Another Mysterious Disk

[+Shorelander]

So I found this embedded in a curb along Winnetka Avenue near the Winnetka-Northfield border in Cook County, Illinois, at N 42°05.649' W 087°45.635. I was wondering if anyone had seen anything like it before.

The arrow in the center points west. Given this and the apparent date on the center (1949?), I thought it might be a survey marker for the Edens Expressway, just a few hundred yards west of the disk, which was completed in 1951. The arrow also points to a sewer, but it doesn't look anything like the Metropolitan Sanitary District disks I've found.

To be fair, though, I've found my fair share of Cook County Highway Department benchmarks stamped in 1954 in bridges over the Edens, and they don't look like this. Then again, those are clearly labeled benchmarks, and this might be something else. It's not a right of way marker - at least not currently used as one - and there are concrete ROW markers that I've seen along the expressway as well. Anyway, enough of my babble - what do y'all think?

[+Kewaneh & Shark]

There are a lot of things that it could be. The two things that get my attention are the '0910.1' (particularly the '.1') and the '15D'. The numbers '263-0910.1' could indicate stationing along a centerline of something, such as a sewer line, but stationing would usually shown as '263+0910.1'. Also, the '15D' could indicate a 15" diameter something. But without more information, or another similar nearby mark (or two) to compare it to, this is purely speculation. Do you have any more pictures, preferably of the marks' surroundings and its proximity within them? It may help out more than just a close-up of the disk.

- Kewaneh

[+Shorelander]

I'm pretty amazing at being slow at things, but I finally have a response.

 

Here's a shot looking west at the mystery disk: Looking down Winnetka Rd

 

But more interestingly, I found a stone marker two days ago which looks related:

Marker closeup

Looking NW at marker

 

It reads (as far as I can tell) 15D 045 0204 1943. It would seem to be related (in some way). Any more ideas?

 

Thanks,

SLer

[+Black Dog Trackers]

In reference to the street, which way is the disk's arrow pointing?

[+Shorelander]

The arrow was pointing west (down the street in the shot) I believe.

 

By the way, I found the marker quite a bit away, at N 42°08.244' W 087°47.393'.

[+jwahl]

I would suspect the number is something like a federal (or possibly state) highway project designation. I would not think it was stationing if it is cast into the cap, or someone would be casting a lot of custom caps.

 

jerry

 

In reference to the street, which way is the disk's arrow pointing?

[+Trucker Lee]

In that area, with it's somewhat checkered political history, I can only think that some local politician used a county survey department to better control his fiefdom when it came to the paving of roads and other improvement. The discs reflect the departmental and local protectionism would be my guess. Does Cook County still have it's own surveyors? If not, check with the city planning department for insight.