Gabe, et al.:
Sorry I have not responded sooner, but I have been tied up with work.
The answer to your question lies within a colonial law, passed in 1765:
An ACT to enable the Honourable Charles Read, Esq; to erect a Dam over Batstow Creek, and also to enable John Estell to erect a Dam over Atsion River.
WHEREAS by two several Act of the General Assembly of this Colony, the one entitled, An Act to preserve the navigation of the Rivers and Creeks within the Colony of New-Jersey, and the other entitled, A Supplementary Act to the Act, entitled, An Act to preserve the Navigation of the Rivers and Creeks within the Colony of New-Jersey, all the said Rivers and Creeks within the said Colony are directed to be kept open and free from Obstructions, and consequently no Dams, tho’ of ever so great public and private Utility, can be erected across any of the said Rivers and Creeks, without the Aid of the Legislature. And whereas the Honourable Charles Read, Esq; by his humble Petition, set forth, that he had proved to Demonstation, good merchantable Bar-Iron may be drawn from such Ore as may be found in plenty in the Bogs and Savannahs in such Parts of this Province which are too poor for Cultivation, which he conceives will be of publick Emolument; and that in order to erect the necessary Works, he has lately purchased a considerable Tract of Land, lying on both Sides of Batstow Creek, near Little Egg-Harbour, in the County of Burlington, praying the Aid of the Legislature, to enable him to erect a Dam across the said Creek, for the Use of an Iron-Work; and in order to remove every Objection against the Prayer of his Petition, hath produced a Certificate from Joseph Burr, jun. purporting, that he the said Joseph Burr is, and for several Years past hath been in Possession of a Saw-Mill at the Head of Batstow Creek aforesaid, from whence Boards only have been floated down, but attended with such Expence, as to afford a Probability that the said Creek will not be hereafter used for the like Purpose; hence the said Burr alledges, that the Dam over the said Creek as petitioned for by the said Charles Read, cannot be of any publick or private Detriment, but on the Contrary greatly advantageous; therefore,
BE IT ENACTED by the Governor, Council and General Assembly of this Colony of New-Jersey, and it is hereby Enacted by the Authority of the same, That it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Charles Read, his Heirs and Assigns, and he, they and either of them, is and are hereby authorized and impowered, to cast up and erect a good and sufficient Dam over the said Batstow Creek, at such Place where the said Charles Read, his Heirs and Assigns, or either of them, shall think proper to cast up and erect the same Dam, which Dam so cast up and erected, it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Charles Read, his Heirs and Assigns, and either of them from time to time, and at all times hereafter, to continue, repair, keep up and maintain in good and sufficient Order, so as to answer the Purpose intended by the same; any Thing in either of the above recited Acts to the Contrary thereof notwithstanding.
AND Whereas John Estell, by his humble Petition, sets forth, that he is possessed of a Tract of Land, situate on each Side of Atsion River, in the County of Burlington, where he is inclined to erect a Saw-Mill, and hath already been at considerable expence thereabout; that the Water Course above where he is inclined to erect the said Mill, had never been used for any other Purpose, except the floating down small Bundles of Shingles, and that but seldom; and that the Lands adjoining to the said Creek, above the intended Dam, to the Dam of James Inskeep’s Mill at Goshen-Neck, do belong to the said Charles Read, Esq; and James Inskeep, who are willing the Dam prayed for should be erected, and Coroboration thereof, have certified their Willingness under their Hands, alledging the Dam aforesaid will not be detrimental to any Person or Persons, but on the Contrary advantageous, provided Ways be made ther the said Dam: Therefore,
BE IT FURTHER ENACTED by the Authority aforesaid, That it shall and may [be] lawful to and for the said John Estell, his Heirs and Assigns, and either of them, is and are hereby authorized and impowered, to cast up and erect a good and sufficient Dam over the said Atsion River, below the uppermost Fast Landing thereon, known by the Name of the Shingle-Landing, and at such Place where the said John Estell, his Heirs and Assigns, and either of them, shall think proper, to cast up and erect the said Dam; which Dam, so cast up and erected, it shall and may be lawful to and for the said John Estell, his Heirs and Assigns, and either of them, from time to time, and at all times hereafter, to continue, repair, keep up and maintain, in good and sufficient Order, so as to answer the Purposes thereby intended; provide Ways be made through the said Dam, to admit Rafts to pass; any Thing in either of the above recited Acts to the Contrary hereof notwithstanding.
Based on the above cited act, John Estell was the very first person to establish a dam at the point of Locks Bridge and he constructed the dam for the purposes of powering a sawmill. The law required a passage or “Lock” in the dam to permit the movement of rafts—and presumably shingle bundles—down to the Forks for shipment elsewhere. Note that the law directed Estell to build his dam “…below the uppermost Fast Landing thereon, known by the Name of Shingle-Landing…,” so any shingles brought to this landing for shipping down the Atsion River would necessarily require a way to move the boat through the dam. Locks such as this one were not all that uncommon in early West New Jersey dams. By the time Henry Drinker acquired his interest in Atsion, Estell’s sawmill was long gone, but the milldam, lock, and the mill seat still existed, so Drinker suggested it would make a good location for a rolling or slitting mill. I don’t think anyone ever used the mill seat after Estell’s sawmill disappeared. Regarding Sarah Ewing’s citation of the Drinker letter, the use of the word “or” might stem from her misinterpretation of Drinker’s handwriting, which, as I recall, was a horrendous example of chicken-scratching.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
