If anyone would like to go along on a trip up the newly constructed road from Middle Road in Hammonton to the Atsion Cotton Mill, keep reading: - the year is 1872
Atsion and Cranberry Bogs
On Saturday morn. Oct. 12, by invitation I accompanied the members of the Town Council of Atsion who rode out to survey the work just completed by the Highway Commissioner on the new road opened from Middle Road [Hammonton] to the latter place [Atsion] some five miles passing through the Hammonton Cranberry Co.'s meadow. It's almost an air line road and should have been quite so. The divergence made for the purpose of finding a position to save expense in bridging seems inexcusable, if as we were informed, the small sum saved was the only object. It was done, however, by private enterprise, and the fathers of the town are not responsible. There are a number of bridges on the road substantially built with abutments of bog stone of an endurable nature. These stones contain a large quantity of iron concreted with sand and gravel and we were informed that at one time it supplied the furnace at Atsion for smelting. It seems to be excellent material for building.
One feature of the bridging is objectionable, using soft wood planks for flooring instead of oak; it rot's rapidly and the expense is greater in the end. The road is laid through a tract of land as flat as a smoothing iron, a wilderness of scrub oaks and pines, whortleberry bushes, soft maples, some cedars and wildflowers. Many of the autumn wild flowers are of rare beauty.
Except at the Cranberry bogs not a house is seen, nothing but a vast plain covered with a stinted growth of vegetation, except in spots where is rich deposits of decayed and decaying vegetation matter. Good material for road making is scarce, though there are spots where is found deposits of a yellow subsoil of clay and gravel admirably adapted to turnpiking. With the exception of about a mile, the road is good considering the expense put on it and the material the Commissioner was obliged to use. In several places it is not raised sutfiently, for when the streams are swollen these places will be overflowed. About $2000 will make it a road the town might be proud of; and in most parts of the year a pleasant drive and is the direct route to Atsion which should be connected with Hammonton station by a good road.
At the Hammonton Co.'s Cranberry meadow the road is laid on the dam of the company and gives the traveler an excellent opportunity to see the meadows on both sides of the road. This dam is built for the purpose of flooding the cranberry vines. The company have some 140 acres here, 40 of which are already in vines, most of which are in bearing and are looking hugely; but unfortunately a greater portion of the crop was lost by scald this season - 2000 bushels or more. Above the meadow is that of the Trenton Co., and below that of the Vineland Co. The few houses [Dutchtown] of his Co. on the north of their meadow is a decided relief to the vision after the long ride in the bush. A mile and a half further on in direct line is the Atsion R.R. Station and Cotton Mill, where we proceeded. Here our horse were fed and we partook of an excellent lunch provided by the clerk of the council, who was unable on account of other business to accompany us.
Mirth and jollity prevailed, toasts and witticisms seemed to flow freely from the town fathers as if no weighty cares were resting on their thoughtful brows.
On being called from refreshments we visited the cotton mill, of which Mr. Rolla [Maurice Raleigh] of Philadelphia is proprietor and were shown around by a gentleman overseer, Mr. Neason, who took the time to explain the method of work on the cotton as taken from the _____? It is bought out in beautiful thread for the loom. The weaving is not done here.
The mill has a capacity for 10,000 spindles. At present they have only 1,000. The balance to be gotten real soon. The structure is a fine, composed mostly of bog stone obtained in the vicinity, three stories, one hundred and fifty feet long, fifty feet wide with an L 80 feet long and other conveniences. It is arranged for gas and is provided with needed modern improvements such as water tanks on the upper floor which supplies the building in case of fire. The machinery is run by water power furnished by a canal which brings the water some 50 or 60 rods from a pond [Atsion Lake] The lake, taken with the surroundings, the old family mansion and surrounding buildings, weeping willows, button ball, mulberry, and other trees give the place a stately air likened to a Southern plantation.
Several fine wooden houses have been erected for boarding houses. The soil on the north side of the stream is said to be excellent. The stream [Atsion River] is the boundary line between our town and the mill, with the boarding houses on the mill side of the river. Here is the junction of Jackson or Atco branch road [railroad], with the N.J. Southern, the latter being run three miles out of a direct line to avoid Hammonton.
After seeing all the objects of interest we returned. The only thing of interest on our return was the narrow escape from serious injury of one of our party, by being thrown from his vehicle, by the wheel going into a little rut with such violence as to throw him against the rave of the seat, which breaking let him out forward of the wheel, which passed over both legs. He got up without assistance and taking his seat said "I am good for a vote for G____ yet." He sprained his right wrist badly and suffered for several days exceedingly.
We thanked the town fathers for our very pleasant day with them, and when they make another tour of observation may we be there. B. Oct. 16, 1872
I hope you enjoyed the trip.
This was an article in the Hammonton Item Oct 19, 1872
I was wondering if those rare beauty autumn wild flowers are still growing there and if any of the wild flower photos on this forum are them.
Also, all the cranberry bogs he mentions can still be seen on the google map, even the abandoned.
And the best one for last. How in the world do you hit a rut on a brand new road that is so bad it throws you out and under the wheels of your car? Maybe that cotton mill had some cotton GIN in it.
