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  1. Jerseyman

    Origins of Pestletown

    Piney Roots: You have conducted some impressive research and your primary source material is perfect for your purposes. I will caution you on taking John Clement's work at face value. His Maps and Drafts are an amazing source for local historians, but when it comes to his notes and his...
  2. Jerseyman

    Pine Barrens Witch, Margaret "Peggy" Clevenger

    DEBBIE: If you read my postings carefully, you will find that I sought to refute the identifier of "witch" when discussing Peggy Clevenger. I often find myself exploding myths (read fakelore) with historical truth and informed opinions. Your opening paragraph mischaracterizes what I wrote about...
  3. Jerseyman

    Meadow Companies

    Brown village: In addition to the fine link that pinelandpaddler provided to the National Park Service document, you can download this Masters Thesis on the Burcham Farm, the last remaining active banked meadow farm in South Jersey, located on the Maurice River: CU Maurice River...
  4. Jerseyman

    Dr. Greene

    Guy: Here is post office location map that Oriental referenced: Best regards, Jerseyman
  5. Jerseyman

    The Train Engine "Atsion"

    As a follow-up to my previous comment, a friend of mine is a Swinburne expert. He indicated that the renaming occurred sometime during the second half of 1854. The locomotive received three boiler changes by 1876, and removed from the roster and sent for scrapping in June 1886. Best regards...
  6. Jerseyman

    The Train Engine "Atsion"

    The firm styled as Swinburne, Smith & Co. of Paterson, New Jersey, constructed the Camden & Atlantic Railroad's locomotive ATSION in 1853. She was a 4-4-0 American-type locomotive with 60" drivers and 15"x22" cylinders. At some subsequent point in time, the railroad renamed the engine TEMPEST...
  7. Jerseyman

    Brick ID

    German: The information imparted to you is pure fakelore. Somers Brick remained Somers Brick until the end. The company fell into arrears with its property tax payments during the second half of the 1930s, forcing a sheriff's sale of their lands. During the early 1920s, the company cranked out...
  8. Jerseyman

    Union Forge

    NMuscella: Documentation for Union Works/Union Forge is thin at best. Charles Boyer's Early Forges and Furnaces in New Jersey contains but a single page: During research I conducted earlier this year, I concluded Boyer's work is less trustworthy than I once considered it. I was quite...
  9. Jerseyman

    Palmyra Cove

    Aleahey: Herewith are details from the 1849 and 1859 County rolled maps and a detail from the 1876 County atlas. You will note that extensive tidal marsh lands once lined the Delaware River's east shore in the area of today's Palmyra Nature Cove. Beginning after 1666, Swedes first occupied this...
  10. Jerseyman

    Townsend clay works Wheatland

    Scroggy: You have certainly consulted the correct sources. Additional information can be gleaned from the State Geologist Annual Reports for the period as well as the 1868 encyclopedic work, Geology of New Jersey by George H. Cook. Some of the clay lens found in this part of Ocean County was...
  11. Jerseyman

    Townsend clay works Wheatland

    Very interesting photographs, Jeff! I would be very keen in viewing your discoveries in person, but it does appear you have found a site containing some of Townsend's kilns. The only historical map that provides a modicum of information on Townsend/Wheatland and its location is the 1872 Beers...
  12. Jerseyman

    Townsend clay works Wheatland

    The location for the Wheatland Manufacturing Company Works (nee Townsend) is different than the Brooksbrae plant. Wheatland was a bit father north along the tracks from Brooksbrae and operate with two downdraft muffle kilns. Only two circular piles of bricks remain in situ from the kilns on very...
  13. Jerseyman

    Sleeper Creek Sawmill

    Folks: In conducting research several weeks ago, I was reviewing some surveys and came across this one. Enjoy! Best regards, Jerseyman
  14. Jerseyman

    The Sale of Atsion Furnace

    The Abel James house advertisement is separate and distinct from the Atsion sale notice. If you carefully read the James item, you'll learn that his house was located "five miles from Philadelphia between the Frankford Road and the Delaware River." So, it was situated over in Pennsylvania, not...
  15. Jerseyman

    Bodine's Tavern

    Pinelandpaddler: I am not aware of any published maps that feature the words "Skit mill" on it. The 1812 Watson map certainly includes a mill symbol located at the later site of Harrisville, as does Thomas Gordon's 1828 map, which Gordon labels "Hallock's" for John Hallock, the castor oil...
  16. Jerseyman

    Meet Wharton State Forest Superintendent Chris Ford (Video)

    Folks: During my various research sessions into all things Pine Barrens, I have encountered word and toponym spelling that was based entirely on "ear-conditioning," rather than the conventions of modern English. With that in mind, a few of these old documents mention Atsion, but spell it as...
  17. Jerseyman

    Years Ago Today

    That oxbow and large tree both are within the bounds of "the old sawmill lands," originally a 712-acre tract dating to 1688. William Farr researched and wrote about the mill and its associated property. You can read Bill's text here: http://www.westjerseyhistory.org/books/farrwatermills/W.shtml...
  18. Jerseyman

    BETCHA DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING

    You have much to be proud of there, George! Wow, they do grow up fast, don't they?! I'm glad you remain a large influence in their lives; despite their grown-up appearance, they still need you. Best regards, Jerseyman
  19. Jerseyman

    Milestones

    The "H" is definitely for Hainesport. Best regards, Jerseyman
  20. Jerseyman

    Travel along the old stage route from philly to egg harbor?

    Brown village: There are numerous milestones around if you know where to look. There are at least two in Moorestown and then if you turn down Camden Avenue, I believe there are four or five remaining from the Camden & Moorestown Turnpike Co. If you go to Vincentown and drive in Landing Street...
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