Where in Elk County Am I?

[W. Gray]

We had a discussion on the forum some time ago concerning Mount Osage Cuestas in Elk County, the highest officially named point in Elk County. Just wanted to see how many members remembered or if new members were aware of the area. Prior to the previous discussions, I was considering it to be the highest point in Elk County.

During that discussion, Dan found that there were higher points in Elk County, some over 200 feet higher. A number of these higher points are near Osage Cuestas and some are in Union Center Township. Not sure why Osage Cuestas receives such prominence, but it is mentioned on several web sites and is shown on most maps.

To add some confusion, a good part of the eastern and southern area of Kansas is in a geological region also called Osage Cuestas. A slim exception in the local area is eastern Elk and Chautauqua counties and western Wilson and Montgomery counties, which are in a geological area called Chautauqua Hills.

After our previous discussion, I contacted the Kansas Geological Survey to find out why Osages Cuestas received top billing in view of the many other points in Elk County that are higher. They came back with a response that was something to the effect that the United States Geological Survey made the call.

There are other higher points in the Osage Cuestas geologic region so I don't have a clue as to why a high point in Elk County has that particular name.

If you have Google Earth, type in "Osage Cuestas" and it will take you there. Acme Maps should do the same.

It is about six miles north of Grenola and is southwest of Howard. 37.42503  96.45862

[flintauqua]

And even the USGS can't seem to put the right name on it.  Since Mount Osage Cuestas was named (I don't know when, but it was on a 15 minute quad in 1921, spelled with a Q) the prevailing scientific thought of where the Osage Cuestas end and the Flint Hills begin has changed. 

From a post of mine in the Good Old Days:

In the conterminous United States there are 84 Level III Ecoregions.  Ecoregions differ from each other based on physiological traits such as topography, geology, climate, flaura and fauna, etc.  I don't know how many places in the country lie where three or more of these 84 regions intersect, but in Kansas there are only seven out of 105 counties where three different regions exist:

Meade County in SW Kansas, Marshall and Jackson counties in NE Kansas, and Chautauqua, Elk, Greenwood, and Woodson counties in SE/SC Kansas.

The three Ecoregions that are present in each of CQ, EK, GW, & WO counties are:

28  Flint Hills (no level four)
29  Central Oklahoma/Texas Plains (Level 4 - a. Cross Timbers)
40  Central Irregular Plains (Level 4 - b. Osage Cuestas)

All of this can be verified at:   ftp://ftp.epa.gov/wed/ecoregions/ks_ne/ksne_front.pdf

As you will see when you go to this link, Mount Osage Cuestas is now in the Flint Hills!  At least in the collaborative natural science of ecology:  "These phenomena include geology, physiography, vegetation, climate, soils, land use, wildlife, and hydrology. The
relative importance of each characteristic varies from one ecological region to another. . ."  The USGS and Kansas Geological Survey were two of the collaborators and the citation for the map actually uses the USGS as the publisher, so I guess they must be in agreement with the other agencies that are more concerned with flora, fuana and hydrology.

Charles

[flintauqua]

Part Two

I would sure like to see the original USGS surveryors notes on this one.  Why was this particular spot named?  Today is might be refered to "Middle Eagle Head" as it divides the two forks of the Caney River, each of which drain the East and West Eagle Head Ranches.  Today the whole area is called "Eagle Head".  And Mount Osage Cuestas isn't even the highest or most prominent point on Eagle Head.

Anyone else with thoughts or observations on this PLEASE join in.

As for who's next in the game, I'd like to make a suggestion.  Dan, Waldo and I have posted all the targets so far.  I would like to have someone other than us three post the next target.  Only rule is it has to have a latitude and longitude attached to it, so it can be located on a map.  Can be any type of place name, feature, or just a spot; modern-day or historical it doesn't matter.

Hope Waldo and Dan don't object.

Charles

[flintauqua]

Okay,

I'll give it till mid-afternoon tommorrow for someone (other than Waldo, Dan and I) to post a new target.  After that it's up to Waldo as to who goes next.

Charles

[W. Gray]

Dan,

Go for it.

As an aside, some folks might want to contribute if they did not have to post coordinates?

[ddurbin]

Okay, here we go.  There will be a clue-a-day until someone identifies the location.  No coordinates needed. (Charlie, you can't play)
Seen easily from above
But not from the ground.
I'm oval in shape;
Not round.

[flintauqua]

Can I mislead or drop obtuse hints?  Please. Please. Please!!! Big brother.

[Dee Gee]

Will the coordinates of N 37.46103 W 96.25594 work for oval.

[ddurbin]

Sorry Dee Gee.  It's not at West Elk.
Here's today update:
Seen easily from above
But not from the ground.
I'm oval in shape;
Not round.

Once very popular
'Specially on race day;
Dan knew me better
From hauling hay.

[jensarlou]

I think I might actually have one!!!  Since you said coordinates weren't needed how about the old race track at the Howard fair grounds.  I never new there was one there until I saw it on Google Earth.  Since the sat. photos have been updated you can even see the mud bog run off to the east end of the oval.