finding natural clay in the barrens?

[tree huggin tracker]

hey fellas and ladies,
i was wondering if anyone knew a good place to find clay? maybe in some riverbanks? i was thinking maybe on some banks of the mullica.. not really sure though.
thanks!
chris

also gabe,
respond to the old post you made about that heron i wanna know if i was right!

 

[Jerseyman]

hey fellas and ladies,
i was wondering if anyone knew a good place to find clay? maybe in some riverbanks? i was thinking maybe on some banks of the mullica.. not really sure though.
thanks!
chris

also gabe,
respond to the old post you made about that heron i wanna know if i was right!

Chris:

While you could just go out and look for clay deposits along the stream banks, if you want to take a more scientific approach to your search, point a web browser at this URL:

http://books.google.com/books?id=KVwMAAAAYAAJ&printsec=titlepage

or this one:

http://books.google.com/books?id=-4tBAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22Heinrich+Ries%22


I have both of these volumes in my library and I think you will find them useful. The state document also contains a back pocket of maps that depict the various clay deposits and also the manufactories that employed clay in their production.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

P.S. I now recall that Ben may have the state clay report here on NJPineBarrens. Take a look on his "Downloads" page.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Chris,

Just what will you be doing with this clay, young lady?

A generally good place to find clay deposits would be along a river bank just upstream from where there was once an old dam. When dams were in place, clay particles, which are the lightest, would settle to the bottom due to lack of water movement.

I promise to show you some locations with abundant clay if, and only, if you read chapters IV through IX of Final Report of the State Geologist, as linked to by our own Jerseyman. I'll be quizzing you.

:v:

 

[LARGO]

Layne, my daughter & I, during a canoe outing had harvested about a 10 pound blob of good clay just under the sand level on one of the beaches of bent creek at low tide by my uncle's place. That was two years ago. kept moist, it has remained pliable, workable and is astoundingly clean. Very cool stuff & she marveled over it. I did of course explain to her the details ( by my limited knowledge) of the countless years involved in the "making" of that clay. She thought it was cool. On my trip with my Wife's pastor I showed him the same deposits. Being from Long Island and not as familiar with such stuff, he was fascinated. Tracker, I would be happy to give you specifics off forum if you want to see the stuff first hand. The area in question is already somewhat messed with so I just do not want to send folks to this spot without cause.

g.

 

[Stu]

When I was little, we found clay along the stream and around Sylvan Lake in Bayville. They've been up to something back there the past few years and have blocked off all the trails leading to it. I haven't been back there in forever and doubt I can even remember where the clay was.

 

[GermanG]

How much are you looking for? There are clay deposits at Wells Mills which the last owner to live there mined. Taking a fairly small amount would not be a problem, but if you were looking for a larger amount the county would frown on it.

 

[tree huggin tracker]

i knew you guys would be incredibly helpful. jerseyman, i will surely read up on those links. gabe, in high school i was HUGE into ceramics and stockton has no program here. looking forward to your infamous quizzes. i'm interested in primitive pottery and firing. germanG, i'm not looking for much. maybe 10 or 15 lbs. i want to make a few small sculptures, maybe a bowl or two. largo, thank you for the offer, i just may take you up on that!
thanks again!

 

[pinelandpaddler]

looking forward to your infamous quizzes.

Infamous?? :jeffd:

 

[tree huggin tracker]

Infamous?? :jeffd:

^_^ <3 just messin with ya gabe, you know i love them!

 

[GermanG]

I've never dug any of the stuff out myself, so I can't vouch for one site being better than another. But I'll be happy to direct you to them or show you if I'm there. There is also an exhibit on the clay industry of the pine barrens that was done back when the park opened. It is on the third floor of the nature center and contains samples of the raw clay from the park as well as a few pieces of pottery that someone made with it. If you decide to try the park for your clay, my work e-mail is: ggeorgieff@co.ocean.nj.us

 

[daved]

I was looking for driftwood yesterday and found some clay deposits along the Delaware river. It is Delanco.

 

[Jerseyman]

I was looking for driftwood yesterday and found some clay deposits along the Delaware river. It is Delanco.

Daved:

Not surprising you located clay deposits in Delanco. Prior to 1926, Delanco Township was part of Beverly Township, which served as a source of semi-refractory or fire clay for the terra cotta works in Burlington and the terra cotta works in Moorestown. The same works also derived clay from the Bridgeboro area of Delran Township.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[manumuskin]

I know where theirs white clay in the banks of tulpehocken creek and white clay along the great egg harbor river below weymouth and above weymouth.Theirs red clay along the tributaries of the maurice river down here along with grey and green clay along the maurice itself.Let me know what color you want and i can send directions.I assume you aremn't going in with a backhoe right?just enough to make some pottery.
Al

 

[daved]

On an episode of dirty jobs they showed the guy that gets the mud or clay for baseball. I missed that episode but would like to find that spot where the guy collects.

 

[Jerseyman]

On an episode of dirty jobs they showed the guy that gets the mud or clay for baseball. I missed that episode but would like to find that spot where the guy collects.

daved:

Sometime in the past two or three years, an article appeared in a local paper—I think the Burlington County Times, but it could have been the Courier Post—about the family that still collects the mud for baseballs. Major leaguer and Palmyra resident Lena Blackburne began the practice with mud from the Pennsauken Creek, but other entrepreneurs soon found a similar and actually improved mud in the Rancocas Creek. While the article, which I clipped and it will eventually end up in my vertical files (when I get around to it!!), discusses the collection of the mud, it obviously did NOT reveal the location for its harvesting. I have always suspected the site is somewhere on Hawk Island, but I cannot be certain and I am doubtful you will find any real signs of it unless you see a path and some well matted-down shore grass as a possible entrance point into the water for the harvest.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[andy1015]

the episode of dirty jobs he didn't let them film on the way to the spot and i think they blindfolded mike too. But that just made me wonder more where this spot is. Mike also went to the phillies stadium to help prepare the baseballs for the game.

 

[daved]

i tried to find that episode on the net with no luck. if i could see the surroundings im sure i could figure out the location.