History of NJ Cranberry industry?
- Thread starter uuglypher
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IIRC the max size for PNG files is something like 600kb.
But really, in this case it's all for the best. There would be nothing gained by posting Dave's screenshot at that quality level. I also re-sized it down from 2200 to 1000 pixels wide. I'm happy to convert any additional photos for him.
But really, in this case it's all for the best. There would be nothing gained by posting Dave's screenshot at that quality level. I also re-sized it down from 2200 to 1000 pixels wide. I'm happy to convert any additional photos for him.
I agree, there's really no need to post huge image files here. They make the pages load slowly and will burn through mobile data plans more quickly.
It is a wetland on the East bank of the Wading river opposite the Pomona Fruit bogs of which Teegate posted an image. In trying to locate where a couple small bogs that Joe Palmer had me working on in the summer of ‘60 I was thinking there may be suggestions of the levees of abandoned bogs (circled)in this image. Or is it my imagination?
Dave
Dave
At this point I'm totally confused. Yes, Dave e-mailed me his image, and I fixed and posted it. But Guy also posted some images, so maybe that is what Dave is talking about? Anyway, here's the property ownership data that I have for the area that Dave circled... for what it's worth. Apparently it is called "Cranberry Point". 
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Well, at this point, I clearly share in the confusion. This area is, to the best of my memory, where I labored on a couple bogs when employed by Joe Palmer. Are these lines marking present land ownership? Do they indicate such during the 1960s? If so, the bogs I had thought were Joe’s clearly weren’t. As I earlier mentioned, Joe moved his workforce (Hugh (his son), me, and the crew of West Virginia coal miners) to a variety of bogs - some we thought to be his/Pomona’s, as well as a number he managed for other owners.
When writing reminiscences of one summer’s experience as a bog laborer, I sure didn’t mean to stir up such a well spring of confusion, and am truly sorry that I obviously can not pinpoint the site of my most concerted and exhausting...and invigorating, and memorable labors!
I have lost track of the Palmer family.
Joe and Lib left Tuckerton for...??
Son Hugh, on graduation from Penn State attended grad school in wildlife biology at 5he University of Guelp, Ontario. Hugh later worked for the Pennsylvania Dept.. of Fish and Wildlife and worked out of Media, PA. All attempts to reach him over the years have failed.
There is a Hugh Palmer listed as living in Media Pa and of an age that he may be the son of the Hugh I knew, but I never get an answer on his listed landline phone number.
Dave Graham
When writing reminiscences of one summer’s experience as a bog laborer, I sure didn’t mean to stir up such a well spring of confusion, and am truly sorry that I obviously can not pinpoint the site of my most concerted and exhausting...and invigorating, and memorable labors!
I have lost track of the Palmer family.
Joe and Lib left Tuckerton for...??
Son Hugh, on graduation from Penn State attended grad school in wildlife biology at 5he University of Guelp, Ontario. Hugh later worked for the Pennsylvania Dept.. of Fish and Wildlife and worked out of Media, PA. All attempts to reach him over the years have failed.
There is a Hugh Palmer listed as living in Media Pa and of an age that he may be the son of the Hugh I knew, but I never get an answer on his listed landline phone number.
Dave Graham
No need to be sorry Dave. Before you give up the search, you might check over this site on Bass River history at their link below.
http://www.bassriverhistory.org/
Dave. As I stated in Post #38, Joe Palmer inherited three cranberry bogs in 1940, one in Pomona, another at Wading River, and third at Ives Branch. The only one on the east side of Wading R is the Ives Branch which is now Timberline Lake Campground. Guy stated in Post #37 that the campground purchased the property from Pomona Fruit Company in 1968. Can you recall if a hardtop road passed through the bog system dividing the reservoir from the bogs. This bog is about 3/4 miles east of Wading R. on RT 679 just north of Stage Rd out of Tuckerton. Could that be where you worked?
Looking at old maps, I do not see any remnants of old bog systems right along the east side of the Wading River. There is one on the west side just north of RT 542, right after crossing the Wading River bridge.
Hopefully this helps.
Looking at old maps, I do not see any remnants of old bog systems right along the east side of the Wading River. There is one on the west side just north of RT 542, right after crossing the Wading River bridge.
Hopefully this helps.
Dave. This is the configuration of the Ives Branch Bogs, same as in 1960.
NJPineBarrens Maps
maps.njpinebarrens.com
Those are contemporary tax parcels (from 2014, to be exact). This dataset does not offer any insights as to what might have changed during the last 60 years. Guy would be the person who might have old survey info.
These are specific recollections...as accurate as m3mory permits...of some characteristics of what I have referred to as “Joe Palmer’s/Pomona’s Wading River bogs”, although I can’t recall specifically why I assumed Joe Palmer’s /Pomona Fruit’s ownership.
two (three?) bogs, each longer than wide,
situated end-to-end with long side levees roughly parallel to the river 10 to 30 yards beyond.
