.com ) ((Reports are in - - The New Historical Markers are out there.)) In the attached link - is a map that will help locate them. Happy Hunting ! ! "Looking for Lincoln Story Trail" ::

 
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I was just notified today that Verizon FiOS, HMdb.org's Internet Service Provider, is upgrading its network and as part of the upgrade will change our IP address sometime after midnight eastern time October 15th. This means that you may not be able to access our site on October 16th until the rest of the Internet notices our new address. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience and hope the disruption will be kept to a minimum.

 
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The cutover to the new IP address is complete and appears to be working correctly. But you already knew that because you were able to reach the site. Other folks will have trouble until their corner of the Internet notices our new address. What's an IP address? All destinations on the Internet have a number, like a telephone number but different. That is their Internet Protocol address. Our new number is 71.126.182.50. When you ask your browser to connect you to www.hmdb.org, your browser silently asks the nearest Domain Name System server, the Internet's "directory assistance", for the number and then "dials" it for you. In the next 24 hours, our new number should have reached all of the DNS servers on the Internet.

 
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Hi , I am seeking any information on one Col. William Henry Gwynn of Coehoes Falls New York. He was born in England in 1849 and came to America very young. It would appear that he was givin a propreter job at the Cataract House when he was but 17 years old. When and where would he have attained the title of Col.? The william Henry Gwynne or Gwynn was a cigar manufacturer [ Gwynn,s Golden Gems ] and this William Henry also is refered to as a cigar manufacturer. Is there any reference to a marriage or family or death for that matter. Thanks, Roy

 
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Dutch visitors left the first written accounts of the Great Falls of the Mohawk River at Cohoes during the 1640s. Generations of sightseers, poets, and artists followed to look at the falls, hear their roar, and feel the spray. The Cataract House opened above Cohoes Falls in 1860. Rebuilt and enlarged after a fire, it was operated by William Gwynn from 1867 until 1912. It burned to the ground soon after that.

 
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The marker is lovely. I have an ancestor who was with the 55th Regiment of Foot. May I suggest a correction? The name "Pride Auxs" should read "Prideaux" as in Brigadier-General John Prideaux. My thanks to all who have worked to put this database together. June Bletcher

 
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Correction has been made. Thank you for the information and I am glad you enjoyed the marker. Capture of Fort Frederic Marker

 
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Your site marker says that Bunker Hill Monument was built between 1825 and 1849. Untrue. It was constructed between 1827 and July 1842 (capstone). The party to "open it" was held in June 1843 with President John Tyler and 100,000 onlookers. Money problems forced many halts in construction and there was no way to put up five-ton blocks of granite before the late 1830s. The final 140 feet were put up in about 18 months as enough money and proper equipment was in play. Bunker Hill Monument Marker

 
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The marker says what the marker says, and the correpsondent did the right thing in transcribing it verbatim. Granted, the last digit in the monument completion date is kind of iffy - I see a "9" but maybe it was meant to be a "3". Molded metal plaques with small fonts don't always have the crispness one might desire. But note, too, that the caption for the third photo on that page clearly states that the dedication for the monument took place in 1843.

 
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I have done some additional research and verified that date on the marker does indeed say 1843 instead of 1849. I have corrected this on the database. Sorry if this caused any confusion.

 
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I have found that some e-mail addresses of our contributors are no longer active. If you are a contributor who has changed your e-mail provider since you initially registered, will you please update your address? Occasionally we receive request to use your photos in publications and need to obtain your permission. Our only method of contacting you is by e-mail, so it is important to have a current address. You may update your information after logging in by clicking on "Profile" in the upper right side of the screen. Thanks. Bill Pfingsten Board of Editors

 
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It has taken 567 volunteers 3 years and 8 months to upload, transcribe, embellish, and edit 20 thousand web pages, one for each marker entered into the database. That is a lot of hard work and thousands and thousands of hours! Interesting, facinating and satisfying hours, say I and everyone else I ask. The 20,000th marker was added last night by Contributing Editor F. Robby of Baltimore Maryland and is entitled Benjamin Welch Owens, CSA. It was his 435th marker. He's been adding markers to the database for almost two years. Congratulations! I'm guessing there are at least 80,000 markers in the United States alone. If this wild guess is close, then we are one quarter of the way to cataloging them. Do you think there are more than 80,000 markers in the USA? How many in Canada? The rest of the world? We will find out! At the rate we're going -- almost 900 markers a month -- we'll reach 40,000 in under two years. And as we continue to pick up speed, we'll reach 80,000 in four. Thank you, each and every one of you, for making the Historical Marker Database a significant source for local history on the Internet. My fellow editors and I appreciate your work and dedication. Good hunting!

 
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I have a friend Dr. mark Eddows who is an Anthropologist here in Tahiti. Mark has a very interesting story about the Fire Truck in Volcano , Calif . It was built to be shipped to Tahiti. But ended up in Volcano , Calif . Who should we email the whole story to ?

 
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Thank you for contacting us..this sounds very interesting. I have contacted you by e-mail, and I am looking forward to hearing from you.

 
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When a photo has been entered and accepted, is there a way to delete the photo and all related information before the marker entry is published?

 
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Sorry, there is no way to delete a photo entry after it has been submitted. Deletion is reserved for editors only. But you have a point. Before a new marker page is published the person entering it should be able to change his or her mind. I'll add this suggestion to the figure-out-how-to-do-this list. There is a workaround for when you upload the wrong photo and want to upload the correct one. Rather than using Add A Photo, instead click on the wrong photo's Correct or Update link, browse for the correct photo and submit. The old photo will be replaced with the new one in the database. If the old photo is still there, click on your browser's refresh button so it is forced to refetch the new photo from the server. And if the photo is just plain redundant, write a note to the editor in its entry and change the Display Order to a large number so it sorts to the bottom of the page and gets out of your way.

 
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See the attached hot button for some of my comments about HMDB to Roger Norton on the "Friends of Lincoln Mailbag" web site.. May need to scroll down once into the "...Mailbag". With school beginning it is time to assist schools, teachers, classroom students, and home schoolers with the abilities and educational value of working with HMDB.. Glad to also see some Historical Society organizations listing (under their own name) the historic markers within their area. Al Wolf - Veedersburg Friends of Lincoln Mailbag

 
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I've revised the editorial guidelines. I don't think I've changed them, just made them less vague. Please take a look at them. And I am pedaling backwards just a little bit: I don't think we have to purge the database of entries that crossed the now slightly brighter line, just be more careful with new entries. The job of a historical marker, in my opinion, is to enlighten and inform the person that is standing in front of it. Something that someone thinks is important happened here. Or someone that someone thinks is important slept there. Or simply that this spot/object/building/feature is significant because... Sometimes something designed for another purpose—a monument or memorial, for example—gets inscribed with enough information to turn it into a historical marker under our guidelines, and then they are welcome. But most don't, including most war memorials. So why the exception for war memorials? A number of arguments could be made why the exception is a wise idea. But to be honest, the original reason was that I liked to photograph them and wanted to include them in the database. The loophole stays, even though this loophole has and will continue to cause friction and upset feelings when other types of memorials are rejected. So there you have it. What do you think of the new criteria? Does the line look brighter to you? And to answer Contributing Editor F. Robby's question: A rejected or withdrawn marker page, photo, link, or comment does not get deleted. It stays in the database and continues to take up space. But it is for all practical purposes gone. It is no longer in the index and there is no method for displaying it in an Internet browser. They will make interesting pottery-shard finds for a future database archaeologist. Only the database administrator (me!) can find them using the specialized database tools that came with the server. With those tools the rejection or withdrawal could be reversed.

 
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Thank you very much for this. The revised guidelines give me a fair bit of confidence that what I submit: a) will be appropriate and b) will not waste my time nor that of the editors.

 
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There's been an adjustment to the Editorial Guidelines. Board of Editors members reminded me of previous discussions regarding those little pieces of brass that announce that a building or site in the National Register of Historic Places and say nothing else. They are now the second exception to the Rule (the first being war memorials). Here is the revised paragraph, which you will now find in the Editorial Guidelines. “A second exception in these guidelines are National Register of Historic Places and other officially sanctioned brass tablets that simply name the historic building or site. They can only anchor a marker page when there is no other qualifying marker nearby. When there is one, it should be used to further illustrate that other marker’s page. When a qualifying marker subsequently arrives on the site, then the tablet’s page will be retired. The very rare NRHP or similar tablet that goes on to describe the reason the site is historic is of course a bona fide historical marker under our rules and will always be welcome to its own page.”

 
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Can I get a clarification? For the war memorial exception, does the exception apply only to memorials for combatants, or does it apply to memorials for the victims/casualties, as well? In my opinion, both kinds of memorials would be "war" memorials, but certainly the former is so much more common in the US so as to practically define what people imagine war memorials to be....

 
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You are correct, memorials to victims and casualties are few and far between. In my experience, these types of war memorials typically explain things at length and therefore qualify as historical markers under our guidelines. As far as I am concerned, if the memorial mentions a war, it officially a war memorial.

 
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. . . and we're going to be sweeping through the database and reevaluating entries. This is both necessary and difficult. We need to make sure that markers in this database tell a story or relate relevant facts or we risk cluttering up the database with irrelevant entries. The difficulty for us editors is two-fold. First, we risk upsetting contributors who went out of their way to photograph, scribble information down and then take even more time to enter it into the database, only to have their work rejected or—if self-published by a Contributing Editor—withdrawn. Second, our eligibility rules are loose enough to leave plenty of room for disagreement. Who decides what is eligible? Any member of the Board of Editors gets to decide. Normally, though, they will consult with other board members before they mark a page (or individual photograph, link, or commentary) "not used"; or withdraw a previously published item. What should you do if something you worked on is rejected? We hope you won't get discouraged and stop submitting. If you do not agree with the editor's reasoning don't get mad. Instead, write back and argue your point of view. While the editor's decision is final, editors are allowed to change their mind.

 
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If you haven't yet found yourself in this dilemma, you will: You are at a historical site. It is brimming with history. It is very photogenic and your camera is full of great photos. You've even come across someone who has told you some really interesting bits of information about it. But it doesn't have a marker! But wait a minute, there is this brass plaque that says the name of the place on it. Or there's a sign out at the entrance. Maybe it also says that it is on a register of historical places. That's a fact other than name and date, isn't it? You might want to file those photos and that information away until someone plants a historical marker there. This is a historical marker database and a historical marker is the price for entry. Not sure if you have a bona fide historical marker? Email an editor before you take all that time and trouble to enter it. Even it it does not make the grade, the editor might be able to suggest another marker already in the database that could use this additional information.

 
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I'm just trying to clarify what the situation is. What are the rules? The only place I've found them is on the "About Us" page under "Editorial Guidelines" and it appears that this is a change from that...or is there some place else I should be looking for guidance about is and isn't acceptable? I ask because I had one marker rejected recently because of an what is, from what I've seen, an "unwritten rule." I don't have a problem with the reasons for that marker's rejection; I am frustrated, though, by submitting a marker that met every rule I could find on the site and having it rejected for not fitting a guideline that seems like it could have been clearly communicated to users, but that I have only seen in the response from the editor who elected not to use the information I'd provided. If my reading is correct (and I may be mis-interpreting), we seem to be moving from a very clear-cut standard of what is and isn't appropriate to an "at the discretion of the editors" standard. I don't mind the editors having discretion, but I would hope for something clearer than trial-and-error submissions for a user to know what is acceptable. The word "relevant" is used earlier in the thread but what I haven't seen explained is: relevant to what or to whom?

