Goshen in Camden or Burlington?
- Thread starter Neil in SJ
- Start date
Structure spanning the width of the river is indicative of a dam so possibly a mill site. Or just a means of diverting the water. They would have had to have a pretty robust dam there to divert the water to the canal. Any indication of a pond having been above the dam? Given the length of the bridge there, I generally think there wasn’t a pond above it (could be wrong) also, no head or tail race?
Leads me to believe that there were two mills. Mill three, and the second at Goshen pond. Again, this is all theoretical speculation . I really want to check out the area again. Goshen pond and mill 3 both have earthen dams, but none at mill 1.
I am really thinking that was a water diversion dam. It reminds me of the one on the wading river south of Godfrey (the dam ruins)
Great thought provoking stuff!!!
Leads me to believe that there were two mills. Mill three, and the second at Goshen pond. Again, this is all theoretical speculation . I really want to check out the area again. Goshen pond and mill 3 both have earthen dams, but none at mill 1.
I am really thinking that was a water diversion dam. It reminds me of the one on the wading river south of Godfrey (the dam ruins)
Great thought provoking stuff!!!
Too many things going on here with these mills and dams for me to follow
This post on Old Goshen caught my interest because of its association with meadow or savannah habitat that was once likely present by the Atsiunk River. According to a 1758 deed to Abraham Leeds (West Jersey Loose Records #60711) there are two unnamed cripples “near ye head of a Saw Mill pond called Goshion Mill.” Within this deed the Atsion River is called the Atsiunk. A pond head is the upper waterbody part where water inflows into it.
Cripples are often short Pleistocene channels that generally lack a modern (Holocene) stream incision. Instead, their channel bottoms flow as a wide sheet that drains into a stream or river, often intermittently. They are the Pine Barrens version of the periglacial dell—as in the Farmer in the Dell… The ancient Leeds deed is difficult to decipher but I think the “westerly” (left) cripple feature is the Leed’s survey channel between Hopplefoot and Good Water Branches. The “easterly” (right) cripple feature is likely the middle or upper channel above the straight road to Longacoming. The easterly feature of Leed’s contains “Some plains or meadow ground,” which is probably wetland savannah.
Early on savannah meadowland once found along Pleistocene stream terraces throughout the Pine Barrens was used for grazing, especially by cattle. A hopple was a leg tether restraint used when cattle were set out to graze. Below is an excerpt from an undated c. 1854 wall map of what appears to be Atsion Furnace lands that places the Old Goshen Mill Pond. This map may be drawn by Clement and resides in the Special Collections at Bjork Library at Stockton University. Information from both the Leeds survey and the Clement(?) map has been annotated onto one of Boyd’s awesome amazing maps above.
It’s work in progress so I hope I have this right. There’s lots of land-surface processes going on here so am eager to hear your thoughts.
S-M
Cripples are often short Pleistocene channels that generally lack a modern (Holocene) stream incision. Instead, their channel bottoms flow as a wide sheet that drains into a stream or river, often intermittently. They are the Pine Barrens version of the periglacial dell—as in the Farmer in the Dell… The ancient Leeds deed is difficult to decipher but I think the “westerly” (left) cripple feature is the Leed’s survey channel between Hopplefoot and Good Water Branches. The “easterly” (right) cripple feature is likely the middle or upper channel above the straight road to Longacoming. The easterly feature of Leed’s contains “Some plains or meadow ground,” which is probably wetland savannah.
S-M
Nice contribution Spungman. On the 1854 map; is there any depiction of another mill pond upstream from the one illustrated? I suspect there isn’t which would further support my theory that the upper most “mill” is a water diversion apparatus.
Additionally, is Goshen pond campground depicted as a second mill pond on the map?
Additionally, is Goshen pond campground depicted as a second mill pond on the map?
Do you have a source for that Mark. Throughout the Pine Barrens? That doesn't sound right. They'd sink so bad you'd have to pull them out with winches hooked to trees.
Very interesting. Something else to ponder while I’m out there lol. It’s funny my son and I were just out there over this past weekend on the road to old Goshen mill. We found several old cellar holes and wondered how old they could be. I can’t make out where it says the road goes to in your picture.
Bob, I document how cattle were raised in Pine Barrens savannah in an upcoming work. There were cattle drives to other areas with the winter rise in the groundwater table. For example, I grew up by Calfs Head on Calf Pasture Branch in Buckhorn (above the Old Tomlin Place). The farm was above Bertuzzi's Market between Milmay and Five Points. This place was a complex of spungs along the original Tuckahoe (Cape) trail. Buckhorn was settled by the mid-eighteenth century by Swedish tar-kilners who continued to drive cattle to wetlands here until the 1890s. Cow strikes with locomotives on the Cape May Branch made the Tomlin enterprise unprofitable. Spungs were my childhood playground.
Smoker_Jumper, the road is the "Road from old Goshon Mill to Hayer mill" which I take to be Hayes Mill by Atco. The "y" looks like a "g," doesn't it?
Smoker_Jumper, the road is the "Road from old Goshon Mill to Hayer mill" which I take to be Hayes Mill by Atco. The "y" looks like a "g," doesn't it?
