Hopefully, I am about to get my hands on a copy of this book! I'm also looking into the legality of transcribing just the diary and journal entries (not any of the Bisbee's original work, as that's definitely copyright protected) into something that can be shared and enjoyed. Wish me luck!
The Complete Martha Furnace Diary And Journal
- Thread starter Joe M
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I got it and it's on its way! Happy Early Father's Day to me!
I'd love to see the Dover Forge journal books. I think it's in a Delaware museum.
Here's a portion of a 2003 post on this site; 18 years ago. It seems a lifetime now.
DESCRIPTION OF COLLECTION
The Dover Forge Records pertain to the early bog industry in New Jersey. The collection contains account statements, receipts, correspondence, bills, orders, a narrative survey, a broadside, and an account book. The items date from 1821 to 1850.
The account statements describe purchases made and balances due. The receipts describe transactions between Dover Forge and its customers. The correspondence consists primarily of letters to Samuel J. Read from various individuals. A letter sent by Read to Mark Richards, whose family was prominent in the bog iron industry is of special note. Other correspondence includes letters to Thomas Butcher and Joseph S. Read. The correspondence describes daily business activity of the Forge including orders, sales, deliveries, supplies, and legal litigation's.
The bills and orders describe transactions for Forge products delivered to customers, including Mark Richards. The narrative survey describes land east of Dover Tract, East Jersey. The broadside describes a notice of public auction for Dover Forge by the executors of the Thomas Butcher estate. The account book contains statements of accounts of purchases from the Company general store and wages paid to workmen. (Please see Appendix A for an inventory of collection.)
No items have been removed from the collection. The Dover Forge Records will be of interest to researchers of the history of the bog iron industry in Ocean County, and in New Jersey. Other manuscript materials housed in the Library of the Monmouth County Historical Association pertaining to the history of the New Jersey bog iron industry include the Tinton Falls Iron Works Records and Papers, and the Allaire Family Papers, which contains the records of Howell Iron Works.
The manuscript materials of the Dover Forge Records are filed chronologically by date. The broadside and account book are filed separately following the manuscripts.
PROVENANCE: Acquired between 1941 and 1942, a gift of Mrs. J. Amory Haskell, Red Bank, NJ.
RESTRICTIONS: None.
DESCRIPTION OF COLLECTION
The Dover Forge Records pertain to the early bog industry in New Jersey. The collection contains account statements, receipts, correspondence, bills, orders, a narrative survey, a broadside, and an account book. The items date from 1821 to 1850.
The account statements describe purchases made and balances due. The receipts describe transactions between Dover Forge and its customers. The correspondence consists primarily of letters to Samuel J. Read from various individuals. A letter sent by Read to Mark Richards, whose family was prominent in the bog iron industry is of special note. Other correspondence includes letters to Thomas Butcher and Joseph S. Read. The correspondence describes daily business activity of the Forge including orders, sales, deliveries, supplies, and legal litigation's.
The bills and orders describe transactions for Forge products delivered to customers, including Mark Richards. The narrative survey describes land east of Dover Tract, East Jersey. The broadside describes a notice of public auction for Dover Forge by the executors of the Thomas Butcher estate. The account book contains statements of accounts of purchases from the Company general store and wages paid to workmen. (Please see Appendix A for an inventory of collection.)
No items have been removed from the collection. The Dover Forge Records will be of interest to researchers of the history of the bog iron industry in Ocean County, and in New Jersey. Other manuscript materials housed in the Library of the Monmouth County Historical Association pertaining to the history of the New Jersey bog iron industry include the Tinton Falls Iron Works Records and Papers, and the Allaire Family Papers, which contains the records of Howell Iron Works.
The manuscript materials of the Dover Forge Records are filed chronologically by date. The broadside and account book are filed separately following the manuscripts.
PROVENANCE: Acquired between 1941 and 1942, a gift of Mrs. J. Amory Haskell, Red Bank, NJ.
RESTRICTIONS: None.
Very nice! Herein:
"The principle product of Dover Forge was bar iron, which was hauled to Philadelphia over a road through the woods known as "Mule Road", of which no trace remains today. It was laid in a straight line to Buddtown and crossed numerous swamps en route over log causeways."
This is that road, I believe, and I found a mule shoe on it. If anybody has interest in it I'll give it away. I don't believe though, that remark about a straight line run all the way to Buddtown.
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Hmm, that's interesting. Buddtown is almost perfectly east from Dover Forge and a straight line would have taken the road through some tough areas. I bet that collection has mention of the route taken to Philly. What year is your map from?
Adding:
There is a Mule Road that goes past the airport and crosses past the Popcorn Zoo to the north. Your highlighted road would run right into that.
Adding:
There is a Mule Road that goes past the airport and crosses past the Popcorn Zoo to the north. Your highlighted road would run right into that.
It's the NJGIN 1930's aerial imagery.
https://boydsmaps.com/#16/39.9116/-74.2823/njgin1930
You might also want to look at the LIDAR imagery, it is good for showing old roads that are invisible on other maps
https://boydsmaps.com/#16/39.9116/-74.2823/lidar2021bw
Or use my newest LIDAR-based map
https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.911592/-74.282320/lidar2021hd/0.00/0.00
https://boydsmaps.com/#16/39.9116/-74.2823/njgin1930
You might also want to look at the LIDAR imagery, it is good for showing old roads that are invisible on other maps
https://boydsmaps.com/#16/39.9116/-74.2823/lidar2021bw
Or use my newest LIDAR-based map
https://boydsmaps.com/#16.00/39.911592/-74.282320/lidar2021hd/0.00/0.00
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Yes, they call that Mule Road too, so the old gent had to nudge those mules to the West. By the way, I dimly recall reading somewhere that the road heading the direction I pointed out was used for them to get to Hanover Furnace (on Fort Dix now).
I see more on Dover Forge in "Boyer, Early Forges and Furnaces in NJ". In there, it says of the owner, Joseph Austin:
"Joseph Austin was looked upon as an expert forge man. It is said that he was able to control the hammer blows so accurately that he could place a large knife edgewise on the hammer block, raise the hammer to it's full height, and control it's downward flight so that it would stop at the point when the hammer just touched the cutting edge of the knife but did not turn or dull it."
"Joseph Austin was looked upon as an expert forge man. It is said that he was able to control the hammer blows so accurately that he could place a large knife edgewise on the hammer block, raise the hammer to it's full height, and control it's downward flight so that it would stop at the point when the hammer just touched the cutting edge of the knife but did not turn or dull it."
