I found the final R98 stone

Teegate

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All,

I have a miserable head cold, so I took it easy today and only tried to find two things in the pines. The first item was an Azimuth Mark, but the snow is still hampering my search.

I then headed over to the Rockwood area to look for the final of 4 R98 stones that delineate the corners of the West Mills track, which encompass the Paradise Lake Campgrounds and other state land.

I entered for the first time ever on the road to Paradise Lake, and parked near where they should be. A short walk through the woods and we found the state marker.

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/62-1/IMG_5083.jpg

As you can see on it the native stone is 10 feet away in the direct of the slash, and I found it with no problem. The sun had melted the snow off of both stones making them relatively easy to find.

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/67-1/IMG_5085.jpg

Guy
 

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BEHR655 said:
Good find Guy. With the temps being so warm for the next few days I'm sure the snow will be gone soon.

Steve

I hope so. I have a backlog of things to do.

Guy
 

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gagliarchives said:
Hey Guy, great find. Meg and I want to go with you man! You find all the good stuff!


gags


I actually don't just "find" them :) I do quite a bit of research and acquire info on where these things are. That takes up quite a bit of time.

I am not against searching with others and would welcome you to come along. The only problem I believe would be is that I head out by 8:30 on Saturday mornings, and my day is over usually before noon. It just does not seem worth asking others along for that short of time and at that time of day.

Keep a watch on Bob's "anomaly" post and see if you want to join in on that one if we go this weekend. The first part of the morning we will be looking for something that may be interesting. Then again it may not be, or it may not be there.

As for finding the R98 stones, it has been interesting. I now know where the West Mill tract is which I never did before. I wanted to know more about it and if anyone has John Pierce's Heart of the Pines book you can read a little bit about it on page 32 but you want to start on page 31.

I wanted to know what the "R' stood for and for a second reading Pierce's book I thought it was for Samuel Richards. That would have placed those stones at 1798! But he did not acquire the West Mill Tract until June 5, 1819 so that could not be correct.

So I still don't know what the "R" stands for but I was thinking that it may have stood for "Rockwood". He had the property next to it at that time and may have purchased it.

If you have ever driven down the Paradise Campground road off of 206 and came to the wooden gate they have there, you are on he border of the tract. But what was interesting is that I was standing where a state property marker that I could not find because it was hidden under the snow, and realized that there is a chance that the gates there are on state property. I need to find that stone to be more accurate. In any event the gates have been removed but the wooden fence next to it are still there.

I had never been back there before but on Saturday that road was busy! A moving van even went into the campground so someone must have been moving in or out.

Guy
 

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pinelandpaddler said:
Guy,

Could you give me the cooridinates for the West Mill Track?

Just how far was it from Rockwood?

I have had quite a few requests for the location of places lately, and have given some of them out when I felt it was appropriate to do so. And some locations I have not given information out on.

As for the West Mill tract if I gave the exact locations out everyone would know where to find the R98 stones and I can guarantee that the three of the four that are still intact would soon look like the one at the below link. It is located close by the dam and camping area at Paradise Lake. Actually, it appears it may even be located right in an area that people camp in. The camping area is on private and state land.

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/72-2/R98damaged.jpg

I am not saying anyone here would do this, but word gets around and eventually the wrong person will get to it. They have been there for over 100 years because they are remote or semi remote except the one above, and I don't want to be the person who causes damage to them.

I can tell you that I have not even given Bob or Ben the location of any of them, and have only given Steve the locations of the ones he helps me find. That is the way I work, right or wrong.

Please don't be offended that I won't pass this info on.

As for where it is, basically the tract is the lake and swampy area around the Paradise Lake Campground.

http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?T=1&S=11&Z=18&X=1307&Y=10982&W=1&qs=|atsion|nj|

Guy
 
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