New Woods and Male Bonding

[RednekF350]

I went along with pbxbob and woodjin yesterday for an exploration of some ruins and an exporation of old mill pond in Jeff's neck of the Big Woods.
We traced an impressive, dry canal for well over a mile to its origins at a stream.
There we found the remnants of what was likely a large earthen dam and sluice that formerly created a mill pond. The canal entrance was just upstream of the dam and would have receved flow if the dam were intact.
The canal appears to skirt the former pond but we didn't follow it downstream because we ran out of time.
From there, I twisted their arms to have a glass or 2 of my homemade wine to wrap up the day.
We travelled to a nearby haunt of Jeff's and had a great time sipping the grape and watching the sunset on a beautiful day.
I had a great time and learned a lot about an area that I have never visited.
Thanks guys.
Scott
Here are some pics.
Here is Jeff espousing upon the finer points of ruins investigative techniques.
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=281&pos=28

Here is Bob at the bottom of a very steep bank along the creek.
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=281&pos=10

Here is a view of the dry canal.http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=281&pos=17

Here are three guys I would rather not mention by name.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=281&pos=70

 

[james ungehajer]

Looks you had a very interesting day,great photos as usual.Red or white wine?

 

[LARGO]

Looks like you fellas had a good day.
Now I know Scott where you were headed when I passed you on my way up North. Looks like your experience with cold liquids was equally as "spirited"
as mine but not in the same manner. Fun pics of the boys.

G.

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Looks like a missed a good outing. Maybe next time.

Scott, I should like to try some of your homemade vino some day. I'll bring some home made beer.

 

[BEHR655]

Looks like you all had a great day. Dang this knee. Maybe some of your wine would have helped it.

Steve

 

[Teegate]

The dry canal looked interesting. But it looks like the rest of the day was not dry

Guy

 

[bobpbx]

Scott is a bad influence on me. So is Jeff. They actually enjoy partying. Imagine that. It was a good, informative day.

Here is a huge hole made by some sort of beast. Look at the sand he dug:

Here is the dam we found on Bisphams Mill Creek. They stopped the water here:

Beyond the dam, the ancient lake bottom. Those are swamp maples:

Jeff always likes to find the big cedars:

 

[bobpbx]

Here is a pan view of the big foundation. This thing really blows my mind. The walls are a foot thick in concrete for pete's sake. That huge section Jeff and Scott are standing on seems to have dropped from the sky. We can't figure out how it got there or what it was. It has rectangular holes through it.

 

[dragoncjo]

You guys have anymore pictures of that hole dug out of the sand? Possibly the front of it. Thanks
Chris

 

[bobpbx]

No, sorry Chris. I stuck my stick all the way in and it was a large, deep hole. What are you thinking, coyote?

 

[bobpbx]

Jeff, this 1812 map shows Bisphams Mills on the creek in two locations:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=250&pos=7

And I could be wrong, but I dont think so; this map shows the canal itself and the big lake:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=2269&fullsize=1

 

[bobpbx]

Jeff, this 1812 map shows Bisphams Mills on the creek in two locations:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=250&pos=7

And I could be wrong, but I dont think so; this map shows the canal itself and the big lake:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=2269&fullsize=1

The Thomas Gordon map shows the mill on the far side of the Lake. We need to go back and chech that out more closely this Spring:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=3788&fullsize=1

 

[woodjin]

Jeff, this 1812 map shows Bisphams Mills on the creek in two locations:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=250&pos=7

And I could be wrong, but I dont think so; this map shows the canal itself and the big lake:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=2269&fullsize=1

I didn't see Bisphams mill location on the map? I did notice the S M on the map. That must be referring to the saw mill. Here is a quote from the book you lent me. It is from John C. Borton's essay, "runaway". It refers to a 1916 visit to lower mill:

"We decided to visit lower mill which is about a mile and a half walk up the sand road leading to chatsworth, After and hour of pleasant walking through woods we could hear the whine of a big buzz saw. Suddenly around a bend we came upon a beautiful lake about half a mile long surronded by big oak and pine trees. The saw mill was just behind the dam and close to the bank with room for a considerable pile of oak and cedar logs. About a hundred yards away two dilapidated unpainted houses surrounded with pigs, chickens, cats, dogs served as home for the sawyer and his assistant.

The sawyer was less than hospitable. He was sawing oak logs and his under-shot water wheel didn't have enough power to cut the log full length without stalling. It kept jamming and he had to pull the carriage back several times to let the saw pick up enough speed to finish the cut. He was in a foul humor. But he didn't chase us away and we watched untill the log had been reduced to a big pile of boards.

