Webb's Mill and Carusoeville

[Ben Ruset]

I've been thinking a lot about Webb's Mill over the last few weeks. Today was beautiful so I decided that I ought to go out and take a quick poke around.

One of the things that got me fired up about the place was this quote from the NYNJCT Botany page:

Like many colonial Pinelands industrial sites, the sawmill and tar kiln at Webb's Mill are only a memory. Zebulon Webb established a sawmill and village here in 1774. A tar kiln was later built; however, both were in ruins by 1839. Today the forest has reclaimed this industrial complex and it is now part of the 16,333 acre Greenwood Forest/Pasadena tract. Remnants of the old charcoal pit, the dam, mill pond, and sand roads are still visible to the careful observer.

(Emphasis is mine.)

I figured that it would be fairly easy to locate the pits, dam, and mill pond. I'm not sure how right I got it.

I came in to Webb's Mill from 539. If you're taking 539 south the road into Webbs Mills is to your left right before you hit the boardwalk. Shortly afterwards I crossed the Webb's Mill Branch here.

(Click on any of the photos to go to my Flickr where you can see them larger.)




The roads around here are fairly wet.


Looking back towards the road from the creek.

Incidentally, as I was poking around someone in a Subaru Outback with a canoe lashed to the roof stopped to chat:

"It's a shame," he said.

"What is?" I said.

"Off-road vehicles have ruined this stream bed. They try to drive into it."

I looked and didn't see how even the narrowest of Jeeps could try to make it in.

"They drive past and all of this gravel goes into the stream. It's not supposed to be there."

"Yeah, they do cause a lot of damage." I said.

It was a short and somewhat awkward conversation. It looks like the state has repaired Webbs Mill Road with gravel at this spot several times and either flooding or vehicle traffic has caused some erosion of the gravel into the stream. As far as I could see, though, the stream looked healthy and fine, albeit with some gravel in it. I guess I don't really see the problem or how it could be blamed on off-road vehicles driving down a well maintained dirt road.

Then I went and drove down another road looking for the millpond and dam. I'm not so sure if I found it - I'm thinking it might be here. The road had flooded over but my Ridgeline made it through without any drama. There was a pond of some kind with a lot of dead cedars.


Apologies for the lousy photo. I was shooting into the sun. The "mill pond", if that is what it is, was pretty big.


Some lillypads.


A pretty large beaver dam.

I poked around in a clearing that shows up well in the 1930's aerials. There were some depressions in the ground that may have been cellar holes at one point in time. I didn't find any brick or other indication of former habitation. Someone had been back there recently and constructed some sort of blind or other structure. It was lashed to the tree quite well.



After that I decided to shoot down Webb's Mill Road to check out Carusoeville and Swain's Bogs.


The road into Carusoeville. Google Maps shows the road as "JC Road." If you click on the link, check out the subdivided lots to the north around "Nautilus Boulevard." Thankfully that's one piece of development that will never happen. Those lots are tiny!


The curb.


The western cul-de-sac. An obvious place to party.


One of the few remaining telephone poles.


Swain's Bog. I walked around the bog to the back, over the old causeway, and didn't see any ruins of any water management system for the bogs. They show up on the 1930's aerials so they may have been dry harvest bogs. The other bogs are pretty dry although I didn't try to get to them because I didn't want to get chigged. Carusoeville seems like the perfect place to pick up chiggers.

I really didn't do much research or prep work before I went out today. A long time ago Bob showed me some brick and stone ruins out there, although I vaguely remember they were on the other side of 539. Has anybody else seen anything definitive of Webb's Mill?

 

[fierodoug]

great writeup and pics. Love that area, need to get out there soon

 

[GermanG]

I’ve poked around Webb’s Mill a few times as well, looking for evidence of past use, but haven’t found much. But I’ve also come to realize that several regulars on this site seem to have better noses for that sort of thing than I do so maybe someone else will chime in. I did speak to a pair of trappers at the PB Jamboree yesterday who expressed an interest in going after the beaver at Webb’s Mill. Despite the attempts of several individuals to keep breaking up their work the varmints have been relentless. I try to think long term and view their flooding as just another disturbance that will eventually result in fine habitat someday but for now it is a shame that such an accessible spot to view these species has been degraded.

 

[Teegate]

Ben,

That is the beaver dam we discuss here all the time.

There still are well hidden ruins at Webb's Mill that were found recently. It is best that the location be kept secret.

Guy

 

[NJChileHead]

I've been back there, beautiful back there.

 

[dskessler]

Hi Ben. I shot this video in Webb's Mill with my friend, Allen Crawford. Most of this is right off the road but this continues to be one of my favorite places.

www.pinebarrensfilm.com/video-sketch-day-three-a-bog-at-night/

 

[dogg57]

Nice work Ben.Like the Lily Pad shot! My own view is to leave the Beaver alone. Thanks again Ben for sharing your Trip

 

[Ben Ruset]

Nice work Ben.Like the Lily Pad shot! My own view is to leave the Beaver alone. Thanks again Ben for sharing your Trip

Thanks. That's my favorite pic.

