I believe the road they are talking about is old Atsion road. Which crosses the Mullica at approximately those distances
Goshen in Camden or Burlington?
- Thread starter Neil in SJ
- Start date
You may also want to check out this thread - looks like this very topic has been discussed before. Hopefully linking to a specific post is working.
That’s where I thought it was. On Atsion road that goes from Atsion to Medford not Atsion to Long a coming.
I assumed Boyer, taking notes in the 1930s that became Old Inns and Taverns, meant the old route of Jackson/Atsion Rd, this:
Since this really does connect Berlin and at least a point close to Atsion. This still works with the identified location. His description just wasn't that clear.
Since this really does connect Berlin and at least a point close to Atsion. This still works with the identified location. His description just wasn't that clear.
You’re right. It’s on both Atsion Road and Old Atsion road. I’ve got to many things in my head and confused my self lol.
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All,
I mentioned in a previous post today that Jessica and I visited this location where we had been at 15 years ago. Again, the photos below may not be an exact Then and Now. Very close though.
I am working on another deed and the location shown above around 1860 had a stone bridge. And next to the bridge was a property stone that most likely is still there. However, a huge pile of dirt has been deposited on it and I decided to not dig today to find it. I will return another day in warmer weather and give it a go. I know the exact spot so I can dig without disturbing everything except a small hole. Notice Goshen Gap is again mentioned.
And even more interesting is we now know that William Braddock around 1860 had a "south cabin" at Goshen Gap located at the below link.
Link To Braddocks Cabin
I know where other stones are or were in the area and will try and stay on state land when exploring there one day by myself. Jessica will not explore near homes even if on state land.
I will continue to find more deeds for the area and see if it leads us to information on Goshen Neck.
I mentioned in a previous post today that Jessica and I visited this location where we had been at 15 years ago. Again, the photos below may not be an exact Then and Now. Very close though.
I am working on another deed and the location shown above around 1860 had a stone bridge. And next to the bridge was a property stone that most likely is still there. However, a huge pile of dirt has been deposited on it and I decided to not dig today to find it. I will return another day in warmer weather and give it a go. I know the exact spot so I can dig without disturbing everything except a small hole. Notice Goshen Gap is again mentioned.
And even more interesting is we now know that William Braddock around 1860 had a "south cabin" at Goshen Gap located at the below link.
Link To Braddocks Cabin
I know where other stones are or were in the area and will try and stay on state land when exploring there one day by myself. Jessica will not explore near homes even if on state land.
I will continue to find more deeds for the area and see if it leads us to information on Goshen Neck.
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Okay, interesting observation and lends credence to an alternative to my “water diversion for bog iron” theory. It is so tremendously typical to to have layers of different industries on top of each other. Making it far more difficult to decipher what was going on there.
However, I can’t figure what purpose that canal would have served for cranberry cultivation. When a cranberry bog is built into an existing watershed, water levels can be regulated with dams and sluice gates. This occurred along the Batsto and Skit branch at Hampton park without the need for a diversion canal. Also at deep run near Hampton, and on the Shane branch in Friendship. All without the need for a diversion canal.
I suspect the sawmill was out of commission at the time of cranberry cultivation. I guess I need to know when cranberries started in there. There might have been a crossover, maybe . I do think that the answer to this question is the same answer to the wading river diversion canal which was also situated around saw mills.
Well, are the maps in post 93 the place? At least that is a starting point, i.e, before 18XX.
When Atsion was advertised for sale in 1861 the site was already referred to as Old Goshen Mill which usually indicated that it was the former site of a mill. I have not done an exhaustive search to find out if there are earlier documents that tell us that the mill was gone before then.
As for cranberries, a local grower named Sorden owned the former mill site by 1885. I suspect that cranberry culture did not take place much before then.
It seems to me that many cranberry bogs have canal systems that allow water to pass around, rather than through, the bog.
I certainly am not discounting the possibility of the canal being used for something prior to cranberries. It's just that the map of the old Goshen pond that Spungman posted doesn't show the bypass which I find compelling.
As for cranberries, a local grower named Sorden owned the former mill site by 1885. I suspect that cranberry culture did not take place much before then.
It seems to me that many cranberry bogs have canal systems that allow water to pass around, rather than through, the bog.
I certainly am not discounting the possibility of the canal being used for something prior to cranberries. It's just that the map of the old Goshen pond that Spungman posted doesn't show the bypass which I find compelling.
Mary-Ann Thompson of the Birches pointed out side channels at her bogs dug for the purpose of flood-water accommodation. These were overwhelmed by 2004 flood event that breached her dams.
