Allen Sanders' Extra Miler Web Site 11-12-2008 1:26pm
If you are visiting this web site,
chances are you're involved in the hobby of "county collecting" or
keeping track of all the counties you have entered, with the ultimate goal of
visiting all 3,143 counties or county equivalents in the United States.
With the help of several professional programmers, I have developed a
comprehensive Microsoft Access data base designed to facilitate keeping track
of not only counties entered, but states, state capitals, and county seats as
well. Programmer Jim Johnson and I modified the download to no longer require a
user to have Microsoft Access and to work with various Windows operating
systems. The program is available to be downloaded from this web site, free of
charge, to any one interested, including neophyte as well as experienced county
collectors.
Users without Microsoft Access
should click here
to download the Microsoft Data Access Components installation file (size: 7.6
MB). Then, in order to download the database itself, each user should click on
the link that represents the Microsoft operating system installed on his or her
computer (choose only one):
Windows
95/98/ME
Windows
2000
Windows
XP
then
follow the instructions for installation.
This program also introduces a new
type of geographical challenge: to cross each of the 134 "abutments"
between states and the 9335 "abutments "
between neighboring counties. It is not necessary, however, to track such
accomplishments to use the rest of the program. For the purpose of measuring
reasonably attainable goals, I have defined certain abutments as "noncrossable" if not crossed by a numbered federal or
state highway, even though some of them can be crossed by unnumbered local
roads or streets, by ferry or other boats, or even by foot.
I have been keeping track of my own
abutments crossed for about 13 years and have crossed all but 6 of the
interstate abutments, and have crossed 6,110 or 65.45% of total intercounty abutments (6001 or 78.83% of the crossable
abutments.) I have crossed all the crossable abutments in Arizona,
Arkansas, Delaware,
Louisiana, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, Texas,
and six New England states, and expect to complete Texas within the next year. I have
tried to be as accurate as possible in setting up the data base, but would
welcome questions or corrections from any other user. If you have already
downloaded this program, click here for a
data base update which will incorporate all corrections I have made without
affecting any personal data you may have entered. In the future, click on this
update utility periodically to capture any new or corrected data.
I hope you enjoy collecting
geographical data as much as I have. Use of this program should certainly
facilitate your record keeping. If you have any questions, corrections or
comments, I can be reached by e-mail at allenandot@yahoo.com, phone
817-429-0344, or mail to Allen Sanders, 813 Firewheel
Trail, Fort
Worth, TX 76112-1701.
- States Entered -
Select the state you've visited from the list on the left side of the
screen. Then click on "State Visited" in the upper right part of
the right side of the screen.
- State Capitals Visited
- On the same screen, click on "Capital Visited" just below
State Visited.
- Interstate Abutments
Crossed - On the same screen, click on "Crossed" by the name
of the abutting state. The offsetting abutments for the other state will
automatically be updated on its screen.
- Counties Entered -
Select the name of the state in which the county is located, double click
and a list of all counties in that state will appear. Select the county
you visited, then click on "County Visited" in the upper right
corner.
- County Seats Entered -
Same screen. Click on "Seat Visited." A few counties have dual
county seats; click on Seat Visited if you have been in either. If you
prefer, only click on Seat Visited if you have been in both seats.
- County Line
Abutments Crossed - Same screen. Click on "Crossed" in the
column to the right of the table of abutting counties. As with abutting
states, if you click on an abutment for one county, the record for the
abutting county will automatically be updated.
Once your personal data is entered,
you can get 15 different reports that provide data about states and counties
and reflect your accomplishments with regard to the 6 types of data entered,
and also "future accomplishment goals" lists of states, state
capitals, counties and county seats not yet entered, and interstate and intercounty abutments not yet crossed. In order to get one
of the following reports, click on menu item "Reports" at the top
left of your screen and a box will drop down. Select the report you're
interested in, select other options, and "Preview" if desired. Click
on "OK" to print all or part of that report.
- State Listing - Lists
all states in alpha order, with capitals, area by square miles,
population, and whether you've visited them. The statistical data on this
and all other reports in this system comes from the 2002 World Almanac and
Book of Facts.
- Unvisited States -
Excerpts data from Report #1 on states that you have not visited.
- State Abutment Summary
- Lists all 108 interstate and 26 international abutments, and whether or not
you have crossed them.
- Uncrossed State Abutments
- Excerpts abutments from Report #3 that you have not yet crossed.
- County Listing
By States - Counties in each state are listed alphabetically. Includes
names of county seats, area in square miles, population, and whether you
have visited them.
- All Counties in the United
States listed alphabetically regardless of state. Includes names of
county seats, area in square miles, population, and whether you have
visited them.
- Unvisited Counties, By
State.
- County Seat Listing -
In alphabetical order nationwide, or in alphabetical order by state. The
list can reflect which seats you have visited.
- Unvisited County Seats
- In alphabetical order of county names, by state.
- County Areas
In Square Miles - In ascending order of size, unless descending order
is selected. If ranking for a single state is wanted, click on "All States," then scroll down to
and click on the desired state; its name will appear in the space where
"All States" previously appeared.
- County Populations
- In ascending order of size, unless descending order is selected. If
ranking for a single state is wanted, click on "All States,"
then scroll down to and click on the desired state; its name will appear
in the space where "All States" previously appeared.
- Abutment Listing -
Each county in a state is listed followed by the code numbers for each
abutting county. For example, the code number for Dallas
County, Alabama is 1.24 (1
for Alabama, 24 for the county ( the 24th of all Alabama counties listed
alphabetically.) Abutments defined as "uncrossable"
are in < >. There is an option available to list abutting counties
"By Name." If the abutting county is in an adjacent state, the
name of the county and the abbreviation for the state is shown. If the
abutment is with a Canadian
Province or an
Estado de Mexico, the abbreviated name is shown.
- Uncrossed Abutment Report
- Lists all your uncrossed abutments by county in state order. To see
crossed abutment information, see item #4 on how to enter your data;
double click on the state, then click on the county names which appear.
One alternate approach would be to print out this "Uncrossed Abutment
Report" and highlight with a marker the abutments as they are
crossed; you could periodically enter this information when time is
available.
- Abutment Summary - You
can enter your name and Extra Miler Club number in the space provided,
then print a one page summary that recaps by state and grand totals all
abutments: intrastate, interstate, and international, crossable and n.c.(noncrossable) and how
many and what percentage you have crossed.
- County Abutment
Analysis - Recapitulates report #14 to more clearly reflect whether
abutments crossed were "crossable" or "noncrossable."
Extra Miler
Club
Additional information about the
Extra Miler Club can be found on its web site (www.extramilerclub.org)
Last revised: May 26, 2008