An old cranmeadow

[raiden098]

A few months ago while browsing this forum I saw a little discussion going about the old wooden powerline that crosses Gravelly Hollow Rd and Jackson Rd in Medford. Living on Gravelly Hollow itself, I've had much time to walk this and explore the old paths that run off of the Pole Road and other powerlines. Now that Google maps is out with high-res coverage of New Jersey, I figured I could use this to my advantage to get a little info on the old abandoned bogs I have walked through or spotted via google satellite.

We see in the link below the intersection between southmost Gravelly Hollow Rd and the wooden powerline road.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.828637,-74.806445&spn=0.007403,0.010664&t=k&hl=en

Scrolling eastward, we can see one of the old bogs with a small path running to it from the pole road at the top of the photo. (99% of the people who live to the north of this don't have a clue )
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.823004,-74.822162&spn=0.007403,0.010664&t=k&hl=en

If we follow the pole road eastward, we can see the intersection between it and the unpaved Jackson Road. (Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge is to the left) Take notice of the small white path that runs in a southeast direction.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.820075,-74.843481&spn=0.007403,0.010664&t=k&hl=en

Zooming out a little, we can see that the path leads to a rather large cranmeadow. The intersection linked above is at the top of this photo.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.806213,-74.838052&spn=0.029612,0.042658&t=k&hl=en

Does anybody have information about this old bog? Is it abandoned like the other mentioned earlier? Or does it still see some use?
I know this is probably not a spot that someone would know about, but I figured this would be a great place to take a chance and ask. Any input would be great!

 

[Teegate]

The large cranberry bog is called the "West Jersey Cranberry Meadow". I visited the southernmost bog a few Wednesdays ago.

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/312-1/IMG_5301.jpg

It appears it is not in operation, or at least the southernmost bog is not in operation. But somebody has burned the edges of the bogs recently. It appears to be a controlled burn. I did not venture past this point because I did not know if it was private or not.

The smaller bog you are asking about is called "Jobstown Cranberry Bog". It is noted on the 1889 George Cook Atlas # 12 that I am sure Ben has in his map gallery for you to download. Here is the section you are interested in.

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/362-1/jobstown.jpg

Guy

 

[Teegate]

BTW, if you go exploring in that area it is wet. I was up to my waist in water for a while.

Guy

 

[Teegate]

Here is another view from an Environmental Protection Agency map I have.

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/teegate/main.php/download/365-1/west.jpg

Guy

 

[Oriental]

Those bog to the south were correctly identified as the West Jersey Bogs. I am 99% sure that they are still in operation. Much of the northern area serves as reservoir so it could easily be mistaken for abandoned. This same operation owns considerable blueberry fields to the south which can be seen from the main road as you pass Atco dragway. The owners are the Brick family from Medford. In 1925, J. Rodgers Brick, in partnership with A.U. Chaney, bought the existing bogs there and renovated them. In 1939 he bought out his partner. Subsequently, he bought a few other bogs in Medford and Tabernacle though I don't believe the bog closer to the poles was ever one of his. The bogs at West Jersey have been passed down and are now run by his two grandsons (Alvan and Bob?). J. Rodgers Brick was also in the concrete business (making silos) and one of his grandsons still runs that business in Medford behind the Shoprite. Not far from that business is the family cranberry packing house (nearer to Kirby's mill - the one on Main Street.) It is a pretty interesting block building built around the turn of the century. It may have been built for Brick's father-in-law Harry Knight who owned bogs even earlier near Kettle Run in Marlton Lakes area.

As to the older abandoned bogs, I suspect (and only suspect) that they may have once been owned by Joseph Hinchman from Taunton. Afterall, Hinchman owned thousands of acres - from Centannial Lake all the way down to Oliphant's Mill. Those lakes that used to make up the boy scout camp must have been part of his interest. This of course would have been after the whole Jobstown Bog thing. I have to do some digging in the town records because I always wanted to know exactly how big Hinchman's holdings were. I have seen some suspect figures in the past so I guess old tax records might shed some light on this. I'm really not sure if most of Medford Lakes wern't part of his holdings too. Maybe somebody else can help.

Rich

 

[Boyd]

Interesting stuff... raiden098, I must be a neighbor of yours, I'm on Atsion Rd near that power line.

My neighbor told me that a member of the Brick family used to be the Medford tax assesor and owned lots of land in the area. Steve Brick is a real estate developer today in Medford.

 

[raiden098]

an old thread revisited

For all of those who replied with the info, a late thanks goes out to all.
Managed to put aside a little time today and go back again. I took the small road to West Jersey Bogs which starts near the Cedar Run refuge along with bike and camera.

Bushwhacking a little from the small road leads you the northernmost bog:
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=random&cat=10365&pos=-3222

Could not go any further after reaching this:
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=random&cat=10365&pos=-3224
Edit: Even though the original file seems to be under the file size limit, a resize did the trick. Thanks Tee.

 

[Teegate]

For all of those who replied with the info, a late thanks goes out to all.
Managed to put aside a little time today and go back again. I took the small road to West Jersey Bogs which starts near the Cedar Run refuge along with bike and camera.

Bushwhacking a little from the small road leads you the northernmost bog:
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=random&cat=10365&pos=-3222

Could not go any further after reaching this:
[Would post the link to the picture but it seems I cannot upload any more. Displays "0 uploads were successful". Any help?]

You only have two photo's uploaded, so you should have plenty of room. Try one at at time or try my instructions.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/showthread.php?t=1765

We have been to the opposite ends of the bogs. They must not be in use as I have mentioned because if they were they would not be flooded. Maybe other are.

Edit: Also, check to see if the file names are not odd charactors.

