» THE LOST SURVEYOR, from page 19 Answer: Anderson Viewpoint located on the north side of Cape Lookout on the Oregon Coast is dedicated to Billy Anderson who was the Tillamook County Surveyor and Engineer from January 1925 to September 1936. Many years ago the tripod held a replica of a transit, however, through conversations with current Tillamook County Surveyor, Danny McNutt, it was revealed that the transit was replaced several times, but regularly disappeared. As a child and later a young adult, I can remember the transit being there, but have not seen it for many years. Billy Anderson was well known in the county and many of his monuments still exist, holding the added distinction of being very reliable. Anderson’s notable contributions include one of the rst surveys of Highway 6 between Tillamook and Portland (the Wilson River Highway) and the survey of the Cape Lookout Road where his memorial is located. In 1926 the Coast and Geodetic Survey monumented Station “Bill,” presumably to commemorate the new County Surveyor, at the end of Cape Lookout. is station would have been approximately three miles from the pictured memorial, but the history is very interesting. e original description of Station Bill stated the station was located about 2 meters from the edge of the cli and could be identied by a cut through the trees to the north. e description also noted that reaching the station from the water’s edge was not advisable due to the near vertical clis and if attempted should only be done in calm weather. If you have ever hiked to the end of Cape Lookout or have ever shed in the ocean o the end of Cape Lookout you can imagine what a daunting task it would have been to attempt recovery from “the water’s edge.” Clearly this surveyor is not as hearty as those who have preceded us! e 1926 description goes on to note that a blazed trail lead from the head of Netarts Bay to the station, however, a stranger should not attempt to come over the trail and return on the same day. Also noted was that (fresh) water was within 1 mile of the station. A 1932 recovery note states the station could be reached from the Camp Meriwether Boy Scout Camp over a fair trail in about three hours. Wagon service to the camp existed from the Allen Ranch near the Sand Lake Post oce, but trucks could not reach the camp due to the sand dune. By 1939 erosion on the end of Cape Lookout had destroyed the mark and only a reference monument was recoverable. By 1956, all was lost to erosion. e Oregon Department of Transportation in Survey B-2397, Tillamook County Survey Records established control point “1999 Billy” near the memorial. e mark is located 1.5 meters north of the tripod. Next time you are traveling the Oregon coast between Netarts and Sand Lake and passing over Cape Lookout, remember to stop and check out the view from this memorial to one of the early, well-respected surveyors of Tillamook County. The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 38, No. 3 20 Billy Anderson Memorial and Viewpoint looking north towards Cape Meares and Netarts View of Cape Lookout from Camp Meriwether. Are you sure you want to get to that 1926 location from the water? Billy Anderson Memorial plaque
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