Warren Lester Lane's 1881 Landmark Dial
Stratham, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Marker Inscription
This dial was created by Warren Lester Lane in May of 1881, in Stratham NH. Lester made this dial to represent the mileage and location of 52 geographical landmarks and also a tribute to the Lane Family who had presided over this land for four generations.
Erected by Brandon Blood / Troop 185 / Boy Scouts of America
The Story
In May 1881, Warren Lester Lane built this dial in Stratham to chart the direction and distance of 52 geographical landmarks. He intended it both as a piece of homemade geographic craftsmanship and as a tribute to the four generations of the Lane family who had worked this land.
Why it matters
The dial is a charming example of nineteenth-century Yankee ingenuity and the deep attachment of New England families to their ancestral ground.
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Related people
- Β· Warren Lester Lane
Themes & tags
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