Red Oak Grove

[WaretownMike]

Not far from Union Clay works I found a trail that leads through various piles of bricks and old Terra Cotta pipes and broken debris. Some of these pipes are a large diameter (perhaps 10 inches or more).

One section of this area is at least 20ft X 20ft wide and a few feet high with piles and piles of terra cotta and bricks. Also within 25 feet of this large pile is what appears to be a cellar or wide hole which also has older bricks and more pieces of clay or terra cotta piping and pieces. Is this what remains of any structures from Red Oak or was this just a dumping ground for broken or discarded terra cotta? Or perhaps just unrelated.

 

[Teegate]

That is the Union Clay Works site.

 

[Teegate]

You can still see the bolts for the steam engine that was there. If you notice the machine that cuts the firebreaks ran into the side of the underground foundation for the building. Another reason why they should not be digging them without a little knowledge of the area. I was there one time and someone had apparently been living there in a tent. There were food wrappers and other evidence. It looks like an animal, but the wrapper evidence made me think different.

There is another location nearby with much larger pipes.

 

[Pinesbucks]

Tee that looks like a buck scrape. Was there any overhead branch where a deer could reach even on hind legs? That is small for a tent unless it was a blind.

 

[Teegate]

Maybe, but unless someone had been there just before me and threw out food wrappers, that buck purchases it's food at a store.

 

[Pinesbucks]

Maybe someone has found a new bait for deer instead of a 50lb pile of corn.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Red Oak Grove is just down the road.

http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.83258178965574&lng=-74.40329916748044&z=14&type=topo&gpx=

There's a cellar hole or two there. Not really much to see.