From Hog Wallow to Sim Place

Ben Ruset

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Oct 12, 2004
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Today I got a guided tour (actually, just riding around in a farm truck and looking at stuff) of Hog Wallow and Sim Place from my friend Bill (Tug) Haines III.

We visited what is left of Fred Brown's house. True to description, one of his old cars (a Ford I believe) is still sitting out front, being reclaimed by the weeds. The house is in extremely poor shape - we didn't dare to step inside. Apparently after Fred Brown died, his son lived there for a while. He's in Tuckerton now, I believe. I took some good pictures, but realized that the memory card was not in my camera!!!

Tug and I drove around. We walked through one of the bogs - I didn't know that there was no water in them until harvest time, which is in about 6 weeks.

The bogs at Sim Place are huge compared to the ones at Hog Wallow, but that's because they make them small at Hog Wallow since it's easier to harvest. Tug explained that back in the day - when cranberries were harvested by hand or by scoop - that the bogs were enormous. Now that it's done with a machine, they keep the bogs smaller so they are easier to flood and control. They're in the process of revamping the bogs at Sim Place - a project that they expect will take about 20 years to complete.

We also visited the old packing house at Sim Place. It's full of old junk, old tractors, a piano, about 5 old wagon wheels, and a decrepit wooden canoe.

The packing house at Hog Wallow was much nicer, given the fact that there are no gaping holes in the side like there are at Sim Place. One really cool thing is the Haines's have an old Chatsworth fire engine from the 1930s that they will one day restore.

I have some pictures from after I put the memory card in my camera that I will upload later.

Oh, and I got chiggers. :(
 

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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Very nice! You have to have him take you back for another opportunity for photo's that you missed because of your forgetfulness! :)

Guy
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,153
4,258
Pines; Bamber area
bruset said:
Today I got a guided tour (actually, just riding around in a farm truck and looking at stuff) of Hog Wallow and Sim Place from my friend Bill (Tug) Haines III.

We visited what is left of Fred Brown's house. True to description, one of his old cars (a Ford I believe) is still sitting out front, being reclaimed by the weeds. The house is in extremely poor shape - we didn't dare to step inside. Apparently after Fred Brown died, his son lived there for a while. He's in Tuckerton now, I believe. I took some good pictures, but realized that the memory card was not in my camera!!!

Tug and I drove around. We walked through one of the bogs - I didn't know that there was no water in them until harvest time, which is in about 6 weeks.

The bogs at Sim Place are huge compared to the ones at Hog Wallow, but that's because they make them small at Hog Wallow since it's easier to harvest. Tug explained that back in the day - when cranberries were harvested by hand or by scoop - that the bogs were enormous. Now that it's done with a machine, they keep the bogs smaller so they are easier to flood and control. They're in the process of revamping the bogs at Sim Place - a project that they expect will take about 20 years to complete.

We also visited the old packing house at Sim Place. It's full of old junk, old tractors, a piano, about 5 old wagon wheels, and a decrepit wooden canoe.

The packing house at Hog Wallow was much nicer, given the fact that there are no gaping holes in the side like there are at Sim Place. One really cool thing is the Haines's have an old Chatsworth fire engine from the 1930s that they will one day restore.

I have some pictures from after I put the memory card in my camera that I will upload later.

Oh, and I got chiggers. :(

Lucky Dawg!
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,338
326
Near Mt. Misery
That's really cool Ben. What a great opportunity to see these areas that are inaccessable for most of the public. Im looking forward to seeing pictures once you upload them. Is all of Hog Wallow privately owned?

Jeff
 

Ben Ruset

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Oct 12, 2004
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Monmouth County
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woodjin said:
That's really cool Ben. What a great opportunity to see these areas that are inaccessable for most of the public. Im looking forward to seeing pictures once you upload them. Is all of Hog Wallow privately owned?

Jeff

Yes. The pictures are "meh" - the sky is aways overexposed in almost any picture I take with it.

I need to go back to 35mm... :(
 

Kay

New Member
Jun 8, 2012
7
2
South Jersey
I'm new to this forum, and I realize this post is a few years old now, but it made me smile to read it. My maternal grandparents lived (for a short time -- nearly 100 years ago) in both Hog Wallow (which they pronounced "waller") and Sim Place. Grandpop knew Fred Brown.
 
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Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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I'm new to this forum, and I realize this post is a few years old now, but it made me smile to read it. My maternal grandparents lived (for a short time -- nearly 100 years ago) in both Hog Wallow (which they pronounced "waller") and Sim Place. Grandpop knew Fred Brown.

Do you have any stories or information about either location that you would not mind sharing?

Guy
 

Teegate

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Sep 17, 2002
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My maternal grandparents lived (for a short time -- nearly 100 years ago) in both Hog Wallow (which they pronounced "waller") and Sim Place.


What was their last name ... and first if you don't mind telling us? Someone here may or may not have info for you

Guy
 

Kay

New Member
Jun 8, 2012
7
2
South Jersey
Do you have any stories or information about either location that you would not mind sharing?

Guy

I'm afraid I don't, but I really wish I did!! My grandparents have long since passed. My mother may remember a few stories. I'll ask her and report back here if she does.

Their names were Edward and Kathryn Archer. Edward grew up in the Folsom area and Kathryn in Egg Harbor City. They moved around a bit when they were first married. My grandfather worked in the Pines, cutting cedar, and would move from place to place. He did lots of other things also, including scooping cranberries, doing a little farming, or whatever kind of work he could find. He was good at a lot of things. :) I live in a house that he built.
 
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Teegate

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Maybe Lost Town Hunter has some info on them he could share. Most likely tomorrow I will be posting some rare photo's of Sim Place that I am sure everyone will be interested in. Stay tuned :D

Guy
 

Kay

New Member
Jun 8, 2012
7
2
South Jersey
Do you have any stories or information about either location that you would not mind sharing?

Guy

I saw my mother today and asked her if she remembered any specific stories, but unfortunately she didn't. What she could recall was that my grandfather worked in Sim Place and Hog Wallow before he was married. This would put him there before 1914.

Mom said that he worked for Bozarth's lumberyard in Egg Harbor. Bozarth's had lumber camps in the Pines. Workers would live in the (very ramshackle) camps and cut lumber which would be sent back to the lumberyard. Mom didn't remember any specific stories about his time there, except that the housing was awful and they were always fighting off rattlesnakes.

They moved around a lot in the Pines. When they were done working at one camp, they'd move on to another. I really have no idea how many different places he lived.

On another note, he was a firm believer in the Jersey Devil -- said he saw him once. My grandfather was a fairly level-headed, conservative guy and not given to histrionics. I'm sure he saw something -- we'll never know exactly, I suppose. :) And maybe that makes it more fun.
 
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