Dr. Watson! Are you ready for a geographical adventure?
According to reference materials I've recently consulted, the exact "Geographic Center of New York State" is located at:
N42 57.900, W76 1.000
The description that accompanies the reference to the coordinates reads: 12 miles south of Oneida and 26 miles southwest of Utica. That's on Lynch Road, just east of the village of Pratt's Hollow. The book Syracuse Atlas, 3rd Edition does, indeed, show a spot labeled as the Geographical Center of New York State, which matches that description. Are you following?
The three-pipe problem we face, my good doctor, is this" that particular intersection of latitude and longitude does NOT place one near Pratt's Hollow! If you go to the spot marked by those coordinates you will find yourself in the Town of Pompey at a point slightly east of Sweet Road, and just north of the intersection with Gates Road. That is southwest of Manlius, New York. This fact creates a dilemma. We must discover the truth!
What I suggest as a solution, is that if one wishes to claim to have seen the center of New York State, one must visit both locations. Agreed, Watson?
Of course, you will have questions, so please take time to check the references below. See what you make of this situation for yourself. I will be glad to dicuss the problem further, but I think you will agree that our course is clear. We simply MUST see these two places for ourselves. After finding the first spot, we will continue our quest in Episode 2.
Whatever else the journey may bring, this final deduction must be fact: only one of these two places can be the true center of New York State. But, I fear that in geography, as in life, few things are that simple. The wise man knows that a complex problem is rarely answered with a simple solution.
Remember the Dartmoor Heath? Likewise, Watson, the terrain here will be thick and wet. To protect ourselves we shall don rough clothing: hats, pants, and long-sleeve overshirts. Do you still have that wonderfully strong insect repellent you kept as a souvenir of military service in India? Please bring it along in your medical bag. We will surely need it!
Now, let's be off, Doctor! The game is afoot!
"Maps were made and charts prepared." - Study in Scarlet
USGS - US Elevations & Distances: Geographic Centers
About.com - Geographic Centers of the Fifty States
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Here are the rules of "the game" to log this cache:
1. Upload a photo that shows you and your GPS at the virtual cache location: N42 57.900, W75 1.000.
2. Upload a second photo of your GPS satellite screen clearly showing the coordinates, date, and time.
3. In your log report, please tell us about your adventure, including any comments you may have about the challenge of determining the center of a state. A professional geographer at the USGS Rocky Mt. Mapping Center in Denver, Colorado explained that there is no single correct method for determining a state center. The popular idea that the center of a state is the point where you could balance the shape of the state on a pin, is just one method among several.