Geodetic Survey Map Benchmarks

[+Harry Dolphin]

The geodetic survey maps show some benchmark locations. Many of them are not in NGS, nor Geocaching. Out for a walk the other day, and saw this benchmark.

 

 

It seems to say: US Coast & Geodetic Survey

(something) State Survey

Station No. 2313.

 

It seems to be at the location marked BM 562 on the map.

 

 

Anyone know anything about these? And where to find info on this one? How old it is? I cannot find it in NGS. It is located in Dover, NJ at the intersection of McFarlan St (US 46) and South Bergen Street.

[+Gungadoy]

These are USCGS + State Survey disks or as shown in the datasheets as Mark Logo: CGS+SS. I've found 3 in Florida. Ie. AC0482, AD8230 and AR0654. 2 of 3 that I found were initially listed incorrectly in the NGS Datasheet. The only properly listed CGS+SS disk in Morris County is DO5238 in Morristown.

If you look at my benchmark disk challenge, GC5C2E7, you'll see the list of USCGS disks.

Nice find, they're pretty cool disks.

 

DO5238_MARKER: DD = SURVEY DISK

DO5238_SETTING: 7 = SET IN TOP OF CONCRETE MONUMENT

DO5238_STAMPING: 2356

DO5238_MARK LOGO: CGS+SS

DO5238_PROJECTION: FLUSH

DO5238_MAGNETIC: N = NO MAGNETIC MATERIAL

DO5238_STABILITY: C = MAY HOLD, BUT OF TYPE COMMONLY SUBJECT TO

DO5238+STABILITY: SURFACE MOTION

DO5238_SATELLITE: THE SITE LOCATION WAS REPORTED AS NOT SUITABLE FOR

DO5238+SATELLITE: SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS - March 13, 2012

DO5238

DO5238 HISTORY - Date Condition Report By

DO5238 HISTORY - 1935 MONUMENTED NJGS

DO5238 HISTORY - 20120313 GOOD NJGS

Edited March 24, 2015 by Gungadoy

[+Harry Dolphin]

Thanks! I figured probably 1935. That's when Rte 46 was built (in this area, over the old Morris Canal.)

[Bill93]

I think this is the story on that type of disk. In the depression era they threw lots of people into various government programs to keep them busy, and one of those programs was to help the cross-continent leveling effort by setting and measuring the State Survey markers. The people were not always the most qualified and best equipped, so a lot of these disks were never measured and processed to C&GS standards for inclusion in the national database. They probably were a great help as in-fill for the USGS mapping.

 

I've found a few that are in the NGS list, and several by accident that are not.

[+Ernmark]

I've found quite a few in Southern NJ - some made it into the NGS database in Wildwood (with 'new' PIDs) - 5796 (AI9393), but they didn't in Cape May - 8703

[+Gungadoy]

Bill got it right. I'm hooked on the USCGS disks and their history. This bench mark paper has some great reading. My link

Edited March 25, 2015 by Gungadoy

[Z15]

69.1 ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

 

Established: In the Federal Works Agency (FWA) by Reorganization Plan No. I of 1939, effective July 1, 1939.

 

Predecessor Agencies:

Civil Works Administration (CWA, 1933-34)

 

Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA, 1933-38)

 

Works Progress Administration (1935-39)

 

Functions: Provided jobs to unemployed workers on public projects sponsored by federal, state, or local agencies; and on defense and war-related projects; and to unemployed youth through National Youth Administration (NYA) projects.

 

Abolished: By Presidential letter, December 4, 1942, effective June 30, 1943.

 

http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/069.html#69.1

[kayakbird]

http://www.amerisurv.com/PDF/TheAmericanSurveyor_Penry-SurveysOfTheGreatDepression_October2006.pdf

 

Above link, one of many great publications on interesting surveying subjects by Jerry Penry, has a bit more detail on this depression era program. The subject has also come up on this forum several times. I haven't searched for one for a couple of years - Burns, Oregon area, where very few filter out with GSAK.

 

See message #3 in this forum thread - HEARTLAND STATE SURVEY - (below link) where I state that out of 470 set in Nebraska less that 50 got a PID (info from a Penry Pub, I think).

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=269750&st=0&p=5306015&hl=and%20state%20survey&fromsearch=1entry5306015

 

kayakbird