OK.... so a short time ago I asked Budd Wilson to share what he knew about the CCC camp at Green Bank with me. At one time, while doing his archeological work for the state he actually lived there. This is what I know to be true according to his accounts and my research. Yes Relayer, the camp was built in the early 1930s, at the same time as most of the others in our area. During WWII there was a US Army military unit stationed there. There is a chimney standing in the woods about 15 ft. from the intersection that was part of the Officer's day room. The military unit also used the old Green Bank School (presently the refurbished Town Hall), to view training movies. For reasons unknown they Army unit was asked to cease using the school. No one can recall what precipitated that request. Fast forward to NJ State ownership and in the early 1970s Budd is employed doing historical and archeological work for WSF. In 1972 he and his dog live in one of the old CCC buildings. It is approximately 20' wide and 120' long. The building is one-story. It is fenced in, used for storage, and fairly well protected. A large cement pad is laid to hold heavy items. While he lived there, Budd designed storage areas to accomodate the archives, maps, and work related items. He said it was great to have so much room to work on his many projects.
Sometime after moving into the building, Parks designates 1/3 of the building for storage of its property as well. In 1974 Budd marries and moves out. Luckily, when he moved he also relocated his personal library to his new home! On July 10, 1978 while Budd was working on an archeological project at Hancock House he receives a call from the Park superintendent at the time, notifying him of a fire at the camp building. There are conflicting reports about the origin/cause of the fire. Few items were salvaged-most were destroyed. Budd did lose a few books that he regularly used for reference that were kept in the building.
Here's the best part.... While conversing, Budd informs me that he believes that White Town was located here prior to the CCC camp. He mentions that even Beck was not interested in it's location, but Budd recalls seeing cellar holes in sometime in the 1950s. I have since searched extensively, as has Guy and we cannot locate any. The area has become quite overgrown in the last 115 years. A large white oak marks the intersection and I often recall Spungman's comments about the purpose of their placement to colonial travel. In Pearce's Heart of the Pines there are 2 pages dedicated to White Town's existence (279-280) stating that no one lived there after 1890. I was given a copy of a voter registration listing G____ Poole as a registered voter, and his town of residence as White Town in 1904. After that I find nothing. Would Beck have missed the remnants of this town because it was so close to the crossroads, no one/no dwellings remained, AND because by the time he arrived in town, the whole area was referred to as Green Bank? I also have seen a township resident list from the latter part of the 1800s listing Alanson White living in Crowleytown. But again, there were two Alanson Whites.... go figure.
I continue to keep my eyes open for info on this tiny hamlet that was typical of the many Pine Barrens "towns" that rose and fell during the past 300 or so years. Thanks all for your interest.
Terry
