Carson City mint building

Check out this c. 1879 (?) photograph of the Carson City mint. Can anyone tell me what the white posts are for?

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/displ...79<br>HABS NEV,13-CARCI,20-1&displayProfile=0

 

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To keep terrorists from running car bombs at the building........

I'll go stand in the corner.

 

I'll guess "elevation posts" for the survey.

 

aka security bollards to keep out the horse bombs?

 

Horse ties?

Maybe they were all form & no function? They did love form over function back then

 

Well, you guys came up with all my answers while I was referring to Roger's book, "From Mine to Mint". The book has this photo and a photo taken from the rear showing the 2-story addition as well as floor plans for each floor including the basement.

It is also interesting to note that Roger also included reports of people who found defaced dies (Xed out) in the garbage dump that was at the rear of the building.

Chris

 

Wah-wah-wha

 

Hitching posts did cross my mind.

 

I'm thinking they had a lot of wagons come to drop silver off by the mine owners to be minted into trade dollars and went overboard to ensure all wagons on a heavy day would have a place to "park" in such a barren wasteland. It's the only logical explanation I can think of.

 

Here is a large zoom-able copy of the photo from Wikipedia. The site the OP linked to says the photo is circa 1879, wiki says circa 1866 (lol - wasn't even constructed until 1869 I think!). In any case, you can zoom in and see that the posts are wooden, and seem to be held in place by a stake or two into the ground. I 'd wager they are not plumb enough nor sturdy enough to be survey related. Also looks like they are doing some grading/landscaping/construction around the mint (paving streets?). Seem pretty temporary whatever they are.

 

This wiki article says:
The Carson City Mint was created in 1863 but wasn't put into operation until 1870.
A really neat historical picture in any case.

 

That's probably the answer.

 

A little more reading gives this info...

authorized in 1863, construction begins late 1866, shell of building completed by late 1867, insides completed late 1869, minting begins 1870.

My guess is the wooden "posts" in the pic are protecting tree saplings. Later pictures do show trees around the building. Just a thought.

 

Notice how there is a smaller post in front of each one going a quarter of the way up. I say this is more evidence for the horse hitch theory. It's reinforcementint incase a few horses start pulling. Extra measure redundancies and all

The white lattice I'd say is just lipstick so you didn't have railroad ties sticking up around the building

 

I too think it is tree protection.
Here is a picture with the trees growing out of the top of them and another when they are full grown.

 

Huh, could be. Spacing looks correct

 

Hold your cards, I think we have a winner! Hence the slats for moisture and light...?

 

hitching posts

 

I stand corrected. You nailed it.

 

Yes, those are the pictures I saw that made me think of the tree idea. Thanks for posting!