Point of Beginning of the Public Land Surveys of the Sixth Principal Meridian - U.S. Historic Survey Stones and Monuments on Waymarking.com

The 1854 The Kansas-Nebraska Act established the territories of Nebraska and Kansas necessitating a survey of the border between the two which was to run along the sixth principal meridian, 40 degrees north latitude. In November 1854 the U.S. Army Topographic Engineers determined the Fortieth Degree of North Latitude along the Missouri River. On May 8, 1855,Charles A. Manners erected a cast Iron monument on the bluff above the river flood plain to mark the beginning of the base line forming the Nebraska - Kansas boundary.

The monument can be reached by a short trail which begins at a small footbridge a short distance north of the parking area by a Nebraska Historical marker, Point of Beginning. This is located on the river front road that runs between Rulo, Nebraska and White Cloud, Kansas. Near the monument, enclosed in a wooden box, there's a loose leaf notebook guest book which can be signed by those who visit the monument site.

My GPS reading placed the monument just south of 40 degrees latitude, which was within its accuracy at the time.

The monument itself is a virtual geocache.

Monumentation Type: Metal post Monument Category: Initial Point Accessible to general public: yes Monument Website: [Web Link] County: Border: Richardson county Nebraska and Brown County Kansas USGS Quad: White Cloud Approximate date of monument: 05/08/1855 Monumentation Type (if other): Not listed Monument Category (if other): Not listed Explain Non-Public access: Not listed Historical significance: Not listed NGS PID: Not listed Other Coordinates: Not Listed Other Coordinates details: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
1. A closeup photo of the monument is required.
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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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Date Logged Log User Rating   05/12/2023 childofatom visited it 09/05/2020 RDM07 visited it 10/20/2009 W&K-cadastral visited it 09/28/2008 MadDogAnger visited it 11/18/2007 GEO*Trailblazer 1 visited it

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