Benchmark Research

[Ditchdigger]

Somewhere in the forums I saw that someone researches old benchmarks at the library(I think, but I don't remember where I saw it). I was wondering what references do you look at?

 

Do all counties keep such information, and do they keep them at the library or the courthouse?

 

I have found a couple of easy ones and even got to record one as destroyed(that was a cinch, they tore down the water tower). Hope to find more.

[+Colorado Papa]

Somewhere in the forums I saw that someone researches old benchmarks at the library(I think, but I don't remember where I saw it). I was wondering what references do you look at?

It's not the benchmarks themselves I research, but I dig out old maps of the area that are dated about the time the BM was mounted. If I find the river has changed drastically from the old map, I try to find info from old newspapers about floods. If a highway has been widened or relocated, I try to find when also from old newspapers. When was a railroad abandoned? Where were the original tracks?

 

You get the idea? Check old maps and newspapers. Interesting reading!

[+happycycler]

JC1585 is an example of some research by rogbarn & myself. We were able to do most of this on the internet but did visit some libraries without finding what we searched for.