Old Mine Road
Encyclopedia
Old Mine Road is a road in New Jersey
and New York
said to be one of the oldest continuously-used roads in the United States of America. At a length of 104 miles, it stretches from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
to the vicinity of Kingston
, New York
.
Among the theories regarding the early history of the road, it is traditionally believed that Dutch
miners began construction of the road in the 17th century in order to transport copper
ore from the Pahaquarry Copper Mine
along the Delaware River
in Pahaquarry Township, New Jersey
to Esopus, New York
along the Hudson River
in Dutch colony of New Amsterdam
. Many historians now discount much of this folk lore. Starting in the late 17th century, Dutch settlement began along the course of the road,in the Kingston, NY area. The road follows roughly the course of the later Delaware and Hudson Canal
for its northern half, and the Delaware River in its southern half through the western edge of Sussex County
and northern Warren County
in northwestern New Jersey
.
The road exists today, and although much of its length in New York has been modernized, widened and incorporated into US 209, its length in New Jersey as the "Old Mine Road" is largely undeveloped as it travels through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The road still retains much of its historical and rural
charm. Historic sites in both states assert the area's Dutch colonial heritage through the preservation of several homes, farms and churches.
Paleo Indians were the first inhabitants to the area . Several sites along the Delaware River have been found north of the Gap and south of Port Jervis. Carbon dating of the oldest site is at 8900 BC. just north of the Gap on the Pennsylvania side near a stream that flows into the river. However, Paleo Indian camps are probably older than this but have not been found, as the surface level at that time was many feet below the present surface. Also, they traveled in small groups and did not stay in any one place long, due to the fact that they were hunter gatherers. They had to keep moving in search of game and plant foods. Therefore Paleo Indians could have been here as early as 10500 BC.
The Lenape Native Americans settled the area several thousand years ago. They were hunter gatherers. They moved in search of food, but their moving of camps was more seasonal. One large village was at Minisink Island. They had trails and family villages along the Delaware River. A trail went though Culver's Gap that lead though Augusta and then south, east of Newton, then to Parsippany.
There were three wars during the middle of the 17th century. Governor Kiefts War, the Esopus War and the Peach War. With such hostilities with the Dutch and Native Americans, such a road could not have been built.
Dutch populations were not very high in the 17th century. They had forts along the Hudson River from Manhattan Island to slightly north of Albany. They did not have the man power to build a road through a wilderness. The trees back then were huge and the terraine was rugged. It would have required many men using axes to cut trees and brush to clear a path for such a road. Other men would had to hunt game in Native American territory when there was hostilities. The Native Americans would have not wanted men to cut trees in their territory.
No archealogical diggings were ever found of Dutch camps along the "Old Mine" road, that would have built such a road. And no camps were ever found at the Paraquarry Mine area.
According to many maps drawn in the 18th century including William Faddens map of 1778 shows no road that goes south of Walpack Bend along the eastern side of the Delaware River to Paraquarry. In 1830 a road was made through the Delaware Water Gap along the New Jersey side and then the road went on the eastern side of the Delaware to Paraquarry. There was a road on Faddens map that went from Port Jervis to Minisink Island where the road then split three ways. One road went though Culvers Gap. The second crossed the Delaware at Minisink Island and went south along the western side of the river. The third road went to Walpack Bend where it crossed the River and went south along the western side of the Delaware. These were Native American trails that the Europeans used when Europeans arrived in the area.
The copper ore was only two to three percent, and hauling so much ore of very low quality on rugged roads using wooden carts would have been very difficult and not economically feasible.
If the Dutch had made the mine at Paraquarry, the mining operation would have been extremely difficult and back breaking. The area is in the Silurian High Falls formation. This is a sandstone rock which is extremely hard. Given the technology of the 17th century in which iron hammers and chisels would have been used, mining the low quality ore in extremely hard rock would have been a very difficult undertaking.
The Dutch had all the copper they needed, as they bought it from Sweden.
Given all the above facts, it is unlikely that the Dutch built Old Mine Road or mined the low grade copper ore at Paraquarry.
, NY-NJ Border War, Minisink settlement, Esopus, etc.)
