Skunk Hollow Multi-Cache
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(regular)
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I fell in love with this park when I hiked here recently. The old stone bridges, the running brook, beautiful views and historical ruins make this a gem to explore. Lamont Reserve and Rockleigh Woods cover 134 wooded acres adjacent to Palisades State Park. Before this land belonged to the Boy Scouts USA, it was home to freed black slaves in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
In 1806, Jack Earnest borrowed $100 to buy his freedom from slavery from a farmer in Bergen County. He cut cord wood to pay back that loan. Later, he earned enough money to acquire five acres and 30 square rods of woodlot in this area atop the Palisades. Mr. Earnest's land was unsuitable for large scale farming, and it had been mostly stripped of its valuable lumber to provide for he and his wife. Soon after, other freed slaves found this enclave to be a refuge. Mr. Earnest, Benjamin Charlton and James Oliver were the earliest settlers of what came to be called Skunk Hollow, a colony of freed blacks that existed for 100 years. Its population peaked at 75 in 1880, when the community included a church. But for some unknown reason Skunk Hollow slowly ceased to exist, its last inhabitants having left around 1910.
Come visit Rockleigh Woods and try to imagine all the history that this land witnessed. Let the surrounding nature help you dream of your own future. NYNJTC Map #109
**There is ongoing construction nearby, and "Local Residents Only" sign at end of street but police told me that is only to deter traffic from neighboring corporations from cutting through and using the portion of the street that is closed. Geocachers welcomed at this park! 
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fgntr 1: Ab cnexvat arneol
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