I have not seen evidence another mill pond upstream from Old Goshen (Goshon, Goshion). The Cook-Vermeule map has a cranberry bog complex established on the old mill pond remains. Is it possible that the existing timber ruins are cranberry bog infrastructure?
Yes, the practice apparently occurred up there in North Jersey too—i.e., above the Mullica. You're right, the practice is better documented in South Jersey by my interest bias. Swedes, Finns, and Dutch seem more involved in this practice that is slowly abandoned during the nineteenth century. Pigs too (Hog Wallow, Hog Holes) and even sheep.
From exploring the area the area the best evidence of the cranberry bogs are at the southern end of your “Westerly Cripple”. Also what I think is remnants of a barn or packing house on the Burlington County side. Going by memory I can’t think of any place for the “Easterly Cripple” between the dam and old Atsion road that went to long a coming. Unless of course it was dug up when the canal was made. The eastern side rises up relatively fast and is dry.
I’m hoping to get out there either today or tomorrow and possibly have more info on the canal and possible uses. In the meantime I have something else to ponder. A while ago I’ve noticed an area that seemed dug out just above the current pond and camp ground. It seems a lot of material was relocated to the camp ground area. I’ve given it some thought over the years and with these new discussions it’s on my mind again.
Do you think this have anything to do with collecting bog iron? Or is it possibly just building up a landing for something?
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S_J,
Judging by river-meander structure, there appears to be much fill added to your site at the red arrow and its corresponding bank to the south. Note the cripple just to the east of the cross-hairs on your lidar imagery. Judging by the surrounding land-surface structure, the new Goshen Pond could be templated on a natural river depression first exploited by beaver.
As for ore extraction, my limited experience is that ore extraction for iron production was mostly done away from larger river banks, and instead was collected in places like savannah terraces or cripple seeps. Meadow ore came in the form of scum, loam, or seed. Massive ore was a poor form that was mostly used as building stone.
Judging by river-meander structure, there appears to be much fill added to your site at the red arrow and its corresponding bank to the south. Note the cripple just to the east of the cross-hairs on your lidar imagery. Judging by the surrounding land-surface structure, the new Goshen Pond could be templated on a natural river depression first exploited by beaver.
As for ore extraction, my limited experience is that ore extraction for iron production was mostly done away from larger river banks, and instead was collected in places like savannah terraces or cripple seeps. Meadow ore came in the form of scum, loam, or seed. Massive ore was a poor form that was mostly used as building stone.
That’s pretty much what I thought. I thought it was odd that so much was taken from that bank. And so much was added to both sides of the bank in that spot.
We visited Goshen today for the first time in 18 years. From what I remember everything seems to be the same. The water is lower because we did not see this portion of the structure the last time as far as I remember. Maybe Ben may have other photos from that day.
We quickly visited the area that appears to be cutout in post 74 above. It appears natural from the land side where we were since there are no dirt piles. However, the dirt may as suggested been taken downstream.
I took photos to match my photo from post 50 but the lighting made the wood impossible to see.
We quickly visited the area that appears to be cutout in post 74 above. It appears natural from the land side where we were since there are no dirt piles. However, the dirt may as suggested been taken downstream.
I took photos to match my photo from post 50 but the lighting made the wood impossible to see.
I was looking for a stone today along the Goshen Mill Stream as the deed says. I know exactly where it should be but the stream there is much altered after 200 years. This stone and location is part of the Atsion Tract.
I have mentioned this before I believe but further in the deed it mentions a place called Goshen Gap. I will be trying to figure out the location of this place tonight when I have time. There is a stone there and I want to find it.
I have mentioned this before I believe but further in the deed it mentions a place called Goshen Gap. I will be trying to figure out the location of this place tonight when I have time. There is a stone there and I want to find it.
I missed you by a day. My son and I spent a good part of the day on Saturday around there and even stopped at that location too. A couple of weeks ago the water was high and completely covered it. Was spent most of our time around the “New” pond by the campground. We followed a canal that connected it to Salters Ditch.
Here:https://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.74230012999322&lng=-74.76334590118407&z=15&type=nj1930&gpx=
It crosses the old railroad bed (Rairitan) the turns and crosses Sandy Causeway. While it filled with water almost its entire length there is no flow.
The construction of it is the same as the one that bypasses the “old” pond and different from Salters Ditch. Salters Ditch is just that, a ditch this is more of a canal that is built up on both sides. Given it’s similarities to the other one I assume they were built around the same time. Also there was no cranberry operations at this pond so I can assume both canals weren’t for cranberries.
Here:https://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.74230012999322&lng=-74.76334590118407&z=15&type=nj1930&gpx=
It crosses the old railroad bed (Rairitan) the turns and crosses Sandy Causeway. While it filled with water almost its entire length there is no flow.
The construction of it is the same as the one that bypasses the “old” pond and different from Salters Ditch. Salters Ditch is just that, a ditch this is more of a canal that is built up on both sides. Given it’s similarities to the other one I assume they were built around the same time. Also there was no cranberry operations at this pond so I can assume both canals weren’t for cranberries.
That's great that you get out there with your son. Does he like doing the explore?