across from dover forge?

[alfonso]

across from the canoe drop off . i've been metal detecting . the open woods area . and i believe at one time the was a house or maybe a picknick area or even the locale dump. i've been coming up with shoe buckles cira1850 to 1900 old bullets, dish wear, glass wear, old pockets knife and other what ifs. but i think the was a house or houses there. its a large area . but i wish people didn't dump trash so much. as always i do donate alot of my find to the berkley historical society, i'll see what i can find out about the spot , but if anyone has any info please share it with me ................................thankyou

 

[bobpbx]

Dover Forge

There is quite a bit of history about the place. Here are some tidbits I found:

Collection # 8

DOVER FORGE RECORDS, 1821 - 1850

in The Monmouth County Historical Association

Processed by Lois R. Densky

Edited by Gregory J. Plunges

The Monmouth County Historical Association
70 Court Street
Freehold, New Jersey

April 1980



INTRODUCTION

Dover Forge was built by William L. Smith, William Scott, and Daniel Hillman, and opened in 1809. It was not until July 1810, however, that the land was deeded to them. It was located on Dover Forge Pond at the headwaters of the middle branch of Cedar Creek, about four miles from Ferrago Forge (later known as Bamber or Cedar Crest), in Berkley Township, Ocean County, New Jersey. According to Charles S. Boyer, this was one of the largest of the Ocean County forges, and in the 1830's was one of the prominent places of the region.

William L. Smith married Eliza Lacey who was the daughter of General John Lacey (1775-1814). General Lacey built and was the original owner of Ferrago Forge, which was also established in 1809. The Lacey interests also included a furnace between Ferrago and New Mills, known as Hanover Furnace.

In 1816, Daniel Hillman sold his one-quarter interest in Dover Forge to William Brown and Isaac Barnes. In the same year, Smith, Brown, and Barnes experienced financial troubles at the forge, and it was purchased at a sheriff's auction by Thomas Butcher and Samuel J. Read.

In 1818, Thomas Butcher sold his interest to Read who continued operation of the Forge until his death in 1837. Joseph Austin, Sr. managed the Forge fro the Read heirs until he purchased it in 1853, although the original notice for sale was issued in 1850. However, when Joseph, Sr. moved to Ohio, he turned Dover Forge over to his son.

The original Dover Forge was destroyed by fire, so Joseph Austin, Jr. moved to another furnace at Hampton in Burlington County. Austin remained there until shortly before 1828, when he moved back to Dover.

Joseph, Jr. continued operation of the Forge until his death in 1868. The property was sold again at a sheriff's auction and was purchased by Rubin Potter, who operated the now defunct Forge as a sawmill. In 1873, he sold it to Nathan Austin who continued sawmill operations.

As of 1931, only the remains of the old blacksmith shop were still visible. All other traces of buildings were destroyed by a forest fire in 1912. As of 1980, the blacksmith shop was also no longer visible.

According to John Austin, a son of Charles W. Austin, Sr. and grandson of Joseph, Jr., the Forge contained two hammers, four fires, and a stamping mill to reduce the ore and cinder mass to such a size that it could be readily melted by forge fire.

The principle product of Dover Forge was bar iron, which was hauled to Philadelphia over a road through the woods known as "Mule Road", of which no trace remains today. It was laid in a straight line to Buddtown and crossed numerous swamps en route over log causeways.

At some point after Nathan Austin's ownership, the sawmill was converted into a barrel factory. As of 1931, the mill was empty. In the 1930's, Harry Halloway owned the property and used it as a cranberry bog.

DESCRIPTION OF COLLECTION

The Dover Forge Records pertain to the early bog industry in New Jersey. The collection contains account statements, receipts, correspondence, bills, orders, a narrative survey, a broadside, and an account book. The items date from 1821 to 1850.

The account statements describe purchases made and balances due. The receipts describe transactions between Dover Forge and its customers. The correspondence consists primarily of letters to Samuel J. Read from various individuals. A letter sent by Read to Mark Richards, whose family was prominent in the bog iron industry is of special note. Other correspondence includes letters to Thomas Butcher and Joseph S. Read. The correspondence describes daily business activity of the Forge including orders, sales, deliveries, supplies, and legal litigation's.

The bills and orders describe transactions for Forge products delivered to customers, including Mark Richards. The narrative survey describes land east of Dover Tract, East Jersey. The broadside describes a notice of public auction for Dover Forge by the executors of the Thomas Butcher estate. The account book contains statements of accounts of purchases from the Company general store and wages paid to workmen. (Please see Appendix A for an inventory of collection.)

No items have been removed from the collection. The Dover Forge Records will be of interest to researchers of the history of the bog iron industry in Ocean County, and in New Jersey. Other manuscript materials housed in the Library of the Monmouth County Historical Association pertaining to the history of the New Jersey bog iron industry include the Tinton Falls Iron Works Records and Papers, and the Allaire Family Papers, which contains the records of Howell Iron Works.

The manuscript materials of the Dover Forge Records are filed chronologically by date. The broadside and account book are filed separately following the manuscripts.

PROVENANCE: Acquired between 1941 and 1942, a gift of Mrs. J. Amory Haskell, Red Bank, NJ.

RESTRICTIONS: None.

 

[BorderWalker]

Ah, but the interesting thing is, the canoe drop off is above the Dover Forge pond about a half mile or so. Here's a topozone of the drop off. It seems an odd place to be settled. Al, did you say there was a trail leading off from there?

--Tom

 

[BorderWalker]

Just to add to the MCHA record, here's the text concerning Dover Forge from Boyer's "Early Forges & Furnaces in New Jersey":

OF THE history of Dover Forge, which was located on Dover Forge Pond at the head waters of the middle branch of Cedar Creek, about four miles from Ferrago, or Bamber, very little is known. As this was the largest of the Ocean County forges and in the early 1830's was one of the prominent places in this region, its history deserves fuller investigation.

