Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-05-31
HISTORICAL FACTS
MAETUA CREEK AND THE INDUSTRY OF
BOAT BUILDING.
LOAl . IlI1EyIIFUf
Compiled BY the late d. 4. Long

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creek flied up at Mantua during the last
some OF our citizens Some say two feet
while others assert that in the channel the
fill-np is not more than six inches.
Having given the subject some thought
has enabled me to gather some history OF
the boats that have been built at the head
waters of Mantua Creek, together with
other items Of history as far back as we can
gather reliable information. In collecting
the items we have no other means to OBJ
tain them than the memory and statements
Of our oldest citizens, and if not true in
the whole are true in the MAN.
In my school boy days | recollect the
appearance of an old road passing in front
OF "OId Chase's," a colored family, now
owned by Myers; Mrs. Mary White and
the Haziet property. now s. Lewallens /;
passing back of William Hendrickson's
house, across the creek little way below
Eldridges' bridge on the Dilksboro road,
running an easterly direction and crossing
the east branch near Wenonah, thence run
ming more northerly course passing West
Jessup's farm, coming out to the turn
pike near the Madara property, afterward
Garrigues, now L. M. Green's, in the
southern part of Woodbury.. The South
branch of Mantaa Creek was called Chest
nut Branch, and the crossing was known as
the Old Ford. The east was called Cedar
Branch and the crossing Sparks Ford.
There is no history of vessels being built
any further up the creek
Nathaniel Chew built one vessel near the
forks of the creek on Chestnut Branch aud
named her the Eight Brothers, in honor
of bis eight SONS, Andrew, Nathaniel, Wes-
ley, Elijah and Elisha, (twins), Sylvester,
Jesse and Nathan.
He also built two at the Ford on the
same branch one of which was named
Industry and the other 1rdgeler l am not
informed what became of the 1faUeler, but
the Industry went down on the middle
ground below David Whitalls house, (now
C. N. Shuster's) and was removed at the
time the steamer Daniel Dres0 was running
between Berkeley and Philadelphia. Seth
Jones was her last captain. Benjamin
Alien, grandfather of the late Josiah G..
Allen, of Wenonah, built several sloops
one of which was built near the forks of
the creek. His carpenter was John Christ
ian.
Thomas Sparks built sloop of 45 to 90
tons burden near the Sparks Ford on
Cedar Branch. Elisha Chew was the car
penter. The ground where she was built
was much higher than the water in the
creek and being more than her length from
the water, to use the language of my in
formant, 'she went like wild fire. stuck
in the mud, and they were several tides
getting her away.
Jacob Swope and Joseph Heritage built
al Oh mia he foofOrv
now stands, near the road leading from
Mantua to Wenonah. Her name was
Temperance and John Suites was her first
captain. Others were built on Hennis'
Landing and near the forks of the creek by
Leonard Clark, Benjamin Parks, Thos.
Sparks, Nathaniel and Elisha Chew and
perhaps others of which we have no cor
rect history. Continuing down the creek
we next come to Abram Parks wharf,
afterward Norris, now Dilkes', where
several vessels have been built, some OF
which must have been built near century
while others are within the memory OF
some now living. One, Isaac Durmot, who
lived on the hill near the wharf, the house
now gomez was noted as a ship carpenter
and builder, and seemed to have a fancy
for naming his boats after the common
water fowl, such as the Duck, Drake, Grey
Goose, Ga,ader, etc.
In conversation with Mrs. Mary White,
nee Alfred, who was well along in the SOS
we learned that when she was small GIRL
company with other girls, went, in the fall
of the year. down the creek with Captain
William Hazlett, who was about TO lay his
boat up for the winter, the children going
for the ride. The name of the boat wasDrake
The captain took her up the creek, laid
her at High Hill Landing near the forks Of
the creek where she would lay afoat and
be near his home during the winter.
Sometime during the decade of 1870
John G. Eastlack, ship carpenter and
builder, moved to the house on the hill
where Louis Care now lives and followed
his trade. OF those that he built one was
called the Rio Grand for James Jessup. She
was owned by Capt Albert Lodge, OF
Paulsboro, at the time of his death, and
we believe is still in condition for use
although che was built more than forty
years ago.
Another was built for Alexander R
Long, named Manttta and launched during
the summer Of 1849. Isaac Cowgirl, Esq.
and Joseph r. Paul, Of Paulsboro, were
1uC utcb W Iuu uCEs CuC WAS dlb6E WdIU
| sold by Mr.. Long to Spencer McIlvain, OF
Ridley creek, for the stone business. There
is scarcely distance of hundred feet Of
the shore between the Tonkin line, now
Morgan's, and the Bee line, now T. c.
Dilkes,, but what vessel has been built
upon. On the north side of the creek, and
about two hundred yards east of the turn
pike near a small bridge, sloop was built
by Frances A. Campbell on land owned by
T. G. Dilks, Your writer, though small
boy, at the time, recollects being on her
when she was launched. Among those on
the slo0p was Jonas Chew who asked the
question of those with whom he was in
conversation, whether the true name of the
dock then growing on the sides of the
creek should he water dock, splather-
dock, splstter-dock or simply dock, or if it
might not be classed as some kind of a
lilly !" when voices were heard there she
goes" and the vessel slid into the water.
The same F. a. Campbell built another
vessel nearer the bridge on the same side
Of the creek canal was dug behind her
so as to get her into the water.
On the south side but few feet from the
bridge. and now under the trolley road, a
keel and timbers were laid by John and
William Tonkin, but was not launched for
twenty-0ne years, when the decayed parts
were taken out and the boat finished
sufficient to be placed in the water. She
was never completed and went down a
short distance below the bridge and was
torn to pieces and taken out by German
named Frederic Schrader. At the lower
end of the wharf vessels have been built
by Charles Clark, Samuel Locke and others.
A little below on the opposite side of the
creek Stille Chew built the Nathan and
THO Brothers
Still further down on the South side, at
Eastlack's gravel hole, now Kugler's wharf
schooner was built by John Ashcraft,
father of DR.. John Ashcraft, of Mullica
Hill. She was built about the year 1885
Her first Captain was Theodore Scull, OF
Abseeom, whose younger daughter is the
wife of Rev. Willis Reeves of the New
Jersey M. E. Conference.
The schooner was known as the Marietta
Ryan. Somewhere about the year 1884
James Jessup had large portion of the
timber and lumber for a vessel hewn 10
the woods from tract of land he owned at
Alloway's creek, Salem county, hauled
with teams to West Landing, where a
vessel was built of it, and launched. West
Jessup said he was then a young man, and
helped haul the Lumber.
In 1880 James Jessup also built sloop
either at West Landing or Berkeley, and
named her the -Four Brothers, after his
four sons, John, James, Joseph and West.
Edward I'm ffald rpae tI,a aaryarfar