Benchmarking has been a hobby of mine for a while now and I thought that I'd like to bring a little bit of that to the Opencaching community.

This is a great example of a what most people think of when they think of benchmarks.  This is a small metal disk set in the top of a concrete post.  The disks vary in design but have the same basic look to them.

Benchmark disks were an important tool in the early days of surveying.  They gave the surveryor an reference point with an exact elevation to base their measurements from.

There are many different agencies that placed (or "monumented") benchmark disks.  Not all of them are registered in a searchable database.  Because of this, it is very important to make sure that the information stamped on the disk matches exactly with that on the data sheet.

The great thing about this mark is how the description of the location changed between the time it was monumented and today.

The mark you are looking for today is PN0255.  Here is the description according to the NGS data sheet:

"STATION DESCRIPTION

DESCRIBED BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1942

AT OSHKOSH. PN0255'AT OSHKOSH, WINNEBAGO COUNTY, ALONG THE CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE, ST. PAUL AND PACIFIC RAILROAD, AT THE KNAPP STREET CROSSING, 45 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE CENTERLINE OF THE STREET, 30 FEET SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTERLINE OF THE TRACK, AND 1 FOOT NORTHWEST OF A FENCE. A STANDARD DISK, STAMPED Y 93 1934 AND SET IN THE TOP OF A CONCRETE POST."

And here are the subsequent reports after the initial recording of the mark:

"STATION RECOVERY (1980)

RECOVERY NOTE BY LOCAL SURVEYOR (INDIVIDUAL OR FIRM) 1980

RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION."

"STATION RECOVERY (1989)

RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 1989 (EC)

RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION."

"STATION RECOVERY (1994)

RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 1994

RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION."

"STATION RECOVERY (2000)

RECOVERY NOTE BY WI DEPT OF TRANSP 2000 (DJH)

THE STATION IS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF OSHKOSH. OWNERSHIP--CITY OF OSHKOSH. TO REACH THE STATION FROM THE JUNCTION OF US HIGHWAY 41 WITH STATE HIGHWAY 44 (SOUTH PARK STREET) ABOUT 3.22 KM (2.00 MI) SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY OF OSHKOSH, GO NORTHEAST ON US HIGHWAY 44 (SOUTH PARK STREET) FOR 2.25 KM (1.40 MI) TO KNAPP STREET, TURN LEFT AND GO NORTH ON KNAPP STREET FOR 0.48 KM (0.30 MI) TO 11TH AVENUE, CONTINUE NORTH ON KNAPP STREET FOR 0.08 KM (0.05 MI) TO THE STATION ON THE LEFT. THE STATION IS A BRONZE CGS BENCH MARK DISK STAMPED --Y 93 1934-- SET IN THE TOP OF A SQUARE POST PROJECTING 5 CM ABOVE THE GROUND AND ABOUT LEVEL WITH THE STREET PAVEMENT. THE STATION IS 11.7 M (38.4 FT) WEST OF THE CENTERLINE OF KNAPP STREET, 43 M (141.1 FT) SOUTH OF THE CENTERLINE OF 10TH AVENUE, 23.9 M (78.4 FT) SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF PRIVATE RESIDENCE --1001 KNAPP STREET--, 11.4 M (37.4 FT) NORTH OF THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF PRIVATE RESIDENCE --1017-- KNAPP STREET, AND 2.3 M (7.5 FT) EAST OF THE CENTER OF A 0.2 M (0.7 PN0255'FT) DIAMETER SPRUCE TREE. ---NOTE---THIS STATION HAS VISIBLE OBSTRUCTION IN ALL QUADRANTS EXTENDING HIGHER THAN 25 DEGREES ABOVE THE HORIZON."

"STATION RECOVERY (2001)

RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 2001 (DB)

THIS REPORT WAS SUBMITTED BY THE US POWER SQUADRONS."

"STATION RECOVERY (2005)

RECOVERY NOTE BY WI DEPT OF TRANSP 2005 (DRB)

RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION. NOTE-- THE STATION IS 23.9 M PN0255'SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE SOUTHEAST (NOT NORTHWEST) CORNER OF THE PRIVATE RESIDENCE AT --1001 KNAPP ST--. ADD-- THE STATION IS 5.2 M WEST OF POWER POLE NUMBER --186-AA27--."

"STATION RECOVERY (2010)

RECOVERY NOTE BY GEOCACHING 2010 (JO)

RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION."

To view the original Data Sheet, please go to: http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=PN0255

To log this virtual benchmark cache:

The password is the answer to this question: There is a fine or imprisonment for doing what to this mark?