Smithville Lake - Smithville, NJ
Posted by: 
94RedRover
N 39° 58.916 W 074° 45.083
18S E 521227 N 4425781
The old iron town of Smithville dammed the river and created Smithville Lake. Now, visitors to this historic village can walk clear around it.
Waymark Code: WM677N
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 04/16/2009
Views: 4
The European settlers refered to the area as "barrens" because of the sandy, acidic soils that would not cultivate crops. But, the area offered other resources, such as bog iron, clay, lumber, sphagnum moss and game. This desolate area played a pivitol role in our country's industrial and national advancement through the centuries.
New technologies, new cultivating techniques, new industries, the pines raised them all. This "barren" expanse of land played a pivotal role in our country's independence and strength...The bog iron found here was used to craft cannons and cannon balls for use in the revolutionary and civil wars.
Any town in the pines that wished to perservere, needed a successful mill. With that, there is a need for enough moving water to turn the mill's wheel. Damming a river or stream was the best way to accomplish this goal. Smithville was no different.
The historic town of Smithville offers visitors a look at post-revolutionary life in a south Jersey town. The town became a haven for profiteers and pirates...running loot through the dark, swampy pine barrens.
The discovery of better iron in Pennsylvania brought south Jersey economy to a screeching halt. Many towns were simply abandoned.
Smithville has undergone a lot of renovation, and there are now some 80 shoppes that visitors can shop at, or take a wonderful hike around the Smithville Lake, created by the dam that still stands.
Historic Smithville Park, part of the Burlington County Park System has created a "boardwalk" for walkers around this flooded area, with the help of footbridges of many kinds to complete the loop around the lake. Along the walk there are informative signs about the creation of Smithville Lake and it's natural flora.
This waymark coordinates are for the first footbridge, which spans the swampy areas around the lake, off the parking area in the park.
The boardwalk is made completely of recycled material...so it's "natural."
Approximate boardwalk length (feet): 1,500
What is the boardwalk over?:
The swampy areas on the outskirts of Smithville Lake
Boardwalk material: composite plastic
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Visit Instructions:
Please include a picture of the boardwalk. Try to get a shot that hasn't been taken before if possible.