PARKER 1870 (PE1898)
State: ME
County: Hancock
Quad: Southwest Harbor
Location: N 44° 21.214' W068° 19.598'
Elevation: 85 ft.
Designation: PARKER 1870 1870
Setting: Rock Outcrop
Type: Triangulation Station
Year: 1870
Established By: NGS
Recovered: 08 September 2007
We began by turning from Route 102 onto Parker Farm Road. This gravel road led us east past turn-offs and driveways to quaintly named sea cottages, and eventually to within a tenth of a mile of the coordinates. Even though we were so close, we found the woods extremely difficult to pick our way through. A zigzagging route finally took us to the coordinates. To say that looking for a bolt in this jungle of fallen trees, pine debris and moss was like looking for a needle in a haystack would be an understatement. Fortunately we had reference marks to rely on (provided we could find them) and, as you might have suspected, the "huge boulder" referred to in the 1934 recovery note hadn't moved an inch.
Within minutes, Rich had located RM2 on a prominent boulder while I stumbled my way slightly downhill and spotted RM1 on a similarly obvious outcropping. Neither of us could see the station very well from our respective reference mark, but Rich was able to walk a line on the bearing indicated by RM2's arrow toward the station. I crouched down and followed my reference mark's bearing line with my eyes, and told Rich to stop walking as soon as he crossed it. "Look there," I said. At his feet, beneath a fallen log, was a perfect little outcropping boulder and, beneath the moss, the bolt set in 1870. The reference marks had served their purpose! What an exciting find!
A report on the condition of this station and both reference marks was submitted to NGS, along with the following recovery note:
The station and both reference marks were recovered in good condition. The reference marks are situated as described in the 1944 recovery note.
To reach the station from the junction of route 198 and route 102 in Somesville, follow route 102 south for 1.3 miles. Turn left onto Parker Farm Road and travel east for 0.36 miles to a fork. Bear right and travel 0.11 miles to another fork. Park and walk 0.14 miles east-northeast through open woods to the station. The knoll is now wooded and the blazed tree is not evident.
Autonomous (non-corrected) handheld GPS coordinates for RM 1 are 44 21 12.8(N) 068 19 35.7(W). Autonomous (non-corrected) handheld GPS coordinates for RM 2 are 44 21 13.2(N) 068 19 36.0(W).
Zhanna
NGS Official Description, 1870 (see datasheet for recent updates) :
DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1870 (GAF) ON A BARE KNOLL ON THE W SIDE OF SOMES SOUND NEAR ITS HEAD AND ABOUT 3/4 MILE S BY E FROM MOUNT DESERT VILLAGE AND 3/8 MILE S OF MASON POINT. THE LAND BELONGS TO J. PARKER, WHOSE HOUSE IS NW OF THE STATION. THE STATION IS A COPPER BOLT SET IN A HOLE IN A ROCK, ON A SMALL EXPOSED PART OF THE ROCK, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE SURROUNDING GRASS AROUND.
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...NGS Triangulation Station PARKER 1870N 44° 21.214' W068° 19.598' |
...Eyelevel view of the bolt set into the rock outcrop. |
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...Looking S toward the huge boulder mentioned in the description. Mark indicated. |
...The woods are thick in this area, and the brush and fallen branches are twisted and sharp and grabbed at our legs when we tried to walk. This is the view we had of the huge boulder when approaching the coordinates. |
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...NGS Reference Mark Disk PARKER 1870 RM1N 44° 21.214' W068° 19.595' |
...Eyelevel view of the disk and boulder. |
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...Looking W toward the station, which is obscured by trees and brush. |
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...NGS Reference Mark Disk PARKER 1870 RM2N 44° 21.220' W068° 19.600' |
...Eyelevel view of the disk and boulder. |
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...Looking SE toward the station, which is obscured by trees and brush. |