Any information on Thelma Ave?

[Smitty]

Hi all,
I just moved to Mays Landing from EHT this year. I'm curious about a piece of land at the end of Thelma Ave off of Ocean Heights ave. You can see the area in question here...
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=thelma%20ave%20mays%20landing%20nj&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GWYE&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl
There is an old weigh station at the entrance, and plenty of stone scattered about so I'm assuming it was some sort of quarry. Thanks in advance for any information.

 

[Teegate]

It looks like a sand company operation. I suspect Mays Landing Material Handling Co.

http://www.findcontractor.org/sand-gravel/Mays-Landing-Material-Handling-mays-landing-3682.htm

Guy

 

[Smitty]

Thanks for the quick reply.

By the way - Great site!

 

[Spung-Man]

Long-A-Coming

Thanks for the quick reply.

By the way - Great site!

Smitty, you have only just scratched the surface!

Briefly:

1) Thelma Avenue is the modern equivalent to the ancient Long-A-Coming Trail commemorated in Chalmers (1951), a very important Indian path that ran from Camden to Job Somers' Ferry at Job Point.

2) This is also the site of a very early mill and settlement (Barrett & Scull, 1968), later to become the infamous George West's Catawba Plantation.

3) Young's Ironstone workings to the west of the sand pit is a site where we studied foundering of ironstone boulders due to permafrost thaw in French et al., (2003: 270). Many thanks to C. Young, a robust farm advocate and natural history buff. Also see Thermokarst Processes and Features on my University of Delaware website.

Chalmers, K.H., 1951: Down the Long-a-Coming. Moorestown, NJ: The News Chronicle. 206 pp.

French, H.M., Demitroff, M., and Forman, S., 2003: Evidence for Late-Pleistocene permafrost in the New Jersey Pine Barrens (latitude 39ºN), eastern USA. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes. 14: 259-274

Barrett, C.S., and Scull, K.N., 1968: Tall Pines at Catawba. Egg Harbor City, NJ: Laureate Press. 234 pp.

Best,
Spung-Man

 

[Teegate]

Spungman,

That is slightly cryptic for many of us. I understand most of it but you may want to give some links to help Smitty and all of us. And am I correct on the sand company?

Guy

 

[relayer]

Guy

Yes, it was kind of cryptic and in point 3, almost incoherent. However, it highlighted the significance of Thelma Ave and pointed to some interesting paths for further research. Additionally, it includes a bibliography, something I'd be far too lazy to provide.

I'm not sure that there are any links that would be helpful. Both books are way out of print and are not available, as per Google and Bing, on the web. They are available from antiquarian booksellers but at prices that non collectors would not want to pay. The best, and for most of us the only, way to access these books is to go "old school" and consult your local, county and historical society libraries. The books will likely be in the reference section or in a special NJ collection so schedule time to read them at the library.

Spung-Man would know best how to get a look at the article.

Best,
relayer

 

[Spung-Man]

Spungman,

That is slightly cryptic for many of us.

Guy

So sorry Guy, as I am under the gun towards multiple deadlines. If I waited around until time permitted an adequate response to Smitty's query, it simply wasn't going to happen. There are too many fascinating posts ot this and kindred Pinelands blogs! The above cited material is available at many libraries including the Atlantic County- Mays Landing branch, the Hamilton Township Historical Society, and the Atlantic Heritage Center. Besides, half the fun of being a history sleuth is in the chase – right? That's why you trudge the Great Swamp Branch even though you can see it perfectly well from Google Earth...

Gotta run,
Spung-Man

 

[Smitty]

I don't mind cryptic replies, they're better than none at all. I'll try to give those books a look too.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Teegate]

Relayer,

It is nice to see you posting again. I hope all is well there.


Spungman,

I really was referring to links to your information on the University website. I believe this will do it with the second link being direct.

http://udel.edu/~mdemitrf/


http://udel.edu/~mdemitrf/index_files/Page734.htm

Guy

 

[Jason Howell]

Very interesting. I lived at the end of the paved portion of Thelma for ten or so years and had many adventures through Thompsontown Preserve and the surrounding area. There was a large Coyote Pack that lived out there in the early to late 2000s. Deer packs as large as 75 or more roamed those fields to the west. It was quite interesting to watch the Sandpit re-vegetate over time after operations ended. I once attempted to measure the depth of the aqua-blue lake but maxed out my rope at 40 feet in a central portion. Watch out if you swim there, the turtles bite. I credit this area for turning me on to environmental concerns. Walking through one of my usual unplanned overland hikes I came to a large man-made hill, upon the ascent I found the earth ripped apart by bulldozers where a forest stood not a few days before.

 

[Spung-Man]

Spungman,

I really was referring to links to your information on the University website. I believe this will do it with the second link being direct.

The link is a little old. Everything on personal Pinelands research is now updated through this site:

http://loki.stockton.edu/~demitrom/home.html​

Carl Farrell (Hamilton Township Historical Society) and others have been working on the Thelma colony history along with Estellville's forgotten Burbridge colony across the river. It is an intriguing story of immigrant struggle that will soon come to light.

S-M