Here is a great example of how an unknown person preserved a survey marker that was most likely destined to be destroyed by the construction of the steps to the building.
http://www.penryfamily.com/surveying/custermeridian.html
Another nice post, interesting story and good pictures,
enjoyable reading,
chr.
If you mosy around Custer for a while, you will run into my monuments that I set in the late 60's.
For instance, there is a brass cap on an iron post set in the back lawn of the Post Office. Course you would have to dig up the lawn to see it.
And lots more in the area as I resurveyed the township.
Keith
This trip's series of posts/and photos has been interesting- as usual-
I talked briefly w/ Kurt yesterday. Sounds like you all had a good time.
Interesting search. Wish I could have been there.
But I'm confused on the numbers. Isn't 1.2 seconds of longitude in that area about 25 meters, not feet?
That would put it well out of the running for the south end of the meridian. It happens that a recreational grade GPS may occasionally be off 25 feet for periods of minutes to even an hour. That terrain and tree cover would cause a lot of movement in the readings, but I would expect readings that appeared consistent to usually be within 10 meters, and an averaged waypoint (a few minutes) somewhat better.
How accurately were the meridian lines usually set? Even if 5 minutes off north at 1592 feet it could be off only 2.3 feet east-west, which is 0.03 seconds of longitude in that area.