Illegal Structure In Wharton

[Teegate]

All,

A member of this site discovered a structure in Wharton and yesterday Jessica and I went to check it out. It appears to be a party spot or maybe a hunters camp that someone went to quite a bit of trouble to make. It was dug into the ground and supported with a metal frame, and when covered with a tarp it was possible to walk around fully erect. They even dug an entrance where you could walk right in and not bend down when the tarp was on. And it includes a stove and stove pipe as well as a charcoal grill.

There is a road to this location and it seems well used.

This is the view from the back.

The front view has the ground dug where you can walk right in and not bend over. The arrow points to that area.

When you walk up to the edge and look inside is when you can see how much work went into this. There is a post hole digger still there that was used to dig the holes for the post to hold the wood frame. You can see the digger in the first photo leaning against the wood.

They even have plastic cups, napkins and paper plates.

And they have cut and collected a massive amount of wood for the stove. They made quite a mess of the place.

 

[c1nj]

Do you think they cleared the woods there as well?

 

[enormiss]

Homeless person not from the area? I'd think anyone familiar would not put that much work into something out in the open.

 

[Teegate]

Homeless person not from the area? I'd think anyone familiar would not put that much work into something out in the open.

The person who found it thought that also. Maybe.

 

[Teegate]

Do you think they cleared the woods there as well?

It is an open area and has been since at least the 1930s. But they have cut some trees on the way in and around the area.

 

[Teegate]

While walking around the area Jessica noticed a fence. It appears that sometime in the distance past someone placed this here to protect a snake den or turtle eggs or whatever. It is hard to see but it is shaped like a tent, connected at the top and just wide enough at the bottom to keep something out. However, something was digging to get in.

 

[PinesExplr]

Maybe a stealth (COVID) New Year's Eve party spot. The shiny banner says "Happy...." something... and with all the party supplies, bbq, etc. The walls look like pallets, but on closer inspection, maybe some kind of fencing? Looks like too many paid for things to be homeless person IMO, and no bedding. High school or college kids looking for a place to celebrate NYE is my guess. Those square boxes with green bottoms and mounted tubes, could those be for fireworks? Did it rain on NYE this year? Are those steel plates holding the sand counters up? Interesting.

 

[Teegate]

Much of that could have been trash picked.

Yes, the steel plates are an important part of this layout. Without them it would not be the same in there.

Notice how dry it is in there. That sand just lets that water go right through it.

 

[Teegate]

I did not look closely enough at the banner. Looks like a return trip is needed.

 

[Rooftree]

The way things were left there, it appears that the tarp might have blown off. And where's all the beer cans and other usually trash. They actually kept it clean.

 

[Broke Jeep Joe]

Maybe a stealth (COVID) New Year's Eve party spot. The shiny banner says "Happy...." something... and with all the party supplies, bbq, etc. The walls look like pallets, but on closer inspection, maybe some kind of fencing? Looks like too many paid for things to be homeless person IMO, and no bedding. High school or college kids looking for a place to celebrate NYE is my guess. Those square boxes with green bottoms and mounted tubes, could those be for fireworks? Did it rain on NYE this year? Are those steel plates holding the sand counters up? Interesting.

I believe the boxes with the tubes are a "washers" game. Guessing by the washers in the box. Similar idea to horse shoes, trying to get the washer in the tube. Definitely well built and time consuming for sure. I think its more recent than new years eve though, the wood sides aren't quite as weathered as you would expect and the overall condition leads me to believe it hasn't been exposed to the elements for that long. Green napkins and table cloth, maybe St. Pats? By the looks of the wood pile, they plan on using it for a while! Wonder what is in the tote there? Did you look Guy? Albeit illegal it is clean if it is indeed a party spot. Maybe its the observation station for the UFO detector? cant get too close ya know

 

[Teegate]

Well, Jessica just informed me that while we were there she had told me that the banner said "Happy Birthday" and that I had responded to her. I barely remember that unfortuantly. We now know what it said, no thanks to me.

Joe, I assume the tote you are referring to is the container outside of the structure. That was full of all kinds of junk that they apparently were using to build the place.

 

[Teegate]

Update: We revisited the party spot today and it is gone. Either they removed it which I doubt, or the state found out about it from my post or some other way.

 

[Wick]

At least whoever cleaned it up did a nice job and took all the stuff so it does not look like a garbage dump anymore.

 

[Teegate]

The pile of wood is still there but it is just wood and will eventually go away. But the tarp for some reason is still there.

On the wood subject, Jessica and I back in 2009 visited a stone where surveyors had just recently cut down two huge trees to get better satellite reception. Yesterday, we went there again as we passed by, and they are completely gone. In 12 years two large trees fully disintagrated.

 

[manumuskin]

The pile of wood is still there but it is just wood and will eventually go away. But the tarp for some reason is still there.

On the wood subject, Jessica and I back in 2009 visited a stone where surveyors had just recently cut down two huge trees to get better satellite reception. Yesterday, we went there again as we passed by, and they are completely gone. In 12 years two large trees fully disintagrated.

were the trees pine? they rot very fast

 

[Teegate]

were the trees pine? they rot very fast

Yes.

 

[Teegate]

Update: I was looking the newest aerial over a few weeks ago and the structure showed up again. So two weeks ago we revisited the place and there is nothing there. Somehow that structure showed up on the newest aerials when it had already been destroyed. It is very odd.