USGS
Bench Mark
"DW 6193"

ca. 1898

Jerry Penry
September 4, 2010

Bench Mark "DW 6193" was established in the Black Hills by the U. S. Geological Survey sometime around the year 1898. It was referenced to the Deadwood Datum which depended upon a bench mark at Deadwood, South Dakota.

This bench mark was placed along one of the main roads at that time from Custer to Buck Spring. Today the location is just a little-used logging trail away from the main traveled roads. A devastating fire in the year 2000, known as the Jasper Fire, consumed the trees in 83,500 acres of the southwestern area of the Black Hills, but this bench mark remained unscathed. The Jasper Fire was the largest in recorded history in the Black Hills and ten years later the area is still struggling to recover. The bearing trees, if they still existed, were consumed in the fire and later cut down. Recovered by Kurt Luebke, Jenny Stukel, and Jerry Penry.

The landscape around "DW 6193" that was the site of a large forest fire.

The bench mark stands as sort of a historic sentinel in an area that sees very little visitors.

The top of the cap has been somewhat defaced.

This is believed to be the stump of the bearing tree to the northwest since it closely matches the correct distance.

This might have been the bearing tree to the southeast.

Could the indentation and sap in the stump possibly be from the scribing? This side of the stump faces the bench mark.

Kurt Luebke of Montana (left) and Jerry Penry of Nebraska with the discovery of bench mark "DW 6193".

The original description from the 1890's describing the location of the bench mark and the bearing tress.

The early USGS quad sheet showing the location of the bench mark.
The 6195 elevation is due to an adjustment in the elevation after the bench mark was set, but before the quad sheet was made.

The link below shows the area consumed by the Jasper Fire of 2000.
BLACK HILLS FIRES
(Click Above)

Other Deadwood Datum Bench Marks

© Jerry Penry 2010