Pope's Crossing
Marker Text: Used by emigrants and the Southern (Butterfield) Overland Mail which linked St. Louis and San Francisco with semi-weekly mail, 1858-1861. Headquarters in 1855 of Captain John Pope, supervisor of the drilling of the first deep well west of the 98th meridian. They struck water at 244 feet but sank to 1140 hoping to strike artesian flow. The well caved before its value could be determined. This $100,000 experiment pointed the way to deep well drilling in the Great Plains. (1936)
Marker No: 4071
1936 Gray Granite Centennial Marker
Geographic: 31° 56.701′ N, 103° 59.571′ W
Location: at the intersection of U.S. 285 and County Route 453, on the right when traveling north on U.S. 285.