DDK.
JUL
VOL. I., NO. IO.
PINEHURST, N. C, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1897.
PRICE THREE CENTS.
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ANCIENT SURVEYS.
Original Grants About Pinehurst
Marked with Pine Knots.
Unique Method of Recording Location of
Boundary Stakes in Olden Times.
Copy of a Grant of Fifty Acres Where Pinehurst
Depot Now Stands, Executed in 1797.
Boundary surveys of land in this sec
lion of North Carolina were, and are yet,
quite different from those in most of the
other states in the Union, and especially
in the newer states where all lands are
laid out in sections and quarter-sections
liy government surveys. Here the origi
nal boundaries were marked by pine
knots driven into the ground, or by pine
trees when available.
This section of Moore county was set
tled by Scotch Presbyterians from about
'17(50 to 1800. They landed at Wilming
ton and made their way up the Cape Fear
river, and wandered through the country
Mvking fertile land in the creek bottoms,
suitable for farming, grazing and hunt
ing, and many old papers can now be
found among the people of patents or
.grants received from King (Jeorge III.,
and later from the state. The following
description of a grant of 50 acres of land
to.lohn McLeodin the year 1707, on the
present location of the Pinehurst depot,
may be of interest:
Know ye that we have granted unto
John McLeod 50 acres of land in Moore
county, bounded as follows: beginning
:d a stake among four pines pointers
north of the Yadkin road, running thence
north 25 degrees, west 23 chains to a
Ptiike among four pines; thence south
.5S degrees west 25 chains to a bluek-jjck ?
t hence, south 25 degrees east 23 chains;
thence to the beginning, to have and to
'"'Id to the said .John McLeod, his heirs
and assigns forever.
Iated 18th December, 1707.
Samukl Asiik,
Governor of North Carolina.
The stakes referred to are of solid fat
I'i'ie wood and if not destroyed by forest
'n' will last nearly or quite a century.
I'hese old surveys, as a rule, are found
t. ho very inaccurate and hard to locate,
1 large proportion of the land up to
year 1840 belonged to the state and
used in common by the people for
gi-aing and hunting, and county survey
''s were allowed but 1.00 for surveying
Wo acres and larger tracts in proportion.
lu'n taken in connection with the nu
Jer.ms forest tires, it is not surprising that
boundary marks have been largely des
l 0.ved, causing the overlapping of dilier
J'"t surveys and numberless law suits
0 determine the exact line of each man's
An old Scotchman living in this vicin
ity, describing how a new grant was
surveyed in his boyhood, says that the
first thing to be done was to settle where
the stake should be placed to mark the
point of beginning. When that was
settled the surveyor would drive the
stake and then take the youngest boy in
the party, who had been brought along
for that purpose, and give him a sound
whipping with a hickory switch, telling
him never to forget where that stake was
located, and that when years had gone
and gray hairs had turned the boy to an
old man he never failed to remember
what had been so forcibly planted in his
memory.
We are glad to say that many of the
old difficulties have been removed by
more careful surveys in recent years.
Land which cost but live cents per acre
this locality, looked over his new pur
chase and located a point which he said
was to be the center of the proposed
town. Mr. Tufts had no axe but suc
ceeded in finding an old piece of timber
which he drove into the ground. The
point located is near the electric railroad
in front of Holly Inn, and is marked by
a stone.
A brief description of this new location
for a town, as it appeared the day we
commenced the survey, may lie interest
ing. The town site presented a wild
appearance. Nothing was to be seen
but an abandoned old wooden tramway
which had been used in hauling lumber
and turpentine. A few hogs of the pine
rooter style, and a few sheep were run
ning around. We camped in an old
lumber shelter boarded on two sides,
which answered the purpose of a tent,
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PINEHURST SCHOOL CHILDREN OF 1896-97.
previous to 1850, and even since the civil
war cost but t welve and a half cents per
acre, has now so increased in value that
great care is exercised that all boundary
lines shall be definitely known and re
corded. It is particularly so in regard
to the Pinehurst estate, which, including
all purchases, covers more thin 6,000
acres. Every line is cleared of under
growth and staked, with a strip of land
on each side plowed for a protection
against forest tires on. the western side,
and brownstone monuments are set at
every corner of the entire estate.
