Archiving Local History

[AcademiaNut]

I recently started geocaching and have been fascinated by the way some caches have archived local history, either by taking you to a historical site or providing historical information on the cache page. I'm curious what experiences other people have had learning local history through geocaching.

[+St.Matthew]

I actually was unsatisfied that local geocaches did not highlight enough history, so I started making my own.

 

For example, this multi takes you on a tour of historical graves, including the true first African American baseball player, the 2nd oldest person in recorded history, the graves of unidentified settlers, and many other interesting sites:

 

http://coord.info/GC3A56M

Edited April 27, 2013 by St.Matthew

[+Manville Possum]

I actually was unsatisfied that local geocaches did not highlight enough history, so I started making my own.

 

For example, this multi takes you on a tour of historical graves, including the true first African American baseball player, the 2nd oldest person in recorded history, the graves of unidentified settlers, and many other interesting sites:

 

http://coord.info/GC3A56M

Same here, and Waymarking has helped too.

[+hukilaulau]

I've learned so much history from geocaching. Among the most obscure but fascinating things I've seen: The first pet cemetery. The first in-ground swimming pool in the United States.

Stuff I didn't even know I wanted to know!

[Mr.Yuck]

I actually was unsatisfied that local geocaches did not highlight enough history, so I started making my own.

 

For example, this multi takes you on a tour of historical graves, including the true first African American baseball player, the 2nd oldest person in recorded history, the graves of unidentified settlers, and many other interesting sites:

 

http://coord.info/GC3A56M

 

St. Matthew does have a good point, there have been many a cache in my area where someone seems to be just throwing out a cache for the sake of throwing out a cache, and do not include any history of the location. Several times a finder will inform the cache owner of the history of the area, and it usually ends up on the cache page. To answer the question though, I have definitely learned about some great local history I didn't know about without Geocaching. And I might have given a few history lessons myself.

[+Michaelcycle]

I recently started geocaching and have been fascinated by the way some caches have archived local history, either by taking you to a historical site or providing historical information on the cache page. I'm curious what experiences other people have had learning local history through geocaching.

 

I like to say that geocaching leverages the local knowledge of hundreds of thousands of people around the globe. It has taken me from the expected: the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China to the unexpected: Doc Holliday's grave and the ruins of a Roman Coliseum in Bordeaux.

Do your fellow geocachers a favor, share YOUR local knowlege!

[medoug]

I actually was unsatisfied that local geocaches did not highlight enough history, so I started making my own.

 

For example, this multi takes you on a tour of historical graves, including the true first African American baseball player, the 2nd oldest person in recorded history, the graves of unidentified settlers, and many other interesting sites:

 

http://coord.info/GC3A56M

 

Me too. More than half of my 37 active caches have some type of local historical connection. Here's a list of some of the historical sites I have brought people to through geocaching:

 

1800's beer cellar, abandoned satellite complex, historical bridges, 1960's nuclear fallout shelter, 1800's grain mills, interesting gravesites, homes of historically significant figures, and more.

If interested, you can read about them here:medoug's caches

Edited April 28, 2013 by medoug

[+wimseyguy]

Agreed, I love caches that tell me bits of local history I wouldn't otherwise learn about.

 

When I was working on the write up for my Executive Decision cache that tells about our governor's mansion, I discovered that one of my employees was a descendant of the first occupant of the mansion. And a few blocks away I have another cache that describes our State Capitol.

[+tozainamboku]

Ok. I'll accept that some people enjoy history, no matter how esoteric or trivial. Most towns and cities have an historic society that likes to preserve some history. Apparently geocaching has attracted a fair number of these history geeks. They seem to find any cache that shares a bit of history a better cache than an identical caches that doesn't. What I don't understand is an expectation that other cachers must this interest in history. The majority of caches are going to be placed because the hider has found a place to hid a cache. The majority of finders are going to be happy just getting the smiley. There is no "wow" requirement saying that a cache has to bring you to an historic location nor a requirement that cache owners put historic info on the cache page.

 

I have given the example of these two caches before.

 

GCPV78 was the original cache in the area. It tells the story that this location was the site of a barn that belonged to a former heavyweight boxing champion. After the man died and the property was sold, the barn itself was moved to Knotts Berry Farm where it remains to this day.

