Cumberland County Exploring

Oct 25, 2006
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All

This past Saturday, me and my friend George left my house at 6:50 in the morning to explore some sites in Cumberland County, our tour guide was Manumuskin, we arrived to meet up with him at 8:10 A.M.

We had numerous venues to visit, and in this thread there is a different scenario for almost everyone which includes cellar holes, ruins, a pond, an abandoned Railroad Station, a cemetery, a furnace, monuments and stones, and a lake.

Our first stop was at Baileytown in the Bevan WMA, the site was once a farming community started in the late 1700's until the government forced the people to move out of their residences around World War 2 to use their lands as a bombing range.

Al showed us a map of the area, people named Dupree, Wisteria, Seeds, and other families that once lived there, there are at least 30 cellar holes there, some with some real nice ruins. Arriving at the first former residence i took the following pic. Notice the cellar hole and the steps.
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We then moved on to the second cellar hole.
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After a closer inspection we then moved on to the third cellar hole with some real nice ruins.
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After another close inspection we moved on to the fourth cellar hole. Some nice ruins also associated with this cellar hole.
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Searching the above ruin for a while we then moved on to the fifth cellar hole. Upon close inspection we saw clam and oyster shells embedded in this wall.
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The following cellar hole was real deep with remains scattered about.
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In the following pic is my friend George checking out the large wall ruins.
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In the next pic we found this well enclosure.
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After viewing a small amount of the 30 cellar holes and ruins at Baileytown, Al then took us to an abandoned African American Cemetery near Port Norris, there are three headstones there, here is a pic of the first one.
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The following is a pic of another headstone, notice how the ground is depressed. I never saw one like this with the ground depressed.
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Upon leaving this hallowed ground Al then took us to this abandoned RR station on the Central Railroad Of New Jersey, this ruin is very large, graffiti was everywhere.
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Another view of the station showing the length of the station.
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On the way to our next destination, we stopped at Scout Pond, Al said the swimming here and the views in the Summer are a reason for us to return. Notice the thin sheet of ice, the sand road to this pond was frozen with some ice patches that i had to ram through with the Jeep breaking the ice in the process. Of course i checked the depth before proceeding.
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We then moved on to Fries Mills, the Fries Mills around Port Elizabeth, not the Fries Mills around Clayton. A pic of a self explanatory sign called Manumuskin Industries, a very interesting site. This settlement was started around the 1790's, it is part of the Manumuskin River Preserve.
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My friend inspecting one of the numerous cellar holes in the area.
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Al and George inspecting the ruins of a chimney, Al said that this place was intact until the 80's, it had a piano in it until the place was torched by vandals in the 80's.
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Al and George inspecting another former residence along the Manumuskin River. Another great chimney ruin.
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We left the area taking Al back to where we met him in the morning as he had to return home to attend to personal business, he then told us where to look for Cumberland Furnace and some monuments.

We then traveled to Cumberland United Methodist Church to view some iron grave markers, here is one section of markers that was not legible.
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An iron marker with lettering on it, most markers in the cemetery were not legible, some were barely sticking out of the ground.
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After viewing the cemetery is was then time to view some boundary markers in the Millville area, a pic of the first. The date on it is 1937.
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A second marker that we found. Notice the D on it.
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A third marker painted quite brightly. Notice the B on it.
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We then moved on to view the site of Cumberland Furnace or Eli Budd's Furnace, built around the year 1800.
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A pic of a mound with oyster shells , black soil, the oyster shells was used for flux. This is definitely an interesting area.
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Another view of the mound.
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After viewing the Furnace site, it was now getting late, i wanted to see two more venues around Millville, the first pic is of a monument that says three set in concrete circa 1937. There are three initials on the monument, one is for Millville.
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The next two pics are of Union Lake in Millville, first time that i have ever been here.
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Another view of the lake.
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Time now to wrap up the exploring part of the day, we then decided to go cross country taking Rt.49 East to Tuckahoe, Rt.50 North to Mays Landing, we first decided to visit on Walker's Forge Road the Estellville Church, it was too dark for a pic so we went on past Maple Lake, passing the fenced in area on the South side of Maple Ave., then taking the road back out to Rt.50 to the Harding Highway or Rt.40 West to Rt.54 North to Rt.206 to visit our favorite drinking place at my friend's house in Tabernacle, by the time we left his house we did not arrive home until 10:00 P.M., the jeep when i arrived at my house had gone 254 miles on this day, an all day'er spent exploring new places that i have never been to before.

I with my friend George would like to thank Manumuskin for the expertise and knowledge of the Cumberland County area, i would have to rate this outing in my top five.

Jim
 

Boyd

Administrator
Staff member
Site Administrator
Jul 31, 2004
9,553
2,809
Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
Another great report Jim. I've been through the Bevan WMA a few times and always mean to get back there and do some exploring. It's a big place and it looks like you uncovered some of its secrets - thanks for sharing.

You really covered a lot of miles... Maple Lake is literally my back yard :)
 
Oct 25, 2006
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Thanks guys, it is definitely worth the extra drive to explore the WMA'S further south in the state.

Anyone wanting to explore in the Baileytown area, the gates to some areas are now open during hunting season, in the summer they are all closed.

The Belleplain State Forest area is also another area that definitely interests me.