 
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I share this concern about marker criteria. Words like "tightening up", "relevant facts", or "a historical marker is the price for entry" don't really help explain what the new criteria or enforcement rules are. "Sweeping through the database and reevaluating entries" sounds rather ominous without that information. The few Forum entries below on this subject don't seem to reach a conclusion. And the Editorial Guidelines page has not been updated, at least to my knowledge. Don't leave anyone guessing. If "dedicated to" or "dedicated by" markers (without other factual information) are no longer to be be included - state that on the Guidelines page. Same for markers that simply say they are historic, without a single explanation as to why. If scientific information alone no longer meets the criteria, remove that from the guidelines. If we don't want basic zoo markers - say so. I believe it would be useful to include some actual markers as examples of what is both acceptable and not. Otherwise the changes seem arbitrary and whimsical. That said, and stepping on my soap box, we should resist the temptation to judge the value or quality of a marker's content to determine eligibility. Frankly, one of the best indicators of value is that it was important enough to some person or group to have the marker erected in the first place. Assuming a marker meets the stated criteria, why would we want to judge its value? There will be a great number of markers that are obvious to all the Editors that they belong in this database. There will also be numbers of markers that are obvious to all that they do NOT belong. And then there will be a mass of markers that are not plainly obvious to everyone either way, and these, as a rule, should be included. Databases aren't much use unless they contain information. One man's treasure is another man's trash, right? If we have a real wheat/chaff concern - which is not evident to me - I suggest we first refine the categories or search options, and not delete entries. JJ (or anyone else who knows) - can you explain exactly what happens to a rejected or withdrawn marker? Is the information deleted permanently from the database? Is it tagged, held for a while, something else? If data storage is not a problem, is it possible to keep these markers in an auxiliary database that could also be searched by any interested parties reaching this site.

 
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I am new here, and a bit confused. While reviewing the submissions of the "past 30 days", I see the post on "African Elephant" (# 19443), as well as a couple others, that raise questions to me. Yes, most informative , I'm not understanding the historical aspect. No crossing the Alps with an army, nor jumping from a cargo plane, or even leading a parade with a bathing beauty atop. After looking through numerous sites, with historical content... I'm curious if other zoo related signs are good entries. And then there are " The Milford Mall" (#19035) and "Municipal Fountain" (#19456). I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings, but is this Historical markers or just general information?? Thanks, Rich Z.

 
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Our criteria for entry into the database is very loose: (1) Outdoors, (2) permanent, and (3) at least one historic or scientific fact beyond names and dates. And then we waive requirement 3 for war memorials. There's been periodic discussions of tightening our criteria a bit, but nothing has come of them. The African Elephant marker gets in for its scientific information. The Milford Mall and the Municipal Fountain markers, in my opinion, don't provide the reader with any historical information and are a waste of metal. I'm sure on dedication day everyone in attendance knew who the Milfords were or knew of the hard work the Greenwood Beautification Commission had accomplished. But a sentence or two explaining who the Milfords were, or about the reason the Greenwood Beautification Commission was created, would have provided passers-by 50 and 100 years later with some context to appreciate the efforts of the folks listed on the plaque. But strictly speaking, these two markers comply with our criteria. The Municipal Fountain was "sponsored by" the the Commission and the list of people on the plaque. Milford Mall was "named" after Eugene and Louise Milford. Those are facts beyond just names and dates. If I had been walking around Greenville or Greenwood documenting historical markers for the database I would have skipped these two. To me they don't say anything worth recording and annoy me because of the wasted opportunity to have said something. Our correspondent from Greenville thought otherwise, and not just because he lives in Greenville and is only an hour away from Greenwood. A perusal of his other entries show he is just as thorough in other locations.

 
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J.J., Personally, I believe Rich has a good point. I see a small but increasing number of "markers" which I believe stretch the definition rather too far, and I think if this trend continues wheat will be difficult to find under a mountain of chaff. Take the elephant sign: that's not really history (or at least not history tied to that site), but rather an encyclopedia entry. It's interesting knowledge, but has no real ties to the site where it's posted (except, "Our zoo owns an elephant!). I've seen a variation -- in the data base -- of "Welcome to Mytown -- Founded Last Week." It may be an historical fact that Mytown was indeed founded last week, but is the purpose of the site to collect the signs at the edge of every town in the U.S.? Blue Star Memorial markers, which are excluded for a reason, generally have more history than this. I understand your rules, and I'm quite content to play by them (although I'll provide very few of what I consider "signs" rather than markers, as I simply don't collect them). I do believe that with the continuing growth and success of the Historical Marker Data Base, perhaps your editorial board might wish to attempt to slightly reshape or refine your criteria. Whatever the decisions, I will continue to support you. David Seibert Sandy Springs, Georgia

 
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I guess I should respond since the original three markers were all ones that I submitted. In the 1 and 1/2 years that I've been submitting markers, the integrity of the information that I submit has been paramount. There are photographs of plaques and markers that I've taken and not submitted because I did not feel they fit even the broadest interpretation of the definition. The photos for African Elephant were taken on February 8 but I did not submit the marker until May 29. The reason for the gap in time was because I studied over the marker to make sure that it was appropriate for the site. To my knowledge, it was the first "zoo" type marker in the database. (And I certainly never thought it would draw such controversy.) It was submitted because of the scientific facts that it presented, the historical data regarding the decreasing global elephant population, and the fact that the Greenville Zoo was one of two zoos in the U.S. that is participating in a vaccine program to control elephant population (noted in the final paragraph). Also, I do feel that the marker is connected to the site. Had the marker simply stated "Our zoo has an elephant," I would not have included it. Such a statement is a fact but is not historic. The marker points out that Joy has been a resident of the zoo since 1977...that's over 30 years and to me, that makes it more than "Our zoo has an elephant." That makes it historic. The other two markers, while not providing major historical information, do present historical facts (as pointed out in J.J.'s response). Could the markers have said more? Absolutely...and like he, I wish they did. Are they the "strongest" markers in the database? No. There are others which record much more historical information. However, compare these to the "South Point Complex" marker. This marker designates the southernmost point of the United States. That's all. If anything major (or minor) happened here, the marker does not say. And yet, that one fact is enough to warrant its inclusion. The elephant marker includes several scientific facts (as well as historical data), the Milford Plaza marker references its namesakes, and the Municipal Fountain includes all of the names involved in its dedication and construction. From the information provided on the South Point Complex marker, we don't even know why its historic. We are just told that it is. Consider the "Lanesville Architecture" marker. This marker describes in detail the architectural history of the house. But it says nothing of the people who lived there or the person who built it. And yet, from reading the entry, we learn that the stones of the chimney were smaller as the chimney gets taller, that the attic was expanded into two bedrooms, and the kitchen had two-stories. Do the South Point and Lanesville Architecture markers provide us with historical and scientific facts. Yes. Are they important? Maybe. Are they encyclopedic? In my opinion, yes. However, I feel that the South Point Complex marker and the Lanesville Architecture marker both belong. The fact that this database allows for markers that record historic facts of significant importance (as well as trivial matters) is what makes it so strong and such a valuable resource. I would hasten to say that most markers are about local historic facts, relaying information that would probably not be of interest or impact to people outside their immediate area. The historic fact that Joy has lived in Greenville for 30 years or that the Lanesville house has had three chimneys over its long history probably means nothing to someone in Spokane, Washington (not meant to offend anyone in Spokane). But for the citizens in Greenville and Sterling, they do...and they took the time to document it so folks like us would know. The "looseness" of the definition allows for a broader collection of historic facts and entries that might otherwise be overlooked or deemed to small to include. And I feel that makes the database much stronger and a work that I continue to be proud to participate in.

 
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I would say with respect to the Lanesville Architecture marker Lanesville Architecture, there's a very distinct attribute we are discussing. How does it meet the criteria? How does it relate historical facts? Well simply put it is a public facing summary of a portion of the NRHP documentation sumbitted for that historic site. Other markers on site cover other aspects, but it is rather easy to trace the linkage. When the marker states, "The stone pattern of these chimneys was considered quite fashionable in the 1770s," then we have the historical facts being placed in context to the physical building. In other words, tellin the reader the "story." I think the problem here with regard the definition of a marker should be resolved by assessing the purpose and content of the item. And not necessarily by a physical description. There are many, many mono-pole signs or plaques on the sides of buildings around the country which may "look" like a historical marker. The "In memory of..." plaques in rose gardens, on fountains, or just sitting in parks do not, in my opinion, qualify unless they offer the context.

 
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The "More Search Options" (just below the "Search" feature on the right) really is loaded with helpful search items..! ! This will assist any one including County based Historical, Economic Develpment, or area Chamber of Commerce organizations in reviewing items for their specific area. THANK YOU J. J. ! ! ! In writing to J. J. he responded with a perfect way - - (See following::) - - - - - - - The best way to see every marker in a given County is by using the County List. 1. Click on More Search Options (just below the Search box on the right margin of every page). 2. Scroll down to the Search By County section in the second column and click on the Counties List 3. The list is sorted by State, then County. Scroll to find the county you are looking for.

 
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A second option for finding markers in a county: Looking on the right side of the home page (also this page), scroll down. Right below “States and Provinces” you’ll see “Counties”. Click on that…a new page will open. Locate the state of interest and click on the county. (If you don’t see the county you are looking for, then markers in that county have not been submitted yet.)

 
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Here is a Virginia "General Thomas Sumter was born here" marker that summarizes his accomplishments in the French and Indian Is This a Civil War Marker? War and with the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He died decades before the Civil War, but a South Carolina fort with great significance to the Civil War bears his name: The American Civil War began with shots fired on Fort Sumter. There should be no debate that this marker should be in both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War categories. But should this marker also be in the Civil War category? General Thomas Sumter Marker

 
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Quick and simple: no. For the same reason that if there were a marker for, say, the George Washington Bridge in New York, to not put that in the Revolutionary War category. That said, if there were a marker for Fort Sumter, certainly it would make sense to link it to the Sumter birthplace marker. But I'd say this is a principle, rather than a rule - Sumter's name is very much associated with the Civil War, even if he had nothing whatsover to do with it. So on those grounds, classifying that one in the Civil War category does make some sense.

 
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I agree with Andrew here. Personally, I try to limit category selections to what is specifically discussed on the marker itself. In this case, while General Sumter is forever associated with the Civil War, the marker is not really about the Civil War. Accordingly, I would not choose to include it in the Civil War category. Of course, it should be linked as a related marker to a Fort Sumter marker, once a suitable one is entered. Fort Sumter 1861 - 65

 
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Personally, I say yes because the marker itself mentioned the Civil War. Had the marker been silent on the conflict, then no.

 
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I think the perspective we should consider here is not "does it mention the Civil War" but rather, if a user is looking for "Civil War" would this entry be of interest. Categories are mostly for organization purposes to ease navigation and query complexity. There were several notable Civil War actions in and around Albemarle County, Va. In this case, does it make sense to have General Thoms Sumter associated with Stonewall Jackson and George Custer? We may be introducing a lot of chaff with the seed if "The Carolina Gamecock" were returned with those search results. I'd make the case that a reader who is looking for "Civil War" would not be directly interested with the origin of the namesake for Fort Sumter, but rather looking for placemarks in that vicinity related to the battles and skirmmishes. On the other hand, the reader trying to relate the South Carolina Fort to the namesake will find that relation easier made outside of the catagory tags (either free text search, or a related marker attribute. That is of course when Mike Stroud gets around to Charleston and enters the markers for Fort Sumter).

 
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I hope to be doing this in the coming weeks, before the true summer heat gets here. There is plenty to go around, so if in the neighborhood, have your camera !! Mike S.

 
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I came across a copy of this photo of a 1914 marker originally erected in New York City on the Amazon.com advertisement box on the right of your screen and traced it back (the photograph) to the Library of Congress. I wonder if it (the marker) is still around? And where would it be? The text gives a hint: About 600 feet from where the bridge stood. The bridge crossed the Spuyten Duyvil Creek, which has since been filled in. Oh, and George Washington slept there.

