Louisiana Purchase benchmark and memorial marker

[+LSUFan]

Hey Everyone, we just got back from a great weekend, where we went to the Louisiana Purchase State Park in Arkansas. I had read about the stone memorial there (which is also benchmark EH2910) in the Berntsen International Book of Survey Markers. After reading about it there and perusing GEO*Trailblazer 1's logs, I just HAD to go see it.

 

This marker is the beginning point of the surveys for the Louisiana Purchase. I figured my fellow benchmark enthusiasts would appreciate the historical significance of it, and may want to stop by there on your travels.

 

Here is the webpage for it, along with the information for it.

 

http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/louisianapurchase/

 

Edited August 24, 2010 by LSUFan

[+Ashallond]

Did you get the parkcache while you were there?

 

[+chiknlips45]

Hey Everyone, we just got back from a great weekend, where we went to the Louisiana Purchase State Park in Arkansas. I had read about the stone memorial there (which is also benchmark EH2910) in the Berntsen International Book of Survey Markers. After reading about it there and perusing GEO*Trailblazer 1's logs, I just HAD to go see it.

 

This marker is the beginning point of the surveys for the Louisiana Purchase. I figured my fellow benchmark enthusiasts would appreciate the historical significance of it, and may want to stop by there on your travels.

 

Here is the webpage for it, along with the information for it.

 

http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/louisianapurchase/

 

 

Wow what a coincidence. I read the post and admired the picture yesterday. Not an hour later, I was watching Aerial America on the Smithsonian channel (Arkansas episode) and they flew over the area, commented about the same mark being in the park and the historical importance of the survey. Has anyone else been looking for benchmarks during these episodes or am I a little obsessed?

[+LSUFan]

Did you get the parkcache while you were there?

 

 

Oh Yeah. We ended up getting 7 of the state park challenge caches that weekend.

 

Our mission was to, in order of importance

 

1. See this Louisiana Purchase monument/site

2. Do the state park challenge caches in the southeast portion of Arkansas

3. Collect walking stick medallions from each park that has them. FYI, the Delta Heritage Trail park sells the medallions for the Louisiana Purchase, since there is no facilities at Louisiana Purchase.

 

We had a couple of unplanned, but great detours on this trip. We went to the Arkansas Post National Park (which is just down the road from the Arkansas Post State Park). This national park is the site of the first European settlement west of the MS River. A lot of history here. I recommend everyone who can, to visit there.

 

While we were leaving this national park, I was looking out the window and saw what I thought was a benchmark concrete setting projecting out of the ground. We stopped and looked, and sure enough it was a reference mark to the triangulation station Arkansas Post. It pointed right at the station mark, which was also projecting above the ground. So we got to find a triangulation station that hasn't had a NGS recovery report since the 60's, just by luck.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=EH2967

 

We also got to eat at a still operating Bonanza Steakhouse in Pine Bluff. We haven't had any of these in Louisiana in awhile. I think this may have been the best part of the whole trip.

Edited August 27, 2010 by LSUFan

[+Ashallond]

nice find on the LP benchmark. Glad you had a great trip. Send me a note if you are go west of Magazine when you make that trip. Or wosre, I may sneak out of the house and meet you up there. I need to bag MAG as it is.