The Imaginary Line Between There and Here

Miles Feldner

Junior Division

Individual Exhibit

Word Count: 488 Words

NHD Process Paper

 Choosing My Topic

During the process of making my exhibit, one of the hardest challenges I had to face was finding

the right topic that would fit my interest and would uniquely stand out. When choosing my topic, one of

the key factors I had to keep in mind was being able to find multiple sources about the topic as well as

discover reliable information. The topic that stood out the most capturing the theme of Conflict and

Compromise in our State was the The Division (Boundary) of the Carolinas. When I chose this topic, the

main difficulty I knew I would face was finding information about the original separation (Survey) of the

Carolinas. In order to do this, I had to expand my research and visit larger libraries like the Coastal

Carolina University Kimbel Library. I also reached out to local surveyors for information about the topic.

I recently attended the Pee Dee Chapter of Registered Land Surveyors monthly gathering where David

Ballard, the program coordinator for the South Carolina Geodetic Survey spoke on the SC/NC state line

and county boundary discrepancies which stemmed from the original errors in the boundary survey.

Doing the Research

When I was doing my research and looking for sources of conflict, it was very difficult to find

evidence and artifacts that specifically focused on each historical event which led to the surveying

discrepancy. When the Carolinas began to divide and create the boundary line, conflict arose when errors

were made in the actual surveying process. In 1764, the first of many errors was made while surveying

the line. Research through the years and additional surveys revealed the mistakes in establishing the line

and the maps created from their flawed field-work. Evidence like the maps from several different time

periods helped to illustrate the discrepancy and errors in the establishment of the boundary. Over time,

this discrepancy was continued which resulted in over two centuries of conflict between landowners,

counties, and South Carolina and North Carolina. Current periodicals are still reporting about the changes

and compromise the two states had to reach to move forward.

Putting the Information Into My Work

 All of the information I compiled was sorted and used as reference material to complete my paper

and provide evidence to display on the exhibit. The compromise (identifying and correcting the errors that

were made) was very hard to include because many of the sources and evidence focused on the conflict

and not the compromise. In the end, I discovered the state line boundary correction led to a compromise

between individual landowners, counties, North Carolina and South Carolina for the good of all.

Discussions, interviews and first hand information from surveyors involved in the modern compromise,

provided a great deal of additional, supporting information. The combination of historical documents,

modern reporting and experts on the topic helped to provide as much detail about the topic as possible for

the exhibit.