West Jersey History Explorer:
Your search for the sawmill has sparked my interest. During your fieldwork, you should concentrate your investigation on the mouth of Otter Branch, because a 1724 court order for clarifying the boundary between Gloucester and Newton townships refers to this stream as "Samuel Ward's Mill Creek." In January 1717, the New Jersey Colonial Assembly passed an act to raise revenue through taxation. This is the only early tax act found that lists individual sawmills and gristmills by county and Samuel Ward's name is not enumerated within the law, suggesting that Ward established his mill sometime between 1717 and 1724. It is likely that Ward located his mill at or proximate to the mouth of Otter Branch since the topography of the land leading to the mouth is a rather deep ravine—ideal for creating a millpond. Since Ward's 1729 will fails to mention the sawmill in its covenants or the associated inventory (stock of lumber), Ward likely had ceased milling operations there prior to his death. Perhaps a freshet wiped out the dam.
In 1756, Gabriel Davis constructed his tavern at the top of the bluff overlooking the North Branch of Big Timber Creek. To facilitate access to the tavern and the landing, Davis constructed the floodgates dam. Since he built the dam just above the head of tide, Davis's project did not require a legislative act. The floodgates dam prevented the flow of water up the branch beyond the dam, thereby allowing the farmers along the waterway to maintain their meadows. The dam included a gated sluice bypass that allowed for repairing the dam. Some documents mention "sheeting" adjacent to the dam. This installation of timber prevented the creek bottom from being scoured. The detail below from the 1777 road map shows both the dam and the sluiceway:
The sluiceway at the dam should not be construed as a millrace, so the location previously identified in this thread is incorrect.
The next potential sawmill to occupy the mouth of Otter Branch belonged to Nicholson & Troth, 1816-1818, although it is unclear whether it ever actually operated. Rather than repeat what Bill Farr wrote about the mill, I will direct all readers here:
http://www.westjerseyhistory.org/books/farrwatermills/N.shtml
Some judicious digging might reveal remains of the dam and/or the mill foundation, but the construction of the Floodgates Road Bridge (now a ruin) over the mouth of Otter Branch and the widening of Somerdale Road might have destroyed the evidence of the dams and mills.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