 
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Apparently, the marker still exists, or at least did as of late 2004, according to one report. Attached is a map to aid in fi Spuyten Duyvil Map nding the marker, although granted, some of the streets have changed in that area since the map was drawn.... The King's Bridge itself apparently survived into the the early 20th century, and a certain historical society apparently still maintains a piece of it near its original location. Another clue is that marker should almost be on the land border between two boroughs that one ordinarily would not think of as having a land border....

 
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[I feel like I'm the lone player on some sort of TV game show here. My previous response to the question was structured to get someone else to chime in with further information. But seeing as that didn't happen....] The marker certainly existed as of late 2004. In the Forgotten New York website is a page Duyvil in the Details giving a visual tour of the area, pointing out various historic buildings and landmarks, and giving the story behind some of them. About 3/4 down this particular page is a picture of the marker in question, transcribing it and listing its location as being on Broadway in Manhattan on the wall of a housing project. One of the more interesting aspects in researching this was learning how a piece of Manhattan is adjacent to the Bronx, and how it got to be that way. A second webpage, a History of Washington Heights and Inwood (Marble Hill), also mentions what is likely to be the marker (http://www.washington-heights.us/history/archives/000651.html) at 210 West 230th St. (Corner of Broadway and 230th). Google's streetview could not show the marker, because the likeliest looking building seemed to have a huge blue awning or some such blocking the view. But if the marker is still there, it should be easy enough to find.

 
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Great piece of detect work. Shame the blue awnings block the view to be sure. Barring recent vandalism, the marker should still be there. Interestingly, all references I found indicated the bridge was covered by fill, as opposed to the creek itself. Would be interesting to know if the bridge's remains lie in some hidden Marble Hill underground.

 
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There is a station on Metro North Railroad's Hudson Line named Spuyten Duyvil. How close is the marker to the station?

 
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>There is a station on Metro North Railroad's Hudson Line named Spuyten Duyvil. How close is the marker to the station? I asked my old friend, Corvus Corax, how far it would be. He said about about 1500 meters, more or less, as he flew. He said that from the Marble Hill Station (same line), it would be only about ~800-900 meters.

 
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I was testing a server log analyzer against the logs generated by HMdb.org's server to see if it was worth its $299 price tag and it came up with this interesting set of statistics: On the average over the last four months 1844 visitors each day take a look at 39,046 pages daily. That divides down to each user viewing 21 pages on the average. I was hoping to find out more interesting stuff about how our website is used but nothing surprising showed up in the analysis. Usage was relatively even throughout the day and across the seven days of the week and there was no significant referrals sources reported. As a matter of fact, the analyzer reported that most users arrive at hmdb.org directly by typing in www.hmdb.org into their browser (or using a bookmark). Only about 1% come in via a search engine like Google, Yahoo or MSN. Actually, this last bit of information was surprising; I expected significant referrals (clickthroughs) from search engines. So I won't be purchasing the analyzer. It's not that the analyzer is faulty or hard to use; it isn't. It's just that it appears that there is not much of interest in our server's logs.

 
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Eleven more of the silver and black monopole roadside markers from the Department of Historic Resources will join the more than 2000 markers already planted along Virginia's roadsides. They were approved at the Department's quarterly meeting in March. Erection dates have not yet been determined. The 11 markers are: • Lynchburg City: Amaza Lee Meredith, one of the nation's few black female architects. • Virginia Beach: Civilian Conservation Corps Company 1371, staffed with black workers. • Hanover County: Studley Beacon, flashing beacon guided pilots on airmail routes. • Dinwiddie county: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, purchased her freedom and became confidante to Mary Todd Lincoln. • Hampton: Hampton Indian Program at the Hampton Institute • James City County: Peace Meeting Poisoning, where the English in 1623 toasted the Indians with poisoned wine. • Rockingham County: Zenda and Long's Chapel. Zenda was a new black community in the 1870s. • Accomack County: NASA Wallops Flight Facility, one of the oldest rocket launch facilities in the world. • Richmond: St. Joseph Catholic Church, first known congregation of black Roman Catholics. • Sussex County: Sappony Baptist Church, site of Civil War battle in 1864. • James City County: Sir William Berkeley, colonial governor who established the bicameral General Assembly. Keep your eye out for them so you can be the one to add them to the database.

 
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December 29, 2008 Eleven new state historical highway markers approved covering varying topics to be located in Henrico, Prince Edward, and Pulaski Counties, as well as the cities of Alexandria, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond, Roanoke, and Suffolk. Note: the text for each marker is reproduced at the end. The newest highway markers recently approved by the Department of Historic Resources include signs to honor the work of legendary African American attorney Oliver W. Hill Sr., who led the fight to desegregate Virginia and the nation’s schools, as well as a marker to commemorate the battle that saved Norfolk Naval Yard during the War of 1812, and one to highlight the origins of advertising icon Mr. Peanut. Four markers highlighting the life and career of Hill, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999 and died in 2005 at age 100, will be erected in Richmond, Norfolk, Prince Edward County, and Roanoke. In Hill’s “hometown” of Richmond, a marker will recall that Hill opened his law office in the city in 1939 and “won his first civil rights case, Alston v. School Board of Norfolk, Va., in 1940.” In 1948, Hill also “became the first black elected to the Richmond City Council in the 20th century.” In 2005, the Virginia Finance Building in Capitol Square was renamed for him. In Norfolk, a marker will highlight Hill’s Alston law suit, which “challenged the pay scale of public school teachers in Norfolk. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that discriminatory salary rates were in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.” In 1957, Hill was also part of “a team of lawyers” that “successfully argued Leola Beckett v. Norfolk School Board, a case in which Judge Walter E. Hoffman ordered the school board to integrate public schools by September.” Prince Edward County was the site of one of Hill’s most important cases, Davis v. School Board of Prince Edward County. That case challenged the “separate but equal” doctrine that had permitted segregated public schools. “After the Virginia Supreme Court decided against the plaintiffs,” the Davis case was consolidated with “other cases as the U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education.” That case in 1954 led the U.S. Supreme Court to find “segregation to be unconstitutional in public schools.” In Roanoke, a marker will commemorate Hill’s years in the city, where he was partly raised and where he boarded as a student living with a family at 401 Gilmer Avenue, a house he returned to in 1934 to begin practicing law, prior to relocating to Richmond. The marker for “The Battle of Craney Island” to be installed in Portsmouth recounts the June 1813 engagement at Hoffler Creek. The battle was pivotal in preventing the British from capturing “Norfolk, Portsmouth, and the Gosport Navy Yard, now Norfolk Naval Yard,” during the War of 1812. Mr. Peanut is featured in a marker for Suffolk. After the peanut factory “known as Planter’s Nut and Chocolate Factory” relocated from Pennsylvania to Suffolk, the factory’s owner, Amedeo Obici, “sponsored a contest to develop a ‘mascot’ for the company in 1916.” Fellow Italian American 12 year old Antonio Gentile, who resided with his family in Suffolk’s Hall Place neighborhood, submitted the winning drawing: “a peanut with arms and legs labeled, ‘Mr. Peanut.’ Mr. Peanut made his world debut in 1918 in the Saturday Evening Post and is now ranked as one of the best known advertizing icons in the world,” the marker states. Other markers include— “Parker-Gray High School,” in Alexandria, honoring “the first high school for African American students” in the city. “Early Quakers in Richmond,” that recalls Quaker endeavors in the city, including building the “second house of worship in Richmond after St. John’s Church.” “Roads West,” in Pulaski County, highlighting the ferry crossing for the New River established by Samuel Pepper, and the 1899 Pepper’s Ferry Bridge and Tunnel “that were completed to circumvent a bend in the New River.” “Grace Evelyn Arents,” in Henrico County, honoring this visionary social reformer and philanthropist, who established Richmond’s “first public housing and visiting nurse system,” among other accomplishments before bequeathing to the city the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. “The 1939 Alexandria Library Sit-In,” commemorating five African American men who protested Alexandria Public Library’s “whites only” segregation policy, “sixteen years before the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott.” The four signs pertaining to Oliver Hill, as well as the markers for the Alexandria library sit-in and for Grace Evelyn Arents are part of an ongoing initiative of the department to develop markers that focus on people, places, and events in the history of Virginia Indians, African Americans, and women. The initiative aims to more fully recognize the diversity of Virginia’s rich historic legacy. The markers were paid for by the Department of Historic Resources through a federal transportation grant awarded by the Virginia Department of Transportation. All eleven markers were approved by DHR’s Board of Historic Resources when it convened for its quarterly meeting on December 18. The Virginia highway marker program, which celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2007, is among the oldest—if not the first—such programs in the nation. Currently there are more than 2,100 official state markers, mostly installed and maintained by the VDOT. With the exception of those markers created by the Department of Historic Resources, new highway markers are paid for and sponsored by private organizations, individuals, and local jurisdictions. More information about the Historical Highway Marker Program is available on the website of the Department of Historic Resources at http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/. Full Text of Markers, Sponsors, and Proposed Locations: The Battle of Craney Island Sponsor: Landon Wellford, Dept. of Planning, City of Portsmouth City/County: Portsmouth. Proposed Location: 4510 Twin Pines Road On the morning of 22 June 1813, during the War of 1812, British naval and marine forces under the Command of Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren landed here at Hoffler Creek. American armed militia under the command of Gen. Robert B. Taylor blocked the British advance, brought them under heavy artillery fire, and caused them to retreat. Approximately 200 British soldiers were killed, four to five barges were sunk, and the “Centipede” was taken along with 22 prisoners. Norfolk, Portsmouth, and the Gosport Navy Yard, now the Norfolk Naval Yard, were saved from capture. Parker-Gray High School Sponsor: Trammell Crow Co., Washington, DC. City/County: Alexandria. Proposed Location: 1207 Madison Street On this site stood the Parker-Gray High School, the first high school for African American students in Alexandria. Before the school was built, African American students had to attend school in the District of Columbia. The noted civil rights attorney Charles Houston and other local activists persuaded the city of Alexandria to appropriate funds to build the school, and it opened in 1950. Because of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. the Board of Education decision, court ordered desegregation began in 1959. Parker-Gray closed in 1979 as a middle school. The Parker-Gray Historic District bears the school’s name. Mr. Peanut—World Icon Sponsor: Hall Place Civic League, Inc., Suffolk City/County: Suffolk. Proposed Location: Hall Avenue between South Main and Cedar Streets. In 1913, a peanut factory, known as Planter’s Nut and Chocolate Factory, moved from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to Suffolk. Amedeo Obici, owner of the factory, sponsored a contest to develop a “mascot” for the company in 1916. The winning drawing submitted by twelve year old and fellow Italian American, Antonio Gentile, who lived with his family in their home in this Hall Place neighborhood, was a peanut with arms and legs labeled, “Mr. Peanut.” Mr. Peanut made his world debut in 1918 in the Saturday Evening Post and is now ranked as one of the best-known advertizing icons in the world. Early Quakers in Richmond Sponsor: Richmond Religious Society of Friends City/County: Richmond. Proposed Location: 18th and Main Streets Near this site a meetinghouse was built in 1797 to1798 by members of the Religious Society of Friends. Called Quakers, the earliest had arrived in Virginia from England in 1655. The building was the second house of worship in Richmond after St. John’s Church. Richmond Quakers advocated religious freedom, worked to make the prison system more humane and, as pacifists, usually refused to bear arms. They also joined with the Virginia Society of Friends to pressure the General Assembly for passage of the Manumission Act of 1782. Because they opposed slavery, many Quakers migrated west early in the 19th century. Roads West Sponsor: Federal Highway Adminstration City/County: Pulaski Co. Proposed Location: Route 114, Pepper’s Ferry Blvd. During the 1770s, Samuel Pepper established a ferry crossing nearby which opened a transportation route during the late colonial and early national periods linking the resources of the West with the population centers in the East. A century later, the Norfolk & Western Railroad designed a route through this part of the New River Valley, thereby providing access to the vast coalfields near Flat Top Mountain. In 1899, the Pepper’s Ferry Bridge and Tunnel were completed to circumvent a bend in the New River. Now known as the Cowan Tunnel, it retains the original stone-faced portal on the west side. Oliver White Hill Sr. Sponsor: DHR City/County: Richmond. Proposed Location: In front of Old City Hall building, Broad Street or the corner of 2nd and Leigh. African American attorney Oliver White Hill Sr. helped end racial segregation in American public schools as a plaintiff lawyer in the U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. He began practicing law in Richmond, his hometown, in 1939 and won his first civil rights case, Alston v. School Board of Norfolk, Va., in 1940. In 1948, Hill became the first black elected to the Richmond City Council in the 20th century. He later received many awards and honors, culminating with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999. The Virginia Finance Building in Capitol Square was renamed for him in 2005. Oliver White Hill Sr. Sponsor: DHR City/County: Roanoke. Proposed Location: TBD African American attorney Oliver White Hill Sr. helped end racial segregation in American schools as a plaintiff lawyer in the U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. Hill’s family moved to Roanoke when he was a child. He lived as a student with Lelia and Bradford Pentecost here at 401 Gilmer Avenue. After graduation from law school, Hill returned to the Pentecost’s house in 1934 and began practicing law. He moved to Richmond in 1939 and opened a law office there. Hill later received numerous awards and honors, culminating with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999. Oliver White Hill Sr. Sponsor: DHR City/County: Prince Edward Co. Proposed Location: TBD African American attorney Oliver White Hill Sr. helped end racial segregation in American public schools. Near here, he and fellow attorney Spottswood Robinson III met with parents and students to plan litigation over the deplorable conditions at R. R. Moton High School, the segregated black school. Rather than sue for equalization of facilities, the NAACP instead challenged the “separate but equal” doctrine itself in Davis v. School Board of Prince Edward County. After the Virginia Supreme Court decided against the plaintiffs, Davis was consolidated with other cases as U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education. This 1954 case found segregation to be unconstitutional in public schools. Oliver White Hill Sr. Sponsor: DHR City/County: Norfolk. Proposed Location: TBD African American attorney Oliver White Hill Sr. helped end racial segregation in American public schools. In 1940, Hill won his first federal civil rights case, Alston v. School Board of Norfolk, Va. This case challenged the pay scale of public school teachers in Norfolk. The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that discriminatory salary rates were in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. In January 1957 a team of lawyers, including Hill, successfully argued Leola Beckett v. Norfolk School Board, a case in which Judge Walter E. Hoffman ordered the school board to integrate public schools by September. Grace Evelyn Arents Sponsor: DHR City/County: Henrico Co. Proposed Location: 1800 Lakeside Avenue Grace Arents was a visionary social reformer and philanthropist whose quiet determination and generosity transformed Richmond. Her passions were children, nature, books, architecture, and her church. To aid the poor, “Miss Grace” established the city’s first public housing and visiting nurse system; built schools, a gym, a playground, a kindergarten, and churches, introducing a sweeping array of health, educational, and vocational reforms. She also built Richmond's first free circulating- library. Arents converted her Henrico estate, Bloemendaal Farm into a children’s convalescent home and later a model farm. Ultimately she bequeathed it to the city to become the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden honoring her beloved uncle, entrepreneur Lewis Ginter. The 1939 Alexandria Library Sit-In Sponsor: DHR City/County: Alexandria. Proposed Location: TBD In 1939, sixteen years before the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, five men, tutored and defended by attorney Samuel Tucker, were denied the right to use the Alexandria Public Library because of racial segregation policies. After entering the library, William Evans, Otto Tucker, Edward Gaddis, Morris Murray, and Clarence Strange each selected a book, sat at separate tables and began to read. They refused to leave when the librarian reminded them of the “whites-only” policy. The men were arrested for trespassing. The charge was later changed to disorderly conduct. Subsequently, the city paid for the construction of the Robinson Library to serve black residents. New Virginia Historical Highway Markers Approved

