About
National Geodetic Survey is part of the federal government, currently part of the NOAA. They have the NGS Map mapping tool for searching for survey marks (or benchmarks) and seeing the related datasheets.
The following is my own research for survey marks for Indiana lookout towers. In many cases there is a survey mark at the tower and at least one other mark very close by. Many of the datasheets are from around 1946-1947 initially. Many of the datasheets give a height for the tower.
Benchmarks for Indiana fire towers
| Tower | 1st mark | 2nd mark (nearby) |
|---|---|---|
| Borden | BORDEN LOOKOUT TOWER HZ2299 datasheet map | BORDEN RESET HZ2298 datasheet |
| Bryantsville aka Georgia | BRYANTSVILLE LOOKOUT TOWER JA1901 datasheet NGS map Google Maps | BRYANTSVILLE JA1902 datasheet |
| Buzzard Roost | MT PLEASANT BUZZARDS ROOST LOT JA1773 datasheet map | MT PLEASANT JA1772 datasheet map |
| Cataract | No mark | KA0529 is relatively close on the same stretch of road but doesn’t mention the tower |
| Cincinnati | No mark | KA0395 is relatively close |
| Crane 1 (northeast) | No mark | |
| Crane 2 (near lake) | INDIAN JA1933 datasheet map | CRANE NAVAL DEPOT WATER TANK 2 JA1935 datasheet |
| Crane 3 Indian Springs | INDIAN SPRINGS LOOKOUT TOWER JA1932 datasheet map | SPRINGS JA1937 datasheet |
| Dutch Ridge | No mark | |
| Ferdinand | FERDINAND LOOKOUT TOWER JA1873 datasheet map | FERD JA1874 datasheet map |
| Five Points | FIVE POINTS LOOKOUT TOWER HZ2309 (no datasheet) | CAMP HZ2308 datasheet map |
| German Ridge | No mark | |
| Hartwell | HARTWELL LOOKOUT TOWER JA1972 datasheet NGS map | interesting but not close: FIRE TOWER NEAR FRITZ CORNER JA1971 datasheet |
| Henryville | No mark | SUMMIT 1886 HZ2346 is close, on the same ridge datasheet |
| Hickman Hill | FLOYD HZ2261 datasheet NGS map | HZ2263 datasheet |
| Hickory Ridge | No mark | |
| Houston | No mark | |
| Jasper-Pulaski | No mark | |
| Lilly | No mark | |
| Lincoln | LINCOLN PARK LOOKOUT TOWER JA1844 datasheet map | FIRE JA1845 datasheet |
| Marchand | MARCHAND LOOKOUT TOWER JA1810 (no datasheet) | MARCHAND JA1808 datasheet NGS map |
| Mason Ridge | No mark | |
| McCormick’s Creek | MC CORMICKS CREEK ST PARK LOT KA1978 datasheet | |
| Muscatatuck | No mark | |
| Ouabache | WELLS CO GAME FARM LOT LA2004 datasheet | |
| Paoli | PAOLI LOOKOUT TOWER JA1790 datasheet | |
| Pleasantville | No mark | |
| Salem | No mark | |
| Shoals | SHOALS LOOKOUT TOWER JA1917 datasheet | SHOALS JA1918 datasheet |
| Skyline | SKYLINE LOOKOUT TOWER JA1670 datasheet | MILLER JA1669 datasheet |
| Spears | JOHN SPEARS LOOKOUT TOWER JA1792 datasheet | SPEARS JA1793 datasheet |
| Versailles | No mark | |
| Weed Patch | No mark | |
| West Fork | WEST FORK LOOKOUT TOWER JA1801 datasheet | |
| Wilbur | No mark | |
| Willow Valley | WILLOW VALLEY LOOKOUT TOWER JA1916 datasheet | |
| Winamac | TIPPECANOE RIVER ST PARK LOT ME2372 datasheet | BEARDS ME2370 datasheet |
| Wyandotte | LOOKOUT JA0493 datasheet | LOOKOUT RM 1 JA0492 datasheet; also HARRISON CO ST FOREST LOT JA1762 datasheet |