While those in DC and NYC will declare the United States the center of the world and each argue among themselves that their city is the center of the US, the actual center of the US (the lower 48) - and hence the world - sits out in north-central Kansas*. The marker is located about ½ mile from the actual site at the intersection of Aa Road and 130 Road a couple of miles NW of Lebanon.

Where it should be.

Have a seat on the bench and feel the world revolve around you ...

*The US Geodetic Survey determined the point in 1918 by cutting out a cardboard map of the US and balancing it on a pencil ...
This marker - set in 1940 - is actually about ½ mile from the actual - more or less - location which is in the middle of a private field. If one considers Alaska and Hawaii (Alaska, yes; Hawaii, no), the point is up near the point where South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana join.

You didn't think I meant that place back east, did you?

Belmont, Nevada was another of central Nevada's silver towns. Formed in 1865, the town became the Nye County seat in 1867. By the 1870s, it was a major mining town with a population of at least 2000 people - some estimates suggest 15,000 people.

As the major town in the area, it held multiple stores, saloons (it's not a town without a saloon), restaurants, banks, two newspapers, and probably a bawdy house or two ... until about 1887 when enough of the mines had closed and the population dwindled. In 1905, the county seat moved to the new town Tonopah (founded 1901), another silver town.

Several structures still stand ... except the 1874 St Stephens Catholic church which - after being abandoned by 1901 when Belmont faded away - was moved 20 miles to Manhattan.

Manhattan had been established in 1867 with the silver boom of that year but abandoned by 1871. Kick-started into life again in 1905 during a gold rush when 4000 people came to the area, Manhattan itself became a major town (for that era).

In 1908, the abandoned church at Belmont was moved to Manhattan and re-consecrated as the Sacred Heart Mission.

Like most mining towns in Nevada, the mines eventually played out, the population moved away, and the church was once again abandoned by 1953.

The town was never fully abandoned; the current population is a bit over 100 people. A saloon and hotel are still active as are some minor mining efforts.

The church is abandoned but a tight eye is kept on the building. The structure is in good shape, the stained glass windows are still intact, and preservation efforts continue, albeit slowly.

Both Manhattan and Belmont are worth a visit should one find themselves with time in central Nevada wondering what to do.

The NAD email database seems to have been corrupted. If anyone has sent an email in the past few days, it's quite likely I didn't receive it.

The problem should be fixed later today or tonight - aren't computers fun?

Update Tues 10/28
Seems to be OK now.

Well, that "wintry" storm predicted for Saturday seemed to have been a fizzle; most of the day was drizzling rain with temperatures hovering around high 40s/low 50s. We thought the storm predictions were off. Ugly weather to be out in but certainly not what was predicted.

Then the storm hit about sundown. Late, but it arrived.

A quick moving front with rain, sleet, and hail pushed along with 60-70 mph winds. It was trying to snow ... but no cigar.

Sometimes there are disadvantages living on top of a hill.

The storm came from a less-likely direction and the lay of the land is such that the valley below narrows as it get to its head. Focuses that wind to a narrow channel and we live at the neck.

Around 40 minutes of such ... then it passed by and the sun broke through just as it was setting. 10 minutes of beautiful light for a photographer. Then the clouds moved back in as the sun dropped below the horizon.

Mrs DT had just put up a garden shelter - a semi-greenhouse. It flopped around quite a bit but survived the test. But today is a day to re-anchor the covering.

The temperatures did not drop as low as expected. The snow level stayed higher than expected. And the early morning sky was dark and clear with stars shining brighter than usual.

Against predictions, today looks like a beautiful day to clean up storm debris. For a short while at least. More of the same predicted for this afternoon and overnight.

A quick foretaste of things to come though ...