West Mills has an interesting history that would take years to decipher,; however, there is some I know which you may find interesting. You can find much of the historical info below in old editions of the Batsto Citizen Gazette.
West’s Mill, West Mills, and West Mill are basically all variations of a tract of land that currently is Paradise Lake Campground. For purposes here I will call it West Mills. The history of the tract dates back to at least 10/13/1772 when John West acquired the land to use for lumbering along the Nescochague Creek. By 1781 he had acquired more property from Elijah Clark who you can read about in Iron In the Pines by Pierce. He also acquired property from a John Monroe which most likely was the property that Paradise Lake now occupies. Eventually West acquired 1000 acres. Then it was owned in portions by Thomas Platt, Jacob Downing, and on On July 10, 1822 the property was purchased by Samuel Richards of Atsion fame, and eventually he willed it to his son William.
In the 1880’s Joseph Wharton acquired all of the West Mills tract but would sell portions of it to other people which is what kept the state from owning the Paradise Lake property. In fact many of the private lands in that area were all owned by Wharton at one time. He sold them to friends and for profit which has kept us from owning them today. On 2/9/1887 Wharton sold over 500 acres to Charles Greene Rockwood Jr. which his daughter Katharine inherited after his and her mothers death. She would sell the property to Franklin and Frank Haines on 1/11/1926. They were the owners of the Rockwood property when Beck visited there and wrote the Nothin’ N’ Nothin’ in Rockwood chapter in his More Forgotten Towns of South Jersey book. In the mid 1950’s the state acquired the property and added it into the Wharton Tract.
The main West Mills tract which as mentioned is Paradise Lake was purchased by Wharton and sold to Andrew Rider of Riders College fame in 1898. Rider had the property surveyed and 4 stones were placed on the corners of the property. On them was incised R98 for Andrew J.Rider 1898. Three of those are still intact with the fourth one damaged and semi flush with the ground.
In perfect condition for being there for 100 years
So close yet so hard to get to.
Nice view from this one when it snows.
I bet a thousand people have stepped on this one.
Guy