What to look for when trying to find an old watermill site
- Thread starter WestJerseyHistoryExplorer
- Start date
Wow! Virtually 15 years ago! That's amazing. I guess you could say there's been a lot of water go over the dam since then!
I miss those days of conducting fieldwork. When the virus is over, we need to plan another group activity!
Best regards,
Jerseyman
I miss those days of conducting fieldwork. When the virus is over, we need to plan another group activity!
Best regards,
Jerseyman
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Thank you for the greeting, Ben; it means a great deal to me!! It has clearly been too long, but I was not sure how the regular folks here would feel about my return after such an extended hiatus. I can see I have missed some great threads and postings and I will respond to a few of them as time permits.
It is great to see many of the same folks still pursuing their individual interests in the Pines. Of course, history will be my personal pursuit until the day they shovel dirt in my face!
Best regards,
Jerseyman
It is great to see many of the same folks still pursuing their individual interests in the Pines. Of course, history will be my personal pursuit until the day they shovel dirt in my face!
Best regards,
Jerseyman
Just to update this thread.... a new map is now available with 1-meter LIDAR for everything South of I-195. This map just shows the terrain, I will be releasing another map with roads, waterbodies, etc. in the future. Here's an example using the raceway link that @pinelandpaddler posted above. As you can see, there's quite a difference.
https://boydsmaps.com/#17/39.83589/-75.05702/lidar2021bw/0.00/0.00
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Thank you all for the time you have taken to help me out and lend me some much needed input. Ive had two deaths recently in the family and within a week from each other so its hard to find the motivation to get back into things im into. If anyone is interested in meeting up at the tavern and exploring the area around it feel free to shoot me a message through text or on here . I have a metal detector i can also bring with me to search the area behind the tavern . I wouldn’t dare dig anything there or anywhere without permission. What i would like to use the metal detector for is to locate big concentrations of iron in the ground. I hope that big patches of iron in the ground could be the nails of a burnt or collapsed structure. Im aware of the huge “ no metal detecting “ sign but thought that usually pertains to digging up and damaging the property. I could find potential sites of a home / mill etc. just by swinging the metal detector over the ground and locating these patches of iron. Does anyone know if that would be frowned upon? My guess is yes just because if someone sees me with a metal detector back there , they might get the same idea and potentially cause damage . Hope to hear from anyone who is interested. Until then ill be reading a book given to me by my neighbor. ( attached photo )
Tim
856 393 5541 ( text me )
Tim
856 393 5541 ( text me )
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Jerseyman, thank you for the much needed input ! I kept coming across posts which would have “ Jerseyman is the one you need to talk to about this .” Today i am going to take a walk back there and follow up on everything you have suggested to check out. I will post an update later along with photos. Anyone who wants to join me or search on their own can simply park at the tavern . The front of the tavern ( front faces Timber creek ) has newly built steps leading down to a trail that you can follow right up to the creek. Once at the bottom of the steps also keep your eye to the ground on your left . To me it looks like a spring that may have had a springhouse constructed over it due to numerous large pieces of field stone arranged in what looks like an old foundation. There is also a large recently felled tree youll see and in that trees’s rootball i found an old corktop medicine bottle . So keep an eye out !
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Welp, what appeared to be something on the older lidar does not show up on the new lidar. I'm looking here for the location of the dam:
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I think the old, lower-resolution LIDAR encouraged people to see things that weren't really there. This is especially true of my old map that is now on NJPB Maps. 
The feature certainly appears on the lidar image; it just wasn't an actual feature on the ground. I wonder why.I think the old, lower-resolution LIDAR encouraged people to see things that weren't really there. This is especially true of my old map that is now on NJPB Maps.
OK, I think I finally have an answer for you.
Dam: https://boydsmaps.com/#18/39.83730/-75.05852/lidar2021bw
Race: https://boydsmaps.com/#18/39.83759/-75.05900/lidar2021bw
Mill: https://boydsmaps.com/#18/39.83763/-75.05943/lidar2021bw
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Gabe, whenever this rain ends i will go to the coordinates of each feature above and take photos. Again , thanks so much for the help.
on a related note, i also remember an old foundation upstream where Otter Branch crosses Evesham. I remember playing around it as a kid and the old barber Bubbico in Magnolia would talk about it
It was right around this area https://boydsmaps.com/#17/39.84904/-75.05207/lidar2021bw
It was right around this area https://boydsmaps.com/#17/39.84904/-75.05207/lidar2021bw
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I made it out to where I thought the mill site might be. I left disappointed. The area is thick with briars and I wasn't able to get a good look. I saw no evidence of a dam or race, but I can't claim to have done an exhaustive search.