This is the first of a series of old granite mile markers that record the distance along the "King's Hwy" (now Route 25) from Suffolk Court House ("CH"), in what is now Riverhead, Long Island. These may have been positioned by Ben Franklin when he was Postmaster General under George III. The ones in Riverhead have, not surprisingly, all disappeared, but the ones in Southold still exist. The first in a series of videos featuring these mileposts. This one is located near the southern end of Aldrich Lane, on the south side of Franklinville Rd, in the front yard of the beautiful and historic Cleaves-Kuester House (circa 1703). It's just behind the front fence. On the other side of the house lies busy Route 25. You can just about make out the "Suffolk" but the mileage above and the "C.H." below have been effaced by the many elapsed years. It would be a wonderful project to re-create the missing Riverhead markers, in or near their proper place, even if most of them end up in Gas Stations and Seven Elevens.
Here's an interesting article about whether the mile stones were indeed installed by Ben Franklin:
http://www.eastendbeacon.com/2015/05/16/whose-mile-markers-southolds-mile-markers/
Fred's on his habitual lookout. Here I filmed him in morning light, with the sun in the southeast. 2X slo mo. At the end he takes off, and in another short clip I show this take-off in much slower motion.
I modified my set-up slightly so I no longer have to climb on the rickety table, though the tripod/camera are still there, 40 feet away from Fred's perch.
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