Emson or Switlik Bogs

[Gibby]

I have always been curious to the origins of the decaying cranberry bogs above Colliers Lake. The area around these bogs was cleared by a prescribed burn this spring, revealing several canals and the dikes built to contain one of the bogs. Even though Colliers Mills is considered the fringe of the Pine Barrens, I was wondering if anyone knew the history of these bogs and if these bogs were once operated by Emson (Empson) or Switlik?

Map link - http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=40.07948342283502&lng=-74.44964647293091&z=17&type=h&gpx=

- I have included several photos from today's hike. -

This is the tail end of the bogs and the location of the map pointer.

Overgrown and barely visible, the water control sluice still exists. A beaver is using it as a basis for a dam.

This canal connects the last of the series of bogs to the small round bog in the lower right of the map link. The canal ranges from six to two feet deep.

This is the "round" bog in the lower right of the map.

The short dike around the bog exposed by the prescribed burn. It is barely two feet in height and is used to contain the "round" bog.

This is the lower canal that leads to Colliers Lake. It has a double blockage to keep the water in the bog. I am standing on the other blockage.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I don't have an answer to your question, but I had never thought to go scout that bog. The whole area around Collers Mills is fascinating.

If it were me, I'd put money on Emson being responsible for the creation of the bogs.

 

[Gibby]

I will have stop in to the Historical Society of New Egypt, next time I drive by and they are open. Somebody there will know for sure. Hopefully they have old photographs available. I would love to see pictures of the village and its hotel along Colliers Lake when it was a resort area.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I wonder if the Arcadia book on Plumstead and New Egypt might have some pictures of Colliers Mills.

 

[Gibby]

I wonder if the Arcadia book on Plumstead and New Egypt might have some pictures of Colliers Mills.

Thanks for the tip about the book, Ben. I just received it today. Even though the book contains very little about Colliers Mills, it is a good addition for my small, but growing library.The subject matter is oriented towards the town of New Egypt. Anyhow, I love the small details in the descriptions of the photos. One in particular, I find interesting, is about sawmills. The floorboards were situated in such a way that the saw dust fell through and was washed away by the body of water that powered them. I am curious if that design feature was common through out the region? The photographs of the hunters and their bounty are classic Americana as well.

 

[Ben Ruset]

There is so much variation for the sawmills. I will say that the ones that I have seen intact seem to have their floor boards jointed tightly.

A lot of Pine Barrens saw mills were slapped together, run for a while, and then either abandoned or moved. Especially the later steam and gasoline powered mills.