Benchmarks are survey reference markers placed by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). Benchmarks placed prior to 2000 may be listed for discovery in geocaching.com, look for the link to “Find… all nearby benchmarks” on any cache page. You can sometimes find interesting history in the NGS description of the benchmark, take a look at the entry for this benchmark even if you aren’t logging benchmark finds.
There has been an airfield on this spot since at least 1932. In the earliest days the grass runway went north/south. In 1967 the runway was oriented NE/SW and in the early 1970’s was billed as Wisconsin’s longest grass runway at 3000 feet long. In 1982 2,700 feet of the runway was paved. The benchmark at the SW end of that long runway was put in place in 1997 when it was determined that it would be safer to have an east-west runway. Imagine standing by this benchmark at the southwest terminus of the old runway as a small plane zoomed low overhead for take-off or landing! The new all-weather lighted runway is 3,300 feet long.
You do NOT need to walk onto the airport grounds to pursue this cache! It is a short stroll from parking and should be generally accessible in winter.