27-Apr-2001 -- Visited by Rick and Anna Smeltzer

27-April-2001 –This confluence, 39 north 90 west is located northeast of St. Louis near Dorsey, Illinois in Macoupin County in the heart of southwest Illinois's farm country. It is located just a few feet north of the Madison and Macoupin County line. We wondered if the county line was supposed to have been the 39th parallel but was off slightly due to a past surveying error. Using common courtesy, we obtained permission from the landowner to photograph the confluence.

The owner, Richard Hurst, operates Hurst Livestock and Grain on about 300 acres in the above mentioned counties. He grows corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. He also raises Angus beef cattle. As this is the 90th meridian, we are a quarter of the way around the world. Richard remembers a sign on state road 140 stating this fact. Richard also asked us to mark the confluence, which we obliged.

Photograph one is looking due north from the confluence. Picture two is of a hunter’s blind located just southeast of the confluence. Picture three is looking toward the northwest at the marked confluence. Picture four is looking at the farm fields toward the town of Dorsey. Picture five is the obligatory GPS receiver. Picture six is of the old US Route 66 marker in Hamel, Illinois.

This confluence is also near Alton, Illinois. Alton is home of the new 4260 foot cable-stayed Clark Bridge over the Mississippi.