It was 30 years ago on July 28, 1988 that hikers and historians in North Jersey suffered a great loss. After more than 80 years of being a favorite destination for people who liked to wander along trails in the woods and a topic of interest for those looking into the past, the sentinel that watched over the Clinton Valley, Hanks Pond and Clinton Reservoir was suddenly reduced to a pile of rubble and carted away.
His estate consisted of 365 acres of wooded glens, fields, and farm lands, along with a 77-acre pristine water body known as Hank’s Pond, known for a long time as a choice destination for local fishermen.