Oct 28 9:45 6th annual PINE BARRENS 4 WHEEL DRIVE CLEANUP

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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Sorry Bob, it is Wescoat.

BTW, I may have mentioned this before .... my records do not show the state purchasing Wescoat. It still says private. Scott, do you know when and if the state purchased it?


Guy
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
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Pestletown, N.J.
Sorry Bob, it is Wescoat.

BTW, I may have mentioned this before .... my records do not show the state purchasing Wescoat. It still says private. Scott, do you know when and if the state purchased it?


Guy

No I don't Guy but I may be able to confirm in a day or so. I am swamped tomorrow.
The Survey maps that I gave you the lead on a few years ago are not an official ownership record by any stretch.
The former ranger that I told you to contact and others before him used to pencil in "State" and a date when various outparcels were purchased on the map sheets they had on file in their offices, which is where you got yours. I have several examples of those types of mark-ups in my office.
That doesn't mean that they recorded all of the transactions.
The official documented ownership record is the block and lot and ownership on file with the local assessor.
All parcels, State-owned or other, have local Block and lot numbers and an owner of record associated with them. Stae parcels are exempt but still inventoried by block and lot.
I will see what I can dig up.
 

Teegate

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Well, I don't have any more here. I have viewed a pre 1900 survey map of it and Wescoat was written in large letters. I thought I had photo's of it but I can't find them if I did. I do have an old survey but the name is absent.


Guy
 

LARGO

Piney
Sep 7, 2005
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Pestletown
Not to stray from the current dialogue, but I did want to mention to Scott, I did check out Wescoat from the views we discussed, arials, topo's, & such. Looking at that network of feeders and streams after having walked around there... very cool. Took me a couple minutes but I got right down to the trail and footbridge area we took in. After that, it was easy. I saw the points you made on the make up of it all.

g.
 
Apr 6, 2004
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Galloway
Jumping in here....

Guy and Scott are correct: It is Wescoat. That being said, it should be noted that the surname was eventually changed to Westcott. Thus, "Westcoat" is perfectly excusable. :D

Bob,

I believe that Gordon's map is slightly incorrect. The Nescochague Creek was at one time known as West Mill(s?) Creek, and I think that had to do with geographical "west", not a surname. Or does anyone know of any West's that were associated with the West Mill Tract?
 

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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West Mills has an interesting history that would take years to decipher,; however, there is some I know which you may find interesting. You can find much of the historical info below in old editions of the Batsto Citizen Gazette.

West’s Mill, West Mills, and West Mill are basically all variations of a tract of land that currently is Paradise Lake Campground. For purposes here I will call it West Mills. The history of the tract dates back to at least 10/13/1772 when John West acquired the land to use for lumbering along the Nescochague Creek. By 1781 he had acquired more property from Elijah Clark who you can read about in Iron In the Pines by Pierce. He also acquired property from a John Monroe which most likely was the property that Paradise Lake now occupies. Eventually West acquired 1000 acres. Then it was owned in portions by Thomas Platt, Jacob Downing, and on On July 10, 1822 the property was purchased by Samuel Richards of Atsion fame, and eventually he willed it to his son William.

In the 1880’s Joseph Wharton acquired all of the West Mills tract but would sell portions of it to other people which is what kept the state from owning the Paradise Lake property. In fact many of the private lands in that area were all owned by Wharton at one time. He sold them to friends and for profit which has kept us from owning them today. On 2/9/1887 Wharton sold over 500 acres to Charles Greene Rockwood Jr. which his daughter Katharine inherited after his and her mothers death. She would sell the property to Franklin and Frank Haines on 1/11/1926. They were the owners of the Rockwood property when Beck visited there and wrote the Nothin’ N’ Nothin’ in Rockwood chapter in his More Forgotten Towns of South Jersey book. In the mid 1950’s the state acquired the property and added it into the Wharton Tract.

The main West Mills tract which as mentioned is Paradise Lake was purchased by Wharton and sold to Andrew Rider of Riders College fame in 1898. Rider had the property surveyed and 4 stones were placed on the corners of the property. On them was incised R98 for Andrew J.Rider 1898. Three of those are still intact with the fourth one damaged and semi flush with the ground.


In perfect condition for being there for 100 years


1.JPG




So close yet so hard to get to.


2.JPG



Nice view from this one when it snows.


3.JPG



I bet a thousand people have stepped on this one.


4.JPG


Guy
 

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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John West, eh? You the man, Guy.

A bit-off topic: I'm assuming that Rider's Switch was named after Andrew Rider?

He owned Parkdale and I believe he built the siding there for shipping cranberries. He also owned the bogs at Hampton Furnace when the murder of his relative occurred at the bridge on the road from 206.

Guy
 
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