Sometime in mid January of this year two of my buddies, Steve Eichinger and Ricky "White Shoes" Steele, could be seen poking around in the woods on Route 9 across the road and around the bend from the old Renault wine bottle. Rumor has it that there lies the remains of an old New Gretna artifact that has long been forgotten, even by old New Gretna natives.
The mysterious artifact was found in the woods just around the bend from the Renault Wine Bottle. (Map courtesy of Bing Maps.)
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Steve Eichinger, standing on the shoulder of Route 9, points past the pole and off into the woods at the remains of the mysterious artifact. (January 14, 2010 photo by Pete Stemmer.)
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Steve Eichinger (left) and Ricky "White Shoes" Steele take a close look at the remains of the mysterious artifact. (January 14, 2010 photo be Pete Stemmer.)
I'm going to pause here and ask if any of our Blog readers knows what the mysterious artifact was and/or remembers seeing it in it's hay day in the 1940's when it was intact. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of it in it's prime and would be grateful for any photo or verbal description that may be forthcoming.
I hate to keep everyone in suspense regarding what the remains were, but that's part of the charm of the Blog. Its close proximately to the well traveled Route 9 gives a good clue as to it's purpose. Keep tuned!
Pete S
Pete,
ReplyDeleteI can't pinpoint the exact location but at one time there existed an outdoor advertising sign for Long Beach Island painted and erected by Dan Tooker who was a sign painter who lived in Tucketon. Also a oil/natural gas drilling rig was located in that same area. Both on that Rt 9 curve.
Clif Brown
Editor's Note: Interesting, but no cigar! Pete
Pete,
ReplyDeleteThe artifact was a platform with a lady on a horse. advertising the Steel Pier high diving horse show.
betty Petzak conformed it with my sister Peg groff
The artifact might be the old steam shovel which dug out gravel to build Rt 9. In later years the kids ice skated the long gravel pits known as the "Steam Shovel"
ReplyDeleteSam Briggs
My guess, based on your clues and past blogs is a his/hers outhouse. Good to have you back Pete, hope you doing well.
ReplyDeleteJohn Allen
Pete: Give us poor folks a clue. Approxmately what was the year this artifact was erected? I bet you or your buddies don't know.
ReplyDeleteThanks - Clif Brown
I remember that big wine bottle on the curve when I was a little girl visiting my grandparents. My parents, Bill & Jean (Atkinson) Gray, are from New Gretna. We stumbled across this website and they had a 'blast from the past' good time. They emailed a new post to the moderator that should show up soon.
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