About June 1, 1805, Mr. James W.
Tufts, of Uoston, came to this section of
Moore county in search of a suitable
location for what is now so widely
known as "Pinehurst." After looking
over all the surrounding country he
purchased from Messrs. II. A. and J. P.
Page a tract of land containing about
5,000 acres, and in company of Messrs.
Henry A. Page, N. A. McKeithen and
11. M. Couch, who were familiar with
and steps were immediately taken to
build comfortable quarters and proceed
to business. The town, containing
about 125 acres, is situated near the cen
ter of the 5,000 acre tract, and at the
highest point is 050 feet above sea level,
and on the edge of a thick grove of long
leaf pines. The topography of the land
is very striking in some ways. The sur
face is nearly level in some places, yet
springs rise and form themselves into
small streams of never-failing sand-hill
water running in three directions.
The purchase of land being made and
the town site located, Mr. Tufts em
ployed the eminent landscape architects,
Olmsted, Olmsted & Eliot to design the
plan of the new town, and Mr. Warren
11. Manning, who at that time was asso
ciated with them, was placed in charge
of the work, and since that time has had
and now has full charge of the landscape
features of the village. In order that
the landscape architects might lay out
the grounds it was necessary to know
its topography, and we made a complete
topographic survey of the town site of
about 125 acres, as instructed. After
this the streets, roads, sewer and water
systems, park, etc., were laid out. Just
as soon as the town was commenced it
was apparent that in order to carry out
the full objects in view it was necessary
to have direct connection in some way
with Southern Pines, six miles away,
where connection could be made with
the through line of the Seaboard Air
Line railroad north and south. The first
idea Mr. Tufts conceived was to build a
wooden tramway over which he would
run a horse car. With this end in view
wo made several surveys between the
two places in order to locate the best
route for the proposed tramway, and as
a result of these surveys the present
route through the famous Van Lindlay
500 acre peach orchard and the North
Carolina experimental farm, was select
ed. The building of this road was de
layed a few months, however, on account
of right-of-way troubles in Southern
Pines, which perhaps was a fortunate
thing as it was later decided to build an
electric power plant at Pinehurst to fur
nish light, and to build the present
trolley ear line.
A new map of Pinehurst has been
under construction for several months,
on a suflicie.'itly largo scale to show the
town as it is. This map, when com
pleted, will probably be 15 by 20 feet in
size, but will be divided into sections
convenient for use in the ollice or on the
grounds. The map will show in detail
all streets, roads, walks, planting places,
rear drives, house yards, entrances,
steps, etc. ; also the exact location of
water and sewer pipes, street hydrants,
and lire mains, and the system of under-
ground ami overhead electric wires for
both light and power. A topographical
survey lias recently been made of about
thirty acres of land outside the town
limits in the vicinity of the power house,
on which to erect cottages for the use of
the village employes, and a number of
houses are now being constructed.
When the plans of Mr. Tufts are fully
carried out Pinehurst will indeed be a
unique village in the Southland.
Francis Deaton,
Town Surveyor.
The Minuficturer''s llecord, under the
direction of the Seaboard Air Line, has
issued what is called the "Special Sea
board Air Line Supplement." This
"supplement' contains statements of the
industrial, agricultural, manufacturing
and home attractions and advantages of
the territory reached by the Seaboard
Air Line. The information is alike of
interest to the farmer, merchant and
manufacturer. The pamphlet is hand
somely bound and will make an attrac
tive and valuable addition to any library
or reading room. Copies can be obtained
by addressing, T. J. Anderson, General
Passenger Agent, Portsmouth, Va,