Fort McIntosh Latitude and Longitude Station -- Laredo TX - U.S. Historic Survey Stones and Monuments on Waymarking.com

The old latitude and longitude station at Fort McIntosh was established most likely before the turn-of-the-20th century.

In 1917, the US Coast and Geodetic survey passed through the local area setting modern benchmark disks. At that time, this old rough limestone post got a bronze benchmark disk affixed to its center.

This unique benchmark survived the decommsissioning of the fort, and can now be found on the campus of the Laredo Community College.

From the book "United States Magnetic Declination Tables and Isogonic Charts for 1902" by By Louis Agricola Bauer, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, a free e-book available on the Google Play store: (visit link)

"WEBB COUNTY, LAREDO, 1895: The station is located 89.1 feet north and 10 feet west of the Longitude Station of 1895. The longitude station is located in a triangular space in Fort McIntosh, near the hospital, and near the northeast entrance. It is marked by a brick pier. From the magnetic station the courthouse flagstaff bears 79* 49'.3 east of due south."

In the "Annual Report of the Director, US Coast and Geodetic Survey, Parts 1 and 2 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1897", a free e-book available in the Google play store: (visit link)

24 July 1896 -- Lieut. A. C. McCombs -- Astronomical latitude and longitude of station at Ft. McIntosh"

In a Special publication of the Coast & Geodetic survey on the Precise Level Net in Texas, Issue 77 (1922), a free e-book available in the Google play store, he old way to get your datasheets: (visit link)

"O 39.— At Laredo, Webb County, on Victoria Street, 150 meters (492 feet) west of the International & Great Northern Railway tracks, in the south face of the Coast and Geodetic Survey latitude and longitude station at Fort Mclntosh, 0.5 meter above the ground. A brass disk. (127.948 meters or 419.776 feet.)"

From the NGS website:

AJ1051
AJ1051 DESIGNATION - O 39
AJ1051 PID - AJ1051
AJ1051 STATE/COUNTY- TX/WEBB
AJ1051 COUNTRY - US
AJ1051 USGS QUAD - LAREDO WEST (1980)
AJ1051
AJ1051 *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL
AJ1051 __________________________________________________________________AJ1051* NAD 83(1986) POSITION- 27 30 28.(N) 099 31 09.(W) SCALED
__________________________________________________________________

AJ1051
AJ1051_U.S. NATIONAL GRID SPATIAL ADDRESS: 14RMR487427(NAD 83)
AJ1051
AJ1051_MARKER: DB = BENCH MARK DISK
AJ1051_SETTING: 30 = SET IN A LIGHT STRUCTURE
AJ1051_SP_SET: CONCRETE BLOCK
AJ1051_STAMPING: O 39 1917 ELEV 419.904 FT
AJ1051_MARK LOGO: CGS
AJ1051_STABILITY: D = MARK OF QUESTIONABLE OR UNKNOWN STABILITY
AJ1051_SATELLITE: THE SITE LOCATION WAS REPORTED AS SUITABLE FOR
AJ1051+SATELLITE: SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS - October 30, 2010
AJ1051
AJ1051 HISTORY - Date Condition Report By
AJ1051 HISTORY - 1917 MONUMENTED CGS
AJ1051 HISTORY - 1957 GOOD CGS
AJ1051 HISTORY - 1981 GOOD NGS
AJ1051 HISTORY - 20020530 GOOD USPSQD
AJ1051 HISTORY - 20101030 GOOD GEOCAC
AJ1051
AJ1051 STATION DESCRIPTION
AJ1051
AJ1051'DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1957
AJ1051'0.2 MI NW FROM LAREDO.
AJ1051'0.1 MILE NORTH ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL AND GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD
AJ1051'FROM THE STATION AT LAREDO, THENCE 0.1 MILE WEST ALONG VICTORIA
AJ1051'STREET, AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE U.S. BORDER PATROL STATION WHICH WAS
AJ1051'OLD FORT MCINTOSH, 55 FEET SOUTH OF THE CENTER LINE OF VICTORIA
AJ1051'STREET, 47 FEET WEST OF THE CENTER LINE OF A STREET LEADING SOUTH TO
AJ1051'LAREDO JUNIOR COLLEGE, 2.0 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, SET VERTICALLY IN
AJ1051'THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE CONCRETE BLOCK OF THE COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY
AJ1051'LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE STATION.
AJ1051
AJ1051 STATION RECOVERY (1981)
AJ1051
AJ1051'RECOVERY NOTE BY NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY 1981
AJ1051'RECOVERED THIS DATE, NOTE, BORDER PATROL STATION DESCRIBED IS NO
AJ1051'LONGER THERE, THE DISK IS SET HORIZONALLY IN THE TOP OF A 0.6 METER
AJ1051'(2.0 FT) BY 1.2 METERS (4.0 FT) CONCRETE BLOCK PROJECTING 0.9 METER
AJ1051'(3.0 FT), ABOUT 60.1 METERS (200.0 FT) SOUTH OF A FORT MCINTOSH
AJ1051'MONUMENT AND SIGN, AND 45.7 METERS (150.0 FT) SOUTH OF A FLAGPOLE.
AJ1051
AJ1051 STATION RECOVERY (2002)
AJ1051
AJ1051'RECOVERY NOTE BY US POWER SQUADRON 2002 (WHM)
AJ1051'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.
AJ1051
AJ1051 STATION RECOVERY (2010)
AJ1051
AJ1051'RECOVERY NOTE BY GEOCACHING 2010 (LPC)
AJ1051'RECOVERED IN GOOD CONDITION.

Monumentation Type: Dressed stone Monument Category: other (not included below) Monument Category (if other): Latitude and Longitude Station Accessible to general public: yes Historical significance: The latitude and longitude station for Ft McIntosh, one of a chain of frontier forts along the Rio Grande established around the time of the Mexican War. Ft McIntish was established in 1846 and decommissioned in 1946. Monument Website: [Web Link] County: Webb County TX USGS Quad: Laredo west NGS PID: AJ1051 Approximate date of monument: 01/01/1896 Monumentation Type (if other): Not listed Explain Non-Public access: Not listed Other Coordinates: Not Listed Other Coordinates details: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
1. A closeup photo of the monument is required.
______
2. A 'distant' photo including the monument in the view is highly recommended. Include the compass direction you faced when you took the picture.

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