AW0209 - "H 1246" vertical control mark - Houston, TX
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member Raven
N 29° 45.307 W 095° 21.226
15R E 272396 N 3293971
This benchmark is located in the most eastern cement pillar supporting US Hwy 59's outer-most northbound lane, just north of the highway's intersection with Texas Avenue in Houston, Texas.
Waymark Code: WMNE0A
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 02/24/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member NW_history_buff
Views: 2

As described by the National Geodetic Survey in 1978:

"IN HOUSTON, AT THE CROSSING OF ATCHISON, TOPEKA AND SANTA FE RAILROAD AND THE GULF FREEWAY, 0.3 MILE SOUTHEAST OF UNION STATION, 171 FEET SOUTH OF THE SOUTH CURB OF PRAIRIE AVENUE, 108 FEET NORTH OF THE NORTH CURB OF TEXAS AVENUE, 21 FEET WEST OF THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF CHARTRES STREET AND 9 FEET SOUTHWEST OF THE SOUTH RAIL TO UNION STATION. SET VERTICAL IN THE NORTH FACE OF THE EAST ONE OF SEVEN PILLARS."

The 1978 description has become quite obsolete over time: the railroad and associated rails are no longer there, the mentioned freeway is not "Gulf Freeway" (it never was, that is a completely different freeway)... and there are now 8 pillars instead of 7. Luckily all references to the adjoining avenues/streets (and the mentioned distances) are still correct. A better general description would have been "on the most eastern cement pillar supporting US Hwy 59's outer-most northbound lane" along with the aforementioned distances to the references avenues/streets.

Luckily the most recent associated NGS Data Sheet's coordinates are pretty accurate and closely matched my own personal observations while on-site. As noted by many benchmark hunters before me, the disk in question has been painted over and is not easily noticed from afar... but it is still in relatively "good" condition despite the paint-over.

Below are some additional facts, per the NGS database (with some editing for length): (visit link)

AW0209 ***********************************************************************
AW0209 DESIGNATION - H 1246
AW0209 PID - AW0209
AW0209 STATE/COUNTY- TX/HARRIS
AW0209 COUNTRY - US
AW0209 USGS QUAD - SETTEGAST (1995)
AW0209
AW0209 *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL
AW0209 ______________________________________________________________________
AW0209* NAD 83(1986) POSITION- 29 45 18.4 (N) 095 21 13.6 (W) HD_HELD2
AW0209* NAVD 88 ORTHO HEIGHT - 14.527 (meters) 47.66 (feet) ADJUSTED
AW0209 ______________________________________________________________________
AW0209
AW0209_MARKER: DV = VERTICAL CONTROL DISK
AW0209_SETTING: 38 = SET IN THE ABUTMENT OR PIER OF A LARGE BRIDGE
AW0209_SP_SET: BRIDGE PIER
AW0209_STAMPING: H 1246 1978
AW0209_MARK LOGO: NGS
AW0209_STABILITY: A = MOST RELIABLE AND EXPECTED TO HOLD
AW0209+STABILITY: POSITION/ELEVATION WELL
AW0209_SATELLITE: THE SITE LOCATION WAS REPORTED AS SUITABLE FOR
AW0209+SATELLITE: SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS - July 05, 2005
AW0209
AW0209 HISTORY - Date Condition Report By
AW0209 HISTORY - 1978 MONUMENTED NGS
AW0209 HISTORY - 1986 GOOD NGS
AW0209 HISTORY - 1989 GOOD USPSQD
AW0209 HISTORY - 1989 GOOD USPSQD
AW0209 HISTORY - 1991 GOOD USPSQD
AW0209 HISTORY - 20050705 GOOD USPSQD
Condition: Mark found in good condition

Designation: H 1246

Benchmark Agency: National Geodetic Survey

Monumentation type: Vertical Control Mark

County: Houston (Harris Coounty)

USGS 7.5' Topographic Quadrangle Name (optional): Settegast

Find type: Coordinates and/or to-reach information from the NGS database (or Geocaching's copy of it) were used

Web address of this benchmark's datasheet (optional): [Web Link]

NGS PID: AW0209

Benchmark Agency (if other): Not listed

Monumentation type (if other): Not listed

Special category (optional): Not listed

Special Category (if other): Not listed

Local database's URL (optional): Not listed

Visit Instructions:
  1. A closeup photo of the mark taken by you is required.
  2. A 'distant' photo including the mark in the view is highly recommended. Include the compass direction you faced when you took the picture.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest U.S. Benchmarks
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
Date Logged Log User Rating  
run26.2 visited AW0209 - "H 1246" vertical control mark - Houston, TX 07/17/2021 run26.2 visited it
Raven visited AW0209 - "H 1246" vertical control mark - Houston, TX 01/31/2015 Raven visited it

View all visits/logs