 
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Abraham Cohen b.1739 d.1800, said to be buried at Beth Elohim Cemetery, in Georgetown, South Carolina. Why is his name not listed on the page of those who are buried at this cemetery? Is their a picture of his gravestone? I'm writing a genealogy and historical book on the Cohen's of Georgetown, SC including the so called "Black Cohen's of SC", Abraham's father, Moses Cohen who lived in Charleston and his brother Solomon Cohen, who is said to be the first Intendant or Mayor of Georgetown,SC, who later moved his family to Savannah in 1838. I hope to complete it this summer. Wikipedia: The title of intendant (French: intendant, Spanish intendente) has been used in a number of countries through history. Traditionally, it refers to the holder of a public administrative office. American Historical Review by Jameson, pages 15, 16: "the Intendant of Justice, Police and Finance, armed with very extensive administrative powers." Another online definition: The intendant was responsible for finance, economic development, and the administration of justice (law and order).

 
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I took the photos of the Beth Elohim Cemetery Marker last year but I was only there for a few minutes, and I did not look for his grave. If you have not done so already, you might want to check with the Georgetown County Historical Society. If someone has a photo of his grave site it would be good to have it on the page, along with the grave sites of all the other persons named on the marker.

 
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Have you seen these sites in your quest ? The name had a familiar ring in this area. ( from searching :Solomon Cohen, Savannah) http://books.google.com/books?id=UtiEY4s9n9IC&pg=PA13&lpg=PA13&dq=Solomon+Cohen,+Savannah&source=bl&ots=rahh7 VWkp7&sig=E7HI5Y0OFbZfRjsA0wvgMZv1ja0&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=res ult#PPA13,M1 ( That is 1 continuous line of address) The Jewish Confederates By Robert N. Rosen, page 13 ++++++++++++ http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb6389/is_n1_v86/ai_n28705263/pg_14 Becoming Southern: the Jews of Savannah, Georgia, 1830-70 American Jewish History, March, 1998 by Mark I. Greenberg (27.) Solomon Cohen, "A Discourse on the Formation of the Constitution of the United States," Solomon Cohen Papers, collection 159, Georgia Historical Society. +++++++++++ http://books.google.com/books? id=MqRKJAwjusAC&pg=PA261&lpg=PA261&dq=Solomon+Cohen,+Savannah&source=web&ots =3KFSfxUyku&sig=XocxecsPHj2rLs36UCvWeAX6SIo&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5& ct=result ( again, all 1 line) Savannah in the Old South By Walter J. Fraser, page 261

 
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I'd like to contribute to the HMdb but I have a couple of questions. First, how do contributors get the precise longitude and latitude of the markers. Do they use their personal GPS devices? Second, where does one get the exact date the marker was erected? Are the dates on the marker somewhere? Ditto for the marker numbers given by the states. Sorry for seeming clueless. Any help would be appreciated.

 
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We're looking forward to your contributions. Here's some answers to your questions. Keep in mind as you fill out the forms to add markers is that you can leave most any entry blank, or type in what you think is right and use the Note to Editor field to explain and/or ask questions. Even if you don't ask a question, the editor working on your entry will correspond with you via email if he has any questions about your entries. The easiest and most precise way to get latitude and longitude is the most expensive way: with a hand-held GPS device. The way many of our correspondents get latitude and longitude for their entries is by looking it up on an online map such as Google Maps or Google Earth. Google Maps has recently fiddled with their user interface making our instructions for Google Maps at How to Obtain the Latitude and Longitude of a Marker page obsolete. I am going to be updating that page soon. The new steps are easy: Get a pushpin near where the marker is by using a street address or crossroad: "E Main and S High Streets, Columbus, Oh" Then click on the Get Directions link and again on the Get Directions Button. This makes the pushpin movable. Move it with your mouse to where the marker should be and you'll notice the latitude and longitude show up in the "B" (or "A") field. Use Copy and Paste to copy the numbers into the Add-A-Marker form. The database wants to know the year the marker was erected. An month and day is great, and can be written into the Comments on the Marker Itself and its Location field. If the marker itself is not inscribed with a date, then the only way to get the date is with research. Sometimes you find it, sometimes you don't. The database has some 6000 markers without a date. Same goes for the marker number. Remember that you can revisit the forms again and again until the editor publishes your entry. For the page itself, use the Correct this Page link at the top and bottom of each page. For photos, links, and commentary, there is an orange Correct or Update link below the photo and after the link or commentary entry. So punch things in, take a look at the results, and go back to revise and add. Go ahead, jump right in, and submit your first marker. Don't worry about making a mistake because we don't bite. My fellow editors and I are standing by to help.

 
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There are four "relationship" features offered by the HMDB system to allow corespondents (and editors) to show the connections between different markers. Here are some rough definitions of these, and some thoughts on their use. Marker Series: The strict definition is a set of markers from the same source which document a common theme. For instance the Civil War Trails series (broken down by state for management), or Maryland's National Road series. A series should (must?) have a common look and feel. However, I'd say the "state" markers, while coming from a common source, cover such a wide theme to disqualify them as a series for our definition. Unfortunately, we've sort of mixed up the definitions a bit with some of our marker series over time. For instance the Civil War sections' "Battlefield Trails" is not a "series" by definition, but for lack of a better location, we've included it there. It is a listing of markers which serve as "trailhead" for related sets (see below). And other series have really become "grab bags" of markers related more by associations than style (i.e. "Believe it or Not.") All that said, marker series are often hard to maintain (visually) and offer no sorting other than the default. Categories: A list of high level subject discussed on the markers. The intent is a very generic, high level, list of common topics seen on the markers. The more generic the better. As can be seen to the right, the more proliferate, the harder to navigate. A marker generally should have only one or two categories checked. But there are often exceptions (particularly markers discussing the history of some localities). We've had some well defined categories, but over time, those definitions have deviated some. Good example, "Military" was intended to cover "military bases or wide ranging military operations," and not subject specific to a particular war. But often both "Military" and "War,..." have been checked. If the category is really working properly, the visitor to the site selects a category on the right and is encouraged to "walk through history" by way of listings in the subject. Categories are also important to the advanced search options, allowing visitors to narrow down their queries to some specific attributes. (The Civil War following has found that particularly helpful when looking for markers within a local area.) Categories require less maintenance than a series, but often get confusing to the contributor. Some will opt for the "more is best" approach and select a half dozen when submitting a marker. Keywords: Here we have the most leeway. As text entered here will assist searches, a well crafted set of key words can "make" a grouping. Just type USCT in the search box on the right for example. While the grouping strictly uses the default search return sort, it is a quick way to build a "sub category" under an existing one. The disadvantage to keywords is maintenance, relevance, and noisy search returns. Every marker you wish to show on the specified search must have the keyword, which can be time consuming. Relevance refers to the entry point of the visitor. Using the example above, "USCT" stands for United States Colored Troops, or African-Americans recruited to serve in segregated units during the Civil War. One could just as easily ask to search for any of a number of similar descriptive terms, not all of which will return results (i.e. "African-American Troops" returns only 6 entries but is a logical search string for some visitors). Finally noisy search returns - no matter how well crafted the keyword structure, the search returns will include some entries where the text is cited without the context intended. For instance this marker (http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=11746) shows up in the USCT search because of a text string "no USCT troops served at Gettysburg." Related markers: This function allows users to link markers together (relate) in a specific order. The "relation" allows for some degree of "storytelling" by way of the marker text. Or as I like to call it "virtual tours." All in all a quick and easy way to indicate that a handful of markers have more in common than inclusion at HMDB. I've found battlefields, with their multitude of markers and monuments, are a natural marriage to related sets. Again, easy to implement, just add the marker numbers and a short description. However, the down side to a related set is again, maintenance. If you opt to drop the "related set" on every marker in the "set", you have a lot of copy and pasting to do. And if you want to update the set, well, you've got to touch every one. What I have done in the past is make one "trailhead" (as mentioned above in the "series" discussion) as the marker that "owns" the relation. From there I often drop a link to the related set on each marker page. That way updates are made in one location, not a dozen. Another down side to related markers is the maximum number allowed in a set. The limitation is the number of characters allowed in the string. For all practicality, the limit is between 20 and 25. (And the more markers entered in the relation, the longer the wait for a response from the web page.) As an editor, I would say I am least inclined to creating new marker series, as those are hard to retract or modify after setup. Categories, likewise, present issues and should be well considered before application. On the other hand, keywords and relations are usually "no brainers" and have little to no impact to the overall presentation of the database. All this said, we would like to hear any input the contributors have in this regard.

