Questions about Lebanon Sites/Brendan Byrne State Forest

[NJChileHead]

I've been interested in quite some time about a few sites in Brendan Byrne State Forest and was wondering if you all could point me in the right direction, I have a few questions about some of the sites.

In Howard Boyd's book (Field Guide to the Pine Barrens of New Jersey) he refers to Mount Misery as possibly being named by the French Huguenots "for the difficulties of living there" however I've also read that it was named 'misericordia' (place of mercy) by the them because they were grateful to have found it. I also understand there was a sanatorium there (tuberculosis). Does anyone have more conclusive info or sources of info for this?

Also, I understand that the old Lebanon Glass works site is located near the campground, and that there was possibly an old cemetery there. Does anyone have a map point as to where these two features are?

Last question (for now!): I understand that Pakim Pond was a reservoir for a now-abandoned cranberry bog. I always assumed that this is the wetland just north of Pakim Pond. Is this correct?

Thank you very much for any help you can offer!

 

[Boyd]

Also, I understand that the old Lebanon Glass works site is located near the campground, and that there was possibly an old cemetery there. Does anyone have a map point as to where these two features are?

The location of the glassworks is indicated on my 2020 topo map and I also show the location of some historical structures that no longer exist.

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.872176/-74.522944/pines2020/0.00/0.00

The glassworks location is shown on both the Vermeule and Cook 19th century topo's, note that it shows the boundaries of the cleared area

https://boydsmaps.com/#15.00/39.872176/-74.522944/cook/0.00/0.00

The old buildings come from the USGS 24k topo map

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.872176/-74.522944/pines1999/0.00/0.00

They are also shown on the older 62k USGS topo

https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.872176/-74.522944/pines1949/0.00/0.00

No idea what these were or when they were torn down, they don't appear to be on the 1930 aerials, but the quality is so poor it's hard to tell. LIDAR doesn't show much, I assume they levelled the whole area when they built the campgrounds.

I always assumed that this is the wetland just north of Pakim Pond. Is this correct?

The bog is indicated on the USGS 24k topo

https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.881776/-74.532965/pines1999/0.00/0.00

 

[NJChileHead]

The location of the glassworks is indicated on my 2020 topo map and I also show the location of some historical structures that no longer exist.

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.872176/-74.522944/pines2020/0.00/0.00

The glassworks location is shown on both the Vermeule and Cook 19th century topo's, note that it shows the boundaries of the cleared area

https://boydsmaps.com/#15.00/39.872176/-74.522944/cook/0.00/0.00

The old buildings come from the USGS 24k topo map

https://boydsmaps.com/#17.00/39.872176/-74.522944/pines1999/0.00/0.00

They are also shown on the older 62k USGS topo

https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.872176/-74.522944/pines1949/0.00/0.00

No idea what these were or when they were torn down, they don't appear to be on the 1930 aerials, but the quality is so poor it's hard to tell. LIDAR doesn't show much, I assume they levelled the whole area when they built the campgrounds.



The bog is indicated on the USGS 24k topo

https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.881776/-74.532965/pines1999/0.00/0.00

Boyd, you rock, thank you so much for these. I thought the glassworks were near the campground, I didn't realize the campground was practically right on top of it.

Do you (or anyone else) know anything about the old cemetery? Location, etc.?

Edited to add: I found this article (from 1996) which references the cemetery and describes the markers as pieces of slag glass. Interesting. https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-980CE6DB1339F933A05755C0A960958260.html

 

[manumuskin]

The markers are pieces of slag, I haven't been there in probably fifteen years or more and had a helluva time finding them back then,probably couldn't find them again.They have no names,just pieces of slag half buried in the ground.

Boyd, you rock, thank you so much for these. I thought the glassworks were near the campground, I didn't realize the campground was practically right on top of it.

Do you (or anyone else) know anything about the old cemetery? Location, etc.?

Edited to add: I found this article (from 1996) which references the cemetery and describes the markers as pieces of slag glass. Interesting. https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-980CE6DB1339F933A05755C0A960958260.ht

 

[Teegate]

I will throw out my info on the graves and you can make your own decision.

They are not slag, they are stones. And they are stones that just happen to align directly on a property line at Lebanon. Ted Gordon says they are grave stones.

This is a survey line and the location of the so called grave. According to the GPS readings I took when I was there the graves are .75 inches off of the line.

Here are the stones.

This one appears to have melted glass on it. Maybe a stone used in the glass works or part of the building where glass may have landed on it.

 

[Teegate]

Last question (for now!): I understand that Pakim Pond was a reservoir for a now-abandoned cranberry bog. I always assumed that this is the wetland just north of Pakim Pond. Is this correct?

The bog is called Sloan's Bog. I have various maps showing it and each time it is labeled Sloan's. I have looked for the property corners and have not found them. I did not spend much time as I suspect there are no stones. The one corner is right where the bridge is located on the trail.

 

[bobpbx]

"So called graves".

 

[Teegate]

Not named but the same place

 

[NJChileHead]

So Guy, Bob, am I understanding correctly that there is skepticism as to whether or not these are actually graves?

Also, Guy, thank you very much for the info. Do you have a copy of the map with the "Ted's Grave" pin that is zoomed out a bit? I'd be interested in checking it out. Feel free to PM if you prefer.

 

[Teegate]

I did not find the place, I was shown it. So I don't think it is my place to tell anyone where it is located.