Bog Iron

In the 1700s to its peak about 1850, the pine barrens had a considerable iron industry.Iron ore was collected from stream beds where it was scooped out in a slurry form.Furnaces dotted the pines where the ore was smelted,refined of impurities,and cast into many forms.Fortunes were made by the iron magnates,the industry supported hundreds of forge workers and their families, and the area thrived.Better grades of iron ore was discovered in other parts of the US around 1850 and onward,and the furnaces and forges of the pines went cold and silent,the workers moved on with their families,the towns and hamlets lost their reason for existing,leaving today only ruins and ghost towns.The sandy soil of the pines cannot support farming,and the major agricultural activity is the growing of cranberries in flooded bogs.

Stagecoach robber Joe Mulliner

In the 1770s Joe Mulliner victimized the stagecoaches that ran through the pine barrens.The bottleneck at Quaker Bridge,where 4 different roads met was his favorite spot.Often after robbing the passengers,he would buy drinks for all at the nearby Quaker Bridge Tavern.Captured in 1781 at a dance at a tavern in Nesco,he was taken to Burlington City,jailed for 6 weeks,then tried and hanged .His body was sent to his wife in Pleasant Mills,a village in the pine barrens,where she buried him.About 1850 his bones were dug up by a group of drunken woodsmen and taken to Batsto as a trophy,but were returned to his original grave.

Hiking the pines

Wharton state forest contains 100,000 acres of undeveloped pine forest.Old sand roads and trails lead miles into the woods,as does an abandoned railroad.Hence,there is zero risk of getting lost.Pack a lunch,sling a backpack,and see for youself why the state of N.J. preserved these woods.

good fishing in Mullica River

Less than a half mile from public parking off Rt. 206 in Atsion is the RR bridge over the Mullica River.The RR line is closed,but the bridge is an excellent fishing location.The river is actually creek size,about 15-20' wide.Park your car off 206 at the Ranger station and hike the sand road to the RR tracks.Take a right along the tracks for 100 yards to the bridge.Bait a hook,let it sink,and you will definately get a catfish.

ruins in Atsion

Still standing in Atsion is the mansion built by Samuel Richards in 1826.Now in disrepair and vacant,it is still an imposing reminder of the day when bog iron furnaces made magnates like Richards lords of the Pines.The old stagecoach and post road still runs past the mansion and continues deep into the woods to Quaker Bridge.Richards died in 1842.The old company store still stands a few hundred yards from the mansion.Built in 1827,old records show coffee at 16 cents a pound,butter 19 cents a pound,and rye whiskey 37 cents a gallon.Today this once bustling settlement is abandoned,but standing on the veranda of the mansion one can imagine the activity that centered on the "big house."

are there pumas in pine barrens?

Wildcats in Wharton State Forest is true.I have heard them.The growl of the big cats is unmistakeable.I was deep in the woods on a motorcycle taking a break,stopped with motor off.I had no gun,so I took off.There is plenty of game to support big cats and bear.