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Geographic Center of the U.S. benchmark


LSUFan

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I am planning a trip to the see Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower, and nearby attractions. I am planning to stop by Belle Fourche, SD to see the Geographic Center monument they have at the visitors center. Has anyone else visited the real benchmark located about twenty miles north, and is there anything that would keep the average joe from getting to it (no trespassing, etc).

 

Here is an article I found that features our own Ninja Dave Doyle, when they were planning to build the visitors center monument (pic below), as well as a website that shows the actual center triangulation station PU2386:

 

http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=4867

 

When Alaska and Hawaii joined the union in 1959, the National Geodetic Survey designated Belle Fourche, a ranch town of 4,500 residents in western South Dakota, the geographic center of the USA.

 

Truth is, the marker for the center — as determined by the same agency — lies about 20 miles north of the town on an uninhabited parcel of private pastureland.

 

"It's off a gravel road, and you have to go into a ditch, cross a barbed-wire fence, and maneuver amongst the cactus and cow pies to find it," said Teresa Schanzenbach, executive director of the Belle Fourche Chamber of Commerce.

 

Roughly 6,000 travelers come through the town's Center of the Nation Visitors Center each year, she said, but only about 1,500 are adventurous enough to seek out the marker.

 

"Basically," Schanzenbach said, "it's a red-tipped fence post that stands up in the ground. We feel like we need something more worthy of being the center of the nation."

 

So local leaders have a solution. They're "moving" the geographic center of the USA about 20 miles south, to get it closer to town.

 

The new "Center of the Nation" monument — with a planned picnic area and flags of all 50 states — will be located off U.S. Highway 85, along the banks of the Belle Fourche River. That puts it near the visitors center, which houses the Tri-State Museum.

 

"It will be more tourist-friendly," Schanzenbach said. "For years now, we've sort of neglected something that we could have capitalized on."

 

The original marker will remain on its current site, she said, for hardy souls who wish to see the real thing.

 

The 1959 site was determined, according to David Doyle, chief geodetic surveyor for the National Geodetic Survey, by using a map of the USA, pasted onto a hard surface like cardboard, and then balancing it on an object such as a pencil. Some rudimentary math was applied to allow for Hawaii and Alaska, he said.

 

"There will be a group from the National Geodetic Survey here later this spring to resurvey the area," Schanzenbach said. The center "might move a little bit, but probably not that much."

 

Not everyone in Belle Fourche is thrilled with the idea of shifting the focus away from the officially surveyed center.

 

"I like it where it is right now," said Don Schuh, who owns the local Dairy Queen. "Why not keep things simple? It's not really on a well-traveled road, but it's sort of like having the 'world's largest ball of twine.' People will still go look at it."

 

Others see too much expense going into the project, though Schanzenbach said most funds will come from private donations. She estimates that the granite-topped monument will cost at least $50,000 — and only about $7,500 has been raised so far.

 

"There are other things we can spend money on," said J.A. Fletcher, who lives near the proposed monument site. "If the marker is at the actual geographical center right now, leave it where it's at."

 

Plans are moving forward for the monument to be dedicated Aug. 21 — the same date Hawaii was admitted to the union 48 years ago.

 

Representatives from the Geodetic Survey will present a bronze plaque at the ceremony. Schanzenbach said the governors of Alaska and Hawaii will be invited.

 

"It's because of them that we are the center of the nation," she said. "We want to do this up right."

1.1284047925.the-geographical-centre-of-the-usa.jpg

Edited by LSUFan
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We went to Belle Fourche last year..... but did not go to the actual benchmark. Being true 'northerners' the 100°F temps and 110% humidity made us more happy in the geomobile, and the 1 yr. old granddaughter was far happier there!

 

I do not believe there is anything to prevent visitors from visiting the 'real' benchmark monument.... however, I would recommend a phone call or two.

 

There are some on this website link: http://bellefourche.org/

 

There is also the Belle Forche C-of-C: http://www.bellefourchechamber.org/

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On GE it looks like less than 60 Smoots on a well used trail from the ROW fence. Don't think that you will be able to intersect

DEVILS TOWER TOP CENTER

 

214d4a68-6c86-4f6f-9e79-1e8f1f060911.jpg

 

from there, but if would be nice if you could record another long sight line somewhere along the way.

 

If you are not on a Harley, you might want to avoid the area in early August - the Black Hills look like an ant hill that has be kicked!

 

kayakbird

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Thanks for the links Gitchee-Gummee. Mike I almost wish you hadn't shown me the Devils Tower Top link. Now I have to look at all those incorrect geocaching logs, where they logged a disk instead of the tower itself PV0523. From reading the logs, it appears the park rangers themselves are really the ones confusing the issue. :o

 

Don't think that you will be able to intersect

DEVILS TOWER TOP CENTER

 

214d4a68-6c86-4f6f-9e79-1e8f1f060911.jpg

 

from there, but if would be nice if you could record another long sight line somewhere along the way.

 

If you are not on a Harley, you might want to avoid the area in early August - the Black Hills look like an ant hill that has be kicked!

 

kayakbird

Edited by LSUFan
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A friend of mine visited the Geographic Center a number of years ago and snapped a photo of the US Coast and Geodetic Survey mark (Center 1962).

 

DII6ZKj.jpg

 

I've been experimenting with 3D modeling software and 3D printing using Shapeways and thought I would try replicating a geodetic survey mark. It's to costly to do this full size, so I have scaled this down to a 1" diameter. I used the actual photo to replicate the uneven alignement of the stamping of the station name and date. I upload my model to Shapeways, they print it in wax at a high resolution, and then make a plaster mold and then cast the mark in bronze. The following photo shows the result as delivered in what Shapeways calls "Raw Bronze" meaning it is briefly tumbled but not polished. The smallest text is just under a millimeter tall, so the printing technology is pretty amazing I think. Let me know what you think.

 

7Bf3hsR.jpg

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