Jacques Cousteau Reserve, New Jersey

Cultural History

People have been living in the Mullica River - Great Bay region for over 8000 years. Evidence of these pre-historic cultures has been found in over 1000 sites in the Pine Barrens, including over 100 sites along the Mullica River and its tributaries. The people living in the Mullica River - Great Bay area at the time of contact with early settlers were part of a large group known as the Lenni Lenape. These Native Americans became known as the Delawares to the settlers.

The Delawares occupied the areas which are now Delaware state, Southeastern Pennsylvania, and all of southern New Jersey. In 1758, the remnant of the Delaware Indians living in New Jersey were placed on a reservation of over 3000 acres, known as Edgepillock or "Brotherton." The reservation was located at the headwaters of the Mullica River at what is now known as Indian Mills, Burlington County. The Delawares were relocated to New York state in 1801 and again later to Oklahoma. The Native Americans that originally resided in the Mullica River-Great Bay region were known to be skilled game hunters and fishers of fin and shellfish.

The first settlement of the Mullica River-Great Bay region came in 1697, when Finnish settler Eric Palsson Mullica obtained a piece of land from other settlers in the nearby Swedish settlements along the Delaware River. Most of the early settlers in the region were from Sweden. In the late 1690's several parcels of land were sold within the area that is now Tuckerton. Mullica obtained one of these pieces of land in what is now Lower Bank on the Mullica River. Before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, there were more than 30 homesteads reaching from Tuckerton up the Mullica and Wading Rivers. By 1735, the area consisted of 35 to 40 dwellings.

By the mid 18th century, there were sawmills on each of the Mullica River's four stream branches. A dam was built on the Basto River in 1765 and a grist mill and several more sawmills were built in the early 1700's. The first ship to be built in the area was constructed in 1724, marking the beginning of a long ship-building history. Pirating and privateering trade also began, with ships built in the area being used to raid British ships and for contraband activities.

On September 30, 1778, British forces, 400 strong in nine ships, destroyed the fort at Chestnut Neck, but their flagship Zebra with Captain Henry Collins in command, ran aground and had to be abandoned by the British troops. Their plan to continue up the Mullica River and destroy Basto was abandoned. However, the British Captain and his crew did destroy the small village of Chestnut Neck, killing several men and destroying their storehouse, as well as taking prisoners. The Chestnut Neck Battle Site is on the National Registry of Historic Places.

The industrial and commercial ventures along the Mullica River and Great Bay region drew on the natural resources of both the land and water. The river was used to transport goods to the bay where they were then shipped to New York, Philadelphia and even the West Indies. In addition, iron furnaces were crafted in Basto and Atsion, that provided the bulk of musket and cannon balls for American troops in the Revolution and the War of 1812. Beginning in 1814, a glass industry was established in the Pine Barrens. Bottle glass and window glass were both produced in these factories. Two cotton mills were established on the upper reaches of the river system located in Pleasant Mills, in Atsion. One was later converted into a paper mill. Paper mills in the area used native salt hay. Sawmills produced lumber for both housing and shipbuilding throughout the industrial period.

Early horticulture was being practiced by Native Americans when the early settlers arrived. Most of the houses built during the 18th and 19th century were farmsteads. Work was seasonal, with most farming done at the subsistence level. The cranberry industry started in 1835 and is still flourishing today. Cranberry bogs were dug out along the freshwater reaches of the streams that flow into the Mullica River. Blueberries were first cultivated in the Pine Barrens early this century. Fruit and vegetables were sent to markets by truck beginning in the mid 1800's.