Trivia 11-1-17 landscape

[Trivia Master]

The popular name for these once-numerous but now declining landscape features associated with some Civil War sites originated through their centuries-old use as reference points in surveys and deeds. What are they?

credit: @LoyaltyOfDogs

 

[hughes]

run

 

[DBF]

No idea but I'll guess "angle".

 

[Wallyfish]

I am going to say a Witness Tree.

They meet the question criteria as a surveying/deed term and they were a very numerous and were a critical part of many Civil War battlefields. They are also declining in number with each passing year.

Fortunately Gettysburg still has many living witness trees that help bring the battle alive today.

• Witness Tree - Generally used in the U.S. public land states, this refers to the trees close to a section corner. The surveyor blazed them and noted their position relative to the corner in his notebook. Witness trees are used as evidence for the corner location.

http://www.directlinesoftware.com/survey.htm

 

[Jimklag]

The popular name for these once-numerous but now declining landscape features associated with some Civil War sites originated through their centuries-old use as reference points in surveys and deeds. What are they?

credit: @LoyaltyOfDogs

I am going to go with Witness Tree.

 

[gentlemanrob]

Split rail fence

 

[Jimklag]

Source for answer


https://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/the-witness-trees/

 

[GS]

Large boulders, stones of various shapes, like Caesar Head in upstate South Carolina, or stones were deliberately piled up or shaped in a point for markers. Actually, the use of stones for such purposes dates back to biblical times, when God instructed Israel to collect stones from the Jordan River and form a "monument of remembrance" out of them.

 

[captaindrew]

stone markers known as survey monuments

 

[MC44]

Witness trees?

 

[skb8721]

Witness oaks?

Edit - Answer revised in subsequent post.

hoosier

 

[WJC]

The popular name for these once-numerous but now declining landscape features associated with some Civil War sites originated through their centuries-old use as reference points in surveys and deeds. What are they?

credit: @LoyaltyOfDogs

Though this question can refer to a number of terms, I believe it probably is referencing 'heights'.
The most desirable reference point or benchmark in surveying is a natural feature. One such feature is a clear, distinct elevation, often called a height. The term has also been used over the years to distinguish communities: Brooklyn Heights, Cleveland Heights.
In the rebellion, notable heights were Marye's Heights, Maryland Heights, New Market Heights....
Incidentally, as the safest way to assure legality in a property description is to use the existing term, many otherwise obsolete terms continue in use.

 

[BlueNGrey]

Metes and Bounds? Old trees, streams, old roads, walls, markers, stakes, etc.

Edit - Good try, BlueNGrey, though I'm afraid I can't give you credit for a correct answer this time.

Welcome to CivilWarTalk and to the trivia game. Hope you'll come back and play again. I promise not all the questions will be as difficult as this one.

hoosier

 

[DBF]

My surveyor friend thinks I need to change my answer to monument - so scratch my 1st answer (based on once-numerous but now declining). Final Answer.

 

[truthckr]

tough question, I'm going with trees.

 

[Iron Brigade]

Stone walls were used as a "bounds"

 

[Brenal]

Good question. I have no idea!

 

[chellers]

witness trees

 

[MRB1863]

I was thinking rivers and streams....but declining threw me off. Railroad stations?

 

[SWMODave]

The popular name for these once-numerous but now declining landscape features associated with some Civil War sites originated through their centuries-old use as reference points in surveys and deeds. What are they?

credit: @LoyaltyOfDogs

This is a very difficult question because it appears to be wide opened. I zeroed in on the phrase "landscape feature' which the Texas Parks and Wildlife defines as "The land, water, vegetation, and structures that compose the characteristic landscape." Since the question stated "once numerous but now declining" I checked the description of natural landscape feature. National Geographic defines that as "A natural landscape is made up of a collection of landforms, such as mountains, hills, plains, and plateaus. Lakes, streams, soils (such as sand or clay), and natural vegetation are other features of natural landscapes." I was unable to find a particular National Park Service Survey that mentioned one "particular" feature, but I did find one "Monocacy National Battlefield: Cultural Resources Study" By Paula S. Reed, Edith B. Wallace Page 4 footnote "While the survey were expected to be "precise," unfortunately few actually were. Survey documents often included several "degrees for variance."Trees used as boundary markers died or were felled, boundary stones were uprooted, or sometimes the course of a creek or river that served as a boundary line changed, all of which makes the recreation of an historic survey difficult to reproduce on the modem landscape." The 'boundary marker' seemed all inclusive, natural as well as man made, so I checked it online. (Wikipedia)

Once again, natural occurrences like trees, hills, and streams are mentioned, as well as man made, such as stone fences, roads, buildings. Many of these could be classified as once numerous and now declining. A decline in natural or man made landscape features on a battlefield are caused by environmental changes, such as a gradual change in the climate, public encroachment, or prior ecological mismanagement.

Since you ask for the popular name I will submit 'boundary marker' since it appears to be inclusive of numerous landscape features that are all declining, in one way or another. I do not feel good about this answer but trees, stone fences, streams or rivers - all appear to bear equal weight in applicability, and would be covered by the boundary marker term.