Ruins on Home Bog

[PinesExplr]

Went out to find evidence of the 3 buildings indicated on an old map of Jobstown Bogs. Only found signs of 1 building and some strange Catus-like plants.

Also found a car in the middle of nowhere, must have been dropped from a plane because there is no way it could have been driven to that spot (at least within the last 20 years).

 

[BEHR655]

That's Prickly Pear, the only cactus native to NJ. I seen vehicles like that before. Driven in and then nature takes over.

Steve

 

[Trailhead00]

Looks to be a Fox bodied Mustang or Fairmont.

 

[PinesExplr]

good call

Looks to be a Fox bodied Mustang or Fairmont.

You know you cars, I thought Mustang too -- did not linger long enough to confirm. All the wires and oil filter looked brand new, but that does not compute since given where the car was... there is absolutely no way it got there in the recent past.

What year do you think?

 

[Trailhead00]

Tough to tell since Ford used the Fox chassis from 1978 until 2004, though it was modified at different times. From the looks of the rear valance it could be a Mustang. Definitely a 4 or 6 banger with the single exhaust pipe. Hard to imagine but if you looked underneath a 2004 Mustang and then a 1978 Fairmont, you would have a hard time noticing the difference. Always wondered how cars end up like that out in the woods?

 

[bobpbx]

I'm having a hard time reconciling the top photo to the bottom one. They look like 2 different vehicles. I can't seem to resolve what should be (in my mind) the first photo showing the top half of a car and the second shot the lower half. Just what is that white outline in the first photo?

If that bottom color is any indication of the top color, it seems late 70's would be a good bet.

 

[PinesExplr]

car pics

Only one car, here is another pic.

Any value in getting the VIN and reporting it? I wonder what the procedure Rangers use when they find abandoned vehicles.

 

[woodjin]

Thanks for the report and photos!! I have seen so many cars out in the woods and I never thought to get a VIN. Might be worth it if you are going out there anyway. Many of the cars I have seen- I suspect the VIN would be unrecognizable. If it was stolen the VIN might be gone anyway.

Bob and I once found a really old tire out in the woods in a thick overgrown spot. I think Bob placed the tire from the '20's or 30's.

Jeff

 

[bobpbx]

Oh, okay, I got it now. The white part is the outline of the door area. Without the tires I was confused.

 

[james ungehajer]

on a previous post,i told about the time i got stuck in my monza when i tried to take the scenic route in the early 80's from atco speedway to atsion road,coming out at goshen,after futile attempts to get the car out and walking out to the nearest telephone quite a few miles away,we decided to try for the car the next day,my mom woke me up early the next morning saying a man was on the phone from the dutchtown junkyard saying he had the car,saying the rangers found it,then traced the vin number to find out who the owner was,since i was in the process of looking for a new car,i sold the monza to him,i wonder if there is still anything left of the car in the dutchtown junkyard over 20 some years later?

 

[Teegate]

Back to the buildings...there may be only one foundation because the others may have been just sheds or some other dwelling that did not need a foundation.

Guy

 

[Badfish740]

It must be a pretty isolated spot if the radiator is still in it. Most scrapyards are getting $0.95 to $1.00 a pound for them!

 

[PinesExplr]

buildings

Back to the buildings...there may be only one foundation because the others may have been just sheds or some other dwelling that did not need a foundation.

Guy

Yes, the one building looked to about 25' by 20' -- so maybe storage or a pump house / maint. shack (esp. given its location).

I was wondering if the building remains could help date the bog operation - my theory is that they have not been used for 100+ years given the trees in some of the bogs. But the material looked like cinder block, which I guess I assumed was a relatively modern material.

As for the car, how it got there is a puzzler -- I'd be surprised if that location was driving accessible within the last 20 years. It would be great to see 30-50 year old aerial photos of southern Medford / West Jersey Bog area (I might be surprised).

ed

 

[PinesExplr]

car

It must be a pretty isolated spot if the radiator is still in it. Most scrapyards are getting $0.95 to $1.00 a pound for them!

The wheels and tires are still there, although not on the car.

 

[diggersw]

Concrete itself may date back to Roman times, but the concrete/cinder blocks in your photograph are much more recent. Based upon the material you have photographed, I would guess that you are looking at a ruin no more than eighty years old. And, based upon what I understand about the availability of materials in the NJPB, I would further guess that this was a 1940's-1960's structure. I do not believe the material culture would support a hypothesis of 100+ years for the ruins you photographed. In fact, the Brooksbrae ruins, with their rudimentary concrete work, have only now inched over the 100 year line.

Just some thoughts.
Scott W.