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Found in good condition. Over the Columbus weekend I headed up to northern New Hampshire for some hiking, benchmarking and a bit of sight seeing. All the recovered marks (and all but one of the Not Founds) were boundary markers of one sort or another. Some were state boundary markers, some were US-Canada boundary markers and some were IBC triangulation stations (used when the US-Canada border was surveyed in 1915-1916). Here's a trip report: (visit link)
And here's a set of photo albums: (visit link) This particular mark is a special IBC boundary monument. It was one of only 13 (out of 775) cast iron posts set in 1845 which were larger than the others (5 feet vs. 3 feet above ground) and were set at significant turning points of the border. This one, no. 518, was set just west of Halls Stream (the northwestern most tributary of the Connecticut River) where it crosses the 45th parallel. It is the point were the border changes from following the stream south for approximately 25 miles from the northern mountains of New Hampshire, to where it goes straight west along the (old survey of) the 45th parallel to the Saint Lawrence River. I checked with the customs and border patrol guys at the Beecher Falls customs station and they couln't think of a reason not to OK my walk along the short section from the road over to the stream. The pictures tell the rest of the story. Logged with the NGS as "Recovered, good condition" on 10/12/2006 [This entry was edited by Papa-Bear-NYC on Friday, October 13, 2006 at 5:27:22 PM.]
Photos:
 QH0625 "MONUMENT 518", Beecher Falls, VT
View from Route 253 along the boundary vista towards Halls Stream. Monument 518A is in the foreground near the road and this station, Monument 518, is in the distance.
QH0625 "MONUMENT 518", Beecher Falls, VT
Closeup of munument. It stands about 5 feet high above the concrete base.
QH0625 "MONUMENT 518", Beecher Falls, VT
View looking east towards Halls Stream (which is obscured by the trees and bushes).
QH0625 "MONUMENT 518", Beecher Falls, VT
View looking west. Notice the vista cut through the trees past the road into the distance. It goes in a nearly straight line all the way to the Saint Lawrence River.
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