The original forge, according to Edwin Salter, was established about 1809 by William L. Smith, son-in-law of General Lacey of Ferrago Forge (1). There is a tradition in the Austin family that the building of Dover Forge was started on the same day as the Ferrago Forge and that its hammer was put into operation just one hour before the one at the latter place. This would make the date of its erection 1810-1811. Between the Smith ownership and that of Joseph Austin there is a gap in the records. Mr. Benjamin F. Cramer, who was born at Ferrago in 1844, has furnished valuable information covering this period. He says that there was a tradition in his boyhood days that Joseph Austin's father, also named Joseph, was the successor of William L. Smith, and when he moved to Ohio he turned the Dover Forge over to his son. After the original forge was destroyed by fire, Joseph, 2nd, moved to Hampton and operated a plant there until shortly before 1828, when he moved back to Dover. This tradition and subsequent history is substantially confirmed in a letter from Charles W. Austin to the author in which he states:

"I have learned that an old iron forge was in operation at a place called Old Hampton by my grandfather, Joseph Austin, and he demolished it and carted it to Dover with eight mule teams, re-built it and put it in operation again. In what year this took place I do not know, but it was prior to 1830. I was born at the place called Dover on June 7, 1864, and my grandfather, Joseph Austin, was owner of the old forge at that time and was making iron there. The iron was manufactured into long bars called "pigs" and was shipped away and made up into wagon axles, cannon balls, shovels, picks and other articles. There was a saw mill connected with the works, located on the south side of the forge in which were made cedar shingles, siding frames, plaster laths, fence pickets and posts. The iron ore in my day was gotten in different parts of New Jersey; some was dug along Atsion river between Batsto and Atsion, loaded on scows and floated down stream to a landing on Mullicas river from whence it was hauled by mule teams to Dover Forge. After Joseph Austin died (about 1868), the old forge was torn out, the inside floored over and converted into a saw mill. Besides the forge there were four dwelling houses, one a log-house in which Joseph Austin lived and died, a large blacksmith shop and three barns for the mules."

The ore for this forge was originally obtained from a bog about two miles south of the works, and even to this day the place, which has been converted into a cranberry bog, is called the "Ore Bed Bog." The remains of the old blacksmith shop are still visible, but all other traces of the buildings mentioned above were wiped out by forest fire which swept over the region in 1912.

John Austin, a son of Charles Austin, Sr. and grandson of Joseph, in a recent interview stated that the forge, as he remembered it, contained two hammers, four fires, and a stamping mill to reduce the ore and cinder mass to such a size that it could be readily melted by the forge fire.

The hammers were about fourteen inches square and three feet in height with a square hole near the upper end, through which the heavy hammer beam was inserted. This beam was pivoted about midway of its length so that it could tilt or swing up or down. The power was applied at the end opposite the hammer. On the circumference of a heavy wheel directly connected with the water wheel were four lugs or teeth, one of which would engage the hammer beam, and by pulling the free end down raise the hammer to the required height and then let it drop with a mighty blow on the anvil. The speed of the hammer blows was regulated by the flow of water under the wheel.

The bellows which furnished the air blast for the forge fires consisted of two drums, six feet in diameter and six feet high, made of small pieces of maplewood about one and a half inches wide and eighteen inches long, fitted and glued together to make a perfect circle and then layer after layer built up to the required height. Each drum had a tight-fitting bottom with a leather inlet air valve, an air-blast outlet pipe, and a circular plunger, around the circumference of which was fastened a leather strip to make an airtight closure. The plungers were moved up and down by a vertical shaft running through the casings and attached to a tilting beam, which was operated by the water wheel in a manner similar to the hammer. An almost continuous air blast was furnished by the alternate strokes of the plungers.

Joseph Austin was looked upon as an expert forge man. It is said that he was able to control the hammer blows so accurately that he could place a large knife edgewise on the hammer block, raise the hammer to its full height, and control its downward flight so that it would stop at the point when the hammer just touched the cutting edge of the knife but did not turn or dull it. While this tradition may be somewhat exaggerated, it illustrates the skill of these early artisans with the crude mechanical appliances of that day.

Recently a number of tools and tongs used in these works during the Civil War were uncovered in the debris of the fire. On the banks of the tailrace was found a pair of bellows "tubs" which tradition says were brought from Hampton. They are similar to the bellows which were in use in the forges in this section. The principal product of Dover Forge was always bar iron, which was hauled to Philadelphia over a road through the woods long known as the "Mule Road." This road, of which no trace exists today, was laid out in a straight line to Buddtown and crossed numerous swamps en route over log causeways.

About 1868, this plant was converted into a sawmill and later into a barrel factory. The mill is now idle and a part of the property is used as a cranberry bog.

(1) Edwin Salter, History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, p. 38. 2 See Hampton Furnace.

 

[JerseyJim]

I see this area as a possible future gathering to explore, anyone else?
Jersey Jim
p.s. there is alot of other sites to see in this area also such as Pasadena etc.

 

[bobpbx]

Thanks Tom, I enjoyed reading that. So now with what we know we can solicit interested parties for funds and have a race. Who can get the fires stoked and the hammers pounding quicker; the team rebuilding Martha, or the team rebuilding Dover? I put my money on Dover because of the good road leading up to it.

One thing interesting to me. Obviously from reading this, this was also a furnace, no? Am I reading this wrong? I don't think I am.

Bob

 

[BorderWalker]

Yep, as was Ferrago, apparantly. Must have been a local habit to call them forges even though they also operated as furnaces.