This cache has been placed to demonstrate how Carson City has been
kind to our four-legged friends, both past and present, and to
provide a brief lesson on one of my favorite, local historic
monuments. This is a two-step multi-cache because Stage 1 does not
lend itself to a hide.
Stage 1
The plaque reads:
“1909
Presented by
The National Humane Alliance
Herman Lee Ensign
Founder”
There is also a plaque nearby on the ground which reads:
“The restoration of this historic fountain was made
possible by a grant of the Nevada 125th Anniversary Commission and
is in recognition of the work with animal rights by the National
Humane Alliance at the turn of the century. Further recognition is
given to the many dedicated people who have, over the years, cared
for and kept this fountain intact.”
History:
Fountains (watering troughs) similar to this one were
constructed in Vinalhaven, Maine (an island off the coast from
Rockland) and presented to cities by the National Humane Alliance.
Mr. Herman Lee Ensign left his fortune to the Humane Alliance,
which he founded to carry out his ideas for the welfare of animals.
His childhood love of animals grew and became the dominating
interest of his life. He acquired his fortune through twenty years
in the advertising business. He created a “new” form of
newspaper advertising – headline reading advertisement. The
fountains, which are not all identical, are made of granite and
weigh approximately five tons. The large horse bowls are six foot
across and the fountains are over six feet tall. At the base, there
are four small water bowls for dogs, cats and other small animals.
Most of them have dates from 1906 to 1911. In total, at least 70
fountains were distributed across the U.S. and one was discovered
in Mexico. This is one of the few that have been restored.
For more information and photos of other fountains, go to my
source of plagiarism:
electronicvalley.org/derby/quiz/pages/wateringtrough.htm. If you
have further information about this particular fountain, please
include it in your log. In geocaching, unlike a court of law,
hearsay is admissible. Oh, and I would love to see some photos of
you at the fountain!
Stage 2
The cache is actually located a few blocks away; walking
distance from Stage 1, but parking is nearby. This grassy area is
presently very dog friendly, so take your loyal companion and use
the clean-up materials if needed. It is managed by State Building
and Grounds, and the Administrator has granted me permission to
place it here. Capitol Police has been advised also. To calculate
the coordinates to the container (a large prescription bottle),
simply add the date (day) of the month that the monument was
re-dedicated to the end of the following north coordinates and add
the year of re-dedication to the west coordinates:
N 39 09.723 i.e. 723 + day = N
W 119 43.720 3720 + year = W
