Unlisted BenchMark?

[+IndyTechNerd]

While visiting my hometown area in Rockville, IN yesterday for the Covered Bridge Festival, we were driving around the county looking at covered bridges. I didn't have my geocaching stuff with me, but while looking at the West Union Bridge (near this cache), embedded into a concrete railing leading up to the south end of the bridge was a benchmark disk. The details had been obliterated, only the outer ring of information was intact. I searched for benchmarks using the above cache's coords as a center point and the mark I found did not show up. Is it not listed because the information is gone? I've got a picture at home that I'll post this evening.

[+Klemmer]

Hi Indynerd

Welcome to benchmark hunting! Well, first, there ar zillions of benchmarks around the US that are not listed in the Geocaching benchmarks database. That covers only the ones in the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) database, and even then GC's dates back to about 2001, and has not been updated since then.

 

Nevertheless, please feel free to post some additional info (picture, coords), and there are foks here, including myself, who may be able to give you a little info on what it is you may have found. If you would like to hunt down some other benchmarks, you might want to check out the fairly good "Read Me First" topic at the top of the Benchmarks forum. Who knows, you might find you like benchmark hunting. Many of us do! Caution - may be habit forming

[DaveD]

The marker you found is one of the many tens of thousands set by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and never submtted to NGS for inclusion in the National Spatial Reference System. The specific mark you recovered is designated 42 RHP 1953. It was surveyed by USGS as a strictly vertical control point and has an NGVD 29 elevation of 498.211 ft.

[+IndyTechNerd]

Thanks, Dave and Klemmer.

 

I think this one undocumented find may have sparked an interest. Being a self-proclaimed nerd, all things scientific trip my trigger. There are 2 or 3 BMs near my house that shouldn't involve too much effort to find. Gonna have to give it a shot.

[+Klemmer]

Another convert!