 

GC1HF2V was placed to increase cache density in the area.

 

Some people will approve of the first cache but not the second. When you go to either of these caches you find yourself in the same parking lot shared by a grocery store and drug store. In either case you will have lifted the skirt at the lamppost to find the cache - a container with only a log sheet in it. There is nothing to see at this location other than what you would find in any similar parking lot.

 

Apparently the power of history is so strong for some people, that any bit of historic trivia can turn a lame cache into a favorite.

 

Where I live, there are tons of locations where either some movie was shot, or where a celebrity lived or crashed their car or whatever. If you were to require caches to have some interesting event be associated with an location it would not be hard to make something up. The history geeks might like the caches, but something tells me a real historian would want to see more documentation and evidence than are typically provided. GC2NQ21 may or may not be near the place where Toto was buried.

[+simpjkee]

I like historical caches, but I think they are difficult to do. I believe if someone takes on a historical cache, they owe it to the history and their fellow cachers to make sure their historical information is accurate. I've seen caches that claim history, but actually just spew misinformation. There is one cache in particular that claimed to be at the site of a historical event (that I am personally very interested in) but in reality was over a mile off. When it comes to sharing history, I expect better.

[+briansnat]

Apparently the power of history is so strong for some people, that any bit of historic trivia can turn a lame cache into a favorite.

 

It could for me. A cache in a lampost in a parking lot is just another LPC to me. A cache in the same lamp post that tells me that the "Battle of Sandywine Creek" occurred at that location in 1777 will certainly make it more interesting for me, especially if the page describes a bit about the battle.

 

I just came back from NM and there was a series of caches that I found that explained the history of the indigenous people and the geology of the land. The caches were nothing out of the ordinary, very easy finds usually clearly visible from some distance away, but the educational experience to me made them a cut above the ordinary.

 

I've asked many times for an "historic location" attribute, but it hasn't gotten anywhere.

Edited April 28, 2013 by briansnat

[+Sharks-N-Beans]

Apparently the power of history is so strong for some people, that any bit of historic trivia can turn a lame cache into a favorite.

 

It could for me. A cache in a lampost in a parking lot is just another LPC to me. A cache in the same lamp post that tells me that the "Battle of Sandywine Creek" occurred at that location in 1777 will certainly make it more interesting for me, especially if the page describes a bit about the battle.

 

I just came back from NM and there was a series of caches that I found that explained the history of the indigenous people and the geology of the land. The caches were nothing out of the ordinary, very easy finds usually clearly visible from some distance away, but the educational experience to me made them a cut above the ordinary.

 

I've asked many times for an "historic location" attribute, but it hasn't gotten anywhere.

 

Just my two cents...If the BofSC LPC cache is within eye shot of some geographic features that allow the finder to pause and envision the battle taking place, then I agree. If the description, or some local plaque, states that Colonel Mustard lead his forces up a hill that was at the current location of the lawn and garden section and was able to surprise Colonel Klink's forces that were camped below at the now go cart track at Magic Mountain, then I think it's silly.

 

The historic location attribute will get saturated with garbage very quickly. I think this is because every place on earth existed in history. My dad bought a farm. When we were kids, we found a letter nailed to a beam in the barn from some German guy written in old German. To some, that barn may be a candidate for that historical attribute.

 

...I'm rambling now.

[+briansnat]

The historic location attribute will get saturated with garbage very quickly. I think this is because every place on earth existed in history.

 

Because attributes are often misused that's no reason not to have them. They can be a starting point in eliminating the chaff. When I visit an area and am faced with thousands of caches to choose from, I can use that attribute to cut the number to hundreds and that would make finding caches that interest me easier.

[+Sharks-N-Beans]

The historic location attribute will get saturated with garbage very quickly. I think this is because every place on earth existed in history.

 

Because attributes are often misused that's no reason not to have them. They can be a starting point in eliminating the chaff. When I visit an area and am faced with thousands of caches to choose from, I can use that attribute to cut the number to hundreds and that would make finding caches that interest me easier.