 
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39 correspondents and 10 editors submitted, edited and published 1188 new markers in October, bringing the database total to 11,945 markers. Wow! Others added photos, facts, and corrections to existing entries. Thank you very much, correspondents and editors, for your hard work and dedication. How many historical markers are out there in the US? Canada? The world? I don't think we have enough information to guess yet. And I think they are being erected faster than we can catalog them. This is one avocation that we will all be pursuing for many years to come.

 
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Keep in mind, too, that we have some important benchmarks coming up in the next 20 years. 2011 marks the sesquicentennial of the Civil War. 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. 2027 will be the bicentennial of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Each of these will have its own celebration(s) and probably inspire more markers.

 
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The European exploration is very interesting to me but i need help knowing more about it. I've been reading bout' it in my text book but its not that detailed. All I understand is when Columbus comes to America. Please help me someone.

 
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If you click on the heading "Exploration" on the black side bar, you will see a listing of all the current markers related to explorers. You can pick and choose from the list depending on your interest. We recently added several Georgia markers related to DeSoto's exploration of that State. Good Luck and thanks for visiting HMdb.org. Bill Pfingsten - Board of Editors

 
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Worth checking out in today's New York Times is an article on the E Clampus Vitus Society and their plaques, Promoting Offbeat History Between the Drinks. It does mention a couple of plaques already in the HMDB database, such as Volcano's Moose Milk and Lee Vining's Upside Down House, as well as displays a few plaque pictures, including the the Moose Milk (better than my photo, but they cheated because they moved the ashtray to take it). Article notes that there are more than 1,000 Clamper plaques in California, but like anything else Clamper-related, a grain of salt would well accompany the claim. (Note I'm not saying the number is not correct, it's just suspiciously round, and from looking at local chapter websites, my guess is that there hasn't been a full accounting of all Clamper plaques placed over the years.)

 
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Andrew, This article is a great find. Thank you for posting it. Their comments (and yours) are so correct when it comes to the Clampers. I heard one person joke that "they party after dedicating a plaque, but I think it's the other way around...they dedicate a plaque after partying!". Also, I am assuming that you updated the Sutter's Mill Replica marker with the info on the replacement. Thank you so much for that. I really do appreciate any updates on my submissions as it enhances the pages as well as adding really interesting and pertinent information.

 
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While I applaud the construction of "markers" and monuments that commemorate the soldiers who fought in the Civil War, I am wondering if there is any oversight of those erecting these "markers", insofar as the historical accuracy of the text written, or "marked", on these commemorations. For instance, the marker in front of Juvenile and Domestic Relations courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, indicates that John Q. Marr, the head-honcho of the "Warrenton Rifles", was the first Confederate soldier to die in the Civil War, which seems to be verified by a quick Google search of the battle. However, this particular "marker" also goes on to say that Marr, while dying, fell a certain number of degrees, South/SouthWest, from the location of this current-day "marker." I find no mention of this fall, nor do I quite understand its measurements in degrees of equatorial latitude. So, tell me please: what's that all about? Thank you in advance for your forthcoming answer to the above question, as well as one to my initial question concerning the oversight of historically accurate text etched on these commemorative "markers." I look forward to hearing from you.

 
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You have a point. The measurement, as presented on the marker, is difficult to decipher. Unfortunately I can't shed any light on to the meaning. I tried increasing the size of the picture, thinking it was perhaps a transcription error - nope. Looked up "mag" on the off-chance there was some obscure meaning that would fit - nope. Perhaps someone else can help out here? But as to your initial question concerning the existence of oversight or checking for accuracy - it depends. For example, in California, the official California State Historical Landmarks are administered by the State Office of Historic Preservation. From about Landmark #725 or so onwards, these landmarks have been checked by the state for accuracy. However for the markers before that in the series - well, not so much. For a good example of how time and historical perspective might affect the view of the historical accuracy of a marker, first look at the marker for the Battle of Bloody Island in Lake County, the location of a "battle" in 1850 between the US Army and a band of Native Americans (http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1055), erected in 1942. Then examine the marker for the same event erected by the State of California in 2005 (http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1190). What was merely described on the first marker as a battle turns out to have been a rather gruesome slaughter of between 75 and 200 innocent men, women, and children in an act that could be fairly described as genocide. I don't think the Bloody Island example is all that isolated a case - some of the organizations that erect these markers have an interest in presenting a sanitized or more colorful version of history than the version of events as would be described by an objective (or at least professional) historian. While I don't think a marker's web page is the proper place for debating historical controversies or editorializing, it wouldn't seem to be out of bounds to present corrections or alternative viewpoints to a marker's contents, as long as one at least cites the sources.

 
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I can see your point about questions about the accuracy of a marker's text with regard to historical interpretation. However, part of the reason for being of this system is to present the markers, "as is." It is not the purpose of the Historical Marker Database to second guess those who placed the marker, with regard to the text. It is, however, considered good taste to provide links to additional information or commentary (with citations if needed) where the text of the marker seems inaccurate. An example is this marker at Gettysburg - http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=11375. I can actually document at least three variations of this marker over time since the 1960s. And the "Gordon-Barlow" incident discussion still is not faithful to the facts, in my opinion. Following the rules, I simply entered the marker text as it stands, but added a link to another site offering additional opinions. After all, I cannot say what the writer of the marker's text intended, omitted, or otherwise felt. I can only provide the text as it is seen. This rule has another benefit. Over the years historians have added more to our study of a subject. In most cases it is not that we are "righter" today than yesterday, we just have a different view. And by the same token, the views of yesterday are not thereby "wrong." As we look at older markers compared to the new editions, we have a slice of the historiography of the topic. A "History" of the history if you will. We would be foolish not to record and preserve that, as is. Somewhat like an archeologist would document an artifact in context, where found. A fine example of just that "history of the history" can be seen with the Antietam Battlefield Board tablets series (http://www.hmdb.org/results.asp?SeriesID=28). The Board consistently cited the Dunkard Church, which we call today Dunker Church. The writers also used particular phrases and descriptions of the tactics which are not in vogue today. Yet, don't those inscriptions offer a perspective of the past, which we could not reconstruct otherwise? Particularly since several members of the board had actually fought in the great battle. When General Carman writes of the action of the 13th New Jersey on a tablet, you are hearing from the man who lead that unit in battle that day. In the case of John Q. Marr, what we have lost in the perspective of time, is that the veterans and to a degree the historians, felt that indeed the "war" had not started in earnest until Virginia was invaded. We find that notion silly today. Consider, however, that the silly notion was not limited to Southerners. There is a monument in Grafton, WV to the "first Union Soldier killed in the Civil War." (http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=4547). Then we also have the case of Heywood Shepherd, considered the first casualty of the Civil War (http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?MarkerID=10482). But doesn't that discount those who may have died in Kansas in the late 1850s during what many modern historians consider the actual beginning of the violence? The markers mentioned here were erected well before most, if not all, of those reading the text today were born. So it tells us something of the people who came before us, particularly what they thought was important and how they chose to define their world. Sure, we can argue with the stones. But I would rather hear the stories the monuments and markers tell, place that into context, then draw my own conclusions.

 
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Andrew, in the case of the Marr monument, that does appear to be the old style notation of south by southwest. 800 feet south, but 46 degrees magnetic (not grid) offset to the west. The location today is a jail. Having recently studied through the State of New York's battlefield monument commission notes, I've seen similar notation frequently. I find entertaining the occasional bickering between the old veterans with regard to position and placement. One will say "we were right here!" and another will counter with, "No because I was near that tree over there!" In several cases the issue was not decided until formal survey work was done on the battlefields. And since we are on the topic of Fairfax and the first stages of the war, you might also consider the monument just up Highway 50 from the Courthouse (http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?MarkerID=1020). Here we learn that Peyton Anderson was the first southern soldier wounded in the war! And the date... five days AFTER the northerner Thornsbury Bailey Brown was killed in West Virginia.

 
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The point is well-taken that the stones speak for themselves, and that it is not the role of the contributor to second guess those who placed the marker. Yet even the Marr marker illustrates how something on a marker as seemingly absolute as a location pinpointed by a distance and compass heading obtains a changed meaning over time. That is, the magnetic compass heading was good for its day, but were the modern day reader to follow it to find the very spot where John Q. Marr fell (which seems to be the marker's point), they'd miss the spot by more than just a few steps. Due to the drift of the north magnetic pole over the last hundred or so years the magnetic declination at that location has changed (by my very rough calculations) 6-7 degrees. So is the marker now "wrong"? Obviously one could in the marker's commentary note a suitable correction. But as also noted, an event's specific details may vary depending upon who is doing the recalling and their relationship to the event, so it isn't clear that a mechanical correction of the type suggested above would lead to the "true" spot where John Q. Marr fell. In general, although my earlier point was perhaps ill-served by the choice of an extreme example, I would still argue that many of the markers in the database would be easier to understand were more context provided than what is provided by the markers alone.

 
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Andrew, with regard to context beyond the marker, I think that is indeed what makes HMDB such a great site to work with. Beyond just a photo of the marker itself and text, we have the option to bring out photos which support and better illustrate the text, links to web content, and our own personal observations. I consider my best submissions as markers with between 4 and 5 photos (at least two of which are pure subject photos with detailed captions), and at least two links for additional information.

 
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There's a book called "Lies Across America: What American Historic Sites Get Wrong" by James W. Loewen which discusses the inaccuracy of markers, and points out that the markers tell us as much about who erected them as they do about history. Happily, HMDB publishes the identity of the group that sponsored the marker when known, along with the year, which is helpful if you know how attitudes change over time. It is disappointing that many markers include neither the date erected nor the sponsoring group. "Lies Across America" is interesting to delve into, although probably not something to read straight through. The title is misleading; it's not so much about lies as it is about how our ideas of what is correct change over time and are reflected in our markers and monuments. Lies Across America by James W. Loewen

 
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I really appreciate the postings of the Battle of Hanover Wayside Markers. The 18 waysides, designed as a walking tour, were not erected by the Hanover Historical Society alone but was done as a cooperative effort through four entities. The Borough of Hanover, Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce, Lancaster-York Heritage Region, and the Historical Society; all listed on the Markers. The Society made only a small contribution to the wayside walking tour signs. Where the Hanover Historical Society played a larger role was doing research for markers in the Gazebo at the Center Square, which was sponsored and paid for by the Rotary Club. This is a wonderful data base for history buffs and I thank you for including the Battle of Hanover Wayside walking tour. When the tour was created, it was done so in following the actual events of the battle and has a particular order to follow. If anyone is interested in following the battle as it unfolded and needs more information as to the proper order of the walking tour please feel free to email me for the information. dhhoff@embarqmail.com

 
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To Every One, A Big Thank You for All the Help - - - See the following >>>>>>>>>> It gratifies me greatly to see the developing impact on communities and people that HMDB is providing ! ! Especially when you receive letters like the TWO that were in my mail over the past ten days. First to arrive was one from an Arizona man that greeted me with a warm “Howdie”. He saw my work with Military Memorials listing all the names of the men and women enshrined on the respective Memorial. AND, is now offering to provide our local County a donation of a box of OLD Bibles that he bought in an auction sale. Said box seems to include a Civil War Bible. (This offer has been passed along to our Genealogical Society for processing to the rightful families. And, may lead to an Exhibit of Valued Historical Material..! ? Time will tell.) Last letter was from a member (Past V-Regent) of a Chapter of the Daughters of American Revolution with an request to have I and the wife to attend a Re-Dedication Ceremony at the Site of the Indiana - French Lick Fort. There has been offered more items of Historical Facts about the French Lick Fort -with- a candid story from a relative that died there. Follow up newspaper report of the Re-Dedication also was promised. No matter what the out comes may develop from these letters - - There is more excitement going to the mail box!! At least people are Appreciative of the Effort -and- Quality of Marker stories. The photos really are catching their attention and enjoyment... Hang in there - - People are Enjoying the “Time Travel” of Historic Markers ! ! ! Al Wolf - Veedersburg, In Site of French Lick Fort

 
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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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I just wanted to thank you for choosing this marker as Marker of the Week. The house really is interesting to look at. The photos don't do it justice. It's amazing how detailed everything on the house is! Thank you again. Syd Whittle, El Dorado Hills, Ca.

