It's pretty much been confirmed that the buildings up the road from the forge site was a steam powered sawmill.
Another theory of Mary Ann Forge
- Thread starter woodjin
- Start date
Ben,
The map to which I refer was the Thomas Gordon map of 1833. You can view it on NOAA's website. The map does show the forge just south of where the road crosses Mt. Misery Branch, but also much closer to the split with Gum Branch. I believe it is possible that this ore deposit mentioned by someone earlier could be the very one that they fed the forge from. Also, there is a lake, but further downstream from the forge. It would be useless to them at that location forge providing power to the forge.
Coincidentally, I have found that this map is really quite accurate at times, and have managed to track down some things myself by comparing it to modern topos. It is really a good map.
If anyone gets out to that area, let me know what's out there. I would be really interested in knowing.
Scott W.
The map to which I refer was the Thomas Gordon map of 1833. You can view it on NOAA's website. The map does show the forge just south of where the road crosses Mt. Misery Branch, but also much closer to the split with Gum Branch. I believe it is possible that this ore deposit mentioned by someone earlier could be the very one that they fed the forge from. Also, there is a lake, but further downstream from the forge. It would be useless to them at that location forge providing power to the forge.
Coincidentally, I have found that this map is really quite accurate at times, and have managed to track down some things myself by comparing it to modern topos. It is really a good map.
If anyone gets out to that area, let me know what's out there. I would be really interested in knowing.
Scott W.
I just looked again, and the bog site, on the USGS Brown's Mills quad, is where the split between Pole Branch and Mt. Misery Branch occurs. However, that is where the 1833 Gordon lists a sawmill and a church, right near Mount Misery. The Mary Ann site is located further west near the mine and the split from Gum Branch, but just south of where the road crosses the Mt. Misery Branch
In fact, if you look at that 1833 map you can see that just past the lake is a split in the branch. This split becomes Country Lake. The other lake, from 1833, becomes the cranberry bogs.
This is really a fascinating map, you should check it out.
Now, as to the ruins, it is entirely possible ruins may no longer exist if the area was flooded, or perhaps they have just not been stumbled across. In addition, if the site was an ore extraction mine at some point, any ruins could have been wiped out (as with the case of Halfway).
Scott W.
In fact, if you look at that 1833 map you can see that just past the lake is a split in the branch. This split becomes Country Lake. The other lake, from 1833, becomes the cranberry bogs.
This is really a fascinating map, you should check it out.
Now, as to the ruins, it is entirely possible ruins may no longer exist if the area was flooded, or perhaps they have just not been stumbled across. In addition, if the site was an ore extraction mine at some point, any ruins could have been wiped out (as with the case of Halfway).
Scott W.
Hmm. I believe that Mary Ann came into being long after Gordons was printed.
I'll have to check my Boyer book when I get home.
I'll have to check my Boyer book when I get home.
According to Pierce's Iron in the Pines, the earliest approximate date of Mary Ann was 1827. However, this could be earlier or later. However, it still fits within the timeframe of the 1833 Gordon map. It would be interesting to compile the records of where the site was located and try to actually situate it through deeds, articles of incorporation / partnership, tax maps, and other primary documents.
I was in the municipal tax office the other day. I inquired about historic tax records circa 1900 to find info on the sawmill. They didn't have any. She did give me the # of a man who might have them. I ought to give him a call.
Jeff
Jeff
Can you post a link to that 1833 map Scott? Also, I have that little book "a history of pemberton township". That may provide more detail. As far as the ore, that is not the usual way they found ore by digging in dry sanding areas. It collected where water was because the iron solution floated on the water and then collected on the bank of the stream.
Clicky click click click
This is Gordons 1845 map, though.
I haven't had a chance to check with Boyer yet. I was at work until midnight or so last night.
This is Gordons 1845 map, though.
I haven't had a chance to check with Boyer yet. I was at work until midnight or so last night.
Here is the NOAA link.
http://historicals.ncd.noaa.gov/historicals/histmap.asp
all you need do is put in the region (nj) and year (1833) for the map to come up in the catalog. You will need to download their viewer to see the map.
Scott W.
http://historicals.ncd.noaa.gov/historicals/histmap.asp
all you need do is put in the region (nj) and year (1833) for the map to come up in the catalog. You will need to download their viewer to see the map.
Scott W.
