On Boulder's edge there runs a road
Called Baseline from time immemorial
When you live there you don't give it thought
That it's something quite historical
That it extends, east to west
This 40th parallel longitude
The Baseline, not of Boulder alone,
But the whole country, Dude!
So visit this monument, beautifully placed
And feel the tides of history
Day or night, it is a delight
Why it hasn't been waymarked is mystery!
Gosh, this one hasn't been waymarked yet? Well, I'm going to fix that Right Now.
Just to the north of the Basemar Shopping Center you'll see a pair of split boulders with a bench and a red line running between. This monument, erected to coincide with Boulder, Colorado's 150th anniversary, commemorates the laying of the 'Baseline,' the 40th parallel. There are lots of markers on the split rocks -- including red LED lights to glow at night. There's even "...the very first OPUS DB monument and data sheet posted for the State of Colorado" BENCHMARK set in the stone bench just to the East of the split boulders (ground zero for the coordinates).
Quoting its OPUS Datasheet (
visit link)
"Mark is located in a bench next to the 40th Parallel Monument commemorating the 1859 Baseline survey by Todd and Withrow, the result of a public/private partnership involving the PLSC, City of Boulder, County Surveyor, local survey companies and the Boulder Arts Commision. The monument is located on the south side of Baseline Rd. east of Broadway. Mark is a Witness Point to the Township line 1N/1S. Note:Mark is located in a wide rock bench close to a bus stop with considerable foot traffic"
still reading? Ok, more background!
"The actual baseline established by Todd and Withrow is approximately one-half of a second of latitude (about 30 feet) north of the actual 40th parallel, astonishingly precise, given the difficult terrain and the instrumentation available in 1859." source: (www.plsc.net/sideshots/may08/ss-may08.pdf)
quoting www.amerisurv.com/content/view/5918/153/
Dedication to Early Surveying
When the City's transportation planners were designing a new bus stop and bicycle path on Baseline Road, just east of Broadway, artist and designer Christian Muller conceived the idea of marking the existence of the line and increasing public awareness of its significance. He designed a monument and plaque dedicated to the accomplishments of the early surveyors. A bright red concrete line that is aligned with the baseline is permanently embedded in the sidewalk. A colorful world map appears on the concrete pad at the bus stop, showing the location of the 40th parallel. A huge 25,000-pound boulder, found high in Boulder Canyon, was selected, carefully split in half, and placed to the east of the bus stop so that the red line appears to bisect the gap (see photos). This gap is illuminated with red LED lights after dark, giving it a brilliant glow. "Rocks are timeless," says Muller.
The monument is designed so that the smooth, interior surface that faces the heavily traveled road and path to the north is inscribed with the diagram of a surveyor, designed by Boulder County artist Gaynor Nelson. The story of Todd & Withrow, researched and composed by Boulder County Surveyor Jason Emery, is inscribed and concludes with, "This stone marker, set along the `Baseline' as surveyed in 1859, celebrates the historic survey party as well as all surveyors whose remarkable work aided in the organized westward expansion of the United States."
for more great reading, see:
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(though several of these are variations of the same article, some have more pictures than others)