A bit of a dated post. Back in the mid ninties I used to ride in the area that was later to become the NJORV park. When I used to ride back there, I would stop along the top ridge of the back pit and take in a beautiful vista looking eastward. The oppitsite slope/decent from the ridge, which was unaffected by the one time minning operation there, was steep.
I later assumed this to have been Governers Hill when I saw it on old maps like the Scotts ATlas of 1876 and the Gordon map of 1833 (where it appears to have been hand written in). It appears on a few other maps but is absent on more modern topos. There is also a governers branch, a modest watershed in the same area.
When I visited the area this past summer with my son Jack, I could barely recognize the place due to extensive alterations to the land in there. Getting to the old vista spot was difficult due to large sand mounds designed to eliminate vehicle traffic.
Here is the spot.
http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.83607450104928&lng=-74.50209975242615&z=17&type=nj2007&gpx=
Here is what it looked like there this past summer.
At only two at the time, Jack mastered the intimidating sand mounds like a pro:
the view was diminished due to erosion of the pit ridge and some pines that had grown to obstruct visability.
My question is...has anyone else known this area as governers hill, or have any information as to the exact location of governer's hill? It is possible that after sand operations started there, maps stopped referring to it as such, due to minning operations compromising the integrity and elevation of the area. The same might be true of Owens Hill to the east where Clayton sand is now. Furthermore, any ideas as to the origins of the name: Governers hill.
Jeff
I later assumed this to have been Governers Hill when I saw it on old maps like the Scotts ATlas of 1876 and the Gordon map of 1833 (where it appears to have been hand written in). It appears on a few other maps but is absent on more modern topos. There is also a governers branch, a modest watershed in the same area.
When I visited the area this past summer with my son Jack, I could barely recognize the place due to extensive alterations to the land in there. Getting to the old vista spot was difficult due to large sand mounds designed to eliminate vehicle traffic.
Here is the spot.
http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.83607450104928&lng=-74.50209975242615&z=17&type=nj2007&gpx=
Here is what it looked like there this past summer.
At only two at the time, Jack mastered the intimidating sand mounds like a pro:
the view was diminished due to erosion of the pit ridge and some pines that had grown to obstruct visability.
My question is...has anyone else known this area as governers hill, or have any information as to the exact location of governer's hill? It is possible that after sand operations started there, maps stopped referring to it as such, due to minning operations compromising the integrity and elevation of the area. The same might be true of Owens Hill to the east where Clayton sand is now. Furthermore, any ideas as to the origins of the name: Governers hill.
Jeff
thanks for the information, Jerseyman. A quick look at the topo shows that an elevation of exactly 189 feet was very close to where I was, but not exactly. That location would be in, or just behind the 72 pit (is what they used to call it) I am very familar with the pit.