To look at the 1845 map, it appears that the routes charted actually follow old postal routes. These are actually detailed by the postal service and you can get copies of the info. In fact, the Making of America web project has several editions scanned in for browsing online. You can read the postal routes as laid out and ammended periodically. That is how I found out that the center for Red Oak Grove moved from Burlington to Ocean Counties, if you saw my article with Ocean County Historical.
Scott W.
Scott W.
I looked for the following info elsewhere on the site, but could not find it. If I am repeating it, forgive me:
"The Mary Ann tract was purchased by Benjamin Jones from John Black in May 1827. Jones probably built the 2-hammer forge sometime after that date and supplied it with pig-iron from his Hanover Furnace. The first map to show Mary Ann Forge is the Finley Map of 1832. Samuel H. Jones and Richard Jones aquired the forge when they bought out their father in 1846. The forge continued operations until the Civil Forge period. It made bar iron, wagon axles, and wagon tires. The site was marked "not in use now" on the Pemberton Township map that appeared in the Scott Atlas"
Source: Pemberton Township: A History. Judith Olsen. Friends of Pemberton Community Library Association. October 1976. Page 68
"The Mary Ann tract was purchased by Benjamin Jones from John Black in May 1827. Jones probably built the 2-hammer forge sometime after that date and supplied it with pig-iron from his Hanover Furnace. The first map to show Mary Ann Forge is the Finley Map of 1832. Samuel H. Jones and Richard Jones aquired the forge when they bought out their father in 1846. The forge continued operations until the Civil Forge period. It made bar iron, wagon axles, and wagon tires. The site was marked "not in use now" on the Pemberton Township map that appeared in the Scott Atlas"
Source: Pemberton Township: A History. Judith Olsen. Friends of Pemberton Community Library Association. October 1976. Page 68
Guy,
here is the link:
http://historicals.ncd.noaa.gov/historicals/histmap.asp
all you need to is to click on it, change the region to NJ and enter 1833 as the year. This should direct you to the 1833 Gordon. You will need to download their software to view and navigate the map however.
Hope this helped.
Scott W.
here is the link:
http://historicals.ncd.noaa.gov/historicals/histmap.asp
all you need to is to click on it, change the region to NJ and enter 1833 as the year. This should direct you to the 1833 Gordon. You will need to download their software to view and navigate the map however.
Hope this helped.
Scott W.
I still can't view the map. Bob, I was under the assumption that ore would not have been collected from a pit either. The only reason I suggested that this might have been an ore pit is because it is possible that, because the gum branch and Misery meet at this spot there might have been a large ore deposit left over from when the two rivers might have had a slightly different course. Not that I looked, but I do not recall seeing much sandstone/iron ore in that area. I have always been under the impression that the pit was more modern...it looks like sand mounds that might have been moved by a bull dozer or something. Once the snow melts I will look closer at the area.
Jeff
Jeff
This is why I had said that the forge was only around for a short period of time. c1861-1877.
Source: Early Forges and Furnaces in New Jersey, Charles Boyer, 1931.
What's really interesting is that this confirms that there was a dam there. I wonder if "forge cinders" is another way of saying slag. I would also be interested to know what the sheeting is.
Charles Boyer said:
Source: Early Forges and Furnaces in New Jersey, Charles Boyer, 1931.
What's really interesting is that this confirms that there was a dam there. I wonder if "forge cinders" is another way of saying slag. I would also be interested to know what the sheeting is.
woodjin said:
Jeff,
You need the MrSid plugin to view it aparently. I think you may want to view this site to get it.
http://magic.lib.uconn.edu/help/help_sid.html
I will try to get a copy to you later tonight.
Guy
Ben, I am not certain why you think the forge was around c.1861-1877 It is stated in the text that the forge was built shortly after 1827. Or are you saying that it ended around 1861-77 In which case I don't know if that could be considered a short life.
What I find confusing is that the Lake appears on a 1846 map. Why would the lake be there then. There would have been no point in cutting the river into a canal for barge passage if they were just going to dam it and flood it. If the dam was an after thought, it would seem counter productive...barges would move slower on a lake than the very fast moving Mt Misery brook. The brook does move very fast and never dries up, only a small forge pond would have been needed. If you compare the size of the lake to anyother forge pond, you will see that it is much bigger. Now, the topography (steep slopes on either side) would have made it easy to flood the area in to a lake. The steep topography surrounding the Mt. Misery Brook leads me to believe it is a very very ancient river. DOES THE LAKE APPEAR ON THE 1833 MAP?
Jeff
Jeff
