Map of Whiting and Fort Dix

[Gibby]

While cleaning the basement this morning, I came across several old boxes that belonged to my grandfather. Hidden inside among family photos and medals earned during the Bulge, were several maps from 1947. I don't know how these maps came to be in my grandfathers possession, but he did return home after the war through Fort Dix. Maybe that is the connection. Knowing that the forum has many members who enjoy old maps I would like to share some photos of one of the maps. Hopefully it will spark some conversation and I can get an answer or two to a few things I would like explained. Please excuse the rather dark images.

The maps are two sided with a topo and aerial prepared by Army Map Service.

A small image of the aerial picture. This map captured my interest because it is of Whiting and Fort Dix vicinity. Does anyone know what the numbered dots such as BM 146 identify?

At one time this map was considered restricted.

Typical topographical map printed on one side.

 

[Boyd]

That is really cool.I have a couple mailing tubes with rolled up maps. They are buried deep under a bunch of boxes of my daughter's childhood junk in the attic. It's great that you have some of your grandfather's stuff. I only have a few things, both my grandfathers died when I was quite young.

If anyone is interested, you can download GeoPDF copies of old topos at the USGS historic map collection. There's a free Adobe Acrobat plug-in for opening them.

http://cida.usgs.gov/hqsp/apex/f?p=262:18:335911066652994::NO:RP::

They have the 1942 and 1949 versions of the Whiting Quad available for download but not the 1947.

[edit - fixed bad link. This archive is growing, they now have Whiting topos going all the way back to 1884]

 

[Gibby]

Boyd, the most cherished of items I have are several battered and torn maps used while he was in combat. My grandfather fought with the Fourth Infantry through D-day, the Battle of the Bulge and stayed afterwards during the occupation. There are also many maps of France, Belgium and Germany. Here is another, but the rest I will keep private.

 

[Teegate]

The numbered dots indicate the Bench Mark locations. They still are show on modern topo's also.


http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.90272423982104&lng=-74.42503452301025&z=16&type=topo&gpx=


It is interesting to see that the topo map actually shows Pasadena at the proper general location. And it looks as if the land just above Brooksbre may have been used by the army for something.

Guy

 

[manumuskin]

and the numbers next to the benchmark locations stand for "feet in elevation above sea level"

 

[Boyd]

Guy: Are you talking about the dash-dot line here? I never knew that Fort Dix went that far South, Goose Pond would have also been inside the bounds.

 

[Teegate]

That is Lebanon and part of the Hanover Furnace line. I was thinking the "restricted " area may have been a place they did practice but looking it over now I think the map itself was restrcted. I have seen that on other maps and was really unsure of what it meant.

Guy

 

[Gibby]

Boyd and Teegate, that dash dot line is the boundary for the state forest - Lebanon at the time that map was printed. I just took note that farther north the boundary of the military reservation carries over RT70. I noticed there are three gun club locations on this map too, but their names are probably known. If not, they are: The Field and Stream Gun Club by Buckingham, East Trenton Rod and Gun by Roosevelt City, and Bay Shore Rod and Gun Club by Pasadena.

 

[Boyd]

Boyd and Teegate, that dash dot line is the boundary for the state forest

Could State property have been used for military purpose during wartime maybe?

 

[Teegate]

BTW, the Fruit Farm on your map is the Summit Fruit Farm.

 

[Teegate]

I am heading out for a short while. I will write more when I return.

 

[Gibby]

Could State property have been used for military purpose during wartime maybe?

I am sure that is a possibility, but it may have to do with what is revealed about the military base. Honestly I don't know, but it makes for a interesting discussion.

 

[Boyd]

They did a large exercise in Penn State Forest I think, right? I remember reading that the trucks raised such a cloud of dust that it completely gave away their position.

 

[Gibby]

Boyd , do you remember where you read that story?

The aerial photograph shows in detail many of the features of the base. I can clearly see a long line of vehicles parked side by side. Also all of the observation towers are visible and clearly marked.

The large area of parked vehicles is indicated by the red pointer. There is also a huge bullseye in the sand to the left of the same spot.

http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.977120098439634&lng=-74.42087173461914&z=13&type=h&gpx=

 

[Boyd]

Somebody posted a link to this and I remember discussing can't find the thread to give them credit for this cool find. I think this was about two years ago?

But just looked and I had saved the file I downloaded. See pages 4 and 5. I want to think this was also mentioned in less detail in one of the books I have about the pines, but I could be wrong.

 

[Teegate]

Gibby,

The section of Ft Dix on the south side of 70 consisted of 282.61 acres of land. It is three separate tracts and in 1976 the feds deeded the property to the state and it was added into Lebanon. In that tract is the weather station which still operates. The Lawrence Lines runs along the eastern edge and on that line was located the Hanover 1824 stone until it was stolen. The southern line was the division line between the two Jones family owners. On that line is this large stone.

There also are numerous military monuments.

This one was a struggle to find.

This is the monument at the southern end of the Lebanon line we discussed near Pasadena.

Guy

 

[Teegate]

Coyle Field was also used by the military during WW2 as an alternate landing strip for Atlantic City. So they have on numerous occasions used state land.

 

[manumuskin]

Somebody posted a link to this and I remember discussing can't find the thread to give them credit for this cool find. I think this was about two years ago?

But just looked and I had saved the file I downloaded. See pages 4 and 5. I want to think this was also mentioned in less detail in one of the books I have about the pines, but I could be wrong.

shell middens near oswego lake?Thats a long way to haul shells for the Lenape.I could see the Mullica or lower wading but penn state forest is a long way to carry shells by boat or foot..'

I don't really believe for a minute that pilot lost control of his plane and just happened to hit Bear Swamp Hill tower.I think he was on a suicide mission for one reason or another.Too much room and too small of a target for it to be an accident.

 

[Gibby]

Thanks Boyd, I enjoyed the entire article. It must have been a sight to see 16,000 soldiers invading Penn and Bass. The locals must have been worried witnessing the "invasion" first thing in the morning.

Teegate, thanks for the explanation. What you provided pieced together the the questions I had about this post and the post about the wells by the Bomarc site. So much of the history of how land was acquired and how even earlier historic artifacts, such as the Lawrence Line, are intertwined with each other. I find it interesting how things relate to each other.

 

[46er]

Somebody posted a link to this and I remember discussing can't find the thread to give them credit for this cool find. I think this was about two years ago?

But just looked and I had saved the file I downloaded. See pages 4 and 5. I want to think this was also mentioned in less detail in one of the books I have about the pines, but I could be wrong.

That file is on the Penn SF web site.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/penn.html