Jim
 

Chrisr

Explorer
Sep 14, 2008
295
2
Cinnaminson, NJ
Jim,

As usual, your photos and report keep me coming back and wanting more!! Thank you for your recent report. Now I can't wait to hit the pines this weekend!!!

Chris
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
4,959
3,119
Pestletown, N.J.
Thanks guys, it is definitely worth the extra drive to explore the WMA'S further south in the state.

Anyone wanting to explore in the Baileytown area, the gates to some areas are now open during hunting season, in the summer they are all closed.

The Belleplain State Forest area is also another area that definitely interests me.

Jim

Nice report Jim.
Next time, try to cover some more ground would you ?
There are some really nice WMA's in Cumberland and Salem counties.
Most of them are ghost towns after December.
I like the Dix tract for late season bunny hunts.
 
Oct 25, 2006
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Looks like you had A good trip Jim. I am looking forward to getting together again with you some time you come down this way again. They are some great pictures there too, I felt like I was there with you. I will talk to you again soon.

Chuck

Early February i am available, just give me a date and time when you are ready, i still would like to go to Walker's Forge and Catawba, also to explore more of Belcoville.

Jim
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,341
327
Near Mt. Misery
Great report Jim! Your best yet! I occasionally get to the southern areas but it is still very new territory for me. I have a lot of exploring to look forward to.

Jeff
 
Oct 25, 2006
1,757
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Nice report Jim.
Next time, try to cover some more ground would you ?
There are some really nice WMA's in Cumberland and Salem counties.
Most of them are ghost towns after December.
I like the Dix tract for late season bunny hunts.

Scott

Bevan WMA looks like it is like it is a prime Quail stocking site. I presume you hunt for Quail, Pheasant, and Grouse ?

How does the present population outlook on the above three birds seem to be, especially in the Southern part of the State ?

Hunters were all about especially at Baileytown on Saturday, we were following closely not to far behind him as we were going to one of the cellar holes and ruins in Baileytown, he did not even give us a notice.

Is it small game season ?

Jim
 

manumuskin

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Jul 20, 2003
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millville nj
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Nice report Jim.
Next time, try to cover some more ground would you ?
There are some really nice WMA's in Cumberland and Salem counties.
Most of them are ghost towns after December.
I like the Dix tract for late season bunny hunts.

i kayaked out to the island in the middle of the lake at Dix and their were four bald eagles sitting in the trees on it.the whole island is whitewashed.Their were two nests along the shores of the lake.most eagles I've ever seen at one shot.when i got back to the place where i drug the boat in their was a ranger there watching me.he didn't say nothing but he had his binoculars and he was in plain clothes but the walkie talkie on his belt going a mile a minute gave him away.
Al
 

RednekF350

Piney
Feb 20, 2004
4,959
3,119
Pestletown, N.J.
Scott

Bevan WMA looks like it is like it is a prime Quail stocking site. I presume you hunt for Quail, Pheasant, and Grouse ?

How does the present population outlook on the above three birds seem to be, especially in the Southern part of the State ?

Is it small game season ?

Jim

Small game is in until February 16 Jim.

I am not a big fan of put and take wildlife management, which is what the NJ pheasant and quail program is. It is also what the trout stocking program amounts to in Southern Jersey.
The State loads the WMA's with 55,000 pen raised pheasant and 11,000 quail (this year's numbers) and hopes that they all get shot. The birds sure as hell aren't prepared to make a go of it on their own.
By the way, quail are only stocked at Greenwood and Peaslee.

Here is the stocking schedule:
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2008/pheas-quail_sched08.pdf

Here is a promo for the program:
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/news/2007/pheas07.htm

To hunt pheasant and quail on a WMA requires a special $40.00 stamp on top of your hunting license.
NJ already has some of the highest resident license and permit fees in the nation. I "donate" nearly $500 per year in license and permit fees each and every year to Fish and Wildlife as it is.
Each year I buy an All Around Sportsman license (gun, bow and freshwater fishing combined), a rifle permit, a crab pot license, a clam license, a trapping license, a special season coyote permit, a turkey permit, multiple deer zone permits for extended bow and muzzleloader including buck tags, a HIP ID, a NJ Waterfowl stamp and a Federal duck stamp.
Take all of the above and multiply by 3 for my household. Then throw in clamming and fishing licenses for my wife and I think that about covers it for a year.

I would much rather see the money taht is dumped into bird "management" be spent on habitat restoration and acquisition.
Pheasant haven't done well in this state for at least 25 years (they are non-native to begin with) and quail are doing very poorly also.
Cranking out pen raised dummies every year isn't resolving the root causes.
Sorry for the hi-jack.
Scott
 
Oct 25, 2006
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Wow, excellent pics and report James. I've never been down there as it is a little further south than I usually reach. I'll have to amend that soon.

To anyone interested.

I have some new info on the abandoned building on the Central Railroad of New Jersey, it is the Cumberland and Maurice River Branch of the Central Railroad of New Jersey.

Jim
 

manumuskin

Piney
Jul 20, 2003
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millville nj
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Looks like it was an awesome trip James. There is so much to see in that area. And those iron grave markers are quite a find.

Kevin

here are also a few iron markers in mount pleasant cemetery in millville of which i was unaware till one day looking for some long lost ancestors i discovered them completely by chance.I think their was five of them.
Al
 
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