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
said to be one of the oldest continuously-used roads in the United States of America. At a length of 104 miles, it stretches from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service, preserves almost of land along the Delaware River's New Jersey and Pennsylvania shores, stretching from the Delaware Water Gap northward almost to the New York state line...
to the vicinity of Kingston
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Among the theories regarding the early history of the road, it is traditionally believed that Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
miners began construction of the road in the 17th century in order to transport copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
ore from the Pahaquarry Copper Mine
Pahaquarry Copper Mine
The Pahaquarry Copper Mine is a historic, legendary, abandoned copper mine near the Delaware River in the former Pahaquarry Township, New Jersey....
along the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
in Pahaquarry Township, New Jersey
Pahaquarry Township, New Jersey
Pahaquarry Township is a now-defunct Township that was located in Warren County, New Jersey.Pahaquarry Township was formed on December 27, 1824, from portions of Walpack Township in Sussex County and set off to Warren County....
to Esopus, New York
Esopus, New York
Esopus is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 9,331 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the local Indian tribe and means "high banks."...
along the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
in Dutch colony of New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
. Many historians now discount much of this folk lore. Starting in the late 17th century, Dutch settlement began along the course of the road,in the Kingston, NY area. The road follows roughly the course of the later Delaware and Hudson Canal
Delaware and Hudson Canal
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway...
for its northern half, and the Delaware River in its southern half through the western edge of Sussex County
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
and northern Warren County
Warren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere...
in northwestern New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
The road exists today, and although much of its length in New York has been modernized, widened and incorporated into US 209, its length in New Jersey as the "Old Mine Road" is largely undeveloped as it travels through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The road still retains much of its historical and rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
charm. Historic sites in both states assert the area's Dutch colonial heritage through the preservation of several homes, farms and churches.
Paleo Indians and Native Americans
After the Wisconsin Glacier melted around 13,000BC, the area slowly warmed. The area was first tundra with grasses growing. Later as warming occurred, a tiaga/boreal forest came into existence. Big game moved into the area.Paleo Indians were the first inhabitants to the area . Several sites along the Delaware River have been found north of the Gap and south of Port Jervis. Carbon dating of the oldest site is at 8900 BC. just north of the Gap on the Pennsylvania side near a stream that flows into the river. However, Paleo Indian camps are probably older than this but have not been found, as the surface level at that time was many feet below the present surface. Also, they traveled in small groups and did not stay in any one place long, due to the fact that they were hunter gatherers. They had to keep moving in search of game and plant foods. Therefore Paleo Indians could have been here as early as 10500 BC.
The Lenape Native Americans settled the area several thousand years ago. They were hunter gatherers. They moved in search of food, but their moving of camps was more seasonal. One large village was at Minisink Island. They had trails and family villages along the Delaware River. A trail went though Culver's Gap that lead though Augusta and then south, east of Newton, then to Parsippany.
Theories of the roads origins
The road was probably started as a Paleo Indian trail thousands of years ago, around 10,000 BC. Later the trail was used by the Lenape Native Americans. The trail was used to migrate, and travel to hunting and fishing areas.There were three wars during the middle of the 17th century. Governor Kiefts War, the Esopus War and the Peach War. With such hostilities with the Dutch and Native Americans, such a road could not have been built.
Dutch populations were not very high in the 17th century. They had forts along the Hudson River from Manhattan Island to slightly north of Albany. They did not have the man power to build a road through a wilderness. The trees back then were huge and the terraine was rugged. It would have required many men using axes to cut trees and brush to clear a path for such a road. Other men would had to hunt game in Native American territory when there was hostilities. The Native Americans would have not wanted men to cut trees in their territory.
No archealogical diggings were ever found of Dutch camps along the "Old Mine" road, that would have built such a road. And no camps were ever found at the Paraquarry Mine area.
According to many maps drawn in the 18th century including William Faddens map of 1778 shows no road that goes south of Walpack Bend along the eastern side of the Delaware River to Paraquarry. In 1830 a road was made through the Delaware Water Gap along the New Jersey side and then the road went on the eastern side of the Delaware to Paraquarry. There was a road on Faddens map that went from Port Jervis to Minisink Island where the road then split three ways. One road went though Culvers Gap. The second crossed the Delaware at Minisink Island and went south along the western side of the river. The third road went to Walpack Bend where it crossed the River and went south along the western side of the Delaware. These were Native American trails that the Europeans used when Europeans arrived in the area.
