A Big Mark

[+Kewaneh & Shark]

My brother is a longhaul truck driver. He occasionally sends me pictures of survey marks he stumbles onto in various parts of the country, usually with the question, "Guess where I am?". This is one he sent me.

 

On a recent trip, he found this interesting mark inlaid on the floor of a reststop breezeway. He said it was 12-14 feet across - wall to wall in the room. When I asked where it was (expecting a lat/long or at least a town name), he replied, "Uh... Ohio?... I think."

 

I thought some of you might like to see it. Or maybe one of know where it is, with a bit more precision than just "Ohio". (In the mean time, I'll try to get him to locate it a little better.)

 

Link to BIG PIC

 

Link to BIG PIC

 

Link to BIG PIC

 

- Kewaneh

[CallawayMT]

Now that is cool.

 

From the map outside the door, I am guessing near Davenport, Iowa.

 

It also makes sense for the Corps of Engineers Bench, being right on the Mississippi River.

 

CallawayMT

Edited December 17, 2007 by CallawayMT

[wister6813]

Appears to be in the Quad Cities area. There is a rest area on east bound I-80 at MM300, 41.5957°N, 90.4911°W. Elevation seems about right for the area.

[+Kewaneh & Shark]

I just spoke to my brother who said it's at a rest stop on west bound I-80, exit 299 or 300. That's only about 1400 feet east and across the highway of the rest stop Wister located. 41.5976°N, 90.4790°W according to Google Maps.

 

There doesn't seem to be much in the way of loggable NGS marks in the area. MG0673 is the nearest being 1.8 miles NW of the rest stop. As mentioned by Callaway, there are most likely many USACE marks in the area near the River. (My brother also mentioned that the map that can be seen outside the breezeway in the 3rd pic was a map of the River basin.) This mark may be loggable on Waymarking if the category owners bend the rules a bit.

 

- Kewaneh

[wister6813]

Rock Island, IL is in the area. Rock Island is one of the Quad Cities and there is an island of the same name in the Mississippi River. The island is home to the USACE's Rock Island District, and the U.S. Army's Rock Island Arsenal. Military use of the island dates from the early 1800's, and today the arsenal is the government’s largest owned and operated arsenal. The production of artillery pieces has long been associated with the arsenal.

 

Lock & Dam 15 is also located at the island. The L&D facility includes an visitor center and has gifts for sale.

 

By now you are wondering how this connects to benchmark hunting. The USACE offered for sale [at least the last time I visited, about 6 years ago] unused USACE brass benchmark disks. As I recall they were about $5 each. A note was included with each monument -

 

"A PIECE OF HISTORY These brass monument caps were once produced by the Rock Island District for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers nationwide to mark land boundaries. Today these markers are made of aluminum that cost less and is much lighter in weight, making these brass markers relics of the past. Rather than being melted down as scrap, a limited number are being made available for their historical value. Warning: not to be used to mark property boundaries. "

 

It seems that in addition to artillery the skills of the arsenal were used to make brass disks for the USACE. This seems to have been commemorated in the floor of the nearby rest area.

 

I have three disks, each with a different shank; outside thread, rod mount, and a split shank. The disk surface is similar to the disk at the rest area.

Edited December 18, 2007 by wister6813

[+Shorelander]

You'd probably get in more trouble than a $250 fine for disturbing this mark.