Amatol

[dogg57]

Amatol existed for a matter of months nearly a century ago, but its vegetation-shrouded ruins still beguile residents in this Pinelands outpost.
When operations began in July 1918, the patchwork of munitions factories and residential streets represented a colossal achievement of urban planning. The isolated community swelled with workers who inhabited a new downtown with such amenities as a cafeteria, dance hall and movie theater.
“The history of the work is a story of the accomplishment of brain power, engineering talent and the genius of American business organization,” wrote the secretary of the Public Service Commission in January 1919.
But by the time those words were printed, in a U.S. Army publication, Amatol’s future was fading.
World War I ended on Nov. 11, 1918 — Armistice Day, later commemorated as Veterans Day — and the 6,000-acre facility was soon shuttered, its buildings dismantled as swiftly as they’d been built. What little remained fell to ruin or was scrapped.By WALLACE McKELVEY
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/...cle_9d1c8cec-660e-11e3-b61e-0019bb2963f4.html

 

[RednekF350]

Cool as hell place.
I hunted there many years ago.
A good piece of Amotol is part of the Hammonton Creek WMA.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/wmamaps/hammonton_creek_west.pdf

 

[johnnyb]

That oval in the map just to the east/right of the blue rectangle with the "P" in it is the site of the Atlantic City board track. A place of interest to all us car racing nuts. Virtually nothing remains of it today; I walked it 30+ years ago.

 

[Boyd]

The racetrack shows up nicely on LIDAR: http://boydsmaps.com/#lidar,39.603411,-74.740880,16

The similarities with the munitions plant at Belco are also very evident - see: http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/tuckahoe-wma.8673/page-2#post-107735

 

[johnnyb]

The LIDAR map sure shows where the railroad tracks served the facilities.

 

[W.J.]

Fascinated by the LIDAR maps, Boyd. I stumbled across Amatol a few months ago but it's hard to grasp how large this facility really was without that birds-eye view.

 

[Boyd]

Glad you enjoy them.

 

[MarkBNJ]

It's quite a story, and there is still a lot to see out there. You can still trace the path of the railroad they built to connect the plant with factory "town" to the southeast. I didn't realize it was operational for so short a time.

 

[LARGO]

I enjoy the history of Amatol. many moons ago I was on my ATV looking to check it out and was trying by road to figure my way in and NOT blast around destroying things. I came to the intersection I want to say somewhere in the neighborhood of Elwood road and 561. I know I wound up just behind the State police station or so and/or the Circus Drive-in, somewhere abouts in there. I turned a corner right into John Law in his PO-leese car. BUSTED. Knowing my options were slim I road right up to him and he gave me the once over. He inquired as to my brazen risk taking and what I was doing. I told the straight truth about my junket to Amatol right down to looking for a proper way in. he looked at me, pointed across the way and said "right in there that spot open in the woods should get you right in." I almost fainted off the quad that day. Can't make a story like that up boys and girls. It happened. never will know why. I was given the gift of luck that day. The best part, I was able to carefully and respectfully on my quad determine the basic lay of the land after some passes and then was able to complete the oval. And so that was the day a teen from Pestletown was able to run the track, on a quad, with permission.

g

 

[LARGO]

Ahh, by the way, one may note in my posts also moons ago seeking the mysterious Ramble Inn whereabouts in Nesco.
Said tavern burned to the ground in the seventies in part because of the shear dry nature of the wood and in a Big... part due to floor plankings made of treated wood from the Amatol track. Went up quite nicely in short order.
Like sure is a circular thing.

g