Back to the original question of this post. It seems that more of the documentation and evidence puts Goshen Neck in Burlington County. I have found cellar holes on both sides but it seems more on the Burlington county side. It seems Goshen encompassed a large area and much of the homes were very much spread out.
I have some things to add later today but I will not post in this thread about my explorations of Goshen Gap unless smoke_jumper would prefer that I do.
Feel free to post them here. I was out today as well and discovered something that I didn’t see a month or so ago
As I mentioned we made it out today and visited a few locations. Supporting my theory that Goshen Neck was very spread out and covered a large area we found a few more cellar holes. Also I revisited where I was last week here:
I discovered that where the Mullica currently passes through the dam there is also ruins of a gate or mill structure. It is completely submerged but it appears to be the similar construction to what’s at the end of the canal just a few feet away.
The timbers do seem slightly heavier though. Just like at the canal it spans the river and is about as wide as the dam itself.
NJPineBarrens Maps
maps.njpinebarrens.com
I discovered that where the Mullica currently passes through the dam there is also ruins of a gate or mill structure. It is completely submerged but it appears to be the similar construction to what’s at the end of the canal just a few feet away.
The timbers do seem slightly heavier though. Just like at the canal it spans the river and is about as wide as the dam itself.
You need a GoPro and place it underwater. I have one and can do that if you want.
I have been working on two deeds in the Gap area so today I left the house at the exact minute of sunrise to travel there to do a little searching. While examining the deeds I started thinking that even though some of the locations mentioned that a stake was there in 1860, the new owners after that may have added a stone. Why not go there and see if that was true.
On the way down Jackson at 7:02AM.
I returned to the ford crossing where the stone bridge at the Gap was located and headed further down the road and paths. This description in the deed calls for a stake.
Arriving where I felt it would be, I poked around awhile and soon found the stone and took this video.
https://youtu.be/-bUjprYnksw
From there I traveled along the back of the bogs following a long canal that in some places was really wide.
This was surprising.
From there I walked deeper into the woods in this area looking to see if a stone again had been placed where a stake on the deed was mentioned. The vegetation was thicker and at the first location I was disappointed. I then walked a short distance to a second location where the deed says I was heading 244.2 feet to the said "Smith" lot.
I walked around for less than 15 seconds and without even trying my walking stick poked into a stone.
I was in this general area.
And by 10:AM my day was over and I took one final stop behind the trailer park to visit the Beginning stone to the deed which is slowly being dug up by vehicles driving across it.
On the way down Jackson at 7:02AM.
I returned to the ford crossing where the stone bridge at the Gap was located and headed further down the road and paths. This description in the deed calls for a stake.
Arriving where I felt it would be, I poked around awhile and soon found the stone and took this video.
https://youtu.be/-bUjprYnksw
From there I traveled along the back of the bogs following a long canal that in some places was really wide.
This was surprising.
From there I walked deeper into the woods in this area looking to see if a stone again had been placed where a stake on the deed was mentioned. The vegetation was thicker and at the first location I was disappointed. I then walked a short distance to a second location where the deed says I was heading 244.2 feet to the said "Smith" lot.
I walked around for less than 15 seconds and without even trying my walking stick poked into a stone.
I was in this general area.
NJPineBarrens Maps
maps.njpinebarrens.com
And by 10:AM my day was over and I took one final stop behind the trailer park to visit the Beginning stone to the deed which is slowly being dug up by vehicles driving across it.
Nice post and nice discoveries. I am looking forward to seeing where these cellar holes are.
I know of a grassy area on the Camden side of the old mill that I always suspected was the town center.
It is common in cranberry bogs to have a series of canals that transport and bypass water. Typically with a reservoir. These are typical in bogs that divert water from a watershed and then return it. Haines, Lee, Birches would all utilize this design.
I worked closely with Tom Budd this past season and he diverts water from quite a distance. This was the case when I worked with the Darlingtons also.
However, I have never seen this in a situation, like Goshen, when the bogs are built right into the watershed.
I do want to recheck some thing about Hampton park though, and check back
I know of a grassy area on the Camden side of the old mill that I always suspected was the town center.
It is common in cranberry bogs to have a series of canals that transport and bypass water. Typically with a reservoir. These are typical in bogs that divert water from a watershed and then return it. Haines, Lee, Birches would all utilize this design.
I worked closely with Tom Budd this past season and he diverts water from quite a distance. This was the case when I worked with the Darlingtons also.
However, I have never seen this in a situation, like Goshen, when the bogs are built right into the watershed.
I do want to recheck some thing about Hampton park though, and check back
No? I think either I am missing something or you are. Many bogs are right in the watershed. They are the smaller ones, but nevertheless.
Edit: disregard this Jeff. I misread it. I thought it good to keep the post up anyway.
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