I agree with Ryan's assessment ("T" for telegraph office makes no sense as a linear feature), but the book he pointed to is a US Army Field Manual, not a USGS pub. And I'm not sure how much of the symbology would apply to USGS topos? But! See Plate 19 of "Topographic instructions of the United States Geological Survey : Topographic mapping" [1928] at https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/0788e/report.pdf Telegraph or telephone line it is! mf On Tue, Jan 21, 2020 at 8:53 AM Ryan Mattke <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > There is a whole book of USGS topographic symbols (from 1961) available: > https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uiug.30112070112047 > > I see "Tel" for telegraph or telephone lines > <https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uiug.30112070112047?urlappend=%3Bseq=80>. > There's a "T" listed for telegraph office > <https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uiug.30112070112047?urlappend=%3Bseq=98>, > but that wouldn't make sense in a line like that. > > On Mon, Jan 20, 2020 at 10:04 PM David Hodnefield < > [log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> Howdy folks. >> >> >> >> I have a client who is trying to figure out what the symbol “T” means on >> a USGS topographic map (see below). The map is from 1940 and I don’t see >> any interpretation of it on the USGS key of symbols ( >> https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/TopographicMapSymbols/topomapsymbols.pdf). My >> suspicion is a transmission or telephone line, but that’s only a guess. >> Thanks for your help. >> >> [image: cid:image001.jpg@01D5CFBA.0C471770] >> >> >> >> >> >> [image: cid:image002.jpg@01D2F71A.D4FBAE40] >> <http://www.historicalinfo.com/fimo/> [image: seemoreincolor] >> >> >> >> *David Hodnefield* >> >> *President* >> >> [log in to unmask] >> >> 952-253-2004 ext 111 >> >> >> >> *Historical Information Gatherers (HIG)* >> >> www.historicalinfo.com/fimo/ >> >> [image: LinkedIn-Logo-02] <https://www.linkedin.com/organization/2985404>[image: >> facebook icon] >> <https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=historical%20information%20gatherers%20-%20hig>[image: >> twitter icon] <https://twitter.com/HistoricalInfo1>[image: youtube icon] >> <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLftxFDJe-tuucvIyAujnPQa7mKcddUAED> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > > > -- > Ryan Mattke > Map & Geospatial Information Librarian > > Head, John R. Borchert Map Library <https://www.lib.umn.edu/borchert> > Adjunct Faculty, MGIS Program <http://cla.umn.edu/mgis> > Project Lead, Big Ten Academic Alliance Geospatial Data Project > <https://sites.google.com/umn.edu/btaa-gdp/> > Co-Director, Mapping Prejudice Project <https://www.mappingprejudice.org/> > > Phone: 612.624.5757 > Web: http://www.lib.umn.edu/borchert <https://www.lib.umn.edu/borchert> > ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8816-9289 > -- > -- > Ryan Mattke > Map & Geospatial Information Librarian > > Head, John R. Borchert Map Library > Adjunct Faculty, MGIS Program > > Phone: 612.624.5757 > Web: http://www.lib.umn.edu/borchert > ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8816-9289 > -- Michael Fry Collections Manager | Map Library Manager National Geographic Society Library 202.807.3139 [log in to unmask] [image: Nat Geo Logo Yellow_Black.png] <http://www.nationalgeographic.org> 1145 17th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036 [image: Email-Signature8.gif] <https://donate.nationalgeographic.org/em-sig>