The
northern boundary of Delaware (originally the Three Lower Counties), the
celebrated Arc, related to William Penn's original land grant from Charles II.
It reflected the land holdings of Charles's brother James, the Duke of York, in
the region. Penn soon acquired the Three Lower Counties from James. The Three Lower Counties’ separate identity eventually resulted in the
State of Delaware.
Pennsylvania
(the Penns) and Maryland (the Calverts) contended over the location of the
boundary they shared. The Crown intervened and demanded a survey that Mason and
Dixon undertook.
A complex
history of the boundaries shared by Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland is simplified “In a Brief History of the
Mason-Dixon Line” by John Mackenzie.
The saga of the famous survey that came to personify the division of Northern
and Southern interests began and passed through the region. [“The Delaware Arc”
pp. 17-18]
The Tour: Mason-Dixon Survey
I. Stargazer
Stone
Mason and
Dixon spent the winter of 1763 in Embreeville Pennsylvania, making astronomical observations
at the John Harland farm, where they sighted on a firmly planted stone that became the Stargazer’s Stone. Nearby,
the still-standing (private) Harland House sits where Embreeville and Stargazer Roads intersect.
II. Post
Mark’d West
In the
midst of White
Clay Creek Park is an engraved granite shaft commemorating the original
wooden marker that signified the beginning of the Mason-Dixon Line survey. The
original marker read “Post Mark’d West,” [“Post Mark’d West” pp. 26-27]
III. The
Wedge
Where
Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland converge is the once-curious Wedge.
This disputed
plot, throughout the nineteenth century, was relatively lawless, since no state
exercised jurisdsiction, Wikipedia
has a helpful article. [“The Wedge” pp. 20-21]
IV. The
Horn
Another disputed area around
the Arc, known as the Horn, lies just west of Centerville Delaware. [“The Horn”
p. 23]
V. The
Ticking Tomb
In
Landenberg PA graveyard is a bit of folklore regarding the Mason-Dixon survey
known as the Ticking
Tomb. You can read about the colorful legend of an obese toddler who swallowed Mason’s special watch in Tales of the
Chesepeake, “Ticking Stone” p.31. [“Ticking Tomb” pp.28-29]
Food suggestion: Newark anchors the western region of Delaware. Since it's the home of the University of Delaware, restaurants abound. One with a contemporary, casual menu, street side dining, and many vegetarian options is the Home Grown Cafe.
Food suggestion: Newark anchors the western region of Delaware. Since it's the home of the University of Delaware, restaurants abound. One with a contemporary, casual menu, street side dining, and many vegetarian options is the Home Grown Cafe.
