Dr. Greene

[Teegate]

All,

I acquired a map that shows a location where apparently a Dr. Green was located near Harrisville and maybe along 679. I spent the morning roaming the woods along the NE side of 679 looking to see if I could find evidence of where maybe a dwelling had been located. Other than one disturbed area I found nothing. It is very possible I was at the wrong location so I am posting here for others to discuss.

The orange area is possible locations. If you disagree let's hear from you. The orange arrow is Dr. Green in the map to the left. At least it looks like Dr. Green. The other portions of the map show Joseph Wharton selling property to others so the map is from the late 1800s to early 1900s.

The Tub Mill Branch road location is circled in magenta color, and you can see where the blue matches and possibly the red. I walked the north side of 679 today (orange arrow) but the south side is quite thick with brier and I have not been there yet.

 

[Teegate]

 

[bobpbx]

I think you are close, but part of the problem is determining the Beaver Branch location. plus.....I have to think on it more, it seems the NW part of the road changed over the years. If you click on the below, you'll see what I mean. Is there really a Beaver Branch AND a Beaver run?

 

[Teegate]

Beaver Run and Beaver Branch

NJPineBarrens Maps

 

[Teegate]

I am thinking it most likely is on the south side of 679. If it is on the north side the only disturbed place is at the link below. It looks like there MAY have been some sort of circular road or driveway. And if you use lidar it appears the road on the south side may follow the map and the Dr. MAY have been right across 679.

NJPineBarrens Maps

 

[bobpbx]

I am thinking it most likely is on the south side of 679. If it is on the north side the only disturbed place is at the link below. It looks like there MAY have been some sort of circular road or driveway. And if you use lidar it appears the road on the south side may follow the map and the Dr. MAY have been right across 679.

NJPineBarrens Maps

I'll keep looking. Maybe he just parked his mule and wagon on the roadside every two weeks and sold potions and elixers and tonics out of that.

 

[bobpbx]

Here's a thought. In that old map, the road swings around that old oxbow (where you have your blue circle) and continues dead straight until there's a fork. But in order to get to where you think it may be, he would have to show a bend on his straight road and follow the red mark for it to be in the area you cite.
But if you look at my second photo, if you continue straight like he shows there is another fork. Maybe it's in that area.

 

[Teegate]

I will study that Bob. Thanks!

 

[bobpbx]

I think you are in the right track but you may have missed the fork. If you follow that road straight there’s another fork. If you follow that one there looks to be a possible cellar hole. Also on the original map that says Dr Green it looks like there’s elevation lines and it sits on top of a small hill. This cellar hole seems to match the topography. It also matches up with one of the orange circles on Guy’s original post south of 679.

Oh Jeez, give him more work now. You could be right, but I'll wager that hole is a borrow pit for the wet crossing there (maybe).

 

[bobpbx]

By the way, that is lowland there on the road. They had to make a dike for long stretches, seems like a lot of trouble hacking that out of the wilderness.

 

[Oriental]

I believe that we talked about Dr Green the Hermit of Bass River before. The Doctor from New York shunned society and left for the Pines in the late 1800s.

He served as postmaster for a very short-lived town in that area called Rollestone in 1894. Presumably the post office was to be located in his house.

John W. Edge in his Postal Towns of Burlington County tells us it was "three quarters of a mile east of the Wading River, off the mail route between Wading River Post Office and Harrisia Post Office. It was located between the Beaver Run and Cranberry Creeks, one mile southeast from Harrisia Post Office and approximately two miles north of New Gretna and one quarter mile to the east of the main road to the latter. John W. Greene, the first and only postmaster at this place, gave no information as to the number of inhabitants living there."

Edge goes on to say "A map drawn by E.L. Brown, mail contractor for postal route #9249 accompanied the location request form issued by Washington, D.C. Postal Department in June, 1894. July 10, 1894 Post office opened August 7, 1895."

I do not know if that last statement would be a helpful lead.

The map I am sharing will probably not help too much since it shows that he owned hundreds of acres in the area. The lots shown represent the southernmost parcels from when the Martha Furnace tract was divided. Please be careful when looking at this since everything to the east of the Tub Mill Branch represents an inset of the Chetwood Reserve that is really several miles north of Green's lots.

 

[Teegate]

I photographed that map as well but the only one I saw what might have been a dwelling is the one I posted. However, there is a chance it really does not show the actual location of his home.

 

[Teegate]

BTW, where it says "large stone" near the landing there was one there years ago and I photographed it under the water but I can't find that photo and I can no longer find the stone.

 

[Teegate]

The location Bob came up with is right above the landing and the maps show the word Green above it. So he might have the correct location. We shall see.

 

[Jerseyman]

Guy:

Here is post office location map that Oriental referenced:

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[Teegate]

Thank you Jerseyman!

Here it is rotated north.

 

[Teegate]

I see the line going south from Harrisville as going to Hay Landing. Judging by that Bob is close. It may be slightly NW from his location.

 

[Teegate]

I ran a line from Tuckerton to Bob's location and it matches perfectly. The red line is the road on lidar where Bob picked.

 

[Teegate]

I spent all morning exploring the area looking for a location that may be Dr. Greens residence. And I may have found it even though one can never be sure.

Here are just a few of the items in the ruins.

This is everywhere underground. I am assuming it is terra cotta or something similar. Everywhere I poked in the ground I found them piled on top of each other. Maybe it was on a roof and it collapsed.

This may have come from the chimney?? I believe this is also terra cotta.

This was my best find. It appears to be the top of an old stove or some part of it. At first I thought that odd portion of it was a brick and I tried to pull it off. I don't know enough about stoves but it is part of it. And there is another piece just as big about 6 inches under the ground that I did not even look at. It most likely is the other portion of it. It is ornate and most certainly cast iron.

I will be going back one day with Jessica and inspecting the area more.

 

[Teegate]

All,

I am not going to go into details so that the place stays safe. But I am very certain I have been at the location.

I went back today and found another part and cleaned them both off.

I was fortunate enough to find another piece and we now know it is an Othello stove. The company started in Germany in 1880 and was in business for 43 years. This time frame matches. The below photo looks like it says C. Othello but that could be just the way the metal looks. I suspect it is just OTHELLO.

And I believe I found a handle from it.

I also found nails which appeared to have writing on the end but after bringing one home and taking photos of it and zooming in, there are just marks on it.