Batsto Forge

pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

Piney
Apr 6, 2004
3,613
556
Galloway
Today, I took Budd Wilson to the site of what I believe to have been Batsto Forge. Budd told me that he had never determined where the site of the Forge was, and was delighted to see it. The location had also eluded me in my several years of exploring the area. I only found it recently, courtesy of our own kevinhooa. Kevin is quite the explorer, and I thank him for showing me this lost piece of history. Now that I know where the site was and can visualize its basic layout, I can't believe that I had passed it by before without noticing it. Before getting to the pictures I took today, let me give you some historical backround.

Batsto Forge was built in the summer of 1781 by Joseph Ball, then the owner of the Iron Works. Until then, pig iron produced at Batsto had to be carted to the forge at Atsion. Circa 1783, a saw mill was also built at the location. The raceways can still be spotted by the discerning eye, although some imagination is required in order to penetrate the thick tangle of sticks and briars that have taken over the area. The forge itself boasted four fires and two hammers, and around it a small community was established. The forge workers lived on location, and there was a large "coal house" on site for storing charcoal.

The forge fires must have gone out by 1822 when William Richards leased the Pleasant Mills and Forge Pond tracts to his son Benjamin and several others. Benjamin Richards et al. would subsequently construct a cotton mill where previously Elijah Clark's saw mill had stood at the confluence of Clark's Mill Branch (now Hammonton Creek) and Atsion Creek. They then dug a canal to divert water from the Forge Pond on the Nescochague Creek to Pleasant Mills Pond on Clark's Mill Branch, thereby providing more water power by which to operate their new mill.

Now some pictures from today's trip.

Here is some forge slag in a depression:

http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/10829/ppuser/215

Forge slag is notably heavier than furnace slag, however counter intuitive that may be. Tons of it was dumped in piles at the forge site, and was later used as fill when the Forge Pond Dam was reinforced in order to raise the water level for purposes of drawing more water to the cotton mill at Pleasant Mills via the aforementioned canal.

The canal is typically dry, but is now running swiftly. I suspect that this has to to with the fact that Hammonton Lake has been draining for the past few weeks. The excess water is now being directed through the canal towards the Nescochague Creek in the opposite direction that it originally flowed. Here is a photo of the water making its exit from the canal into Nescochague Creek:

http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/10828/ppuser/215

Here is Budd standing on the dam. The Forge Pond basin is to the right:

http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/10830/ppuser/215

On the road from Batsto Furnace to Batsto Forge, we found a bunch of clam shells that presumably fell from the wagons going to and fro. Here Budd holds a piece of a shell and a piece of pottery that were found together:

http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/10831/ppuser/215

Budd's youthfulness was evident as he bulldozed his way through the briars PBX style:

http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/10826/ppuser/215

Look! It's Indiana Jones jumping over a creek! Oh wait... is that Budd Wilson??

http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/10827/ppuser/215

Budd is a great soul to stroll though the woods with. As tough as nails and as wise as, well...Budd!
 
Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
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8,250
That is a great photo of Budd! We need to get him to the dam on the Nescochague from Augustus Richards. Budd was interested in going.

Guy
 
Kevinhooa

Kevinhooa

Explorer
Mar 12, 2008
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Hammonton, NJ.
www.flickr.com
Nice work

Nice work and info Gabe. And thank you for showing me the remains in the canal. There's just so much to see out there it's incredible. And that slag was hiding pretty well. I'm glad I could help you find something you were looking for. BTW, what did Budd have to say about the site?

Kevin
 
pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

Piney
Apr 6, 2004
3,613
556
Galloway
Hey Kevin,

Budd is now seeing the site in a new light. He's been hitting the books, records and maps, and would like to return there soon. I'll let you know when so that you can join us.
 
