Atsion River?

[Boyd]

Here's something I never noticed before. On the old topo maps, the section of the Mullica between Atsion Lake and Batsto is labelled as "Atsion River". Can't remember any discussion of this before, maybe I missed it? You can see it here:

Vermeule
https://boydsmaps.com/#14.00/39.710531/-74.689766/vermeule/0.00/0.00

Cook (actually seems to say Mullica or Atsion River?)
https://boydsmaps.com/#14.00/39.703862/-74.683930/cook/0.00/0.00

Kobbe (barely makes it onto this map!)
https://boydsmaps.com/#12.00/39.687747/-74.683930/kobbe/0.00/0.00

USGS 1949 Topo
https://boydsmaps.com/#14.00/39.702871/-74.681698/pines1949/0.00/0.00

But the 19th Century USGS 62k and NJ Historical topo's call it the Mullica
https://boydsmaps.com/#14.00/39.712578/-74.689594/historic62k/0.00/0.00
https://boydsmaps.com/#14.00/39.708880/-74.688736/nj1881/0.00/0.00

And the newer maps call it the Mullica
https://boydsmaps.com/#15.00/39.734000/-74.709550/legacy24k/0.00/0.00
https://boydsmaps.com/#15.00/39.690687/-74.675304/ustopo2023/0.00/0.00

If you look at the 1940 aerials, there's a big lake on the "Atsion River", about the size of Batsto Lake. It was even bigger on the 1930 aerials. It's also shown on the 1949 topo, but not any of the older topo's

https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.649296/-74.659060/ac1940/0.00/0.00
https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.649296/-74.659060/nj1930/0.00/0.00
https://boydsmaps.com/#15.00/39.646190/-74.658867/pines1949/0.00/0.00

So, apparently this lake came and went, maybe a dam kept breaking? Or maybe there was a seasonal draining? In 1957 it was gone and Batsto Lake is also dry.
https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.646190/-74.658867/ac1957/0.00/0.00

Batsto Lake is back by 1963, but that other lake seems gone forever.
https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.646190/-74.658867/ac1963/0.00/0.00

Did that lake have a name? Or was it just another nameless cranberry bog? The lake is quite obvious on the 1930's aerials, but I don't recall any discussion of it here, or any discussion of the "Atsion River".

 

[martink]

I'm sure someone with more knowledge than I will chime in, but it's my understanding that the upper reaches of the Mullica was named Atsion in the early days. If you take the Toms' Pond trail west out of Batsto you'll climb over the berms of the old lake. A popular side trail takes you to the even-larger hill where the dam was. I often have the 1930s aerial map up when I'm hiking around those parts.

 

[NMuscella]

Boyd,

It is possible that this lake was a result as some of Joseph Whartons plans in the late 19th century to dam up different waterways in the Pine Barrens in an attempt to sell the water into Philadelphia and Camden. I have attached a map of Wharton's proposed map from 1891, in the area covering the Mullica (Atsion) and Batsto Rivers there would have been one lake encompassing a huge amount of land in the heart of present-day Wharton State Forest. Luckily the venture failed, but it is possible some of the early dams from this proposal were still in existence by the time the state purchased the Wharton Tract in 1954/1955. I recently came across some plans from 1956 about the rebuilding of the Batsto Lake Dam, which may be why the lake is gone in the 1957 aerial. You can also see references to an Atsion, Goshen, and Waterford Reservoir.

-Nick

 

[Boyd]

I hadn't seen that map before - very cool!

But this has me thinking.... maybe Lake Broyhill actually was a thing?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Boyd and all,

The pond on Atsion Creek was called New Pond (gotta love the originality). See here: http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/mullica-be-dammed.4979/post-54629

As for the nomenclature, think of it this way: The Mullica has two main branches: The east branch (Batsto Creek) and the west branch (Atsion Creek). These two streams join forces at the Forks to form the main trunk of the Mullica River. Most historical documents refer to the west branch as Atsion Creek or Atsion River.

