So, it's a sunny, cloudless day sky here in NC, a perfect day for an old man to get out of the house. Fall color is creeping below 1,000 feet:
It's a great time for a little outing to Lexington, NC, but not for barBQ. In NC, it's all pork and we're not going to argue that. We have Eastern barBQ (vinegar sauce) and Lexington barBQ (tomato sauce); I like both, both are available near me, so we're not going to argue that. Instead, here is the macro point of interest:
North side, there is a ramp which makes walking easy for old dudes.?ÿ
The micro point of interest is in the wall on the other side of the railing and below the level of the ramp. Difficult for an old man to photograph, but I managed:
Good ol' FA0051 set by USGS apparently in 1896. For a Ken-quality courthouse picture, Google Davidson County NC Courthouse. I didn't want to be hit by a car or arrested trying to get that one!
Here's a photo from Geocaching.?ÿ?ÿ Neither of the stamped elevations are NGVD29 nor NAVD88 per the NGS sheet. I'd also question whether this was precisely in its original position or has been re-mounted with the twist and odd color adhesive (I'm taking the drool of adhesive above it as vertical reference).
Hazy Shade of Winter...
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@bill93?ÿ
I wondered about the adhesive, but if it was set in 1896, then it would be remarkable if the elevation matched either of the later ones.
Was it really a $250 fine in 1896? What is that in today's dollars? OK i answered my own question.
Mount Mitchell Park was closed last week due to snow and ice.?ÿ
You're right about the monument's current position, Here's the data sheet recovery note:
FA0051'RECOVERY NOTE BY GEOCACHING 2005 (WD)
FA0051'THE USGS BM DISK IS SET VERTICALLY IN THE NORTHEAST FACE OF THE
FA0051'NORTHEAST STONE FOUNDATION OF THE DAVIDSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 7.0 FEET
FA0051'NORTHWEST OF THE EAST CORNER OF THE COURTHOUSE AND BEHIND A WHEELCHAIR
FA0051'RAMP LEADING TO THE MAIN ENTRANCE, ABOUT 1.0 FEET
FA0051'SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE RAMP, 0.6 FEET BELOW THE TOP OF
FA0051'THE WATER TABLE, 0.3 FEET BELOW THE TOP OF THE RAMP, AND 2.7 FEET
FA0051'ABOVE THE LEVEL OF THE SIDEWALK. THE DISK IS STAMPED 809.487 FEET
FA0051'ABOVE SEA LEVEL 811.
Which is where it is now.
From here:?ÿ
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
GEORGE OTIS SMITH, Director
Bulletin 646
SPIRIT LEVELING IN NORTH CAROLINA
1896 TO 1914, INCLUSIVE
which can be found here: report.pdf (usgs.gov)?ÿ ?ÿshows this:
LINWOOD QUADRANGLE.
[Latitude 35?ø 45'-36?ø; longitude 80?ø 15'-80?ø 30'.]
From Lexlngton along Southern By. to Holtsburg.
Lexington, southeast corner of county courthouse; bronze tablet stamped Feet.
" 811"..........................................:.................. 809.503
So the monument has moved from the Southeast side to the Northeast side of the courthouse. Whether it's the same monument is questionable, looking at the pictures on PDF page 5 of the publication.
The $250 fine was in effect, though.
?ÿ
It seems unlikely anyone would move it to a different place on the building. I wouldn't take the directions given as proof it was moved, after seeing some other confused directions on data sheets, and this building sits nearly 45 deg from cardinal.?ÿ?ÿ
What one called the east corner could easily be what another called the southeast corner, and that description did not say which face of the building it was on.
I suppose the USGS publication found the disk stamped only 811 and the 809.503 was their measurement at the time, not stamped,?ÿ and the 809.487 was stamped later by someone else.