benchmark placements, history

[allen1g]

Is there any rhyme or reason on why a benchmark was placed at a particular place at a particular time? Is there any historical information that I can find on the web for this?

 

Thanks,

Allen

[Tiggr]

Foundation of the U.S.A.,PLYMOUTH ROCK.Then the Foundation of the Public Lands and Thomas Jefferon's founding of the Coast and Geodetic Survey,for the purpose of National Defense,Yes there is some rhyme and reasons,around here it was a Local land owner,local known Landmark(PILOT KNOB),Stream,River,(White River)ect,ect... The USGS and the BLM all have criteria for the naming of Benchmarks.

www.chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov

A Point in the right direction,ASCENSION.

 

[This message was edited by Geoidchaser on December 27, 2002 at 03:37 PM.]

[survey tech]

Go to ngs.noaa.gov and click on "our history". There are links to thousands of documents and photographs.

[Tiggr]

www.noaa.gov/GPS/GPS.html

 

A Point in the right direction,ASCENSION.

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

Hey Geoidchaser here is a link to Plymouth Rock. www.plimoth.org/Library/plymrock.htm

 

When all else fails Geotry again.

[Cracker.]

Allen,

If by your question, you mean the history/purpose of a SPECIFIC mark (PID), try doing a search by Project Identifier.

 

You can locate the Project Identifier for a given PID by going here.

 

Once you get the Project Identifier, you can enter it here to get a list of other stations used in whatever project your mark was used in.

 

The links are actually right Here on the same page you do a basic datasheet search from.

 

It doesnt give you a lot of info, but in listing other marks, you might be able to do some research on local history, or figure out what the project (purpose) was by looking at the layout of the listed marks on a map......

 

When I first did a search for marks in my area, I noticed that several seemed to be along a very old canal (1850's), that then became a railroad, and now is just an abandoned railroad grade in my area. I then did the Project Identifier search for one of the marks, and it listed many more marks. When I loaded them into Mapsend, lo & behold, they were all along the path of the railroad.

 

I wanted to log all the benchmarks that are placed along it, or that were used in its construction, and I was able to get datasheets for all of them by using the Project Identifier this way. I thought it would be neat to follow in the footsteps of the construction teams on such a (now) historical path....

 

Anyway, i hope this helps...

 

Art

 

www.yankeetoys.org

www.BudBuilt.com

http://www.ttora-ne.mainpage.net/

 

[This message was edited by Cracker7M on January 02, 2003 at 10:50 AM.]

[Wild T2]

Locations for the triangulation stations were pre-planned. Locations were selected that provided good visibility and provided a good geometry of triangles for computing the latitudes and longitudes. The tops of hills provided good visibility so you find a lot of them up there.

 

The elevation bench marks were typically not pre-planned. The survey crews were given general instructions such as “Mitchell to Vincennes Indiana”. The survey crew would select the best route between the towns and set marks at a specified interval, typically about one mark per mile. Locations would be selected based primarily on stability and permanence. After that, other more practical factors may have come into play. For a mark in a concrete post a location with a good place to park the truck might be selected to avoid having to carry those 80 lbs. concrete bags a long way.

[+Evans]

I have wondered about that also. One fact is that during the Depression unemployed Civil Engineers and Surveyors were hired as 'make work' projects to locate benchmarks. In many regions you will note a placement date of the mid-1930s. But where to locate them exactly, I don't know. I also know from experience locating them in the woods that lines of sight were much better when originally located between benchmarks. In 60 years trees and other stuff obscure site between B/Ms and even hinder finding them at all.

 

ER

 

 

quote:

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Originally posted by allen1g:

Is there any rhyme or reason on why a benchmark was placed at a particular place at a particular time? Is there any historical information that I can find on the web for this?

 

Thanks,

Allen

---

[Z15]

Actually there is a manual the decribes this.

 

For Triangulation stations, travese etc " C&GS Special Publication 247. Manual of geodetic triangulation by Gossett, Franklin R.,

January 1950, 344 p., $25.00.

 

For leveling (Bench Marks) NOAA Technical Report NOS 73 NGS 8. Control leveling (supersedes C&GS Special

Publication 226) by Whalen, Charles T., May 1978, 20 p., $1.90.

 

NOAA Manual NOS NGS 1. Geodetic bench marks by Floyd, Richard P., September 1978,

50 p., $3.40.

NOAA Manual NOS NGS 3. Geodetic leveling (unbound, supersedes C&GS Special

 

Publication 239) by Schomaker, M. Christine, and Berry, Ralph Moore, August 1981, 209 p.,

$16.30.

Here's a link to NGS Publications in PDF format.

 

If you can't read that than you will have to requuest Geodetic Charting and Publications booklet as shown on this page.

 

[This message was edited by elcamino on January 14, 2003 at 05:02 PM.]