I need some help from our historians on here. Me and a friend of mine have been exploring in a couple areas of Cumberland County and have acquired a few mysteries that neither of us know the answers to.I wouldn't even know where to find the answers outside of the great historians that hang out on this forum.perhaps in a historical society if I knew just what to look for.The only reference I have is the Hartman maps and they don't say much. The first thing we're looking for is confimation of a Grist Mill on laurens Branch.We are going to beat down the stream in a couple days looking but this is God Awful catbriar country. Laurens Bog is here. http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.372013555083065&lng=-74.9321212212372&z=17&type=nj2007&gpx= Also nearby we managed to beat into a high feature that my friend had found earlier.We lost much hide getting there.I call it daffodil Island because there are daffodils growing on it along with one grape vine.On Historical aerials in the 30's and 40's there were no trails to this island but in 63 the area was apparently logged by the looks of the new grid work of roads and one road does go to the island.In the 70's all traces of the roads were gone.The island is here http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.37439385151976&lng=-74.9320139328766&z=17&type=nj2007&gpx= There is a few lines in the Manumuskin Plan about a mill stone being pulled out of the pond or nearby in the 40's, other then that we can find nothing about this bog or mill.
The second area is up at the northern edge of the county on Scotland Run. There is an old bridge across the run that I think may be more then just a bridge. The bridge spans from Pittsgrove twp Salem county to Vineland in Cumb County.On the Vineland side there is a very nice cellar hole along with a couple massive white oaks and a very open gorgeous savannah of Carex pennsylvanica along with another smaller foundation hole of some sort nearby. Now this is on the very edge of the Hartman Maps and Willow grove lake downstream is noted to have a "saw Mill",upstream on Malaga lake is noted to have a "Grist Mill" but at this foundation a dam is pictured and nothing else.Now I am going to post a pic of this bridge I spoke of.It is approached from the Salem County side by a raised dike that now serves as a trail through a nice cedar swamp. The pic is from the Salem side looking toward Vineland and the boards are placed there so you can walk across without tight rope walking the concrete like a cat which I am no longer able to do.The belly gets to swinging and throws me off balance. Now as you will notice this bridge is quite odd looking for an old bridge.You'd expect a bridge leading to a one or two house settlement,possibly slightly bigger to be made of wood.The creek is only maybe twenty feet wide and maybe four feet deep. I suspect this "bridge" is actually the remains of some type of mill and that the road across the swamp is the actual dam.This bridge sets here. http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.56313191088879&lng=-75.06494421165468&z=17&type=nj2007&gpx=
Any info on either of these spots would be much appreciated.
The second area is up at the northern edge of the county on Scotland Run. There is an old bridge across the run that I think may be more then just a bridge. The bridge spans from Pittsgrove twp Salem county to Vineland in Cumb County.On the Vineland side there is a very nice cellar hole along with a couple massive white oaks and a very open gorgeous savannah of Carex pennsylvanica along with another smaller foundation hole of some sort nearby. Now this is on the very edge of the Hartman Maps and Willow grove lake downstream is noted to have a "saw Mill",upstream on Malaga lake is noted to have a "Grist Mill" but at this foundation a dam is pictured and nothing else.Now I am going to post a pic of this bridge I spoke of.It is approached from the Salem County side by a raised dike that now serves as a trail through a nice cedar swamp. The pic is from the Salem side looking toward Vineland and the boards are placed there so you can walk across without tight rope walking the concrete like a cat which I am no longer able to do.The belly gets to swinging and throws me off balance. Now as you will notice this bridge is quite odd looking for an old bridge.You'd expect a bridge leading to a one or two house settlement,possibly slightly bigger to be made of wood.The creek is only maybe twenty feet wide and maybe four feet deep. I suspect this "bridge" is actually the remains of some type of mill and that the road across the swamp is the actual dam.This bridge sets here. http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.56313191088879&lng=-75.06494421165468&z=17&type=nj2007&gpx=
Any info on either of these spots would be much appreciated.
