****THIS CACHE IS IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. PLEASE SEEK ONLY DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS.****
One of the many reasons I love geocaching is that it often takes me to places I would never find otherwise. This is one of those out-of-the-way sorts of places, off the beaten path but of significant historical interest. I happened to find out about it in the course of a class trip my son took a few years ago, and it occurred to me recently that it would be a great place for a geocache.
I was very surprised to find that Chief Tuccamirgan of the Lenape tribe is buried in the Case family's burying ground on Bonnell Street in Flemington Borough. The lot is tiny and easily overlooked, and is located between two houses behind a low stone wall: there are a few small gravestones toward the front of the lot and a large white obelisk marking the resting place of Chief Tuccamirgan sits at the back of the lot, almost at the edge of the undergrowth. The following information is taken from the findagrave.com website (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=9608066).
Tuccamirgan (?-1750) Chief of Delaware Native Americans. Mary Lou Bartunek writes: "John Philip Case was born ca. 1680 in Anhausen, Germany. He married Anna Elizabeth Jung on 29 November 1703 in Anhausen. They had eight children. Anna Elizabeth died on 4 September 1721 in Anhausen and John Philip immigrated to America. He was naturalized in New Jersey on 8 July 1730. A 1738 deed transferred land in Flemington, New Jersey, from William Penn's sons Thomas, John and Richard to John Philip Kase (soon Anglicized to Case). A Delaware Indian Chief named Tuccamirgan lived nearby and John Philip and the Indian became very close friends. John Philip would not have survived on his settlement without the help of Tuccamirgan. The Indian assisted John Philip with the building of his cabin and provided protection from the hostile nearby natives. As he was nearing his death, Chief Tuccamirgan requested that he be buried near his good friend so Case buried him on his land. This became the first grave in what was afterward known as the Case burying ground. The burial was attended with great ceremony. The grave was dug very deep, and the Chief was placed in a sitting position facing the East. His war and hunting implements were buried with him. Six years later John Philip Case joined his Indian friend in the little cemetery. The hallowed ground is less than a hundred feet wide. It is located in Flemington's residential area on Bonnell Street surrounded by houses on all side. In 1925 the Flemington Historical League restored the cemetery. The lot was regraded and re-seeded; stones were reset. A protective stone wall was erected at the front of the property and a monument to the Indian Chief who had befriended the first settler was raised. Seven hundred citizens attended the dedication of a marble obelisk in memory of Chief Tuccamirgan. On one face is written 'In Memory of the Delaware Indian Chief Tuccamirgan 1750"; and on the other, "Erected by the Citizens of Flemington As a Tribute to this Friend of the White Man'."
This cache is intended to be easy to find and the hint gives away the location: the purpose of the hide is to show this historical site to some who might not otherwise find it. The coordinates may be a bit off because of the tree cover but the cache is in the obvious place that geosense would suggest. Log only--please BYOP. Street parking is available nearby.
Because the area is residential and one house in particular is close to the burying ground, I showed the container to the resident of that house and told her where the cache is hidden, so she understands that people will be looking for it. That said, as written above, please be thoughtful and do not come poking around this site with flashlights at night lest you cause concern to the nearby residents.
One further note: if you like this sort of hide, another good one in the area is THIS! (GC39D13.)
Happy hunting!