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Ever Find A Pipecap/benchmark That Only You Are Able To Log?


Mystery Ink

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Mystery Ink,

I too am interested in the Old School.

My reason for hunting benchmarks is just for the reason you posted.

Historic Old Buildings.

I find as much interest in them as I do the benchmarks.

Many times there are other marks associated with the main one,that is a chisled square or the likes can be the other benchmarks in the area as well..

I usually find them on one of the corners of the footings of the old buildings.

I think they are called traverse points.

 

I have been coast to coast and have seen many wonderful things.

 

My Pipe cap is not logable.

It is on family lands in New Mexico.

I will try to did out the picture.

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Just curious if any of you recovered a Benchmark that you had access to but nobody else had?

 

What was yours?

 

We have 'Found' benchmarks on other people's property in the past.

 

Just recently we 'Found' one in the back yard of an Arizona Highway Patrol Officer's house.

 

Usually all that is needed is to knock on the door and ask to see the benchmark. Most folks are quite willing to even point out where the benchmark is!

 

John

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Yeah, I have one that will be hard for anyone else to recover, and not because I have any special 'in" with the property owner. I was just the first person to ask, but I am willing to bet the next person will get run off. KW3100 Wellsville was at the top of a hill in my area, located at or near the line between what seems to be two feuding property owners. And the ONLY two houses on this hill to boot.

 

Owner 1 had a nasty pit bull who barked and banged against the door. He was no more pleasant than the dog and grumpily sent me to owner 2, who he said probably wouldn't let me look. At this point it was obvious there was no love between the two, and I was losing hope.

 

Owner2 was asleep when I knocked on his door and had what could only be called a plethora of guns and ammo sitting ready to use beside his back door (seriously--six or so guns and shotguns, plus shells and bullets sitting on a tray ready to use. I didn't ask. I assume they were there for quick access to shoot whatever small or larger critter crossed his back yard). He told me the marks were on his property and I could go look for them. I was just happy to get away from the rack o' guns and headed off to find the station and RMs. Incidentally, I was heading back towards Owner 1's property. As I wondered about looking for the station, Owner 1 barged out of his house, big mean dog barking fiercely in the background, and loudly asked if he "COULD HELP ME WITH SOMETHING". I quickly played dumb and told him that his neighbor seemed to think the benchmarks were on his (the neighbor's property and had told me to go ahead and look. Owner 1 then wanted to know why I wanted to find the marks, because he said he had caught people trying to steal them. I explained that these marks were set in concrete and they would need a jeep to pull them out of the ground, so they were unlikely to get stolen. He calmed down and showed me the station. I then explained that there were two reference marks and he let me look, although he was not happy about it (I think the RMs were on the other guy's property, but by then it no longer mattered).

 

I think the only thing that saved me from being run off was the presence of my 14 year old son.

 

We found all the marks and bolted. And of course I picked that day to forget the camera, so I will NOT be posting pics of the marks. Ever. So unless you have some "official" reason to be on that hilltop, stay away. Guns. Shells. Pit Bull. Cranky owner. It all added up to a totally unnerving experience.

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Just curious if any of you recovered a Benchmark that you had access to but nobody else had?

 

What was yours?

 

Some of my first recoveries were like this one.

 

Very restricted area in the middle of nuclear submarine repair. But working there allowed me access. I wanted to recover all benchmarks on bases in this area before I retired, but that didn't happen. I intend to try to get some of them. But I will ask permission. If they say no then no it is.

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Being a surveyor sometimes gets you clearance to areas that others might not get to go, like airports. I worked on a job a few years ago that required me to occupy two marks that were in the restricted area of the Madera Airport, in Madera County, California. One of the marks, GU4273, was located adjacent to the taxiway leading from the hangars, the other, GU4283, was near the runway approach apron. This is not a large airport - mostly light planes with no big commercial flights - but it is busy, and we did need clearance from the airport admin.

 

I was also able to find two other marks while I was on that project, GU1086 & GU3358. While the marks are not in restricted areas, they are in a quasi-private area of the airport near some of the hangar rows.

 

GU4273 - Madera Airport, Madera County, California

Designation: FAA MAE A

65844_300.jpg

 

GU4283 - Madera Airport, Madera County, California

Designation: MADEPORT AZ MK

65843_500.jpg

 

- Kewaneh

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I may not be the only one to log this in the future but I am the first to find for this pipe :anibad:

It is RZ1552 A boarder marker between the states of Idaho and Washington in a farmers wheat field who was kind enough to give us access to his land.

 

RZ1552-10001.jpg

RZ1552-20001.jpg

 

On a personal sad note this was the last mark that my best friend and companion of 12 years was with me to find this was on Sunday June 4, on Monday morning June 5 at 1:30 AM he passed on, gratefully in my arms. I will miss him immensely. the photo was taken hunting marks on May 29, 2006

 

BuddyBenchmarkHuntingMay20060001.jpg

Edited by Intermountain Angler
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"Angler," my condolences on the loss of your friend. It must have happened very suddenly, since he looks fine in that photo from last week and was just out exploring with you the day before he died.

 

To the topic of this thread...I had the opportunity last week to visit the KGO radio transmitter site on the shores of San Francisco Bay, where I easily recovered HT0322.

