USGS
Triangulation Station
"BEAR SPRINGS"

1897

Jerry Penry
September 3, 2010
October 5, 2014

The 1897 USGS triangulation station on Bear Mountain was described as a copper bolt. Bear Mountain is located approximately 12 miles southwest of Hill City, South Dakota. The modern calculated latitude/longitude position for this monument took us to the area of the existing shed that is used for restrooms and storage. A brief search was made by Kurt Luebke, Jenny Stukel, and Jerry Penry near the shed and a thorough search was made in the rubble with a metal detector thinking the monument could have been removed with the construction of the shed. Nothing was found.

In 1953, USGS returned to Bear Mountain and established a Transit Traverse station, "TT 9 DC", below the center of the fire lookout tower. In their report it stated the original 1897 copper bolt was found in bedrock just off the NW corner of the garage.

A return trip was made on October 5, 2014, and the area near the present building was searched, but there is no solid rock around the base of the building, but rather just loose soil. It is doubtful that the building mentioned by USGS in 1953 is the same one that exists there today. The area southeast of the building where an apparent building used to exist on the rocks was searched again with a metal detector, but nothing was found.

The original 1897 description for the Bear Springs monument.

Fire lookout tower on bear Mountain.
The calculated position for the 1897 USGS copper bolt is in the vicinity of the shed.

Fire lookout tower with 1953 USGS monument below.

Sign with elevation taken from the stamping on the 1953 USGS monument.

The 1953 USGS transit traverse monument under the center of the fire lookout tower.

Closeup of the 1953 USGS monument "TT 9 DC".

Back to USGS Black Hills Triangulation

© Jerry Penry 2010