Standing on the truck- accessible sand track on the Eastern levee of the bog one looked westward across the bog to view the river beyond the west levee of the bogs. The river was navigable by small powered skiffs and canoes.
A wooded swampy area at the South end included a small stream flowing into the river.
At the North end was a more openly wooded ...pine and cedar... swamp with small areas of clear,open water but with with no noticeable flow. Great for a short soak on a hot day.
East of the eastern, truck-accessible levee was a narrow... 10 to 20 yards... band of open, low-vegetated , slightly higher ground on which was a dilapidated tall, narrow shed with an east-west ridgeline. The shed, with big gaps in its siding, served no visible purpose. East of that ground was pine/oak woodland that continued to and beyond the north-south road that led to the highway.
From the maps I figure that north-south road is now labeled “Chips Folly Rd.” from which a reasonably firm-packed sandtrack led eastward to the north end of the bog property and connected to 5he north levee of the bogs. Having driven it only a few times by myself, I do not have reliable recollection of the distances travelled on the N-S road or the E-W-track.
In the 60 years since that time I have to wonder about changes in ground water levels, forest overgrowth, and even some changes in meanders/ cut banks/ slip-off slopes of the river that may have occurred.
I have to admit that I cannot definitively locate the area in question using the maps and aerial/satellite images presently available.
Dave
The Pictured Ives Branch bogs are separated from the river by forest. The river was, when standing on the eastern levee of the bogs, easily seen a short distance beyond the western levee of the bogs I worked on (except when Joe sent our work crew to other bogs under his mgt)
Dave
two (three?) bogs, each longer than wide,
situated end-to-end with long side levees roughly parallel to the river 10 to 30 yards beyond.
Standing on the truck- accessible sand track on the Eastern levee of the bog one looked westward across the bog to view the river beyond the west levee of the bogs. The river was navigable by small powered skiffs and canoes.
A wooded swampy area at the South end included a small stream flowing into the river.
At the North end was a more openly wooded ...pine and cedar... swamp with small areas of clear,open water but with with no noticeable flow. Great for a short soak on a hot day.
East of the eastern, truck-accessible levee was a narrow... 10 to 20 yards... band of open, low-vegetated , slightly higher ground on which was a dilapidated tall, narrow shed with an east-west ridgeline. The shed, with big gaps in its siding, served no visible purpose. East of that ground was pine/oak woodland that continued to and beyond the north-south road that led to the highway.
From the maps I figure that north-south road is now labeled “Chips Folly Rd.” from which a reasonably firm-packed sandtrack led eastward to the north end of the bog property and connected to 5he north levee of the bogs. Having driven it only a few times by myself, I do not have reliable recollection of the distances travelled on the N-S road or the E-W-track.
In the 60 years since that time I have to wonder about changes in ground water levels, forest overgrowth, and even some changes in meanders/ cut banks/ slip-off slopes of the river that may have occurred.
I have to admit that I cannot definitively locate the area in question using the maps and aerial/satellite images presently available.
Dave
Thanks, Rooftree,
The Pictured Ives Branch bogs are separated from the river by forest. The river was, when standing on the eastern levee of the bogs, easily seen a short distance beyond the western levee of the bogs I worked on (except when Joe sent our work crew to other bogs under his mgt)
Dave
Try this: go to the following website
www.historicaerials.com
Find the box that says "geo coordinates or street address" and paste the following into it (this is the area you circled on the map)
39.626350, -74.501574
Click the "Go" button, then click the "Aerials" button. You will now see a list of the years they have available. 1963 should get you close enough. I really don't see evidence of a bog there, and what you have said would make more sense on the West side of the river.
I would be hard-pressed to find places I hung out in 1960... but I was only 11 years old then.
Historic Aerials: Viewer
Find the box that says "geo coordinates or street address" and paste the following into it (this is the area you circled on the map)
39.626350, -74.501574
Click the "Go" button, then click the "Aerials" button. You will now see a list of the years they have available. 1963 should get you close enough. I really don't see evidence of a bog there, and what you have said would make more sense on the West side of the river.
I would be hard-pressed to find places I hung out in 1960... but I was only 11 years old then.
Dave; let's try this one. This appears to be a very small bog right at the bank on the east side of the Wading River. It is a little further south then what we've been discussing. It's not too far south of the bridge that takes you across the river. The bog was not there in 1957, however it appears on the 1963 map as only one section and fed by a stream. It just so happens that's where the Ives Branch dumps into the Wading River.
What do you think on this one?
What do you think on this one?
NJPineBarrens Maps
maps.njpinebarrens.com
Dave,
Nice to have you back!
