The Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association, the National Geodetic Survey and the village of Mazon, Illinois, sponsored the dedication of the state's Center of Population on July 10, 2004.

The Illinois Professional Land Surveyors Association, the National Geodetic Survey and the village of Mazon, Ill., sponsored the dedication of the State of Illinois Center of Population on Saturday, July 10, 2004.

A permanent marker was placed at the edge of a park in Mazon, Ill., designating the Center of Population for the State of Illinois according to the 2000 Census. Mazon is in the southeast corner of Grundy County on State Route 47 north of Interstate 55 exit 220.

Donald G. Groesser, PLS, President of the IPLSA Northeast Chapter, and senior staff surveyor of SEC Surveying, set the monument and members of the Northeast Chapter occupied the monument to collect its coordinate value.

Tim Burch, PLS, of the Northeast Chapter was the project coordinator. Dr. Chris Pearson, Illinois geodetic advisor, and Bob Church, IPLSA executive director both spoke at the dedication ceremony.

The brass monument had the logos of the IPLSA and the NGS along with an outline map of the State of Illinois showing the location of Mazon. A silhouette of Abraham Lincoln holding a surveyor's compass was also on the monument.

IPLSA Executive Director Church presented a framed Ostendorf print of Lincoln the Surveyor to Susan Giddings, the mayor of Mazon, to commemorate the day.

Source: IPLSA, July 19, 2004