Trails, Inns, and Charcoal Stations of Olde Buena Vista: Little-Known Places

[Spung-Man]

Folks, I’m giving a talk for the Buena Historical Society. Eight ancient trails in the Pine Barrens of western Atlantic County are documented, as well as old sites associated with their traces. Trials include: 1) Long-A-Coming; 2) Cohansey; 3) Tuckahoe; 4) Woodbury; 5) Hance Bridge; 6) Bears Head; 7) Blue Anchor; and 8) Cumberland.

I will use these trails to weave together places, many long forgotten. For example, associated toponyms include the Steelman Plantation in the Lochs-of-the-Swamp (c.1706, the original Mays Landing); Colwell’s Coal Grounds at Horse Break Pond (runaway slave camp), Campbella (tavern and charcoal mill), Punch Bowl (geologic feature), Berrys (charcoal camp), Abbotts Place (charcoal station), and Vanaman’s Thick ‘N Hole (tar-kiln station, site of our first Italian settlement).

TIME & PLACE:

Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at the Buena Vista Township municipal hall.​

​

http://www.mapquest.com/places/government-offices-city-buena-vista-township-buena-nj-270237788/​

​

The presentation begins at 7:30 PM and lasts about an hour, with discussion afterwards. Coffee, cookies, and cake too!​

​

Best,​

Spung-Man​

 

[Gerania]

I'm sorry that I missed this. I'd love to have heard your presentation.

How was the cake?

 

[Spung-Man]

Gerania,

LOL! There was no cake after all. We had to move the venue at the last minute to the Landisville Fire House. Night court was rescheduled from the week before after the judge failed to show up on the customary date. No one told the historical society about the SNAFU. Even so, all went well. I truly enjoyed the opportunity to show off my Pinelands community in a totally new light. A big and enthusiastic crowd showed up. Feedback was good too.

Ron Bates, the society president, suggested the topic. I’m glad he did. It was very helpful to put into graphics what made sense in my head. I learned a lot by being forced to recheck primary sources and make each ancient route fit reality on the ground. It was a multidisciplinary effort (cartography, archeology, geology). I used old maps, surveys, aerial photography, and cutting-edge laser altimetry to orient the audience.

I have been invited to give a similar presentation at the Franklin Township Library on Thursday, November 7, 2013 (7:00 PM). Trails, Inns, and Charcoal Stations of Old Buena Vista: Little-Known Places will be tweaked to include some little-known places in that municipality (Blue Bell Tavern, Victoria temperance colony, Ziontown/Jewtown, a giant spung at Lake).

The last presentation slide is provided (above) to illustrate the confounding complexity of the area’s ancient trail system. You can still find traces of very early paths throughout the Pine Barrens.

S-M

 

[martink]

Wow, this is so cool. I sometimes try to make out the old routes but I'm not nearly as thorough as you seem to be. Sorry I missed the talk, will try to make the Franklin Township one.

 

[Ms Oats]

wish i had joined earlier would have enjoyed this1

 

[manumuskin]

http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.38940202615092&lng=-74.90092404159543&z=17&type=nj1930&gpx=

this is a very interesting old road I have followed most of at one time or another.Used to traverse between Cumberland Forge and Doughty's tavern.It is nothing but a U shaped trough thouroughly grown in with members of the Heath family now.I take U shaped roads to be old wagon roads since the horses hooves would beat the middle of the road flat where as Rut roads are old roads used by wheeled automobiles (horseless carriages) that did not get the center beat flat with hooves.I also know where many more of these old horse roads are and love to follow them where possible.There are several more nice ones in this general area.

 

[Spung-Man]

Manumuskin,

I too traveled those old trails back there as a youth. Peaslee Wildlife Management Area was my stomping grounds as a kid. There's a neat trick a neighbor Glenn Dalponte taught me. The best time to track a trail is during snow-melt. Because of thermal inertia the ruts tend to melt first. Also, the leaves are matted by the weight of snow making it easier to see the old wagon tracks. The biggest blueberries were along the Cumberland Trail near this part of the trail, and they made great pies.

http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.41690047720233&lng=-74.88079674514768&z=16&type=nj1930&gpx=​

Anyone know the name of the two villages started back there (1890–1910)? Many lots were sold. Hint, they were named after two prominent Milmay residents.

S-M

 

[manumuskin]

Yes I have noticed ruts melt first the same way the base of trees melt off.I figured it was because of residual heat in the earth whereas any snow jacked up off the ground by vegetation would not be affected by the warmth.I have also noticed that even in cloudy weather the south side of trees tends to melt first gradually spreading around to the north side.I guess that would be from solar radiation making it through the clouds and through the snow warming the bare ground beneath it.
As to the villages back there would one be Bennetts Mill? I used to camp out there clandestinely right next to the old mill and the sandstone trenches and holes always fascinated me.My unless used to tell me there was an old graveyard back there but all the stones are gone.He told me right where it was supposed to be and I have scoured the area and thought I could discern a few shallow sinks that may have been graves but don't know if I was in the right spot or if he was even right about it.
The woods on the west side of manumuskin Creek and between Bennetts Mill and Cedar Creek are some of the thickest Barrensy woods I have seen in Cumberland County.I slept out there on the ground in October once without a tent and thought I was going to freeze to death.Only had a sweater on and it went down in the low 30's.Glad it didn't rainThe east side of Manumuskin Creek is beautiful in the fall,a lot of Scarlet Oak over there.