Fair enough, if it works for enough people it would be good. We never look at attributes because they are so inconsistent. If we feel like climbing trees, we look at terrain, not the tree climbing attribute. That works in our area because terrain either means a tree climb or a boat paddle.

[medoug]

There is no "wow" requirement saying that a cache has to bring you to an historic location nor a requirement that cache owners put historic info on the cache page.

 

...you will have lifted the skirt at the lamppost to find the cache - a container with only a log sheet in it. There is nothing to see at this location other than what you would find in any similar parking lot.

 

Apparently the power of history is so strong for some people, that any bit of historic trivia can turn a lame cache into a favorite.

 

 

That is why it is important to place these caches where there is still some remaining structure, or at least give a detailed account of what makes the place special in the description. One technique that my brother and I have used is to include old photos or sketches in the description that shows what the structure or place had looked like at the time of the famous historical event.

 

Even a LPC placed where something historic once took place is better than an ordinary LPC if the description provides details of the historic event and what things would have looked like at that time. If not, then I agree that it's pretty much just another lame LPC.

Edited April 28, 2013 by medoug

[+Manville Possum]

The historic location attribute will get saturated with garbage very quickly. I think this is because every place on earth existed in history.

 

Because attributes are often misused that's no reason not to have them. They can be a starting point in eliminating the chaff. When I visit an area and am faced with thousands of caches to choose from, I can use that attribute to cut the number to hundreds and that would make finding caches that interest me easier.

I may be guilty of using a watch for livestock attribute on a LPC in a shopping center, but we could really make good use of a historic listing attribute. It would be very helpful when running a PQ by cache type/attribute.

Also some of my best history listings are virtuals/waymarks, because a physical geocache can't just be placed anywhere.

[+tozainamboku]

Even a LPC placed where something historic once took place is better than an ordinary LPC if the description provides details of the historic event and what things would have looked like at that time. If not, then I agree that it's pretty much just another lame LPC.

 

There is an entire department of Waymarking devoted to sharing historic locations. Most of these categories require a picture. Many also require other documentation of historic significance, such as a link to the National Registry of Historic Places website. The waymark description provides ample opportunity to provide details about the site.

 

Yet many geocachers who like history turn up their noses at Waymarking.

 

For a cache you simply place a cache (or for those who want to bring back virtuals, not even that). There are no special requirements as to what historic event happened here (other than a subjective "wow" requirement for virtuals). You can put as many or as few details as you like on the cache page. You don't need to research the Internet and provide links unless you want to.

 

For the Waymark, the category managers will decide if they location is significant enough to be included in their category. They will insure there are pictures (sometime even then and now photographs), and links to other websites that verify the events took place there.

 

For those who want to bring back History virtual caches, you only have to look to EarthCaches to see that a cache type reviewed by professional historians is going to have significant requirements not only to provide educational information but to demonstrate that the site is truly significant with historic evidence to back up this claim.

 

A Historic Location attribute may be useful for those looking for caches at historic places. But don't expect this to be a seal of approval that the historic facts are correct, let alone that the cache owner provided any historic facts. Anyone can put the attribute on the cache just as they can put Scenic View or Available During Winter. My guess is that it will not be abused any more than these other attributes, but that we will certainly be entertained by all the forum posts complaining that the historic location attribute was used "incorrectly".

[Mr.Yuck]

Hey, St. Matthew just brought it up, and I mentioned that I noticed it too in my area. Does that make me an official History Geek? Living in the Northeast, I would suppose we have more early American history than one would have in California, although history is all around us, no matter where we live in North America. Or other parts of the world too, although I don't surf too many "foreign" cache pages.

 

We do have an abundance of historical markers in what are now parking lots up in these parts. You know, sort of like "this was an underground railroad site during the civil war" or something. Would I consider a cache 5 feet off the side of the road to be "better" than your average park-n-grab 5 feet off the side of the road, and stuck to a guardrail? Not really, Although I've personally not come across such a situation.

 

C'mon now Toz, are you really going to refer history geeks to Waymarking? It's rather obvious that never caught on, and never will. Even most of it's hardcore original supporters are long gone. I think it needs to go the way of Geocaching Challenges. Erase it like it never existed. Note I've visited well over 100, and have created two.