Von Schmidt's Monument
The northern segment of the California & Nevada border lies exactly along 120 degrees longitude, right? Well, so thought Allexey Von Schmidt, surveyor of the line in 1872, and is so inscribed on his cast iron marker. But he was off a bit; the marker is 160 meters west of 120 deg. **
Von Schmidt reckoned the location of the 42nd Parallel, the defined Calif / Oregon border, to be as inscribed on the marker's north side: "OREGON 170 MILES 47 CHAINS" (a chain being equal to 66 feet). Again he was off some, south by 539 meters. But in the end, the Von Schmidt line became the legal border. Considering the very difficult topography surveyed, I think he did a reasonably good job using the equipment of the day.
The full interesting story can be read here:
www.dot.ca.gov/hq/row/landsurveys/Study_material/State_Bo...
This marker is a beast to photograph. It is secured within a small enclosure with difficult shadows, lighting, angles, weeds, etc. I managed some barely usable images by poking the lens through the fencing.
www.sierracollege.edu/ejournals/jsnhb/v2n2/img/1872/CalNe...
** Precise longitude was still very difficult in 1872. Von Schmidt was aided by the calculations of George Davidson who used astronomical methods and electronic time signals by telegraph from San Francisco to locate the 120 meridian along the railroad and the Truckee River near today's Verdi, CA.
.
Von Schmidt's Monument
The northern segment of the California & Nevada border lies exactly along 120 degrees longitude, right? Well, so thought Allexey Von Schmidt, surveyor of the line in 1872, and is so inscribed on his cast iron marker. But he was off a bit; the marker is 160 meters west of 120 deg. **
Von Schmidt reckoned the location of the 42nd Parallel, the defined Calif / Oregon border, to be as inscribed on the marker's north side: "OREGON 170 MILES 47 CHAINS" (a chain being equal to 66 feet). Again he was off some, south by 539 meters. But in the end, the Von Schmidt line became the legal border. Considering the very difficult topography surveyed, I think he did a reasonably good job using the equipment of the day.
The full interesting story can be read here:
www.dot.ca.gov/hq/row/landsurveys/Study_material/State_Bo...
This marker is a beast to photograph. It is secured within a small enclosure with difficult shadows, lighting, angles, weeds, etc. I managed some barely usable images by poking the lens through the fencing.
www.sierracollege.edu/ejournals/jsnhb/v2n2/img/1872/CalNe...
** Precise longitude was still very difficult in 1872. Von Schmidt was aided by the calculations of George Davidson who used astronomical methods and electronic time signals by telegraph from San Francisco to locate the 120 meridian along the railroad and the Truckee River near today's Verdi, CA.
.