IVeu)s& lfotes GP A Publication of the Prince George's County Historical Society XXXWIft,Iumber 7 January*Febntary, 2OO9 JOIN THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, FEBRUARY 8, 2OO9, FOR OUTSTANDING LECTURE AND EXHIBITION MASON AND DIXON and THE DEFItTttNG OF AMERICA An important exhibition, Mq.son qnd Dixon and the DeJining of America, currentlg at the Mary- land Historical Society (MdHS), running through the end of FebruarU, 2009, some of the A "crown stone" boundary monument on the features Mason-Dixon Line. Shown is the coat of arms institution's most important docttments in its Li- of Maryland's founding Calvert family. On the brary's Caluert Collection from the iconic Mason- opposite side (originally to the north) is the Dixon surueA, along tuith artifacts emploAed in it crest of the Penn familv. as tuell as those that illuminate it. Jeannine Dis- uiscour, Deputg Director and Curator, and Dauid Marietta House Museum S. Thaler, PE, LS, F.ASCE, F.lfSPE, organized the Headquarters of the exhibition at MdHS, utith collection materials Prince George's County Historical Society ouned bg MdHS, the MaryIand State Archiues, 5626 Bell Station Road Annapolis, and Independence Hall, Phila.delphia. Glenn Dale, MD 20769-9120 It has recently been suggested by a profes- (off MD 193, nea-r MD 450) sional surveyor and engineer, that one of the Facility Manager: Susan Reidy 30r-464-5291 greatest scientific and engineering achievements A facilitg of the Margland-Notional Capital of all time was the survey of the so-called Mason- Park ond Planning Commission Dixon Line. Selected for this endeavor in 1763 Marietta House Tours were surveyor Jeremiah Dixon, and Charles Ma- Friday, Saturday & Sunday son, an astronomer from the Royal Observatory 12 noon to 4 p.m. Weekday & Evening tours in Greenwich, England. Their task was to mark by appointment only a boundary between the Colonial provinces of Marietta Gift Shop Pennsylvania and Maryland, and thereby settle Open during tour hours and special events the dramatic and rancorous boundary disputes Frederick S. DeMarr that had been waged for eighty years between the Library of County Historv Greenbelt Library Building Calverts of Maryland and the Penns of Pennsyl- 11 Crescent Road, Greenbelt vania. The effort was an enormous one, requir- 30L-220-0330 ing five years to drive the line for 3 12 rnlles from Hours: Saturdays Noon to 4 pm Delaware on the eastern shore, pursuing a con- and by appointment stant latitude westward from a point 15 miles south of Philadelphia, all the way to what was January-February, 2009 Mqson qnd Dkon" cont. ffi known as the "Great Warrior Trail" in the Native American territory of the Six Na- tions. Every student learns the term "Mason-Dixon Line," not only as the M boundary between Pennsylvania and Mary- w land, but as the boundary between North and South, which demarcated the free and The Prince George's County slave-owning states. The Mason-Dixon Historical Society Line is invested in our national conscious- ness with a depth of meaning, emotion and scarring that still resonates. Yet few Ameri- 5626 Bell Station Road cans have truly understood the astonish- Glenn Dale, MD 20769-9120 ing scientific process and feat that Ma- Phone:30 L-464-O590 son and Dixon achieved. Email: [email protected] or "Their achievement was monumen- [email protected] Website: www.pghistory.org tal," said David S. Thaler, PE, LS, Presi- dent of D.S. Thaler and Associates, Inc., of President: John Petro Baltimore, a trustee of the Maryland His- Vice President: Lynn Roberts torical Society and an organizer of this Secretary: Dusty Rhoads exhibition. "How to determine longitude Treasurer: Donna Schneider had just been discovered by John Harrison Historian: Susan G. Pearl Membership: Donna Schneider at about the same time as Mason and Newsletter Committee: Dixon did this survey, and a degree of lati- Charles Hendricks, Susan Pearl, tude had never been measured in the New Vicki Styles World before." (See Point of Beglnnine Directors: Magazine, December 2O0B issue, "The First Kent Abraham, John Brunner, Ann Footsteps, " !v!vw. pobonline .com) Harris Davids on, F.lizabeth Dougherty, The exhibition focuses on an exten- Joyce Dowling, Charles Hendricks, sive and remarkable cache of original trlizabeth Lingg, Dan Louck, Nathania documents, which detail the BO-year-old Branch Miles, Jack Thompson Jr., boundary dispute between the proprietors William Uber, Andrew Wallace, Sealani of Maryland-the Lords Baltimore, the Weiner, Laurence Winston Calverts-and the brothers Thomas and News & Notes is published six Richard Penn, proprietors of Pennsylvania. times a year. You are invited to submit These are but a portion of an even larger a relevant article for print (subject to archive of about 13OO original documents space limitations). known as The Calvert Papers, discovered All members of the Prince