Sailing to Philadelphia - Mason Dixon Line crossing US Route 1
Posted by: Groundspeak Charter Member neoc1
N 39° 43.234 W 076° 01.929
18S E 411537 N 4397252
Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon surveyed the famous Mason-Dixon Line between Pennsylvania and Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. The waymark is for where the Mason-Dixon Line crosses US Route 1 between Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Waymark Code: WMFFA0
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 10/10/2012
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member Team Farkle 7
Views: 8

In the ballad "Sailing to Philadelphia" Mark Knopfler, sometimes accompanied with James Taylor, tells the story of the pair of surveyors who were sent to the American Colonies to resolve a border dispute between the Colonies in North America. The story is narrated alternately by Dixon and Mason.

Between 1763 and 1767 Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon surveyed the line that defined the border between Pennsylvania and Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia (now West Virginia). The Mason-Dixon Line came to be regarded and the boundary between the slave owning states of the south and the free states of the north and ultimately between the northern states and the southern states.

In the song Dixon reflects upon his fate:

"It was my fate from birth
To make my mark upon the earth..."

and Mason reflects upon his fate:

"A stargazer am I
It seems that I was born
To chart the evening sky"

Their mission is summed up as follows:

"We are sailing to Philadelphia
A world away from the coaly Tyne
Sailing to Philadelphia
To draw the line
The Mason-Dixon line"


US Route 1 crosses the Mason-Dixon line in northeastern Maryland/ southeastern Pennsylvania.
Musician: Mark Knopfler

Name of Song: Sailing to Philadelphia

Relevant Verse:
We are sailing to Philadelphia A world away from the coaly Tyne Sailing to Philadelphia To draw the line The Mason-Dixon line


Location website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
There are no specific requirements for logging a waymark. You are, however, encouraged to include any funny or interesting pictures of your visit.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Immortalized in Lyrics
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.