The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-03-04
NO ROAD RECORDS
KEPT PRIOR TO 1871
William Lake, of Ocean City,
Gives Early History of Roads
in Atlantic County.

The following article is furnished
by William Lake, of Ocean City,
There appears to be no public rec
ords of any roads or highways laid
out in the southern part of Gloucester
county, now Atlantic County, prior to
1871. We do find, however, that the
road from Bacot Creek to Somers
Point, was re-laid in March, 1871, by
twelve men. In their report they
say, "the road formerly laid out(when
and by whom we know not) for the
inhabitants of the township of Egg
Harbor, in the county of Gloucester,
to travel from Somers Ferry to Max
ed Creek, has since, being laid out, is
found to be inconvenient for the said
inhabitance, by reason of the swamps
and marshes, which said road passed
through; so much so, that the inhabi-
tants have been compelled to make
application to Thomas Witherill and
five other surveyors of the highways
of Burlington County, to join with
John Eslich and five other surveyors
of Gloucester county, for the altera-
ton of the said road.
"Now we, the said surveyors,
twelve in number, agreeable to an act
of the province, in that case made
and provided, have found said road
inconvenient, do see causes to make
the following alterations: Beginning
at Naked Creek, and from thence, as
the same was formerly laid out and
now beat, to jeremiah Adams bridge.
Thence over the same, and so on, as
the road is now beat, till it comes
neal William Reads house; Then by
a line of marked trees, on the north
westerly side of the road, till it comes
past said Reads house. Then along
the beaten road, till it comes to John
Steelman's land. So then by a line
of marked trees, on the northwesterly
side of the beaten road, till it comes
near across said Steelman's land.
Then along said beaten road to Abse-
con bridge. Then over the same, and
so along the beaten road, till it comes
neal jeremiah Risley's house. Then
by a line of marked trees, on the
northwesterly side of the beaten road,
over Daniel Lakes land and part ov-
err said Risley's land, and so into the
beaten road again, and so along the
same, till it comes to Abel Sculps
land.
"Thence crossing said Scull's land,
by a line of marked trees, till it
comes near David Conover's house;
and from thence along the road as it
now lyeth, to the landing near Rich
ard Somers' house. Dated March
18th, 1871"
There are some peculiarities about
this report; (1) as the road was en-
tirely within the bounds of Glouces-
ter county, we find an equal number
of surveyors coming from Burlington
county; (2) no time or place is desig-
mated for the surveyors to meet; 90
by the records who can tell what di-
rection the road ran, was it a south
erly, n~ortherly, easterly or westerly
direction? az what was the distance
from the beginning to Richard Som
ers' house, was it one mile, ten miles
or one hundred miles? Again, what
was the width Of the road to be, one
rod or five? When was it to be open
ed for travel? 1t is fair to presume
the old beaten road was already open
for travel, but no time is given for
that portion of the road marked by
trees is given when to be opened.
No damage was assessed then, as
now, for lands taken for roads.