in two large crates in 1839 in the British George's County Historical Societ5r are Museum, and acquired in 1B8B by The invited and welcome to attend Society Maryland Historical Society where they Board meetings. We meet one Saturday have remained ever since. The Calvert each month (next meetings will be Papers are a treasure trove of inestimable January 10 & February 7). Dates are importance to Maryland's history, and subject to change. Call 301-249-9000. their fine condition and freshness allow If you would like to volunteer your time them to be seen today practically in the and talents to the Historical Society in same condition in which they were cre- any capacity, please call us. All ages ated. The subject matter of the papers are definitely welcome! 2 January-Februqry, 2OO9 Mason and Dixon, cont. pertaining to the Mason and Dixon survey end," remarked Thaler, who realtzed that is rivetirg, indeed! Particularly exciting is "the little transit . [that used by Mason the original parchment of L763 of The Ar- and Dixonl . may be the most historic ticles of Agreement between the Pennsyl- American scientific instrument ever, hav- vanians, Thomas and Richard Penn, Fre- ing witnessed two of the seminal events derick Calvert, Lord Baltimore, of Mary- in American history-the survey of the land, and both Jeremiah Dixon and Mason-Dixon Line and the first reading Charles Mason who surveyed the territory. of the Declaration of Independence on Visitors can clearly read their signatures July 8, 1778, from the steps of the obser- and see the original red wax seals on this vatory." official document. The process was long The collections materials that form and arduous and, over the five years re- this exhibition are not only great Mary- quired to complete the survey, virtually land treasures, but also items of great hundreds of men were employed to lay the national importance. Please join us for imported trnglish carved stone markers David Thaler's lecture, and a visit to the every mile along the route. In an adjacent exhibition. gallery is an actual Mason-Dixon crown stone that has belonged to the Historical Society since 1886. One can see, on the side that would have faced south, the ASON'DIXONLINE carved Calvert crest with crown, while on Made famous as line between the opposite side, originally facing north free and slave states before toward Pennsylvania, is carved the Penn War Between the States.' The survey establishing Marvland. family crest. S.egsylrgn ia b oundq.rv 5e gan. f765;'halted by lndian whrs. Also included in the exhibition is Ma- 1767t continued to southwest son's hand-written journal, generously lent c{rnen l7B?; marked. lZA4. by the Maryland State Archives. Actual sur- vey field notes and calculations are included in the exhibition, along with maps and vari- ous examples of survey equipment of the pe- Prince George's County Historical riod, similar to instruments used by Mason Society members are invited to hear and Dixon. David Thaler's exciting and amusing In preparation for the exhibition, presentation in the Auditorium of the David Thaler traveled to Independence Hall Maryland Historical Society, 20 1 West in Philadelphia with the idea of borrowing Monument St., Baltimore, MD, 2l2OI- from that institution its transit and equal 4674, on Sunda-'r, February 8th, 2009, at altitude instrument, since none of the origi- 2:00 p.m. After the lecture we will visit to nal survey instruments was known to exist. the exhibition, with refreshments to fol- The Mason and Dixon transit, last known to low. For reservations, directions, car- have been used in an observatory behind In- pooling information or questions, contact dependence Hall, had been lost in the inter- Lynn Roberts, 301-627-8622 or vening years. When Thaler examined the Antiqu elynn@Hotmail. com. Also, the transit, dfl instrument used to plot true Prince George's County Historical Society north by tracking stars as they crossed the is considering providing transportation to meridian, he instantly recognized the in- the exhibition by van or small bus, So scription of John Bird-the very same Lon- please let Lynn know whether, for a don instrument maker commissioned by the nominal charge, you would be interested Penn brothers to make the transit for the in that service. Mason and Dixon survey. "Mv hair stood on -Lynn Springer Roberts HISTORICAL SOCIETY EVENTS FOR 2OO9 The Board of Directors of the Historical September (date and location to be Society met on November 22,2OO8, to announcedl - Prince of a County annual make plans for the coming year. Many reception and fundraiser very interesting possibilities were dis- - cussed and investigated, and we can now October (date to be announcedf list the schedule of events (some still ten- Group visit to National Park Seminary tative) so that members and friends can (Forest Glen) in Montgomery Count5r, mark their calendars.