I think that dam is the one that's causing all of the problems at the Webb's Mill boardwalk.

 

[manumuskin]

Per PBX Bob has told me that the branch you were at originally is called "Goodwater Branch" and immdiately dowstream from the road runs into Webbs Mill Branch.I personally think the gravel in the stream bed is natural,many streams in that area have white sand an gravel beds with very little muck.Webbs Mill pond iteslef before the beavers dammed it was full of beds of white gravel.Very good pics by the way Ben.I felt like I was standing on the road looking down the stream.I did notice last time I was there someone had cut a cedar right out of the creek bed.The stump was still white when i was there.I think it's slighly visible at the bottom of your third photo???

 

[dogg57]

I know I am out number on the Beaver thing and this post is about Webbs Mill. In my own think I believe a lot of areas are they way are thanks to the beaver,In a good way. Nature will always win in the end. I am done on the Pro beaver talk for this post.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I don't really have much of an opinion about the beaver either way. I thought it was cool seeing the lodge up close.

 

[manumuskin]

Yes the beavers have made a lot of nice bogs,ponds and medders,the gripe with Webbs Mills is it's uniqueness.Before the beavers it was a one of a kind area.With gravel beds flown over by clear shallow water and many rare plants.The beavers are turning into just another beaver pond.I'm sure they will make it quite pretty but it will never be like it was.I like beaver too but I personally would like Webbs Mills to stay the way it was,minus the boardwalks of course.I liked it much better when it was wild.

 

[Gibby]

I personally think the gravel in the stream bed is natural,many streams in that area have white sand an gravel beds with very little muck.

I agree with you. One of the most beautiful water ways is the Webbs Mill branch. I have have walked its banks from the beaver dam to where it joins with the Chamberlain branch. Tough going at times but well worth it. The water is crystal clear with a bright gravel bottom. Some spots are deep enough to stand chest high in and cool off in the summer. The entire Cedar Creek subwatershed is gorgeous! This area has a feeling to it that even though your only a few miles from any given road, it feels like your deep in the wilderness.

I especially like the section below Swain's bogs just after it emerges from the cedars. There is an area of dead cedars as the branch widens and it is something else to see.

 

[GermanG]

There are many other areas that are as good or even better sites than Webb’s Mill for what people go there to see. What makes this area special is how accessible the boardwalk and proximity to the road make it to individuals or groups who might not be able to undertake the types of expeditions many on this forum can. I was introduced to the site on field trips during two different college courses taken back in the late 70s and it was part of my early appreciation of how special the Pine Barrens are and why they should be preserved. The old New Jersey Outdoors magazine featured it in several articles over the years as one of the best places in the state to view rare Pine Barrens flora. I know of many other organizations that have led trips there, including regular wildflower trips led by Ocean County Parks, where we strive to impress on participants the importance of these unique habitats and the species that depend on them. It is (or was) as much an outdoor classroom as it is valuable as habitat for habitat’s sake.

As for the gravel, I think the concern might be over the gray traprock-like gravel brought in from elsewhere to try to stabilize the stream crossing some time ago. When it spilled into the stream it gave a decidedly unatural look to the bottom compared to the quartz pebble gravel than lines most pine barren streams.

 

[manumuskin]

I have a crik within a mile of my house aptly named "Gravelly Run" The sand and gravel bed is entirely natural and it is a joy to walk up in the summer barefooted.It has the occasional mid thigh deep hole but mostly is calf to knee deep.

 

[Ben Ruset]

So, have folks found evidence of the old dam and the tar kilns back there?

 

[Gibby]

Ben, I didn't see anything when I walked the branch. I was looking for plants at the time, so my focus was elsewhere. Sometime this winter I will definitely return to area again and take a closer look now that I know there could be traces of industry hidden away in the area. Any thoughts on the kilns construction?

Perhaps the kiln had the appearance similar to this one in North Carolina.

 

[bobpbx]

Per PBX Bob has told me that the branch you were at originally is called "Goodwater Branch" and immdiately dowstream from the road runs into Webbs Mill Branch.

Al, the local name is Sweetwater Run. The darker gravel was brought in outside the pines recently to shore it up because people keep driving into the stream as they go by. That darker gravel ruined my day....as did the tree chopped into the stream last year....as did the beer cans in the stream....as did the hack job somebody did on the blueberry bushes prior to that. And the campfire, and the discarded clothing, and donuts made by dirt bikes. It makes a grown man want to cry. Chris Hewey and I went by there Saturday nite, and I remarked that it would be a complete surprise to NOT for once see evidence of man. People just can't seem to leave it be as God created it.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I don't really see how you can drive into the stream. The water looked clean and I didn't see any trash.

There was some garbage further up the road. Someone dumped their recycling back there.

 

[bobpbx]

I don't really see how you can drive into the stream.

I meant with one side of the vehicle. They dip the left side into the stream as they are heading west along the road.