 
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Allow me to pass along this for thought, consideration, and opinions: I understand some of the sentiment behind the blue star markers, but even as a veteran myself, I just don't see these as significantly addressing anything historical. There are, in my opinion, three broad categories of valid entities in the database - historical markers, monuments, and memorials. Historical markers are for the database definition, scoped as referencing historical (be they human history, natural history, or some mix) details with the intent of enlightening the reader. A historical marker should tell some "story" and probably should have some link in space and time to the location where it sticks out of the ground. Here's what I'd call a "classic" historical marker - (http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=6520). Lots of story here, and a map with a "you are here" indicator. (arguably not enough of the story though.) Monuments, like historical markers, should have some tie to the location, but don't have to tell a story in the detail of a marker. Monuments, of course, often have some three dimensional aspect to them. And Monuments usually serve as a physical reminder of some event. This would be a "classic" definition of a monument, in my books - (http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=6518). The inscription actually states "something happened here" and was intended to visually indicate to the visitor the significance of the ground. Memorials are less tied to the time and space, and more reminders of someone or something. A good memorial probably won't have many words, but evoke a lot of feeling. From my perspective, this is a memorial - (http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=7288). Although the park service and other sources name it a monument. Of these three categories, most of the historical markers should be included in the database (after all it is Historical Marker Database...). However not all monuments would be part of the population, as some are not "historical" in nature. Lastly, only very carefully vetted Memorials should be in the database. One of the accepted rules in use includes War Memorials. The problem I see with the Blue Star Memorial highway markers is both with the definition and presentation. First, these are "markers" but not "historical" but rather "memorial markers." As such they don't reference any specific history. From a functional perspective, these are much like memorial markers placed on an extension of a church building naming the benefactor. Furthermore, on the Blue Star Markers, the name of the sponsoring garden club carries nearly equal billing with mention of the veterans for whom the metal was cast to remember. Instead of mentioning local heroes, notable local units, or such - the "Day Lilly Club of Mytown" receives mention. What I would much rather see, instead of entries for them is photos of the Blue Stars as support for a main entry of a nearby monument or memorial that does meet the criteria. Perhaps in order to assist sorting, a new category of "Blue Star" might be added to indicate places were these memorial markers exist. While in some occasions the marker stands by itself on a stretch of highway, most often are the Blue Stars less than a half mile from a town square monument or similar entry. In many cases, the Blue Stars are placed in a memorial park with adjacent markers, memorials, and monuments that are already in the system (or should be). As an example, this entry points out the proximity of a Blue Star marker to a historical marker: (http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=2788). In the larger perspective, what I would really love to see is the fine organizations sponsoring Blue Star Memorials placing the names of distinguished veterans, units raised locally, or similar citation on the marker face. I would love to know, while driving through some locality, that a Medal of Honor winner hailed from the town, for instance. That would, in my opinion, better stand as a memorial for those who have served.

 
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Thanks Craig. I generally agree with your opinion on how you're defining historical markers, monuments and memorials. I personally only upload a photo and enter information about a "Blue Star" marker if it is adjacent to a history marker, as I don't feel they offer a "bite-Size bit of history".

 
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Any help as to where this house might have been located. David Demarest witnessed the will of Lawrence's father, Cornelius Vanderhoof Thanks, Terry ================================ NJHS Documents Relating to the Revolutionary History of the State of New Jersey Extracts from American Newspapers relating to New Jersey Vol 26:405 : NewYork Gazette or Weekly Post Boy, 27 March 1769 ================================ To BE SOLD, A Plantation pleasantly situated on the East Side of Hackinsack River, about a Mile and a Half above the Town, containing One Hundred and three Acres of choice Land. There is on it a good Stone House of two Rooms, and a Cellar under it, with a good Barn, Cyder Mill and Garden, as also an Orchard of about 150 hearing Apple Trees, with other Fruit Trees. There is about 20 Acres of it good Wood-Land, the rest clear and fit for Tillage, there being fifteen Acres now in Seed, and more may be put in. About five or six Acres of it is choice fresh Meadow and Boats may load at the Door. Any Person inclining to purchase, may apply to Abraham P. Lott, Esq.; in New-York, or to Lawrence Vanderhoof, the Owner, living on the Premises, by whom a good Title will be given.

 
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Perhaps one of our New Jersey correspondents can be more helpful. I would start with contacting the New Jersey Historical Society (NJHS) at the below website. They have searchable archives, which may help you find more information on this subject. New Jersey Historical Society

 
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I have found a reference to a Jacobus Vanderveer House on Route 202/206 in Pluckemin, NJ, just south of River Road. Pluckemin is an historic village listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was the headquarters by Gen. Henry Knox. I have never visited the house, but I hear that it is/was in a state of disrepair, although it has been stabilized by Bedminister Township. The Friends of the Vanderveer/Knox Hose was set up to raise funds to help restore the house. If this is the house you are looking for, I would suggest that you contact Bedminister Township. I hope you find this useful. Bill C.

 
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The AP has a story on people fixing grammar on signs. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hNIGNJfvxLaM6X_3zX1pQ0vyZgcAD92NFT9O0

 
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Hi! I'm new here. I discovered this site through a search for a list of historical markers in South Carolina. I just submitted my first HM yesterday, and I noticed that there is a "pending" statement next to my marker submission. I assume there is a review and approval process. About how long does that usually take? and...will the date the marker is approved be the date it appears in the recently added files, or will it be the date I submitted it? -Ron

 
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Ron, Thank you for your contribution to HMdb.org. I know you are anxiously awaiting publication of your contribution. I had the same feelings last year when I started submitting markers. Now that I better understand the process, I realize why the long delay. We have 4 editors who handle new submissions. They are all volunteers. In checking the latest additions to the database, I see that 3 of these editors are in the field making contributions of their own. JJ has been in Ohio, Craig is visiting Civil War sites in Virginia and Maryland and Kevin has been in South Carolina. We have increased the number of markers from less than 100 per month to over 1000 per month. The number of contributors has more than doubled in the past year. Rest assured that your contribution will be reviewed and published soon. Just to let you and any other new contributors know, the submission process is time consuming. The editors must determine if the marker qualifies under our rules. Then the accuracy of the text is checked as well as the GPS coordinates. The submission is also reviewed to see if it qualifies for any of our Marker Series categories. We also check to see if there are any internet links that we may add to further enhance the submission. We greatly appreciate all contributions and thank all contributors. Soon we will have our 10,000th marker! Thanks to all contributors, contributing editors, and our editors for making HMdb.org such a great website. Bill Pfingsten, Contributing Editor

 
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Thank you for your response. I have been collecting markers for a few years. After discovering this site, I have been digging in my archives. I will have to re-visit some of the same locations to obtain information to meet the guidelines in order to add the markers to the database but that's a fun activity. Thanks for maintaining the site.

 
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I have a photo of my father standing next to a memorial plaque that reads Warren's Turnaround. Anyone know where this is? It may be in Alaska. It's for my family history research. Thanks to anyone for your assistance.

 
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Hello, Regrettably, we don't have that marker in our database as yet. I recommend you contact the Air Force Historical Research Agency at the below link. Air Force Historical Research Agency

 
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I've been having problems on and off today uploading photos. Anyone else?

 
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I believe you, and others, ran into a new problem today. The website has been under attack on and off, mostly on, from nasty folks who are trying to deposit hidden links into our pages, via the database, that would attempt to infect visitors with viruses and the like. They have not been successful, but their relentless attempts use up web server resources causing intermittent "Server Unavailable" responses and "out of memory" errors. I am sorry to say that the only thing that can be done is to wait for them decide they can't get past our defenses and move on to attack somewhere else. I've been reporting some of their IP addresses to their Internet Service Providers, but I've had no response. Perhaps they're still trying to get my email translated to the local language. Sorry for the trouble. I appreciate your perseverance.

 
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I just discovered a simple way to correct a photo damaged by an incomplete upload. Click on the orange "Correct or Update" link at the bottom of the photo frame (you may have to scroll to the right to find it). Then uncheck the "Display This Photo Full-Width" checkbox and submit.

 
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I have found an original signed photo of 1st sgt. Edwin Bobo, Co. C at Custers Last Stand. He died, shot from his horse attempting to get to co.L on the ridge where Custer was fighting. Anyone have any idea how much this might be worth? Tim Elam,

 
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HMdb's server is experiencing intermittent problems when processing an image submission. It can falsely report a "not enough memory" error even though it is has plenty of unused memory. Once this report occurs you will not be able to upload any images until the www service is restarted. I am awaiting a response from people more knowledgeable than me for information that will resolve this problem. Meanwhile, I will periodically test the system to see if it is misbehaving and will restart it when I notice it. A restart makes the website unavailable for 10 or so seconds. If you are caught in an unavailability after clicking Submit on any form you should be able go back one page with your browser and click Submit again without loosing your work (except that Microsoft's browsers, by design, blank out the image path and you'll have to browse to it again). If you run into this (or any other) problem, please email me and I will restart the service as soon as I read your email. I apologize for the trouble and hope to have it resolved shortly. Thank you for your patience and perseverance. Editor@hmdb.org

 
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A workaround was applied yesterday evening and there has been no reports of problems since. The workaround recycles www memory every 30 minutes rather than every 29 hours. If all is well tomorrow I'll take down the warning on the main page.

 
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I infact, was hit with this, but discovered that it occured when I was uploading a picture that was over-sized ( One I had failed to reduce ) Seems the size suddenly made a differece in uploading and currently, size 1024 x 768 or smaller, is a good workable size that uploads ok. Just wanted to pass that on, in case it helps. Mike Stroud

 
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The problem occurs on larger uploads first, then over time can move down in size until even small image uploads can fail. The goal of this website is to accept any size image so that the correspondent does not have to worry about sizing the image, as is the case on many other websites. So I hesitate to ask folks to upload smaller images. As a matter of fact, the failure is occurring in the section of code that reduces image size for display to 400 pixels on the longest edge. I am fine-tuning on a daily basis the timing value on the workaround that flushes memory until I find a value that results in no failures at all. I also suspect that in a few weeks Microsoft will acknowledge the problem and fix it. It appeared out of the blue a few weeks ago and into the blue it will go. Meanwhile, if you run into the failure when uploading an image, wait a few minutes and try again. The automatic memory flusher runs periodically to clear out the clogs.