The copper ore was only two to three percent, and hauling so much ore of very low quality on rugged roads using wooden carts would have been very difficult and not economically feasible.
If the Dutch had made the mine at Paraquarry, the mining operation would have been extremely difficult and back breaking. The area is in the Silurian High Falls formation. This is a sandstone rock which is extremely hard. Given the technology of the 17th century in which iron hammers and chisels would have been used, mining the low quality ore in extremely hard rock would have been a very difficult undertaking.
The Dutch had all the copper they needed, as they bought it from Sweden.
Given all the above facts, it is unlikely that the Dutch built Old Mine Road or mined the low grade copper ore at Paraquarry.
Early settlement
The first early settlement was near Port Jervis NY which was then New Jersey. A blacksmith bought land from the Lenape in 1698 near Port Jervis. They valued his metal making skills as no Native American was working with metal then. After that the English bought land from the Native Americans such as the (Minisink Patent, Wawayanda PatentWawayanda Patent
The Wawayanda Patent was a land grant in colonial New York. It was granted in 1703, to John Bridges and eleven associates by the governor of New York and New Jersey, Edward Hyde, Lord Cornbury, and was confirmed by Queen Anne. Located in Orange County, New York, it comprised...
, NY-NJ Border War, Minisink settlement, Esopus, etc.)
Frontier Fortifications
During the French and Indian Wars in the mid-18th century, eight fortified houses were made along the Delaware River from Phillipsburg to Port Jervis. The first fort was near Belvidere and they were about 8 miles apart. The next house was Col. Van Camps house near Walpack . The trail lead through the Kittatinny Mountain northwest of Blairstown, and followed along the eastern side of the Delaware River. At no time did the trail go though the Gap and through Paraquarry. The last fortified house was west of Port Jervis.Tocks Island
Due to a huge hurricane in 1955 along the Delaware River, the US Army Corps of Engineers asked Congress to authorize the building of a dam at Tocks Island to control flooding along the Delaware River. The area around the Delaware River was purchased by the U.S Government, however due to a constant protest by area residents, the dam was never built.Today
Old Mine Road today is a two lane tar road from Delaware Water Gap to Port Jervis, NY. There is a camp ground at Worthington State Forest about six miles north of the gap. The land is farmed with cornfields along the road in certain areas. The rest of the area is forest or fields. At Port Jervis the road becomes a NY highway to Kingston, NY.See also
- Delaware Water GapDelaware Water GapThe Delaware Water Gap is on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains...
- Delaware Water Gap National Recreation AreaDelaware Water Gap National Recreation AreaDelaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service, preserves almost of land along the Delaware River's New Jersey and Pennsylvania shores, stretching from the Delaware Water Gap northward almost to the New York state line...
- High Point State Park
- Stokes State ForestStokes State ForestStokes State Forest is a state park located in Sandyston Township, Montague and Frankford Twp. in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. Stokes comprises of mountainous woods...
- Worthington State ForestWorthington State ForestThe 6,421 acre Worthington State Forest runs more than seven miles along the Kittatinny Ridge in Columbia, in Warren County, on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River, just north of the Delaware Water Gap in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The park offers hiking, camping and...
Books
- Decker, Amelia Stickney. That Ancient Trail. (Trenton, New Jersey: Privately printed, 1942). NO ISBN (Pre-1964).
- Hine, Charles Gilbert. The Old Mine Road. (New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1908). ISBN 0-8135-0426-0
- Kraft, Herbert C. The Dutch, the Indians & the Quest for Copper: Pahaquarry & the Old Mine Road. (West Orange, New Jersey: Seton Hall University Museum, 1996). ISBN 978-0935137026
- Snell, James P. History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1881). NO ISBN (Pre-1964).
Articles
- Batko, Alicia C. Searching for the Old Mine Road in Cultural Resources Management Vol. 25 No.3 (National Park Service, 2002).
- Kopczynski, