# WTF is this thing I found on Google Maps?? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 11, 2018, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249 "2018-04-11T22:11:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/1 "2018-04-11T22:11:18Z")
Having stumbled across the Wiki article on the [Poles of Inaccessibility](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pole_of_inaccessibility) and having nothing better to do, I was following the coordinates of each one on Google Maps to see where they were. In North America the PoI in in southern South Dakota. It appears to be in a creekbed on some farmland. However, I noticed something odd. A mile or so southeast of the PoI is, well, [this weird thing](https://www.google.com/maps/place/43%C2%B021'17.3%22N+101%C2%B057'59.2%22W/@43.3557053,-101.9674205,578m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d43.3548056!4d-101.9664444). It appears to be a tower, shaped like a skinny chess pawn and painted bright blue. It has a rounded top that, judging from the nearby building, must be at least 20 feet in diameter. It looks like it’s miles from the nearest town and not exactly on a high point of elevation, although it’s hard to tell. So what is this thing? ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/2 "2018-04-11T22:14:14Z")
Guessing a water tower? Not sure why it’s there. Agribusiness? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/3 "2018-04-11T22:17:40Z")
Something is painted on the side of that tower, but I can’t tell what it says. That gray stripe along the road to the south looks like a plowed field; maybe it’s a water tower for irrigation? ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/4 "2018-04-11T22:19:24Z")
> [@campp](#): > > Guessing a water tower? Not sure why it’s there. Agribusiness? That occurred to me, but it doesn’t look stable enough. I’d imagine a water tower built like that would be really top-heavy and unstable and, with the ever-present prairie winds, be prone to failure. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/5 "2018-04-11T22:21:09Z")
[Water sphere](https://www.google.com/search?q=water+sphere+tower&num=100&newwindow=1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjnxuGLoLPaAhWOuVkKHepIDGMQ_AUoAXoECAAQAw&biw=1067&bih=449)?! CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/6 "2018-04-11T22:24:19Z")
Apparently water towers with a similar design exist, but ones in the images I’ve found have a noticably wider base. [https://goo.gl/images/dzy6es](https://goo.gl/images/dzy6es) ETA: What CMC said. But still that’s a damn weird place to put one, if that’s what it is ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/7 "2018-04-11T22:33:35Z")
It’s for the crew in the underground missile silo. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/8 "2018-04-11T22:33:50Z")
Perhaps it was erected to mark the PofI? There is a building nearby – private water tower? Brian ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/9 "2018-04-11T22:40:08Z")
Kinda sorta cheated, given that I grew-up in the shadow of World’s Tallest Water Sphere in Union, New Jersey. CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/10 "2018-04-11T22:51:35Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > Apparently water towers with a similar design exist Yeah, those are the typical water towers around here. I didn’t even realize they had another name (“water sphere”) until this thread. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/11 "2018-04-11T23:00:11Z")
It’s a sunsphere full of unsold wigs. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2018, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/12 "2018-04-11T23:08:22Z")
Am I hearing, “Radar Love”? ---
**Author:** ![K2500](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f6c823/32.png) [@K2500](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K2500)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/13 "2018-04-12T00:06:37Z")
Looks to be on a reservation, in which case I blame the government for this not making sense. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/14 "2018-04-12T01:13:31Z")
It’s one of a number of water towers in teh Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. [https://www.google.com/search?q=water+tower+in+pine+ridge+indian+reservation&newwindow=1&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjLp5jlxrPaAhUIwbwKHRrUAdMQ7AkIMw&biw=960&bih=491#imgrc=\_uFA1v7znU7ciM:](https://www.google.com/search?q=water+tower+in+pine+ridge+indian+reservation&newwindow=1&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjLp5jlxrPaAhUIwbwKHRrUAdMQ7AkIMw&biw=960&bih=491#imgrc=_uFA1v7znU7ciM:) ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/15 "2018-04-12T01:55:39Z")
Pole of Inaccessibility is an interesting concept. Maybe it’s the best we can do in defining a region we could choose to call Nowhere, and then showing where the middle of it turns out to be. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/16 "2018-04-12T05:29:34Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > Maybe it’s the best we can do in defining a region we could choose to call Nowhere, and then showing where the middle of it turns out to be. 🙂 Well, there’s this: > **[Nowhere, Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowhere,_Oklahoma)** > > Nowhere is an unincorporated community in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. Nowhere is located at the southeast end of Fort Cobb Reservoir, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) south-southwest of Albert and 14 miles (23 km) northwest of Anadarko. > Nowhere is at the intersection of E1280 Road and County Street 2550. 🙂 But yeah, I agree, it is an interesting concept. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/17 "2018-04-12T10:37:14Z")
That is a push pin. Now if only we can find where “South Dakota” is written… ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/18 "2018-04-12T13:59:31Z")
Here’s a photo on this page via **jtur88** ’s link that has a side shot of what I think is one of your towers. [http://m-m.net/mni-wiconi-rural-water-system/](http://m-m.net/mni-wiconi-rural-water-system/) ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/19 "2018-04-12T14:05:57Z")
> [@Lancia](#): > > That occurred to me, but it doesn’t look stable enough. I’d imagine a water tower built like that would be really top-heavy and unstable and, with the ever-present prairie winds, be prone to failure. True, but they are water towers nevertheless. We have them in virtually every suburb in the Chicago area. Because of their shape, many in this areas call them “Water Bubbles” or simply “Bubbles” for short. From I-294 you can see the water bubble that belongs to the Village of Worth. It has a big yellow smiley on it with the message: [“Worth, the Friendly Village”.](https://cbslocal-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/captures/BCF/964/BCF964711CE444A4BFFDFC81C484E3BA.jpg) LOL Actually, now that I look at it, they have replaced the smiley with a corporate ad. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249/20 "2018-04-12T14:06:17Z")
It’s a rural water tower and they aren’t just on the reservations. There are many water districts in South Dakota that have towers out in the middle of nowhere. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-this-thing-i-found-on-google-maps/812249.md?page=2)