LARGO

LARGO

Piney
Sep 7, 2005
1,552
132
53
Pestletown
Gabe,
I am pleased that you succeeded in your quest and then you were kind enough to share with us. You have a unique and honored position among us to be so in touch with and so involved with Budd. Please, I beg you treasure every moment. That pic alone of him lofting above the stream... priceless!
You can not buy the stuff he is made. A good, and sturdy man.
Thank you for sharing.

g.
 
turtle

turtle

Explorer
Feb 4, 2009
653
213
a village...in the pines
Hi Gabe,
It looks like I was a day late for your adventures with Budd. My earlier post re: February spring day showed photos of my time wandering behind the Batsto church. The photos I omitted from my album were these:

picture.php


picture.php


http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/picture.php?albumid=17&pictureid=127

It is a place I used to visit on many occasions, but not in many years even though I am now so close. How ironic that it be on the eve of your wonderful discovery. Thanks for your perseverence on this quest! I have many pieces of clam shells, nails, and such that I had collected from that road in the last 20+ years. Was it you who marked the area with the pink/black marking ribbon? Good Job!
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,214
4,313
Pines; Bamber area
pinelandpaddler said:
Forge slag is notably heavier than furnace slag, however counter intuitive that may be.
Click to expand...

Gabe, somehow that seems natural to me. Wouldn't the lighter impurities have already been drawn out during the furnace blast at Batsto?

I remember the time you and I were in that area, but I don't recall you pointing out the location of the forge to me. Did you ever think of hand-drawing a map that shows the forge, forge pond, raceway, etc? Also, Joseph's new pond?

That area is still wrapped up in mystery to me. Nescohague and all.
 
pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

Piney
Apr 6, 2004
3,613
556
Galloway
bobpbx said:
Gabe, somehow that seems natural to me. Wouldn't the lighter impurities have already been drawn out during the furnace blast at Batsto?

I remember the time you and I were in that area, but I don't recall you pointing out the location of the forge to me. Did you ever think of hand-drawing a map that shows the forge, forge pond, raceway, etc? Also, Joseph's new pond?

That area is still wrapped up in mystery to me. Nescohague and all.
Click to expand...

Bob,

You have to see the things I've found along that creek this past summer. Very cool stuff.

I'll draw a map up and post it here.

And yes, what you say about the slag makes sense.
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,214
4,313
Pines; Bamber area
pinelandpaddler said:
Here's a map, Bob.

http://gallery.njpinebarrens.com/showphoto.php/photo/14506/title/forge-map/cat/all

I had just typed up a brief historical background for the area, but I was logged off by the time I posted it lost it. You'll just have to come out there with me and I'll tell you then.
Click to expand...

Okay, now its becoming more clear to me. I think an afternoon trip is in order. With the map in hand it will make more sense to me. If you want to do it some afternoon when you aren't working in December it would be cool.
 
pinelandpaddler

pinelandpaddler

Piney
Apr 6, 2004
3,613
556
Galloway
Here's a little timeline:

1739 – Samuel Cripps dams the Nescochague Creek not far upstream from its confluence with Atsion Creek and builds a saw mill.

1781 – Joseph Ball rebuilds and extends Cripp’s dam, digs out a raceway and builds a forge. Also around this time, Ball dams the Mechescatauxin Creek, possibly in order to power a gunpowder mill. The project is evidently abandoned, and the location seems to have been subsequently referred to as “Ball’s Folly”.

1822 – A canal is dug out, diverting water from Forge Pond to Pleasant Mills pond in order to power the Cotton Mill there.

1895 – The Atsion Creek is dammed to form New Pond, from which water is diverted via canal (also constructed that year) to Forge Pond and then to Pleasant Mills Pond (via 1822 canal) in order to supply water to the paper mill (on the site of the old cotton mill).
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,214
4,313
Pines; Bamber area
pinelandpaddler said:
Here's a little timeline:

1739 – Samuel Cripps dams the Nescochague Creek not far upstream from its confluence with Atsion Creek and builds a saw mill.

1781 – Joseph Ball rebuilds and extends Cripp’s dam, digs out a raceway and builds a forge. Also around this time, Ball dams the Mechescatauxin Creek, possibly in order to power a gunpowder mill. The project is evidently abandoned, and the location seems to have been subsequently referred to as “Ball’s Folly”.

1822 – A canal is dug out, diverting water from Forge Pond to Pleasant Mills pond in order to power the Cotton Mill there.

1895 – The Atsion Creek is dammed to form New Pond, from which water is diverted via canal (also constructed that year) to Forge Pond and then to Pleasant Mills Pond (via 1822 canal) in order to supply water to the paper mill (on the site of the old cotton mill).
Click to expand...

It's amazing to think that the time between now and when New Pond was formed is 115 years, but it is 156 years from the time New Pond was formed to when Cripps Sawmill was constructed. That is a lot of water over the mill dam my friend.
 
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