Where is this?

Don Catts

Explorer
Aug 5, 2012
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Indian Mills
You are referring to the club itself? I was referring to the dam area.


Sorry Guy, I just threw that in there. I know where you are. I didn't mean to change the subject. That's the original sign from the club house. Only one maybe two guys still living. Some folks think the club was at Lower Forge, but it was across the line over in Shamong.

OK back to "WHERE IS THIS" Sorry again Don
 

Teegate

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Don't be sorry. Can you narrow that location down? And what do you think the black dot was on the topo maps at Lower Forge?
 

Teegate

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Found it.

a.JPG
 

Teegate

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Don,

What do you think this was? I was assuming it was a gun club.

lf.jpg
 

Don Catts

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Aug 5, 2012
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Indian Mills
Don,

What do you think this was? I was assuming it was a gun club.

lf.jpg


I'm not sure what that building is Guy. I do know that folks lived at Lower Forge at one time. I once saw a record of someone being born at Lower Forge, don't remember his name or the parents names. Also, think I had an old map that showed more than one building there. But the Lower Forge Gun Club was up river a little, as shown on the attached map. You can see the road circles around the building.
The Wharton estate let them build a club house and hunt rent free. When the state bought the land in 1955 they had to get out. The state knocked the building down, but the guys in the club felt they owed the area something so they got the OK to build the dam. They were mostly Tabernacle boys. Don
Scan.jpg
 
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SuperChooch

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Aug 26, 2011
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Wow Don, thanks for that insight. I had always wondered about that dam way out there and the gun club. I thought it must have been a lot of work to haul all that equipment and concrete out to a pretty remote spot to build that dam. So I guess the only question left is: Who is Mannis? or is Manni's? Sorry, distracting from the game again.... :)
 

ecampbell

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Jan 2, 2003
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Looks good, but there is only one way to be sure, good luck. Not much left as I remember it.
I know the spot well. Not much there but a road to the river with a turn around, no cellar hole , just sand. The same goes for the dots at Lower Forge.
 

ecampbell

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Jan 2, 2003
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Thanks Don, nice stuff to know. I visited many of the dots on the topo's but nothing was there. Walt Gager and his son Dennis built my garage, maybe they were involved. Maybe it was just a small shelter. Do you know anymore about it? I know of 2 shacks that were recently built out by Quarter Mile but not big enough to lie down in.
 

Neutron

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Apr 24, 2015
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Is that a goat?

Definitely looks like one. I think its a badly weathered foam practice deer somebody stuck out there, whose head has gotten droopy. I like to think of it as the "deer decoy".

Guy is correct on the location, this pond is located off of Beaver Branch Road just off 539 in Warren Grove, heading towards Red Road.
 

Neutron

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Neutron,

Right at the corner there in the area of the clearing was the Jack Cervetto sawmill.

http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.7479179465803&lng=-74.37453690569879&z=20&type=hybrid&gpx=

You may have noticed the road named after him in Warren Grove.

http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.742726019432155&lng=-74.37305900853158&z=17&type=hybrid&gpx=

Guy, very neat! I drive by Cervetto frequently and have seen the book about him, but didn't know of the saw mill that had been there. Thanks!
 

Don Catts

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Aug 5, 2012
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Indian Mills
Thanks Don, nice stuff to know. I visited many of the dots on the topo's but nothing was there. Walt Gager and his son Dennis built my garage, maybe they were involved. Maybe it was just a small shelter. Do you know anymore about it? I know of 2 shacks that were recently built out by Quarter Mile but not big enough to lie down in.


Yea Ed, I do know a little more. Elmer Gager built it in the 1930s.
Andrew Etheridge was manager of the Atsion section of the Wharton Estate until 1925. When he passed away his son-in-law Leason Small became manager. The Small family and the Gagers were related. This may have been why they were able to build the cabin there, not sure. The cabin was small maybe 15x20 at most. Just one room, just room for bunk beds and a kitchen. It was made of material right on site (log with some lumber brought in). Remember in the 1930's times were tight.
When the state bought the land in 1955 the club moved to the Haines property at Eagle. In the attached picture of the Haines farm you can see the cinder block club house just at the top of the photo. From there they moved to a building on the farm of one of the original members, in Tabernacle. They still hunt there today. All members are new now except one original member, but he doesn't hunt any more. Probably never incorporated but don't know for sure.
Here is a photo of the original members. They are all there except Elmer Gager who took the picture.

Haines farm at Eagle
image0-004.jpg


Original members at the Club House on Haines Farm Photo by Elmer Gager 1957
image0-009.jpg
 
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Teegate

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Nice information Don. Thanks! Here is the 1963 aerial showing it. I assume I have the correct building of the two. Both are still there today I see except the one I circled is bigger.

1963.jpg
 
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