Guy

 

[Teegate]

Could not go any further after reaching this:
[http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pos=0]

Edit: Even though the original file seems to be under the file size limit, a resize did the trick. Thanks Tee.

The link is bad on this one, but I assuming you wanted it to be this one.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pos=5

That sign leads me to believe that my assumption is correct that the bogs are no longer in use. They are all flooded when at this time of year they should not be, and the text on the sign tells quite a bit. Anyone agree or know more?

Guy

 

[Boyd]

This is interesting for me. At my home on a quiet night it surprises me how clearly I can hear the cars at the Atco speedway (maybe 4 or 5 miles away) and also the rifle range on Stokes Road near Oakshade (maybe 3 miles). But I sometimes hear gunshots coming from the West, and have wondered what their origin was. Maybe it was this area?

Or is there another shooting range somewhere around this vicinity? My neighbor who built a home on Gravelly Hollow Rd behind my land more than 30 years ago, once mentioned that the only thing around there back then was a shooting range, and I wondered what she was talking about.

 

[Oriental]

I grew up at Taunton Lake almost 40 years ago and can remember as a kid hearing Atco in the evenings as well. I think alot of factors affect how well the sound travels. The amount of foliage on the trees seems to make a big difference. Much has changed in that area in the last 40 years. Other than the houses at Mimosa Lakes and part of Centenial Lake, there was nothing but a scout camp and pine trees for miles. And as forest fires were quite common in the area prior to the 1960's, the whole makeup of the woods has changed dramatically. I remember seeing slides of Taunton back in the mid 40's and it was all pine tree like you would see in the years immediately following a severe fire. My grandparents bought a few lots at Taunton in 1945 one of which had an old foundation from a house that burned down just a few years prior (I will check on the date of that fire but I know it started from someone burning stumps up at Lost/Vandal Lake). About 10 houses in that immediate area burned when the fire jumped the lake. They built their summer cabin on that foundation (or at least on that site).

It was awesome for me and my brothers growing up around the lakes back in the 60's and 70's. So much has changed in that township. I love hearing "what was it like back then" stories so if anyone has recollections of Medford, Shamong and Tabernacle "back then", let's start a thread.

As to the range to the west, there is a fairly major range and gun club essentially across the street from Atco Dragway (but not the little sand lot there). It is one of the sites that hosts the firearm safety course that all hunters must take. It wouldn't surprise me if there is shooting going on there almost every saturday from March to November. I can't remember its name right now but if you care to know I could easily find out.

Despite the sign about the shooting preserve, I am relatively certain that the bogs at West Jersey are still in operation. The sign may be for adjoining lands or part of something started by the Brick family from Medford who own West Jersey Bogs. I know a significant amount of the area that is called "bogs" on the maps is really just part of the upper reservoir and has been such for decades (maybe since the 50's). This may account for them looking like they are abandoned. You can easily see the blueberry part of the operationg from Jackson Road now that they have cut down trees and cleared the area between the fields and the road.

 

[Boyd]

I remember seeing slides of Taunton back in the mid 40's and it was all pine tree like you would see in the years immediately following a severe fire.

This matches what my neighbor said as well. She said an "old timer" told her that this whole area was pretty severely burned in a big fire about 75 years ago. According to an old survey I have, the area where I live was once known as "Atsion Woods."

 

[raiden098]

More on the gate

A small side note: If you zoom in a good deal and look to the bottom of the photo you will notice the silver bars of the old gate that was torn down in favor of a new one. The old gate had a sign that read along the lines of: "West Jersey Bogs - Agricultural Land - No Trespassing" The new gate is well, pretty new. The Bricks just wanted a new gate I assume. New ownership and purpose? Perhaps, but not likely. Thanks to Oriental and Boyd for the input!

 

[Oriental]

According to an old survey I have, the area where I live was once known as "Atsion Woods."

Interesting. I thought you said previously that you lived not far from where Gravelly Hollow used to intersect Atsion Road. I would have thought that acreage would have been more closely associated with the Taunton Tract but now that I think about it, Taunton was probably out of blast decades before Atsion and it would certainly make sense that Samual Richards would have grabbed the land. I still have a hard time understanding that Richards accumulated over 100,000 acres in association with Atsion but if you have to go all the way to Medford it seems more believable. On the other hand, the piece may have been named for its proximity to the road leading to Atsion. Does the survey have a date?

 

[J.R Bricks Cranberry Co.]

Not sure if this thread is still active but Oriental is correct on his knowledge of West Jersey Cranberry bogs. My family still owns the tract of land however, we did sever 400 acres of the property 2 years ago that was added to the Wharton State Forest. The cranberry harvesting operation of the property is still in full active status along with te use of the packing house mentioned in that thread as well.

The Brick Family

 

[dogg57]

Thanks and Welcome there J.R.Bricks

 

[Teegate]

Not sure if this thread is still active but Oriental is correct on his knowledge of West Jersey Cranberry bogs. My family still owns the tract of land however, we did sever 400 acres of the property 2 years ago that was added to the Wharton State Forest. The cranberry harvesting operation of the property is still in full active status along with te use of the packing house mentioned in that thread as well.

The Brick Family

Is this Greg?

 

[J.R Bricks Cranberry Co.]

Teegate Greg? Na it's not Greg sorry

 

[Teegate]

Teegate Greg? Na it's not Greg sorry

I am assuming from the question mark you are unsure who Greg may be. It is Greg T. the grandson of J. Rogers Brick. I worked with him for quite a few years.

 

[J.R Bricks Cranberry Co.]

Ahh yes I know who your talking about now however,this is not Greg T."That's a Different side of the family. Very long story that doesn't need to be on the Internet. I have personally spent most of my life working on that farm and I will be glad to answer any questions anyone has about the property.