Millers Bog
- Thread starter Teegate
- Start date
Some call it the Ancora bogs by geography. They are closer to the Old White Horse Pike / Spring Garden Road. Quite a ways from 206 actually. Simply the remains of bogs operated by a local family long ago as far as I've always known.
There is an upper and a lower. They are downstream of what would be called Hobb Lake as well as HA-LU-WA-SA's lakes. Essentially, all in line of the Pump Branch, which downstream of Miller's Bogs Confluences with Blue Anchor Branch just above Iron Mill To form Albertson's Branch. Immediately after it goes under the JC trestle off Fleming Pike. We had Bob & Banjo there at the cleanup. I've gone on again. Bogs are easily accessible from Pestletown road.Scott has a host of pics from the bogs in his gallery. They're only a couple skips from his place, or mine for that matter. Lot's of folks fish them. I have canoed around for fun a couple times before work.
The descendants of the family are still in the area. I am surprised you ask. My memory has it that you went with Scott to the USGS station right there and even to the old gun club foundation. If you saw those you must have been at the bogs?
Sadly enough, another area popular for trash dumping.
G.
The reason I mention it is I was reading Howard Boyd's book, and he mentioned that he saw a very large snapper turtle south of Atsion on 206 at Millers Bog. That confused since I have survey maps of all of that area on 206 and never knew there was a Millers Bog there. I do know that the blueberry fields on 206 across from Rockwood were purchased by Anna R. Miller on 11/1/1876. Those blueberry fields are the only Miller reference I have on 206. I was just wondering if he had his info wrong, or I was missing something that I should know.
Guy
Guy
I believe that the Miller Bogs you are talking about are the Dutchtown Bogs. Once you cross into Atlantic County heading south on 206, you will see a fairly well maintained road on your left (about 1 mile before Rockwood). Some maps show it as Park Ave. Along this road you will see the house that has been discussed recently in these forums on your right and there may still be a trailer that serves as a gun club on the left. Continue and eventually the area opens up to a well maintained bog on your right. I believe this is the bog you are asking about.
I haven't been back there for a few years so some of the landmarks may be a little off.
I once tried to access the Westcoat bogs from this road but the water was high and the winding roads had some big holes. You shouldn't have any trouble getting back to the active bogs from 206 though.
I would like to find out if these were originally part of the Rockwood bogs. They all seem connected.
I haven't been back there for a few years so some of the landmarks may be a little off.
I once tried to access the Westcoat bogs from this road but the water was high and the winding roads had some big holes. You shouldn't have any trouble getting back to the active bogs from 206 though.
I would like to find out if these were originally part of the Rockwood bogs. They all seem connected.
Clearly there wern't cultivated blueberry fields there in 1876. I wonder what was there back then?
I did not mean to say there were blueberry fields then, just that particular property was purchased by Anna Miller. In any event, I doubt there were bogs there, and my map makes it appear that there wasn't also.
Guy
I have looked before on the Wharton survey maps along the stretch of "Miller's Bog" here in Pestletown and I don't think there were any Miller name references in the stretch from the Old White Horse Pike to Iron Mills.
Scott
Scott
Scott,
I actually can not think of that in print either. Have we always just called them that because of the history? Could the Miller family have just operated the bogs like I wrote and not owned them? I have also noticed the whole of the Pump Branch called the Albertson on some older maps when I always thought it to be a formation of the Pump & Blue Anchor? I just assumed it was named that as it was by Albertson's Mill? Some of this stuff confuses me. What names are listed on the properties surrounding the bogs? Do they predate the forming of the bogs themselves?
Guy,
I know of no reference to any Bogs back by Dutchtown that could have a Miller name attached. As far as the property in Rockwood... Miller in the area in my mind would have been like Smith or Jones, would it really be that unusual for one Miller to have or purchase the property that became the Blueberry fields and another Miller to own/ operate bogs? I suppose a timeline would clarify. I am really not so sure the bogs Oriental speaks of would be the ones in question.
G.
Guy,
I'm pretty sure I'm right about this one. Recent government lists of South Jersey Farms indicate that the mailing address of the Dutchtown Farms is in the vicinity of the Miller farm in Indian Mills.
