Center of the 48 States - Lebanon KS - Welcome Signs on Waymarking.com

~ from http://www.clui.org/clui_4_1/lotl/lotlsp99/geo.html~
The Lebanon, Kansas "center," in fact, was determined by cutting the shape of the lower 48 states out of a cardboard sheet, and balancing it on a point. This determination of the "center of gravity" of the country (or at least of a jagged piece of cardboard) was used by the Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1918, and placed the center of the lower 48 states at 39° 50'N. longitude 98° 35W latitude. This method, even at its best, is believed to be accurate only within ten or twenty miles. Though the Geodetic Survey would later regret making any official declaration, this early endorsement was enough to enable Lebanon's Hub Club to claim its center as official, beating a few other competing communities for the title, which, it was assumed, could lead to considerable tourist revenue, and literally put the community on the map.
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There has never been an official recalculation of the Geographical Center of the lower 48, but some methods put it in Phillipsburg, 40 miles west.

Type of community: Town

Visit Instructions:
More pictures of the sign would be great. Try and take a picture of yourself with it if you can!

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/14/2021 CuriousKDB visited it 08/07/2020 The Snowdog visited it 01/06/2014 ChapterhouseInc visited it 03/15/2013 Benchmark Blasterz visited it 08/15/2011 biscuitt bunch visited it 04/08/2009 PeterNoG visited it 07/08/2008 MountainWoods visited it

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