Why Kids From Mexico Paid For a Memorial in NJ’s Pine Barrens

There is a memorial in the Pine Barrens that was paid for "by contributions of pesos from Mexican children."

According to HistoryNet, the memorial is a remembrance of Emilio Carranza,  "the Lindbergh of Mexico."

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Lindbergh, of course, refers to Charles Lindbergh, the American aviator best known for flying non-stop from New York to Paris.

Emilio Carranza was a pilot himself, who, in 1028, died flying from New York to Mexico. HistoryNet says, " For a brief, shining moment in 1928, Carranza was an international hero, possibly the most famous man in Mexico. His face appeared in newspapers, magazines and newsreels all over North America, Latin America and Europe."

Carranza was a fan of Lindbergh, and when the opportunity presented itself, he attempted to make the historic flight. Leaving from New York in the night, his plan crashed in the Pine Barrens.

A man identified as a woodsman and berry-picker found the wreckage the next day, about eight miles from Chatsworth.

HistoryNet says several stories grew from the crash, including, "Yet another story—entirely without documentation—was that hoof prints were found around the crash site, indicating that the mythical monster of the Pine Barrens, the Jersey Devil, was actually the first to discover the wreckage."

Eventually, the memorial was commissioned and built near Tabernacle.

HistoryNet describes where the memorial sits: "Wharton State Forest near Tabernacle, N.J., look for it and south of Red Lion Circle, bear of Route 206 onto Carranza Road. Keep an eye to the still miss it. About a mile right, and in a lonely clearing, you’ll find the 12-foot monument."

Have you ever seen it? Read more about the story of Carranza and the memorial here.

SOURCE: HIstoryNet