FUN WITH MAPS – ISSUE 2022-052 DAILY FEATURE:
By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)
LOVELAND, OH (March 16, 2022) – In Issue 2022-052 of Steve Kovacs Fun with Maps, we celebrate 220 years of military and academic excellence.
THE BLACK KNIGHTS
The United States Military Academy, better known as West Point, is 220 years old today.
Established originally in 1778 as a fort strategically overlooking the Hudson River in southern New York state, the academy was founded in 1802 by decree of Thomas Jefferson.
The central campus is a national landmark with many historical buildings and monuments.
Today about 1300 cadets enter the academy each July and about 1000 graduate out of that class.
Famous alumni include Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, George Armstrong Custer, Dwight David Eisenhower, George Patton, Buzz Aldrin, and Edgar Allan Poe who tried to resign but could not without his stepfather’s permission so proceeded to get himself famously court-martialed.
This folding map of New York state was issued by Tanner in 1847.
State of New York – 1847 (Credit Steve Kovacs)
Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.
Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Antique Maps & Fun Facts here on Loveland Beacon.