 

I will probably also be able to recover HT2630, but first I need to check and make sure that the current towers are the same ones that existed in 1982.

 

Obviously, this is not a publicly accessible place. I was a radio engineer in San Francisco for a number of years and still keep tabs on local broadcasting, so I was able to parlay my contacts into an invitation to visit the site.

 

Patty

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The first school in town was held in a building near the railroad property north of the town.

This first school started in the 1880's when a roundhouse was built the schoolhouse was moved closer the the hills but by November 1889 a new school was built a block west from City hall for $1000. The teacher for the new school was Miss Chard of Pomeroy on August 30, 1892, The American flag was raised above the belfry of the new $5,000 schoolhouse. The money for the new school was raised through a bond issue. The building was situated on the right of the railroad trestle across the Tucannon on the south side of town. The school was much larger than the old one and consisted of 4 rooms the two rooms were on the main floor and 2 was upstairs. The water system for the school was a well in the yard. A tin drinking cup was chained to the hand pump. The rest room facilities were outside and there was 147 pupils attending school at starbuck in 1892.

 

In 1910 a new brick school was erected which is my Uncles house in front of the four room school at a cost of $20,000.William Codbalt of Walla Walla was the contractor.It was ready for occupancy by mid-term 1911. It had running water and inside rest rooms.

A state examination was given the eighth grade pupils and several were promoted to the second floor, where the new four year high school was located.

The grade classes averaged 35 pupils but few attended beyond the eighth grade for there were many jobs available in Starbuck for young men and women because of the railroad.

After the brick building was completed the old school was put up for sale to the highest bidder. John J. Stoddard, attorney,bought the school and turned it into a hotel. It was known as the stoddard Hotel and it was situated on the Tucannon Street facing Front Street.

In 1916 there were 217 pupils in the new Starbuck School. It was the largest attendance in Starbuck history. A large gymnasium was erected in 1920 under contractor Wilbur Critchfield of Starbuck.The building was made of Concrete 46x90 ft. By 1968 the town of Starbuck had grown to a population of 750 with the construction of Little Goose Dam on the Snake River. The Schoolhouse consists of four classrooms a multipurpose room a library kitchen teachers room,office special room,rest rooms and storage space. The town voted for a new school to be erected and a new one was built when I was there visiting I saw the new school and the Teach got on the lawn mower after school was over and started mowing lawn and the principle took the kids home from school on the schoolbus I saw like 19 kids leave. Anyways back on the old school. After the old school was shut down it sat for years people used it as a dump site burrying cars ect... And was put up for sale after it sat neglected for 10 years or so. So my Uncle bought it and is slowly restoring it turning it into a nice home. It now guarded by 4 great danes and a Mastif and Electric Fences, and LOTS OF GUNS. Due to the fact people would just walk in his house without him knowing and people Digging in his front yard trying to find a hidden treasure from the past. I will post pictures of what it looks like inside when I get finished from unpacking.

Edited by Mystery Ink
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"Mystery Ink," thanks for posting those photos of your uncle's house. Cool place!

 

BTW, in your log, you questioned why the 1945 NGS crew reported the mark in poor condition when it looks fine to you. In one of your photos, it looks as though the pipe bearing the disk is tilted. Given that the stability of the original mark was listed as "Mark of questionable or unknown stability," I'm not surprised to see that. Even though the disk itself may still be perfectly readable (I can't tell from your closeup photo whether it is; it looks as though maybe some of the information has been scratched into illegibility), if the pipe is no longer upright, the station has moved and is therefore no longer considered in good condition.

 

Patty

Edited by Wintertime
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"Mystery Ink," thanks for posting those photos of your uncle's house. Cool place!

 

BTW, in your log, you questioned why the 1945 NGS crew reported the mark in poor condition when it looks fine to you. In one of your photos, it looks as though the pipe bearing the disk is tilted. Given that the stability of the original mark was listed as "Mark of questionable or unknown stability," I'm not surprised to see that. Even though the disk itself may still be perfectly readable (I can't tell from your closeup photo whether it is; it looks as though maybe some of the information has been scratched into illegibility), if the pipe is no longer upright, the station has moved and is therefore no longer considered in good condition.

 

Patty

AH thank you Patty for the lesson. :anibad:

 

Yeah it's still readable I will have to update that log about it not standing upright it is a little tilted.

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I thought I reconized that building, just did not register untill your history post :laughing: i have been a bit busy and have not had time to visit the marker page. I have been through there quite a bit, Thanks for the peek inside it is quite a cool building :laughing:, the starbuck area is pretty nice also.

 

Wintertime,

thanks for the note.

yes it was quite sudden to say the least, after talking with the vet we determined it was due to a heart desease that is quite commin in boxers, and seems to have hit him rather quickley (just a few months) it is untreatable so nothing could have been done anyway. I am wondering when I will wake up and not be looking for him on his corner of the bed. :laughing:

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Just curious if any of you recovered a Benchmark that you had access to but nobody else had?

 

What was yours?

 

Some of my first recoveries were like this one.

 

Very restricted area in the middle of nuclear submarine repair. But working there allowed me access. I wanted to recover all benchmarks on bases in this area before I retired, but that didn't happen. I intend to try to get some of them. But I will ask permission. If they say no then no it is.

WoW interesting im enjoying hearing about all the places some never get to see.

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