The mill operated off and on until 1921 when the dam broke and was never repaired. Vandals soon made off with the machinery and even the foundation stones for the two houses. By 1955 there was no trace of either the mill or the houses."

It is odd that he mentions a buzz saw, and yet the sawyer is working with the water wheel, I guess the buzz saw was used for "rough" cutting. In the 1916 a buzz saw would have been huge.

On the second map...I think that is the canal and the lake shape seems to be true to what we saw. If that is the canal, it runs all the way to New Lisbon. That map is a very important find for this trip!! Bob, looking at arial photos. I noticed the two ponds I kept referring to were slightly down stream of the causeway we identified.

Jeff

 

[bobpbx]

I did read that, but I thought it was Upper Mill when I read it. So, really, this thing was operating over 100 years? Seems unlikely, right? I do see Bisphams Mill on the older map, the 1812. You don't?

 

[bobpbx]

Bob, looking at arial photos. I noticed the two ponds I kept referring to were slightly down stream of the causeway we identified.
Jeff

Right, and that makes sense since we walked through the lake bottom. What does not make sense is; what about a lake above the causeway to feed the canal? We did not look at that, but it is shown on the map.

 

[woodjin]

I did read that, but I thought it was Upper Mill when I read it. So, really, this thing was operating over 100 years? Seems unlikely, right? I do see Bisphams Mill on the older map, the 1812. You don't?

I do see it on the 1812 map now. the link you set up was a different map. Seems to be the upper and lower mill locations. I wonder if a guy named Bispham didn't own that property at one time. I think Black was the owner durring the upper and lower mill operations.

It does seem unlikely that the mill would have operated for that long, but it does show up on maps from the early 1800's. More likely, the mill has changed hands and purpose through out the years but benefited from the lake, canal system. That whole area, that whole part of the woods, is history resting on top of older history, it is so difficult to unravel. Interestingly, the area now is heavily used by hunters, atv operators, illegal dumpers and pot growers...mostly unaware of the layers of history below the discarded washers and stoves and garbage. Seems kind of wrong but I think there is a certain romantic attraction about that.

Jeff

 

[woodjin]

Right, and that makes sense since we walked through the lake bottom. What does not make sense is; what about a lake above the causeway to feed the canal? We did not look at that, but it is shown on the map.

I messed up, I meant to say that the two ponds I visited were slightly upstream from the causeway.

Jeff

 

[bobpbx]

That whole area, that whole part of the woods, is history resting on top of older history, it is so difficult to unravel. Interestingly, the area now is heavily used by hunters, atv operators, illegal dumpers and pot growers...mostly unaware of the layers of history below the discarded washers and stoves and garbage. Seems kind of wrong but I think there is a certain romantic attraction about that.Jeff

How do you mean? Are you saying that we should feel good about ourselves, or feel a little privileged, because we are interested in and have a certain reverence for the past and what it took to build this country; more so than people who live for today, and care less about the past, much less the future?

Also, here is a thought. Why did that guy build the canal on BOTH sides of Mt. Misery Brook? Was he a cranberry grower over by New Lisbon that was so paranoid he was going to run out of water, so he needed to ensure he tapped both creeks? What if he did not realize Mount Misery Creek was there until he reached it with his canal after hand-digging it from Bisphams Mill Creek. What an ass-kicker that would be, right?

 

[RednekF350]

The second map posted by Bob that shows what appears to be the canal is very interesting.
I said to Bob on Saturday that the canal could not have been the type to have been used for transporting goods because it was too curving, small and narrow.
Looking at Bob's map, the canal looks more like a diversion ditch and for some reason it looks like it could have been designed to convey water to the New Lisbon area.
I reviewd the current USGS Browns Mills and Pemberton quads today at work and interestingly there is a 20' +/- elevation gradient from where we found the canal entrance and the town of New Lisbon.
Even though New Lisbon sits on the North Branch of the Rancocas, there still could have been a need for an alternative source of quality water.
We all noticed the tremendous flow in the stream and with a 20' gradient it may have been enough to power something too.

 

[dragoncjo]

Bob, I wasn't sure actually what that hole was. My first thought was a dug up pine snake den. But I've only seen pictures of dens and never first hand so I could be way off. A coyote digging or dugout could be right. Not really sure to be honest. Most of the coyote, fox dens I've seen are on sides of hills not flat ground like that.