Near Key Biscayne in Miami-Dade County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

U.S. Coast Survey Base Marker

Photographed by J. Makali Bruton, May 26, 2019

1. U.S. Coast Survey Base Marker

Inscription. In 1855, a U.S. Coast Survey team, led by A.D. Bache, the superintendent of the Coast Survey, erected two base markers on Key Biscayne. One is located on what is now the golf course. This one was on land 300 ft. south of the lighthouse, but by 1883, it had disappeared into the sea as the shoreline eroded. In 1988, local professional land surveyors located this marker in 12 ft. of water. Then the U.S. Air Force 301st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron recovered it. The men of this time thus helped to preserve the remains of another generation's struggle for excellence in measuring and mapping the earth.

Erected by Sponsored by the Dade County Chapter of the Florida Society of Professional Land Surveyors in Cooperation with the Historical Association of Southern Florida.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lighthouses series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.

Location. 25° 39.97′ N, 80° 9.384′ W. Marker is near Key Biscayne, Florida, in Miami-Dade County. It can be reached from the intersection of South Crandon Boulevard and Cape Florida Park Boulevard, on the left when traveling south. The marker is on the shoreline

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of the eastern tip of Cape Florida facing the Atlantic Ocean, near the Cape Florida Lighthouse and Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1200 S Crandon Blvd, Key Biscayne FL 33149, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Florida,

on the Gold Coast,

and in Greater Miami.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Escaping to Freedom in the Bahamas (a few steps from this marker); Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage (within shouting distance of this marker); The Archaeology of Key Biscayne (within shouting distance of this marker); Key Biscayne, The Barrier Island (within shouting distance of this marker); Let It Shine! (within shouting distance of this marker); The Bahama Dinghy (within shouting distance of this marker); Dade Heritage Trust’s Cape Florida Lighthouse Brick Program (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Restoration Hardware (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Key Biscayne.

Also see . . . U.S. National Geodetic Survey. A history of the U.S. Coast Survey, its predecessors and evolution into NOAA. (Submitted on December 15, 2014, by Marsha A. Matson of Palmetto Bay, Florida.)