 
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Verizon has upgraded their FiOS fiber network to which the HMdb service is connected, and our Internet line speed is now 5 times faster that it was yesterday. We went from an effective rate of 1.7 megabits/sec. to 8.5 megabits/sec. This is the equivalent speed of 5½ T1 lines. This means that pages should display faster for those on broadband connections. You’ll definetely notice a difference if you click on an image to fetch the full size photo. The faster speed also means we can serve more pages and images per second so more viewers can use the website simultaneously without degrading response time.

 
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Are there any plans to take the latitude and longitude listed and create a CSV or GPX file so they can be downloaded into GPS's? This would be a very effective tool for attracting new visitors to our nations historical markers.

 
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I just took a look at the GPX file format. Looks relatively easy to do. I propose a link on all map pages that can be used to download a GPX file. The map page is common to all other pages, such as search results, categories, state, county and zip code lists, and nearby marker links. The way to get to the desired GPX file would be to show the map first, then you can download a GPX file containing all the pushpins on the map as waypoints.

 
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A link to download a GPX file is now available on all map pages. It will contain the locations of all pushpins shown on the map as waypoints. In addition to the marker name and its coordinates, directions to the marker (like those shown on the map page's pushpin legend), and a link back to the marker page are embedded in the waypoint. Use these files to export marker locations for import to your GPS device, or to other website and computer programs like Google Earth. Take HMdb with you on your next driving trip by transfering marker locations to your GPS unit today! Please report any trouble and suggestions for improvement to the editor@hmdb.org .

 
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The GPX file generator has been reworked to handle the HTML to XML ampersand conversion problem. (If XML is an improvement over HTML, why design it to cause problems? Search "XML ampersand" to hear the complaints!) It now passes the Xerces Validating Parser without complaint. GPX files downloaded from HMDB maps can be used to transfer marker locations as waypoints in your GPX unit. I would appreciate fresh comments on how these new files work with the various GPS units out there. Editor@hmdb.org

 
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The GPX feature is working rather well. To expand on this, I'd like to be able to download the text that is displayed on the markers where available...in bulk if possible. My goal would be to run the text through a speech processor to create an mp3 file for use in TourGuide mode. This is where an audio file is played automatically when you are within a certain proximity to the waypoint or marker. This is very easy to do, but getting the text down from hmdb is not.

 
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TourGuide mode speaking the marker's text would be a very nifty feature. What with all the new markers being added to the database daily, there would have to be a way to provide regular updates to users, perhaps monthly. Eventually when the entire country has been canvassed, updates would not have to be so frequent. Maryland is one state that is closest to completion. A Maryland TourGuide file would be a great start. The text of each marker is embedded in all hmdb.GPX files with the <desc> tag. Are you looking for a different file format to make it easier to extract the text? Let me know what you need and I'll see if I can oblige. For bulk downloading there is an undocumented URL to allow for the downloading of all markers in a state in one file. Here is the format: http://www.hmdb.org/gpx/gpx.asp?state=North%20Carolina -- Spell out the state name with %20 in place of a space when needed.

 
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Ok. I didn't realize that it's included in the description field for every marker. I thought I had retreived some before that didnt. However I checked my VA list and they seem to be there. That's a good start. It would be nice if the GPS could just pick it up and read the description frpm the text. Might be a feature on other GPSs but not on the Nuvi 360 it seems. If I find a clean way to extract the text from the xml file and feed it into a text to speech engine to create individual mp3 files, I'll let you know. Might be quite easy to have your system do that automagically when a marker is added..or approved by you. We could then EASILY create custom tourguides for say US Civil War. speaking of which, using the undocumented feature, can you download gpx files based on category? What are the useable options to that URL? state=virginia, markers=all. Any others that work? I tried a few variations last night and only was able to get state and markers=all to work.

 
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Check out the new GPX file index. Now you can download files for counties and states with one click. GPX File Download Index

 
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Ok so I've been trying to work the gpx format to extract the text from the marker records, but I am not an XML programmer and I cant find a resonable tool that would let me extract the XML variables and automate the creation of the mp3 files without spending a lot of money on a commerical XML tool. I'd like to do this script based under linux so it can be run easily and frequently to process any new markers. Any way you can provide a means of downloading the same information in a CSV format? or at least a subset with the text and at least one common field in both the CSV and GPX file? Maybe marker name or marker ID number as shown in the URL? That way I can match up the mp3 with the gpx record and do a simple text substituion for the mp3 path. I wouldnt need all of the data, just one common field and the text in CSV.

 
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I also noticed that the description in the gpx often ends in . . . and the text of the marker is not complete as it is in the html page for the marker. Is this a limitation on the DB or gpx format? I was able to import the gpx into excel and resave to CSV for a small group (Virginia). But when I do the larger group ALL it complains about an invalid character somewhere in the GPX file. I also was unable to import ALL into MapSource presumably due to the same error. I will try to find the record that is causing the mischief. It's line 41980 and column 1410 in the gpx file generated using the marker=all URL option.

 
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Before last Friday evening 5/30/08, longer marker texts were being truncated with ". . ." in GPX files to keep file size manageable. Friday I added a new URL parameter &AbbreviatedDesc= where =1 truncates as before, =0 provides the full text, and =-1 omits the text altogether. The default if this parameter is missing is &AbbreviatedDesc=0 so if you try to pull down a &markers=All file again you will now get full text. Google Earth has trouble with long GPX files. I have not tested with MapSource. You might want to try a no-text (&AbbreviatedDesc=-1) file on MapSource to see if it still chokes. Marker text (and marker titles) are full of special characters that different programs and devices might choke on. the [CDATA[ xxxx ]] wrappers you see in the text fields are there to tell these devices to suspend parsing so as not to choke on what they find there, but they may not be paying attention. It would be great if you can zero in on the offending character or character sequence. Perhaps there is a bug that needs to be fixed, or a filter I can add to sanitize the text for device X and software Y. I have it on good authority that I might be getting a Tomtom for Father's Day. I will finally have a GPX-capable GPS device to experiment with. Will keep you posted.

 
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A new War of 1812 Historic Trail in and around Baltimore will omit North Point battle sites because “the sites are hard to reach and poorly preserved.” This article in today’s Baltimore Sun, brought to my attention by Contributing Editor Bill Pfingsten in Maryland, explains. Unfortunately, they are indeed not as easy to reach as Fort McHenry and some North Point markers and monuments lie ignored in weed-choked lots. Bill and I wonder how people can be encouraged to maintain and preserve these now officially forgotten sites.

 
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Thank you J.J. Pratts, and everyone helping with HMDB.org, for highlighting Lincoln's Inaugural Journey. Lincoln's 1861 trip (Springfield, Il. to Washington, D. C.) of 1,904 miles was so extensive that even in our day and time a unified effort is needed to cover it. Naturally Markers photoed and recorded -but- also photos/art work of the Old Depots he stoped at is Great also... Here are the "Known" stops in the State of Ohio:: (more may be found with further efforts of HMDB contributors)-- Cincinnati - Milford - Miamiville - Loveland - Morrow - Corwin - Zenia - London - Columbus - Newark - Frazysburg - Coshocton - Newcomerstown - Uhrichville - Cadiz Junction - Steubenville - Wellsville - Salinesville - Bayard - Alliance - Ravenna - Hudson - Cleveland - Willoughby - Painesville - Madison - Geneva - Ashtabula - and Conneant. Thanks you again for getting Lincoln's LIFE mapped. Al Wolf Veedersburg

 
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The last of the new anti-hacker defenses are now in place on the HMdb.org server. Hopefully the database will not be trashed again. A new state-of-the-art firewall with Deep Packet Inspection is now aggressively defending the server . . . perhaps too aggressively. I've already had to dial it down a notch. If you notice any "cannot display this web page" or "Server Connection was reset" after you press the Submit on any of the site's forms, please drop me a note at Editor@hmdb.org and tell me what marker number you were working on so I can duplicate the problem and adjust the firewall. You'll find the marker number in the address bar of your browser. It's the number after the marker= or the markerID= on the address string displayed there. Thank you.

 
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Waymarking has a group "Louisiana Historical Markers" that may be of interest. http://www.waymarking.com/groups/details.aspx?f=1&guid=2e8d721f-b7d6-4dfc-be00-3379ff6e0f94 Louisiana Historical Markers

 
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You’re standing in front of a marker and don’t know if it is already in the database. Should you take multiple photos and write down the location and map coordinates and chase down the subject for more photos? Or should you move on? If you can obtain the latitude and longitude of your location (from your hand-held or dashboard GPS device), and have a cell phone with Internet browsing capability, you can find out. Go to Hmdb.org/a, enter your location, and you’ll get a list of the 10 nearest markers and how far they are from you. It’s that simple. You may be wondering why you have to enter your location. Doesn’t the phone know where it is? Yes, your phone knows its latitude and longitude, but it won’t give it up to a web site without a fight. To automate the process, I would have to write a model-specific program for each phone, compile them into binary code, get them approved by each phone manufacturer and cell phone carrier, and you would have to download it and install it on your phone. It’s not going to happen. So, sorry, you’ve got to punch in the latitude and longitude to use this HMdb service. The reason for the cryptic page name, the “a” in “hmdb.org/a”, is to make it easier to type into the phone. On my phone I put it into the “My Links” list so I can go to it with just a few clicks. Let me know if you run into any trouble.

 
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A separate RSS Feed was added to the Forum (new link at the top of this page). Now you can subscribe from your favorite news reader (I just started using Outlook 2007) and it will notify you when a new post is received. [/rss/forum.asp] The marker page script was reworked to eliminate repeated database calls to fetch submitter's information used in the credits. Pages with many photos render up to 50% faster. [/marker.asp] The Marker Series a marker belongs to, if any, is now listed on the marker's page. [/marker.asp] The Forum page format has been modified slightly and hopefully improved. [/forum.asp]

 
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The column of Google ads on the right hand side has been moved away from the right margin on wide monitors for a less cluttered display.

 
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A rare intermittent problem that could occur during photo uploading has been found and fixed. This problem would cause an upload of a subsequent photo to a page to replace the previous photo with the subsequent photo, and leave an over-sized blank image in the subsequent photo's position. It could only occur if you had a fast broadband connection which allowed you to upload the second photo within 60 seconds of the first, and both photos had the same caption. Thanks to Kevin W. who provided the detailed report of the sequence of events.

 
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Thank you Kevin W. for identifying this bug. I've encountered it, but never in a million years would have attributed it to my "fast broadband connection" (which I don't consider it to be)! :D

 
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That rarely used field on the Add-A-Marker page 2, Related Markers, has been enhanced. The default legend "To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown" can now be replaced with any text or left blank.

 
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Image adjustment has been added to the Photo Manipulation section of the Add Photo form. You can now adjust the brightness, contrast and saturation of the photo you’re uploading or have uploaded. It is not as good as the adjustments you can make in a photo editor program such as Picasa or Photoshop, but it works. The adjustments work only on the version of the photo that displays on the marker page. It does not change the original image (the one you uploaded). This means that if you do not like the adjustment you’ve just made, you can go back to the original settings by using the cropping link, which reuses the original photo to recreate the smaller image. A related improvement has to do with metadata that can be embedded in JPEG image files. Your camera records information about itself and its settings there. HMdb now adds caption, copyright, and location information to this metadata as it stores the file after upload. Now if our photos get “borrowed” their origin will travel with the image. Every evening the system goes back and updates a few thousand of the older photos with this new information so all photos in the database should be tagged by the end of the week. To see what this information looks like, click on any recent image and scroll to the very bottom of the page. These two new features became available in a recent upgrade to the Persits brand of software that runs the website image uploading and manipulation. I've used this software for years on various projects and highly recommend it to automated website designers.

 
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Support is now in place for marker subtitles. An automated procedure will be rolling through the database pulling subtitles out the Title field and into the Subtitle fields later this week. Until now, subtitles were entered with a line break tag. After they are pulled out, the line break tag will become invalid in title fields. This interpretative panel, Fort Anderson, is an example of a marker that has subtitles.