 

[Boyd]

Nice! Somehow, I missed that thread. But you stated the dam broke in 1939. The so-called 1940 aerials still show it however. Is that evidence that these aerials could be older than 1940 (see my post here, I think they are pre-WWII) or could the dam have broken later?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Nice! Somehow, I missed that thread. But you stated the dam broke in 1939. The so-called 1940 aerials still show it however. Is that evidence that these aerials could be older than 1940 (see my post here, I think they are pre-WWII) or could the dam have broken later?

I got the 1939 date from John Pearce (Heart of the Pines). I would need to comb through the book to see if he gives a reference for that date, but there's a good chance that he got the info from Budd Wilson.

 

[smoke_jumper]

Boyd,

It is possible that this lake was a result as some of Joseph Whartons plans in the late 19th century to dam up different waterways in the Pine Barrens in an attempt to sell the water into Philadelphia and Camden. I have attached a map of Wharton's proposed map from 1891, in the area covering the Mullica (Atsion) and Batsto Rivers there would have been one lake encompassing a huge amount of land in the heart of present-day Wharton State Forest. Luckily the venture failed, but it is possible some of the early dams from this proposal were still in existence by the time the state purchased the Wharton Tract in 1954/1955. I recently came across some plans from 1956 about the rebuilding of the Batsto Lake Dam, which may be why the lake is gone in the 1957 aerial. You can also see references to an Atsion, Goshen, and Waterford Reservoir.

-Nick

View attachment 24772

This is great. I’ve never seen this map. I’ve often wondered about what looked like a canal south of Atsion Lake. It can easily be seen on old aerials and LIDAR. It didn’t seem to connect to anything which left me confused. This map clearly shows it and what it was intended for.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

This is great. I’ve never seen this map. I’ve often wondered about what looked like a canal south of Atsion Lake. It can easily be seen on old aerials and LIDAR. It didn’t seem to connect to anything which left me confused. This map clearly shows it and what it was intended for.

Can you pin-point it on lidar for us?

 

[smoke_jumper]

Can you pin-point it on lidar for us?

It doesn’t quite go to Rockwood though.

boydsmaps.com

 

[pinelandpaddler]

It doesn’t quite go to Rockwood though.

boydsmaps.com

Very cool! Hadn't noticed that before.

At the moment, I can't think of any examples of places where Wharton actually started constructing any of the planned canals and dams.

In any case, I suspect this canal you've found predates Wharton ownership and served to divert water to Atsion Lake to power the operations there.

 

[smoke_jumper]

Very cool! Hadn't noticed that before.

At the moment, I can't think of any examples of places where Wharton actually started constructing any of the planned canals and dams.

In any case, I suspect this canal you've found predates Wharton ownership and served to divert water to Atsion Lake to power the operations there.

I suspect you are right. It was my first thought as well. It seem like a lot of work for not alot of water but it resembles Salters Ditch.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

I suspect you are right. It was my first thought as well. It seem like a lot of work for not alot of water but it resembles Salters Ditch.

It does seem that way, but perhaps there was more water in that channel when the canal was dug. It looks like it predates the railroad. When was that constructed?

 

[pinelandpaddler]

It does seem that way, but perhaps there was more water in that channel when the canal was dug. It looks like it predates the railroad. When was that constructed?

Looks like the Atco branch was built in 1862?

 

[smoke_jumper]

Looks like the Atco branch was built in 1862?

Yes. Around there. That canal has been on my list of places to explore for a while. I just never seemed to make it there. It would be interesting to see if there’s a pipe under where it crosses.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Nice! Somehow, I missed that thread. But you stated the dam broke in 1939. The so-called 1940 aerials still show it however. Is that evidence that these aerials could be older than 1940 (see my post here, I think they are pre-WWII) or could the dam have broken later?

Notice that the water levels are significantly lower in the 1940 aerial than they are in the 1931 aerials. Perhaps the dam broke in 1939, but enough of the earthen portion of the dam was in place to keep Atsion Creek ponded. Unfortunately, between the ink mark-up and the image splicing, we can't see all of the dam in the 1940 photo.