A series of 20 caches in the Glen Run Natural Preserve & Glen Park
History
The greenway property encompasses land along the north side of the steep Godfrey Ridge, which runs in an east-west direction from Stroudsburg to Delaware Water Gap. The rail bed for the abandoned (yet historic) New York, Susquehanna & Western RR runs along the bottom of the ridge on the south side of the Brodhead Creek. This allows a picturesque and fairly easy walk out to the eastern edge of the county's property. This area is popular among the mountain biking community, so don't be surprised if you happen upon a downhiller erupting from the rhododendrons!
This geocache was placed with the permission of the Monroe County Open Space Forever Green Region, including hide style and location, and for that, we thank them.
This letter "S" geoart celebrates Stroudsburg and its lore. Answers may be found circumnavigating the internet, unless you're a Stroudsburg native and learned this stuff in school.
Did you know? Warren R. Van Vliet engineered canning jars that were better able to preserve foods than the other canning jars of his day. He was born in Stroud Township on December 1, 1833. After serving in the Civil War as a recruiter for the Union, Van Vliet returned to a career in Monroe County, working as a teacher. He was a forward-thinking man best known for his invention and patent of the Van Vliet canning jar. Patents are, and originally were, intended to exclude people other than the patent-holder from using, developing, or selling an invention.
The smallest glass factory in Monroe County manufactured Van Vliet’s canning jars. This factory was located on the Stroudsburg side of the Interborough Bridge (now Veterans Memorial Bridge). Warren Van Vliet partnered with Stroudsburg businessman Jackson Lantz who undoubtedly financed Van Vliet’s canning jar industry.
Van Vliet’s jar design was intended to advance the preservation of fruits and other foods by improving the jar’s seal. His jars were narrow at the top and flared to a wider, more stable bottom. To seal the jars, Van Vliet developed a baling device that wrapped the jars with wire. The wire then secured a yoke-shaped clamp that tightly held the jars’ lids when they were closed, creating an air-tight seal. Van Vliet’s jars came in a variety of sizes from one-half pint to two quarts.
Warren Van Vliet’s patent for his fruit jars was approved on (date). The jars are imprinted with either “The Van Vliet Jar of 1881” or “Van Vliet Improved PatD May 3 1881.” Unfortunately, the Van Vliet jars were only made for four years, as the factory burned down in 1885, and the storeroom, fasteners and jars were lost. The factory was never rebuilt.
Because the Van Vliet canning jars were only made for a short time, there are very few in existence. The rare Van Vliet canning jars, designed to be functional and beautiful, are a great collector’s item today.
May 1, 1881: N 40° 58.100' W 75° 11.400'
May 2, 1881: N 40° 58.202' W 75° 11.373'
May 3, 1881: N 40° 59.109' W 75° 10.517'
Be sure to record the numbers inside this lid for the bonus cache (#21, GC93Q78).
Source: Amy Leiser, Executive Director, Monroe County Historical Association