Map symbol

[pepperj]

I'm having a and can't seem to find out the meaning of this symbol in the picture which is from a 1870's historical map, which is a plus sign inside a circle.

 

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[pepperj]

Water Well?

I was thinking the same later on today that these might be a water well for horses.

Um... Not a well.
Wells were mostly spelled out "well" Spring" etc...
IF abbreviated... "W".
Now I said MOSTLY". heh

I haven't seen it spelled out on these maps.

View attachment 1242011

The mines are marked by description Lead, iron, phosphate.....

 

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[pepperj]

Maybe Catholic?

The churches are marked on what type they are on the maps.

 

[Anduril]

I think those are cellphone towers.

Seriously though..., there are two such symbols shown on the small section of map you've presented.
My suggestion would be to locate several others on the same map and then see if you can make more sense out of them based on their positioning to other landmarks, roads, etc..
You might even get lucky and be able to decipher the mark via a Google Earth search, if the area is not too disturbed since the map was created.

You do have to think in terms of the 1870's though...

 

[relic lover]

The maps I have from that era have some of the schools marked with that symbol. The rest of the schools are just a dark Square. I have always wondered why some of the schools were marked this way and others not. Somebody mentioned a church maybe that's it schoolhouse / church

 

[ARC]

Wow...
Surprised this has not been "solved"...

Welp...
Since it seems that my first thought of a church has been "rejected" by many on this thread...
I went back into a search mode for you pepper...
And found this... here is one more suggestion...

Here is a legend from a map from this period that depicts this symbol in 1810...
denoting a "cotton factory"... AKA a "mill" IMO...
Seems that perhaps cotton "milling" may have been going on in this area...
At first I thought that this did not make sense beings the general area is not cotton related... as far as "growing".
But textiles.

 

[tamrock]

Because no one is sure what it is yet . One more idea is it could be the location of a survey marker, such as this survey bolt like this one found in central park from 1811? Maybe a bench mark of sort.

 

[pepperj]

Wow...
Surprised this has not been "solved"...

Welp...
Since it seems that my first thought of a church has been "rejected" by many on this thread...
I went back into a search mode for you pepper...
And found this... here is one more suggestion...

Here is a legend from a map from this period that depicts this symbol in 1810...
denoting a "cotton factory"... AKA a "mill" IMO...
Seems that perhaps cotton "milling" may have been going on in this area...
At first I thought that this did not make sense beings the general area is not cotton related... as far as "growing".
But textiles.


View attachment 1242182

We don't do cotton in the area, but textiles or a related industry is warranted. If anything the topic brings up ideas and new information on mapping which is the survival of the mind during the winter months.

 

[pepperj]

Because no one is sure what it is yet . One more idea is it could be the location of a survey marker, such as this survey bolt like this one found in central park from 1811? Maybe a bench mark of sort.

On the historical mapping system that's available the markers aren't shown. It's just grid pattern of concessions and the lot sizes within.
When most of the area was surveyed in the 1830's. This map doesn't have a list of people that lived in the area, just halls/churches. It was something like the movie "Fields Of Dreams" Build them and they'll come thinking.

 

[Mark Todd]

In the 1871 platt map book I have, that symbol represents the location of a blacksmith shop. Of course, other mapping companies could have used the same symbol differently during the period possibly.

 

[Plug N Play]

When I try to figure out a small detail on a map, I look elsewhere on that map.

Helps to know the nation.

The British were everywhere during this period.
Perhaps they are camel stables in Africa ?
Maybe feeding stations in a British prison camp ?
Gathering sites for morning prayers ?
Icelandic hot springs ?
Australian tannery ?

A nation would really help.

Is this symbol in question, common throughout the map ?

Two, might be bawdy houses, bulletin boards, or dump pits ... possibilities times 100.
Fifty, might be outhouses, wells, or fruit stands ... possibilities times 100.

Do the symbols appear near waterways or railroads ?
Sawmills or gristmills come to mind.

What country or company drew up the map ?
Different symbols and styles could be researched, that way.

I think you are asking an awful lot, and providing very little, in a single, tiny speck of a map.

 

[stefen]

Each of the o's and +'s are within properties either side of the roadway.

Therefore they are not Section markers, not grave sites, not wells, certainly cannot be salt licks, and so on.

Think about potential mapping updates such as barns or outbuildings...or rent, crop sharing or owner...

 

[Loco-Digger]

The map looks to be from the late 1800's I believe mark_Todd got it right.

 

[Ant]

I found that old map pages like the ones that we find from Sanderson Maps and other historical maps came from a book (similar to a plat book). The first place that I look for the legon of symbols for these plat book map pages is on the first or second page of the plat book. Sometimes these pages are copied from a section of a one page map too, then the legon of symbols could be on another section. I already mentioned that the map maker (author) can use any symbol, but they should make a legon index, they didn't and still don't always use generic map symbols, good luck.

 

[eyemustdigtreasure]

Crappies-n-Coins,
I think you are right.
Inside the circle, the pluses are kinda topheavy/lopsided,
like a cross is, and that usually indicates a graveyard,
and a church is a box with cross inside (outside?)
Let's face it, I'm not good a old map symbols...!
(any other guesses, guys?)
~eyemustdigtreasure

 

[pepperj]

When I try to figure out a small detail on a map, I look elsewhere on that map.

Helps to know the nation.

The British were everywhere during this period.
Perhaps they are camel stables in Africa ?
Maybe feeding stations in a British prison camp ?
Gathering sites for morning prayers ?
Icelandic hot springs ?
Australian tannery ?

A nation would really help.

Is this symbol in question, common throughout the map ?

Two, might be bawdy houses, bulletin boards, or dump pits ... possibilities times 100.
Fifty, might be outhouses, wells, or fruit stands ... possibilities times 100.

Do the symbols appear near waterways or railroads ?
Sawmills or gristmills come to mind.

What country or company drew up the map ?
Different symbols and styles could be researched, that way.

I think you are asking an awful lot, and providing very little, in a single, tiny speck of a map.

The flag under my avatar might have been a given, but I guess one should take something for granted. The mapping is for Ontario Canada

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Looks like they only thing left to do is meet at the site and see what pops up!

Dave

 

[Crappies-n-Coins]

Well, depending on the distance, there is always the option of doing a Google Earth/map overlay.

 

[Dewayne Hight]

Possibly the old symbol for surveyor's bench mark before standardization. I've seen them on some old maps on peaks and landmarks

 

[Dewayne Hight]

churches are a solid box with a cross on top

 

[ironhorse]

Hi Pepp
Just going by the legend in a map /atlas I use
Blacksmith forge
Hope that helps
Whoops you get the idea lol