Author: Twelve Mile Circle
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Where West is East
I’ve been on the road these last few days, at present in New Orleans, Louisiana. During this outing I’ve managed to collect another Strange Geography sighting. I would like to give the regular readers of Twelve Mile Circle a little preview today. Ultimately I’ll be adding it to my more comprehensive website in the coming…
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NACO County/City Search
In much of the United States, counties function as an arm of state government. They also play a decisive role in the delivery of basic services to people at a local level. Understanding that, sometimes a researcher knows the name of a town but not its associated county. As the National Association of Counties explains,…
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GPS and Genealogy
New technologies impact established disciplines in profound and pleasantly surprising ways. The Global Position System (GPS) provides obvious and well-known benefits for drivers and hikers alike. However, it has ready applications to many other activities too. As an example, handheld GPS devices continue to revolutionize field research conducted by personal historians and genealogists. The Power…
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Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon
At one time France controlled vast holdings throughout North America. They stretched far into the interior and all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. France had been a great colonial power in North America since the Sixteenth Century while jostling against the territorial aspirations of Britain and Spain. The other powers ascended, often…
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South of Detroit
Here’s an old one that most people probably already know, but I still enjoy it. What is the first foreign country you would reach if you traveled due south from Detroit, Michigan? Canada! A curve in the Detroit River, the narrow ribbon of water that joins Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, creates a situation…
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Wisconsin’s Original Capitol
Sometimes fate determines whether a location will someday transform into a vibrant, active city or remain a sleepy rural hamlet. Many people are familiar with Madison, Wisconsin and its impressive State Capitol complex. They know its flagship University of Wisconsin campus, and the nearly half a million residents in its greater metropolitan area. Few, however,…
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Blessed Relief
Please allow me to go off topic for a moment. Twelve Mile Circle was having quite a spam problem until yesterday. You, the readers, avoided this awful torment because I moderate comment on this blog. They do not become visible on the site until I review and approve each of them individually. When I first…
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When Categories Collide!
Here I explore a mashup of two wonderful topics covered in previous posts. I’ll combine the County Highpointers Association and the epilogue to my Smallest County Series. I decided to see whether I could reach the highpoints of both the smallest self-governing county in the United States and the smallest “county equivalent” location recognized by…
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Northernmost Ferry in Canada
The northernmost Ferry in Canada, and indeed for all of North America, is the Arctic Red River Ferry. It serves the Gwich’in settlement of Tsiigehtchic in the Northwest Territories. This is so far north that it’s actually above the Arctic Circle. Arctic Red River Ferry The ferry provides a vital link in the continuity of…
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Lowest Elevation in England
When one considers elevations below sea level, England doesn’t normally come to mind. Maybe someone thinks of the Dead Sea or Death Valley or parts of the Netherlands as natural choices. But England? Indeed, England’s lowest elevation actually sits below sea level by almost three metres. This spot exists at Holme Fen (map) in Cambridgeshire.…