Tar Kiln Locations?

smoke_jumper

Piney
Mar 5, 2012
1,606
1,164
Atco, NJ
It’s been a few weeks since we’ve been out exploring sites but since the holidays I think we’ve visited 4 or 5. The most recent one we found was here:
I’m not sure exactly why but this one was my favorite so far. The topography seemed to give it more character then just a mound in the middle of the woods. All of these kilns that we’ve found so far are in the same relative area and just a few miles from one another. They seem a bit far inland to be used for ship building. It kind of makes me wonder if it could have been used in other operations like producing iron or in cranberry farming.
 

66C10

Explorer
Aug 4, 2023
108
195
South Vineland
Yesterday I was looking at google maps in the area of Jones Mill(the one near Port Elizabeth) and noticed a newly marked trail in google maps named Tarkiln Bog trail so of course had to check out the LiDAR.
https://boydsmaps.com/#17.91/39.317018/-74.935996/mbx3dmidatl/11.92/0.00 here are a few right off the trail. Looks like there is a turn around right through the center of one of them. The trail is described in this link under a list of trails in Belleplain State Forrest.

https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/maps/trailguides/belleplain_brochure_text.pdf

I assume the tarkilns are related to the former Jones Mill which is completely gone due to sand mining with the exception of one headstone according to Al. After work I have some research to do!
 

Boyd

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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Yesterday I was looking at google maps in the area of Jones Mill(the one near Port Elizabeth) and noticed a newly marked trail in google maps named Tarkiln Bog trail

Unless I'm not understanding, something is odd there. AFAIK this is the correct location of Tarkiln Bogs (also shown on the USGS 24k topo) and the trail, which is about 5 miles from the link you posted. Your location is in Peaslee WMA and not Belleplain State Forest, which is what that trail guide is for.

https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.300880/-74.842934/hybrid/0.00/0.00

tarkiln.png


I show an un-named trail at the location of your link on my 2020 topo

https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.317084/-74.935760/pines2020/0.00/0.00

It's also on my 2023 topo, in purple to indicate that it isn't on the USGS 24k maps. Pretty sure I traced that trail from the LIDAR imagery, since it's very clear there but it isn't on old topo's and doesn't really show on aerials.

https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.317051/-74.935739/pines2023/0.00/0.00

Screen Shot 2024-02-05 at 10.37.39 AM.png


I suppose there could be another Tarkiln Bogs and another Tarkiln Bogs Trail five miles away. I am skeptical, but maybe I'm missing something. :)
 

smoke_jumper

Piney
Mar 5, 2012
1,606
1,164
Atco, NJ
https://maps.app.goo.gl/w3k5gGGfQmEk7H1cA Interesting:) here is the link where I saw it marked on google. Looks like someone incorrectly marked it on google but it is a possible coincidence that this incorrect trail has tarkilns right off of it. I will have to take a walk down this incorrectly named trail to verify these are tarkilns.
It looks like there’s a lot of them too.
 

Boyd

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You might be right about calling it a tar kiln trail if it's next to tar kilns. :) But the Belleplain trail guide you linked to above is definitely for the tarkiln trail in my first screenshot above. I remember seeing that on the paper Belleplain State Forest maps you could get at the visitor center over 20 years ago, I always thought that was an interesting name.
 

Boyd

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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
(A bit off-topic) This got me thinking, somewhere I have a crate full of old maps that includes the paper maps for State Forests and Parks in the Pines, they probably go back 20 to 30 years. Would be an interesting project to georeference them and stitch together into a map for the whole region. :)
 
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Boyd

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Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
This is all I found, probably not worth the effort and the maps are pretty crude. Some fun memories though. Years ago I remember throwing a bunch of these maps away because they were falling apart. That map of Byrne in the center is funny, it's the old map of Lebanon State Forest with a cheap sticker glued over it with the new Brendan T. Byrne name. Of course, when you open it up it still says Lebanon everywhere. :D

maps.jpg


But back on topic, this map (dated 1995) shows Tarkiln Bogs in the same place as my map at the top of the page.

tarkiln_trail.jpg
 
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manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,673
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60
millville nj
www.youtube.com
Yesterday I was looking at google maps in the area of Jones Mill(the one near Port Elizabeth) and noticed a newly marked trail in google maps named Tarkiln Bog trail so of course had to check out the LiDAR.
https://boydsmaps.com/#17.91/39.317018/-74.935996/mbx3dmidatl/11.92/0.00 here are a few right off the trail. Looks like there is a turn around right through the center of one of them. The trail is described in this link under a list of trails in Belleplain State Forrest.

https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/maps/trailguides/belleplain_brochure_text.pdf

I assume the tarkilns are related to the former Jones Mill which is completely gone due to sand mining with the exception of one headstone according to Al. After work I have some research to do!
I have those in the gpx file i made,haven't been to those yet though
 
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manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
8,673
2,586
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millville nj
www.youtube.com
This is all I found, probably not worth the effort and the maps are pretty crude. Some fun memories though. Years ago I remember throwing a bunch of these maps away because they were falling apart. That map of Byre in the center is funny, it's the old map of Lebanon State Forest with a cheap sticker glued over it with the new Brendan T. Byrne name. Of course, when you open it up it still says Lebanon everywhere. :D

View attachment 21951

But back on topic, this map (dated 1995) shows Tarkiln Bogs in the same place as my map at the top of the page.

View attachment 21952
You threw maps away? How sacreligious! My wife could never get me to throw away books or maps.Don't let her know you did it or she will want to know how your wife got you to do it.
 
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Trailwalker

Scout
Sep 5, 2023
51
34
(ex-piney) in Florida
I thought you meant the tarkiln Brook down near Head of the River on Weatherby Rd.I had to switch to Topo Because the LIDAR was an unrecognizable area to me.I then seen why.Thats all the way up near the Metedeconk! I hearby name ot the "Yankee Tarkiln"! Of course being the finder the naming is for you Gabe but if that one ain't out of the normal range then there is no normal range.I"d like to see some LIDAR of the tar regions of the carolinas and see how thick the kilns are there and if they have the same look to em.
One of the feeders of Kettle Creek is named Tar Kiln
 
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