It's an abandoned trunk rail line, a few rotten cross timbers still in the dirt. It's elevated about 30 feet above the surrounding swampy terrain. I can't find it on any maps, present or vintage, but it's probably from the mid 20th century. The interesting thing is it runs absolutely parallel to the wall for a period of a few thousand yards(the question of scale is tricky on these old maps, but it does run parallel). It may or may not have been built on top of the wall, but when I'm cutting a trail I always follow the easiest route that's been cut before. Those are stone in the exposed section, cut square and dry stacked. I don't know much about railroad bed construction.

2/14/2011 4:03:49 PM

Yeah, that was a railroad spur going to a factory on capital. Built mid20th century, as I said. No real importance, which is good because there's no way in hell I'm ever going back in those woods. Shanties everywhere. One of the hobos had stolen a Raleigh police class b uniform, I found it in his camp. I could hear one of them following me. Not deer, but human, I saw plenty of deer. I now completely understand why that paper delivery girl got stabbed to death there. It also gets your heart racing to slowly cross a railroad trestle bridge and hear the horn in the distance. You can't run, you'll fall through the open cross ties.

My new guess is the fortifications became the basis for Maywood Ave, turning at the caraleigh property line, before ducking down through what is today Mathew Chapel Holy Church, explaining why maywood isn't really straight or E-W aligned. As late as 1938 a fence can be seen in backyards that has no good reason to be oriented the way it is. Speaking of sketchy neighborhoods and shanties...I doubt some of those houses have running water. Who in their right mind would spend a half million on an apartment in that neighborhood?

Anyway, that quadrant seems to be thoroughly paved over. I guess my next area will be east raleigh. I hate east raleigh.

[Edited on February 17, 2011 at 4:07 PM. Reason : .]

2/17/2011 4:02:49 PM

why

2/17/2011 4:13:17 PM

add to my topics, ftw.

2/18/2011 2:29:10 AM

No great detail, but here's map of Raleigh from 1920.
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/raleigh_nc_1920.jpg

I never new about the orphanage in the NW corner. Also it's still spelled "Hillsboro" on this one.

3/1/2011 12:22:40 AM

how is Oxford to both the south and the north?

3/1/2011 12:56:30 AM

That's the Methodist Orphanage and Bloomsbury Park.

Trolley Lines.

3/1/2011 2:26:56 PM

Quote :

"Confederate fortifications for Raleigh ran along the top of the ridge behind what are now Cleveland Street and Wills Forest Street, curving around to following St. Mary's Street to the south."

http://www.glenwoodbrooklyn.com/history.html

3/1/2011 6:50:12 PM

^

3/1/2011 7:25:57 PM

Quote :

"That's the Methodist Orphanage"

I work in one of the former Methodist Orphanage buildings during the summers.

3/2/2011 7:28:56 AM

Quote :

"how is Oxford to both the south and the north?"

I was wondering this myself. I know the earth is round and all, but...

3/2/2011 8:17:50 AM

ton of old wake county maps here
http://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm4/results.php?CISORESTMP=results.php&CISOVIEWTMP=item_viewer.php&CISOMODE=grid&CISOGRID=thumbnail,A,1;title,A,1;displa,A,0;publis,A,0;collec,A,0;30;date,title,none,none,none&CISOBIB=mapid,A,1,N;collec,A,0,N;title,200,0,N;none,A,0,N;none,A,0,N;20;mapid,none,none,none,none&CISOTHUMB=20%20%284x5%29;mapid,none,none,none,none&CISOTITLE=20;mapid,none,none,none,none&CISOHIERA=20;collec,mapid,none,none,none&CISOSUPPRESS=0&CISOTYPE=link&CISOOP1=exact&CISOFIELD1=spatia&CISOBOX1=Wake+County&CISOOP2=exact&CISOFIELD2=collec&CISOBOX2=&CISOOP3=exact&CISOFIELD3=title&CISOBOX3=&CISOOP4=exact&CISOFIELD4=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOBOX4=&c=exact&CISOROOT=%2Fncmaps

all old nc maps
http://www.lib.unc.edu/dc/ncmaps/browse_location.html

3/2/2011 9:45:56 AM