 
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Virginia has collected many (unfortunately not all) of the nomination forms for National Register of Historic Places on the site linked here. Does anyone know of other states which offer similar collections. I've searched in vain for a similar listing for Maryland. I find the nomination forms a useful first stop when researching the content of markers. Not only do the forms detail more than what can be stated on a marker, in many cases they offer photographs and maps of the site. Virginia NRHP Nominations

 
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Ironically, I found this yesterday. It puts Virginia's site to shame. I think you'll like it. Explore Maryland's National Register Properties

 
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And here's West Virgina, in case you're interested. West Virginia Historic Register listing

 
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I've seen the Maryland site before, but doesn't offer a copy of the original nomination paperwork, unless I'm missing something. I really like having that documentation handy to bounce off field notes. Great for not only addresses and locations, but in many cases primary source material regarding the history of a dwelling or historic district.

 
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The Maryland Historical Trust Historic Sites Survey provides NHRP forms for every site in Maryland that I've checked so far. It also includes many sites that have not been nominated for the NHRP. However, there are no records for Baltimore city. A few caveats: it tends to search as a string - thus leading to no results when there should be some; also, the database can be a bit wonky. Maryland Historical Trust Historic Sites Survey

 
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Thanks for the updated information on the New Paltz Marker. The truth is that I wrote down the location and then lost my notes. I have entered the correct information.

 
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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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CADIZ JUNCTION, OHIO:: There is a Marker waiting for the finder. Linda Morgan the Librian at Cadiz, Ohio can put you at the exact spot. This ("Millers Depot") was one of Lincoln's eating spots on 2-14-1861 heading to Washington. BRISTOL, PENN.: (Marker located - Near intersection of Bristol Pike & Pond St.) This stop of Lincoln was totally unplanned and un-expected by the residents. They only hoped to wave at Lincoln's Train as it went through Bristol. But to the Public's surprise - IT STOPPED. PEEKSKILL, N.Y.: Can locate marker via the web site www.lincolnsociety.com The Peekskill Lincoln Society is one of the Oldest Lincoln Society in the U. S.. There seems to be the Old Depot yet existing. SYRACUSE, N.Y.: Possible Marker at Vanderbilt Square in Syracuse. Good photo on hand of their Train Depot. In Syracuse trains ran down their streets. ROCHESTER, N.Y.: (Possible Marker at or near: Mill & State Streets). Interesting Depot - photo on hand. Many other of Lincoln's 91 (or more) stops on his 1,904 mile trip to Washington, D.C. from Springfield, Ill to be sworn in as President. Your help appreciated in getting the Markers Listed. Al Wolf, Veedersburg

 
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Well J. J. Prats -and- All At "Historic Markers Data Base" let me be the first to exted to you and US Congratulations for HITTING the 4,000th Marker Listed. Indeed I included all of we contributors, but your editing and help has assisted in making the adventure more pleasing and interesting. OH by the WAY J.J. ,, I could not believe that the 4,000th entry would win a new car ! ! Neither should anyone else. NO prizes.. Just the personal satisfaction of assisting the public to note the Markers of History.. AL Wolf - Veedersburg, Indiana

 
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Thank you, Al, for your kind words. As you pointed out, congratulations are due to all 125 contributing correspondents who took the time to upload those 4000 markers with more than 16,000 photographs, links and additional comments; and to the editors who helped to publish them. This is a joint effort. Without your efforts, this website would only have 523 markers and very little embellishment. Thank you all very much. While we have over 4000 markers on hand, only 3972 have been published so far. So we still don't know which will be the 4000th marker. I'll post a note when the 4000th marker gets published. Some of you folks spend an awful lot of time working on the site. I appreciate every minute. But don't forget to pause every once in a while to pay some attention to your wives, husbands, and significant others. You don't want them to get jealous of your new love! (Mine has been grumbling for some time now.) On behalf of all the editors at The Historical Marker Database, I would like to wish all of our correspondents a Happy and Calmer New Year. Happy hunting!

 
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A good measure of the "quality" of work is the number of photographs and links offered per marker. Entries on the HMDB average just over three photos per marker. That means more than a "head shot" of the marker is being offered, and in many cases visual guides to the subject discussed. The entries average just under one link per marker. This means visitors are treated to more than just the simple text off the marker.

 
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New York State markers are starting to come in and we need to standardize the names of political subdivisions inside counties in the database. In New York, cities, towns, villages, and hamlets are distinct even though they may have the same name. For example, the Village of Alfred versus the Town of Alfred, both in Allegany County. I am proposing that cities, towns, and villages in New York state be listed with their qualified name, i.e. "Village of Alfred" rather than just "Alfred". Any thoughts? Administrative Divisions of New York (Wikipedia)

 
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By popular demand, a page with instructions on how to insert bold and italic font and the like—and special characters—into datatabase text is now ready. Titled “Typographic Guidelines and Typesetters’ Characters,” the page discusses does and dont’s and how-to’s and contains a table of special characters and their escape sequences.

 
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Many thanks to Kevin W. and Bill Coughlin and others who provided several of the markers to complete this set of virtual tours. The Chancellorsville markers did not easily group into a "marker series" as several different generations of National Park Service, Virginia State Historical Commission, and Civil War Trails markers exist to interpret this major battle. The markers are grouped into seven sets of related markers labeled as "Virtual Tours" linked off the trailhead below. These "virtual tours" generally match to driving tour stops from the National Park Service. The tours include sites of the fighting in one of the Civil War's largest, and arguably most confusing to follow, battle. Hopefully the groupings and ordering of the markers here will help clear up some of the later. So if you are planning a trip to Chancellorsville, you can use the database to plan your stops. Or if you have visited the battlefield and want to refer back to something you read or saw, we've got the markers documented. Trailhead for Chancellorsville Virtual Tours by Markers

 
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With a mind to a "soft" standard for the Civil War Trails marker entries, please consider the following guidelines: 1. The CWT Markers usually have a title and sub-title, please use the following format: Main Title<single break>subtitle (in italics if a quote on the marker's display). Example: Battle of Noplace "They fought hard!". 2. The campaign or topic banner (within the red stripe on the marker) included as the first line of the marker text, in bold, separated from the main text with a hard break: campaign of xxx 3. Paragraphs from the marker text should be separated by a double break. 4. Sidebars (indicated visually with a distinct background color block from the main marker which is usually white) should be divided from the main text by a double break, and indicated with a subtle heading using "(sidebar):" in italics: (sidebar): or (left/right sidebar): . 5. In some new CWT markers there is a standard preface box added, like the sidebar within a special color block. Indicate it with a similar heading: (preface): . 6. Reference any caption to photos, illustrations, or maps as entries in the Optional comments on the marker itself and location box. Please include the photo source where provided on the marker, but this isn't a hard and fast rule for submission. Where possible slip the caption text in by way of reference to the figure's position on the marker: Example1: On the upper right is a photo of "General Jones, graduate of VMI, class of 1848, and leader of the Army of the Lost River." Example2: On the lower left is a map detailing the maneuvers described in the text. The map carries the caption, "General Jones launched his attack on the Federal lines early in the day." Example3: In the upper center the marker displays portraits of Gens. Jones, Smith, and Adams. <Use where no real captions other than the names are provided.> 7. The marker should be included in the respective state Civil War Trails series. 8. If the marker is one of the standardized and repeated tour sets (i.e. Gettysburg-Invasion and Retreat, 1862 Antietam Campaign - Lee Invades Maryland, The Booth Trail, or the Baltimore House Divided markers), then please offer a link to the CWT page discussing that particular tour. See the link below for the main CW Traveler web site with the tour listings. 9. If the marker references a battle, where possible a link to the NPS battle summary page should be included. Again, these are offered as suggestions and recommendations. It is probably more important to have the marker documented within the database to begin with! Still a little standardization will aid search, submission, and reader look and feel. The plan is to update existing markers in the database as time permits. Civil War Traveler

 
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Craig, do contributors have access the italics and other symbols? I may have missed something with my entries, but I have tried to use italics and insert arrows point left or right and nothing works. I only have plain text to work with.

 
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Contributors can designate text for italics and bold. The standard HTML tags are used, and are discussed on page two of the "Add New Marker" process, under the optional comments section. Sort of hard to reproduce it here, as the system will interpret it as a tag. And I would stress above all, contributors shouldn't worry about dotting and crossing to meet the formatting. As said up front, this is a "soft" standard and not grounds for rejection, rather some guidelines. We also wanted contributors to understand why sometimes their entries are given some minor format changes before final publication.

 
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Abraham Lincoln traveled 1,904 miles by train from Springfield, Illinois, to Washington, D.C. for his inaugural, giving speeches from the rear platform of his railroad car at many of the stops. Many of these stops are commemorated with markers. There are four in the database so far (see Lincoln 1861 Inaugural Train Stops marker series). Correspondent Al Wolf from Veedersburg Indiana added the 4th one this week and asked me to encourage marker collectors up and down the (railroad) line to find all the Lincoln Trip markers in in time for the Lincoln Bicentennial in 2009. The map the database will plot once all the markers are in will be very interesting.

 
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Here's a map of his New York State Markers

 
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To Kevin W. of Stafford Virginia:: Thank you for the New York State map of Lincoln's stops. I would appreciate any help you can lend in having someone in those areas enroll the Markers into hmdb. There is many educational qualities in Lincoln's trip that need to be befor the public. Again Thank You Kevin ::: From AL Wolf - Veedersburg

 
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My regrets on not being able to better assist. I found the website through an internet search after your request interested me in the subject. The Point of Contact for those markers is Nancy Stoner (Nancy.Stoner@OPRHP.state.ny.us), of Heritage New York. You may wish to contact her about assisting. Heritage New York POC

 
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I was researching information for the New Jersey State House marker, trying to find out if it could be included on Lincoln's 1861 Inaugural Train Trip Marker Series. Found a promising link, only to find out it was our own HMdb series! While not really speaking at the train stop, he did speak there on his trip. The marker states, "President-elect Abraham Lincoln, on his way to take office, addressed the Legislature here." Further research found a link about the speach and addressal. So, another marker on the list! Abraham Lincoln Links

 
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Indeed Lincoln Stopped and Spoke at Trenton, N.J.. on his way to Washington, D. C.. It was Feb. 21, 1861 - there were snow squals when the train arrived at aprox. 11:50 AM. After the speech at the State Capital - a quick dash back to the train and it departed at aprox. 2:30PM. His next stop is even more interesting at Bristol, Pa.:: There was NO plans by the Bristol towns-folk for him to stop. They just were along the tracks for a hearty wave,,,, When low and behold:: the train stopped. Everyone was thrilled and they made the best of it in welcoming him.. Dana Barber at the "Grundy Memorial Library" in Bristol, Pa has been good help. She has helped me with Lincoln/&/Bristol, Pa visit:: She knows of the marker::: PERHAPS she can assist some one to get that marker listed. Al Wolf

 
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Is there any interest/efffort in making the hmdb database compatible with google earth? What are the barriers to making this happen? Does anyone else think this would be a great thing to do?

 
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Lots of possibilities, but I have no idea of what barriers must be breached. The first great feature that comes to my mind is the ability to open a map and see all markers in a 15 mile radius (geocaching.com has this feature). Currently, the map feature only shows those local to the marker last visited. - For the traveller, it would provide an idea of what is there to see. - For the HMdb Correspondent, it would identify blank spots that need to be visited ;) Also, the KMZ feature of Google Earth could help visitors plan routes to visit markers, which would go well with Craig's use of the related markers function.

 
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This is a great suggestion. I'll add it to the wish list. I need to study Google Earth to see what programmers interfaces (APIs) are available for ASP-type pages used by the database as well as the cost. That last may be a barrier if the answer is not "free". Will keep you all posted.

 
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