Here are a few pictures from the recent expedition that Kurt Luebke and I took. In three days we covered 1300 miles in Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado together in search of monuments. Kurt had spent the previous two days before that searching in Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri alone, so some serious recoveries going on. We also did two complete remonumentations of 1890 Missouri River Commission tri stations. I learned that it is best to first go inside a small town bank and tell them you are taking pictures of a survey marker and not casing out the bank. I'll post a variety of images in the following days, but here are pictures from Meades Ranch in Kansas. It was my third pilgrimage there and Kurt's first. We did not make it to station Waldo since we could not find anyone around for permission, but we did stop in the town for a few pictures.
Meades Ranch tri station.
Meades Ranch disk.
Meades Ranch.
Possible stones at the SW Corner of Section 34, T9S, R11W. The original description for Meades Ranch ties in the section corner at S8°36'W - 625 yards which took us to this location. These might be old limestone fence posts instead since we could find no markings on them.
Entering Waldo, Kansas.
Water Tower at Waldo.
Bench mark in post office wall at Waldo.
Close up of disk at Waldo post office.
Historical sign about Meades Ranch in Osborne, Kansas.
[pre] KG0640'THE RECOVERED MARK WAS CUT OFF ABOUT 14 INCHES BELOW THE GROUND
KG0640'SURFACE, A HOLE WAS THEN DRILLED AND A 1/4 INCH BRASS BOLT CEMENTED
KG0640'IN PLACE, MARKING THE POSITION AS RECOVERED, AND COVERED WITH A
KG0640'FLAT ROCK. A ROUND FORM WAS THEN CONSTRUCTED FOR THE NEW CONCRETE
KG0640'MARK, 24 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND TO ABOUT 1 INCH ABOVE THE GROUND
KG0640'SURFACE A THIN GROUTING MIXTURE WAS THEN APPLIED TO THE OLD
KG0640'CONCRETE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CONSTRUCTED FORM AND THE FORM FILLED
KG0640'WITH A CONCRETE MIXTURE OF THE BEST MATERIALS OBTAINABLE. THE
KG0640'MARK WAS DRESSED TO A OVAL TOP, PROJECTING ABOUT 6 INCHES ABOVE
KG0640'SURFACE AND THE ORIGINAL TABLET SET IN POSITION.[/pre]
Interesting that the 1948 crew didn't stamp this as a reset mark.
You do visit some cool locations. But then only another weird surveyor would think these places are cool. Most people would think we're nuts!
The original Meades Ranch in 1891 was a marble post that was replaced in 1922 with a flat top concrete pyramid shaped marker. People kept chipping off pieces of the concrete as souvenirs, so they went to the round dome in 1948. That disk was placed in 1922 and then reused in 1948.
I covered over 700 miles from Omaha to Kansas City to Beatrice to Denton and back to Omaha to fly home. I found a few other Missouri River Commission bench marks and Tri-stations, went to the Arabia boat museum (highly recommended) and to the Homestead National Monument. An excellent week!
Excellent work and pics. Thanks for sharing. As a non-PLSSer, I must point out that it is not the "Primary Station for ALL North American surveys". It is for most.
Meades Ranch is a triangulation station that is not connected to PLSS work, but rather it is the datum center point for the North American Datum of 1927 which covered all of North America.
> Meades Ranch is a triangulation station that is not connected to PLSS work, but rather it is the datum center point for the North American Datum of 1927 which covers all of North America.
Mr. Penry,
My apologies. I don't what I was thinking. :-S Geez. Multitasking has it's disadvantages.
Some days are diamonds, some days are coal.
Dang it!
Now everyone can "find Waldo".
Looks like a good time. Thanks for sharing the pictures.
N10,000, E7,000, Z100.00
PLS - IL, MO, AR, KS, MN, KY
Dang it!
> Now everyone can "find Waldo".
:good:
>Interesting that the 1948 crew didn't stamp this as a reset mark.
A horizontal control disk would not be stamped RESET, but it would be typical to find both the original and reset dates stamped. If a horizontal station is replaced by one nearby, but not essentially in the same place, it is stamped with the original designation followed by a number, as 'THISNAME 2'.
If an elevation mark is replaced by one nearby, it is stamped with the original designation and RESET.
Notice on the datasheet that Meades Ranch is officially designated "Meades Ranch Reset". I am not sure when this "Reset" suffix was added to the name, but during the 1948 remonumentation there was some thought that the monument that was placed in 1922 had shifted 0.043 feet to the northeast. Curio seekers had been hammering away at the surface monument. The position as found in 1948 was held since the shift could not be completely verified. This might be the reason for the "Reset" designation. Station Waldo has been remonumented, but it does not have the "Reset" suffix.
I drove through Waldo, KS this morning on the way to the happening 'burg of Cawker City, but I blinked so I missed the entire town.
Cawker City
Is the ball of twine still growing?
Cawker City
> Is the ball of twine still growing?
Not only is Frank Stoeber's ball of twine still growing, others in town are trying for other "diverse" records:
Just about a half mile north and west of the "twine shrine" is Frank's nephew Enus Stoeber's attempt at the world's largest pile of rusty mobile homes:
Looks like he's got a good start.
I guess that means I am really weird :'(
N10,000, E7,000, Z100.00
PLS - IL, MO, AR, KS, MN, KY
Trailer Houses
There is a guy in Lancaster County, Nebraska that might be getting close to a trailer house record.
40°41'04" 96°53'37"
Trailer Houses
Hope, Arkansas held the record in 2006.
This is about 5 miles NW of 117 South Hervey Street in Hope, Arkansas.
DDSM;-)
Trailer Houses
FEMA trailers after Katrina, no doubt.