Just to be sure, I drove out there this morning. My memory wasn't as bad as I thought. You will pass Dave Amato's house on the right and you will see the Boot Hill gun club trailer on your left. The bogs in this vicinity are clearly active, though these may not be Miller's. You need to keep going for a little while. It turns back to woods on both sides again before opening up to more bogs. These bogs are very well maintained and are posted. The No Trespassing signs are signed Fred Miller.
I want to doubt that the Boot Hill gun club is associated with Miller as his gun club operates out of his packing house in Indian Mills.
I'm pretty sure I'm right about this one. Recent government lists of South Jersey Farms indicate that the mailing address of the Dutchtown Farms is in the vicinity of the Miller farm in Indian Mills.
Just to be sure, I drove out there this morning. My memory wasn't as bad as I thought. You will pass Dave Amato's house on the right and you will see the Boot Hill gun club trailer on your left. The bogs in this vicinity are clearly active, though these may not be Miller's. You need to keep going for a little while. It turns back to woods on both sides again before opening up to more bogs. These bogs are very well maintained and are posted. The No Trespassing signs are signed Fred Miller.
I want to doubt that the Boot Hill gun club is associated with Miller as his gun club operates out of his packing house in Indian Mills.
Guy,
I never thought you meant that. My post was poorly worded. I meant only that there must have been something of interest there before the blueberries. Sorry.
Rich
You are correct on all counts.
Fred Miller operates the active bogs adjacent to Boot Hill.
Boot Hill is mostly Hammontonians and they only lease or rent from Miller.
The Miller's Bogs at Pestletown are a different system of bogs but somehow I am sure the Milllers at Dutchtown and the Millers from this area were related.
Good thought going out Oriental. I meant no disrespect of course in that those might not be the bogs of question.
I go to those active bogs often with my kids, they like it back there. I mostly see people fish out by the old house and I really dig the old bog tractor right in front of the gun club trailor. Never read who signed the signs because no one ever really bothered me even when people were out there working.
When you go in to the woods, atfer the that second set of active bogs you mention where the irrigation ditch is, the terrain changes.
It is back there I think where the link to the Rockwood bogs is that you are thinking of. Just a bit South and you can actually come up behind Rockwood road. Ironically you are also right near the active blueberry fields there. I've still never heard them called Miller's Bogs.
Again, a region I think Scott is very familiar with.
G.
I go to those active bogs often with my kids, they like it back there. I mostly see people fish out by the old house and I really dig the old bog tractor right in front of the gun club trailor. Never read who signed the signs because no one ever really bothered me even when people were out there working.
When you go in to the woods, atfer the that second set of active bogs you mention where the irrigation ditch is, the terrain changes.
It is back there I think where the link to the Rockwood bogs is that you are thinking of. Just a bit South and you can actually come up behind Rockwood road. Ironically you are also right near the active blueberry fields there. I've still never heard them called Miller's Bogs.
Again, a region I think Scott is very familiar with.
G.
Rich,
Nice detective work! I did not even think of those bogs, I was only thinking of the bogs on 206 since Howard Boyd said he found the turtle across from Millers Bogs. I never thought he was talking about those bogs since there are bogs on 206 right there.
In any event, yes Millers Bogs were part of Rockwood. It was 227.4903 acres, and there are two stones visible from the road you were on, and one buried below the ground. The next time you go there, drive past the Boot Hill Gun club and the large bog will be on your right. Once you pass that bog you will have woods on both sides of you for a short distance. As soon as you reach the next smaller bog, look to your left in what is always a large puddle, and you will see the stone right in the open usually sticking up above the water. If it is dry you will easily see the stone.
To get to the next stone continue on straight to the very corner of the last bog. Do not go into the bog area, just drive straight ahead to the corner. Right in the middle of the road, flush with the ground, with a slight yellow paint on it will be the final stone you can see without digging.
The underground stone can be found on the left side of the road in the woods where the very end of the large bog meets the road. So after you pass Boot Hill on your left heading in, continue until you reach the corner of the large bog. On your left in the woods is the stone. You might be able to find the state monument which tells you where the stone is, but I would suggest to not waste your time. It is nothing special.
Even though all of the bogs were Rockwood, some portions of those bogs are state owned. So when Rockwood’s daughter Katharine sold the property on 1/11/1926 she must have sold it to various people, or Haines bought it all and he sold portions to other people.
Guy