I have enjoyed your recent reminiscences as much as the memories you shared 15 years ago.
After following the thread, I am convinced that you are thinking of the Ives Branch bogs that Roof Tree has discussed.
Consider:
1) We know for sure that they were owned by Palmer at the time.
2) In an earlier post you described driving to the bogs and your recollections appear to take you to the area of Ives Branch.
3) They are the only active bogs (at the time) on the east side of the Wading and within a reasonable distance of Wading River Bridge.
4) Your description of a chain of several bogs that were longer than they were wide matches perfectly.
5) The area of low brush on the east side of the bogs appears on aerials from the 50s and 60s.
6) There is a building just east of the clearing with an east-west ridge line. The structure may have been associated with an adjacent property, however.
7) Most of your other descriptions seem to match as well.
The only difficulty is explaining a river JUST west of the bog network. Indeed the Wading river itself is about a half mile distant. However, the land just west of the bogs is quite low and would have been surrounded by vegetation that may have resembled a riverbank. I am guessing that as you headed in to the bogs from the gravel road, it would appear that you were paralleling the river.
The fact that aerials from the 50s and 60s show no other active bogs operations on the east side of the river all the way up to and beyond Harrisville, convinces me that we located your missing bogs.
The details you were able to remember from a summer spent in the pines 60 years ago is remarkable. Thanks for sharing!
Rich
Nice to have you back!
I have enjoyed your recent reminiscences as much as the memories you shared 15 years ago.
After following the thread, I am convinced that you are thinking of the Ives Branch bogs that Roof Tree has discussed.
Consider:
1) We know for sure that they were owned by Palmer at the time.
2) In an earlier post you described driving to the bogs and your recollections appear to take you to the area of Ives Branch.
3) They are the only active bogs (at the time) on the east side of the Wading and within a reasonable distance of Wading River Bridge.
4) Your description of a chain of several bogs that were longer than they were wide matches perfectly.
5) The area of low brush on the east side of the bogs appears on aerials from the 50s and 60s.
6) There is a building just east of the clearing with an east-west ridge line. The structure may have been associated with an adjacent property, however.
7) Most of your other descriptions seem to match as well.
The only difficulty is explaining a river JUST west of the bog network. Indeed the Wading river itself is about a half mile distant. However, the land just west of the bogs is quite low and would have been surrounded by vegetation that may have resembled a riverbank. I am guessing that as you headed in to the bogs from the gravel road, it would appear that you were paralleling the river.
The fact that aerials from the 50s and 60s show no other active bogs operations on the east side of the river all the way up to and beyond Harrisville, convinces me that we located your missing bogs.
The details you were able to remember from a summer spent in the pines 60 years ago is remarkable. Thanks for sharing!
Rich
Boyd,Try this: go to the following website
Historic Aerials: Viewer
Find the box that says "geo coordinates or street address" and paste the following into it (this is the area you circled on the map)
39.626350, -74.501574
Click the "Go" button, then click the "Aerials" button. You will now see a list of the years they have available. 1963 should get you close enough. I really don't see evidence of a bog there, and what you have said would make more sense on the West side of the river.
I would be hard-pressed to find places I hung out in 1960... but I was only 11 years old then.
View attachment 13045
That’s a fascinating series of aerial images. I’m impressed with the variations in water levels, and even va4iations in channel meanders, but, unfortunately, am also impressed with my clearly mistaken use of that road intersection just east of the bridge that I’ve long held in mind as my touchstone to begin finding my way to that bog I have in mind! I agree; there is no hint of it anywhere where I thought it might be. The bog that Rooftree suggested is nicely close to the river, but it is oriented at a right angle, rather than parallel to the river.
I’m going to spend more time with this set of maps, and look farther afield!
Thanks again!
Dave
Hi, Rooftree,
This bog is as close to the river as the one I’m remembering, but it is 90° off in orientation. “My bog” had its long edge parallel to the riverbank. I am, however, finally convinced that I’m looking for “my bog” in the wrong place!
Dave
Hi, Rich,
Thanks for the welcome back!
re: my awareness of the proximity of...A river..just beyond the the bog’s riversid3 levee was the experience of having several times sought snakes in that strip of boggish ground beyond the levee. Yes, I’ve always had a the amateur herperologist’s tendency to seek herps wherever I am! The occasional northern water snake ( THEN Natrix sipedon...now I think it goes by Noderia sipedon...that happens when life seems unduly and boringly slow for taxonomists!) was all I found there, On the upland side of the bog, however, I did catch and release three different pine snakes, one timber rattler, and, near the wooded stream off the south end of the bog I caught a “chain kingsnake” (Lampropeltis getulus). We herp nuts seem to vividly remember such things....maybe not as accurately as exactly where those event occurred, eh?
Best regards,
Dave
B6 5he way, is Largo still active on the forum?