Big Hill (Nature Center at Lookout Park)

[Teegate]

All,

On Saturday I visited a place I have never been before, and just thought that you may want to visit there also. You may think I am crazy but it is in Leisuretown.....yes Leisuretown with all the old folks. Now before you become disinterested, let me explain.

The place is called Big Hill, and in the 20's there was a lookout tower there, and the cement foundations are still intact with text engraved into it. (Picture at the link below) I found out about the place while doing research on my quest for Geodetic markers. (There are three there, one embedded into the lookout tower foundation, see if you can find them). There is a small gazebo there along with benches to sit, with one bench in particular giving you a pretty nice view. It is semi cleared of brush so you can walk around with little fear of ticks. It is only a 50 plus yard walk from the road, so you can easily get to and see it all in a short period of time.

To get there enter Leisuretown on 70 and make sure you stop at the guard house. Tell them you are going to "Lookout Park Nature Center". She said Ok and I went right on. Make sure you stop because they claim they photograph you car license plate and possibly you as you drive in. Remember, senior citizens live there.

Follow Huntington Drive for .8 miles and turn right on Kingston Way. Go .15 miles to Gramercy Place and turn left. Travel .35 miles to the Nature Center at Lookout Park on your left. There is a dirt road in but it says no vehicles, and I parked on the road. There are senior citizens homes there so be respectful. Walk in to your left toward the gazebo, the tower foundations, the markers, and then the lookout view.

Write back if you go there and tell me what you think of the place. Also, write if you have been there before.I would be interested in hearing more about it.

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/teegate/ForestService.jpg


Guy

 

[BobM]

Guy,

When I was 7 to 9 years old we lived in Hampton Lakes, just next door. I vaguely remember Big Hill. I thought it was a land fill now.

I was 7 in 1961. The pines were different then, more rustic somehow. I wish I could go back in time.

Bob. PS: is there a view from there?

 

[VTowner]

I've been there many times. I grew up near Sooy Place Rd., which is what they call Big Hill Rd. south of Rt. 70. There was [is] a Big Hill Landfill, which is what Leisuretown is now being built on as they expand, but the "experts" claim that it doesn't pollute the water table enough to matter.

There isn't too much to see from Big Hill except Drayton's bogs, and you can see lots of planes going in and out of McGwire AFB. There’s a little bench that overlooks the whole scene. There's also a small round marker up there that gives the altitude of the hill and some other geographic information near the path that goes from the driveway to the bench.

One time when I was in my late teens, a friend of mine who's a volunteer fireman got a call on his pager that there was a small plane crash in the bogs off of Big Hill Rd., so he ran to the fire station and a bunch of us took off for Leisuretown in our trucks to see what we could see from the hill. It turned out to just be a brush fire--the LTRs (Leisuretown Residents) had seen it and assumed a plane must have crashed--so we decided to leave, but the crusty 80 year old security guard had his little truck in the driveway near the gazebo, blocking us in. When we had come in, there was no one in the guard hut, so we just drove through. Now he was giving us a hard time up on the hill, but we explained the whole story, and he eventually backed up his truck to let us go. But then he followed us out and soon tried to pull us over by turning on his yellow lights. I know that our story must have seemed unbelievable, but we had gone the reasonable route with him, and for once, we really weren't doing anything wrong. Well, I've never met an 18 year old (especially an 18 year old Piney) that would let himself get pulled over by a rent-a-cop, so we just tore off. Although he didn't chase us past Leisuretown, we thought we'd get nailed anyway because he must have had our license plate numbers, but nothing ever came of it.

The moral of the story: if you decide to go up there, give the guard enough time to get out of the crapper or he'll hunt you down like a mummy.

 

[Teegate]

Bob,

As VTowner mentions, there is a bench that overlooks a small portion of the area around it. I did not have much time to spend there, so I only looked at an angle from the bench, but there was a good view from what I saw. You are on top of a hill. If you have some time it is an interesting spot to visit if you have not been there. I am glad I spent 15 minutes there. That is all you will need.

Guy

 

[Teegate]

VTowner,

There actually are three Geodetic Markers there. The station with the triangle on it, and the two reference markers with the arrows pointing at the station. There was at one time an Azimuth mark about .4 miles from there, but that is believed to be covered over and long destroyed.

Guy

 

[BobM]

Vtowner;

Draytons Bogs? Was he the gentleman that also had a septic service? How about the pig farm I remember, is it still there?

 

[VTowner]

I don't know if they're actually Mr. Drayton's bogs, but the father of the guy with the septic service (and the famous "Mr. Bob" service) lives on Big Hill road in the middle of a bunch of bogs that we always called "Drayton's". He always goes all out for Christmas and decorates his entire yard with life-sized ornaments. I think the Bob Drayton that owns the septic service lives near by, but he hit the lottery TWICE so he may have moved. I don't live in Vincentown any more, but my parents still do so I get some gossip.

And yes, the pig farm is still there. I'm sure it's going to smell great today when it's 90+ and humid. There was a small development that was put in off of Sooy Place, probably half a mile from the pig farm. They sold all of the houses in the winter so the people didn't know about the odor, but when the first summer hit, they all went crazy and petitioned the township to do something about it. I was loving it because I didn't want them to develop it anyway, and fortunately, the township came out with the stance, "the pig farm was there first, deal with it or move."

 

[JeffD]

That's right, VTowner, the pig farm was there first. I have a problem with outsiders who move into an established rural area then complain about something that was already there before they invaded the area. Of course, the developers were sneaky to sell the homes in the winter and make sure people don't know what they're getting into. It's sort of a lie by ommission. I experienced this mentality years ago when I we moved into the Korman Suites near the Neshaminy Mall in Pennsylvania. The agent or whatever those bimbos are called told us that my little girl would enjoy the swimming pool. What we weren't told was that for all but one or two days children are not permitted in the pool or anywhere on the club grounds after 5 p.m., because the sight of children offends the yuppies!

The developers don't care; they made their money at other people's expense. BTW, in Pennsylvania there is a bill that would give the community a level playing field against developers. My local state senator is sponsoring it. It may be too late. Maybe not. In New Jersey I just wish someone could train the Jersey Devil to attack unethical developers and scare people off before they move into some of these developments. It would be also good if the Jersey Devil attacked people who trash out places.

This brings me to landfills. There's one run by Waste Management in my area. Because of all the land they own, there is more open space. When you drive up route 13 skirting the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, north of Tullytown, you see woods, etc. Waste Management put in a ballfield a few years ago. Several years ago the National Wildlife Federation did a publication examining landfills.

 

[Teegate]

VTowner & Bob,

Sorry I did not get back earlier, but I never received a notification of the last three replies.

The name Bob Drayton is familiar to me, so I called my mom and asked her to refresh my memory on that name. When she moved into her house in Marlton in 1955, there was a tenant house next door that was owned by the farm that her development was being built on. The family that lived there was Drayton, and they had about 6 kids, all boys and one girl. Tina, Ray, Jimmy, Bob, and others. Bob was about 27-30 at the time and was married. The house still had an outhouse and a little shack where the grandparents lived. It blew over in a storm.

The Drayton family soon moved to the area somewhere near South Hampton, and my mom believes Bob moved near Big Hill, and he possibly may be the Bob Drayton you are talking about. He would be about 75-78 years old.

Any info or comments on this??


Guy

 

[VTowner]

That might be Bob Drayton Sr. I don't really know the family that well, but the age and location sound about right.