Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Quiz

*Updated - sorry that was really hard, this should make it easier*
*Solved! - contemporary view now below*
I'm swamped with work this week so I had the inspiration for a cop-out map quiz. I'm delighted that folks are taking what they learn from the site and doing their own research and making their own maps (see Hickstown post comments). I just came across a really surprising image on the sanborn maps site and figured I'd throw it out there as a challenge. Where is this Durham
intersection today?:


1937 Sanborn map image (Copyright SBC)

Site today - soon to be site of new 9th street north development (Google maps)

The image is oriented like the original with north to the top and the street layout is exactly the same today minus the stream and wooden bridges for traffic. Many readers have probably passed through the intersection at some point but I'm sure it will get more notice now that it's been in the news and in neighborhood debates the several weeks. Good luck!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Hint: during heavy rains, rising waters have resulted in 100 lb sewer covers "floating" at this intersection. Drive carefully. :)

Anonymous said...

My guess is somewhere near Ninth and Green, somewhere in OWD. Clost to the old Biscuit King. Would that brook be Ellerbe Creek?
j

Unknown said...

South Ellerbe Creek.

To see a kayaker "in" the brook, check out the last two photographs on this old webpage... http://www.owdna.org/ellerbee.htm

John Schelp

Mitch Fraas said...

Yep! The intersection of Green and Iredell actually. i was pretty amazed to see those bridges on the map as well as the white star laundry which apparently has lasted quite a bit longer than I thought.

Unknown said...

The White Star Laundry is now the oldest business on Ninth Street. It started as an ice house. Sawdust was used to help store the ice. When neighbors started to buy their own ice boxes, the ice house started making extra money on the side by offering to store fur coats in the off-season. The ice house was a nice cool place in the hot summer months.

You can imagine the combination of dripping ice blocks and sawdust on the furs all summer. The business started to dry clean the fur coats -- and the rest is history.

~John Schelp

Unknown said...

Hi, this blog is really amazing and provide me answers to all my questions. This is really informative and I will for sure refer my friends the same. I got the freebies with the ComLuv premium and adding this now makes it all even juicier than ever.

driving schools durham