Mystery Line in the Pines

[Teegate]

They would not allow that in the pines. They made the power company run the power company run lines along the edge of Wharton from Atsion Road to Atco because they did not even want them in Wharton.

I know someone who I have been reluctant to ask that may be able to give me more detail on the actual location of the old Woodland town line. I am sure they have a survey for it. For a survey that long and straight it has to be a township line. Nobody owns property that far and straight in NJ. It is not a state survey line for sure and they would not run a cable through those swamps.

So wish me luck since I am not sure if this person wants to talk to me



Guy

 

[woodjin]

It's very close to my house so I will check it out physically.

 

[piker56]

it is very visible in the 1970 historical aerials but i can see it in spots in all the google earth images,NJGIN and a little here and there in birds eye so it is no photographic mirage.as 46er shows you can see it in google earth.the newer the image the less it seems to appear visible as would be expected.I was exploring the area near the ne end last week and noticed it on the aerials and followed it out of curiosity.both ends are as far as i could see it.
Al

OK, I am blind. When I looked at historical aerials for 1970 I didn't see it. When I clicked between 1963 and 1970 it was very clear in 1970, and not there in 1963 (I can also see it on GE now). Look's interesting, thanks for posting.
Greg

 

[Teegate]

Even though it shows in recent aerials, you will not be able to see any evidence of it on the ground. Al and I have traveled to many locations where the survey line shows in the aerials but once we get there the evidence is not to be found. It is a very strange thing.


Guy

 

[manumuskin]

Guy is right about lines like this being invisible on the ground.I believe that they create a disturbance in the canopy by cutting trees that lasts well beyond the rotting of the stumps and brushing in of the cut.When we look around at a lot of undisturbed woodland we see random tree and shrub placement but it is really not random.Every tree and shrub out there is in just the right place for it to be or it will not be there long.All the plants are spaced to take advantage of the sunlight or lack thereof,whatever the requirements of the plant call for.When they go through and make a line they disturb this order for as long as it takes the average tree to mature and reach the height of the rest of the trees.Some lines may take as much as 100 years to disappear from the canopy but give it 20 years or so and all stumps will probably be gone and you will never guess from the ground unless of course the stumps are cedar.They are there forever,cypress too.
Al

 

[Boyd]

OK, now I see it. The 1995 state aerials weren't high enough resolution. It's visible on the 2002 infrared aerials. The NW point appears to touch the boundary of Wharton, which is also visible. Will have to check this out some more,

 

[Teegate]

It does not reach the Wharton boundary. The blue arrows point to Al's line, the red arrows to the Wharton border, the orange arrows to another survey line, and the yellow circle where it meets. So, that line is either an old township line or maybe someone was surveying old property tracts. I have all of the Wharton surveys of that area and it is not a Wharton survey line. Maybe the line may have been surveyed to validate a Wharton property line at some point, but it does not intersect any Wharton property line that I know of. It skims by a few important stones, but it never reaches them. If you put a piece of paper on your screen and follow Al,s line after the yellow circle, what seems like a survey line going past it is not.

Al, you need to go between NJ39T and NJ40T and check for that intersection. It looks very easy to get to if you put on your knee highs since it appears you will need to cross the stream. You have those cords for those points.

Try this for the yellow circle:

39.80464
-74.65998

And if you think it reaches Wharton try:

39.80516
-74.66131

Guy

 

[Boyd]

You are right, and I noticed it didn't quite touch the boundary line, but I thought my data might have been off by a little, or Al's coordinates may not have been exact. His NW point is about 120 feet from the Wharton line. But you would need to extend the line by about 450 feet to actually intersect that Wharton line. I also noticed the other line (your orange arrows) and thought that might have been the real Wharton boundary.

It doesn't correspond with any property lines that I have found online either. The green lines below are different wharton parcels. The heavy black outer lines are the Tabernacle Township borders. Al's pink line is 5.176 miles long, FWIW.

 

[Teegate]

It is a strange thing. There must be a reason but I can't think of it. Various idea's are popping up in my mind though. Just like there was a Lawrence Line Committee who resurveyed the original Lawrence Line, maybe back then there were people who surveyed old lines much like I look for the stones. That seems unlikely since it would be a major undertaking and illegal without permission. I still have not asked the person who I think may know, but I may give it a try.

Guy

 

[Boyd]

It's also visible in the LIDAR DEM imagery.

 

[Boyd]

Could it have been a survey for a powerline, railroad or highway that was never built? If you extend the line way out in both directions, it runs from the Betsy Ross Bridge through Warren Grove. This is a stretch... but maybe something related to the big international airport at New City? McPhee's book was published in 1967 and planning was underway. That might correlate with the appearance of the line around 1970.

 

[Teegate]

Could be. That is a well thought out guess.

Guy

 

[manumuskin]

I have no idea where the Keith Line is but I looked at a map of it once and I know it crossed the barrens on a ese to wnw bearing if I remember correctly.This wouldn't be part of that line would it? Can't remember where I saw the map with that line on it.
Al

 

[manumuskin]

Could it have been a survey for a powerline, railroad or highway that was never built? If you extend the line way out in both directions, it runs from the Betsy Ross Bridge through Warren Grove. This is a stretch... but maybe something related to the big international airport at New City? McPhee's book was published in 1967 and planning was underway. That might correlate with the appearance of the line around 1970.

Yes I remember him writing that they were planning a huge jetport and metropolis in the pines.Perhaps this was a proposed boundary??? never knew they got that far with it.
Al

 

[Teegate]

I have no idea where the Keith Line is but I looked at a map of it once and I know it crossed the barrens on a ese to wnw bearing if I remember correctly.This wouldn't be part of that line would it? Can't remember where I saw the map with that line on it.
Al

The Keith line is the eastern Burlington County border.

Guy

 

[manumuskin]

It's also visible in the LIDAR DEM imagery.

i noticed that ditches show very well on this site.Since this shows up perhaps it has been ditched in which case it will show on the ground.have to check it out

 

[woodjin]

I checked it out where it meets with moores meadow road. There is no visable sign of it. I might have been able to see in by looking up to the canopy, but it might have been my imagination.

Jeff

 

[manumuskin]

I'll check it out further.Not my next trip to the woods but maybe the one after that.It';s got my curiosity piked.I"m going to check in the vicinity of skit branch where it crosses several roads.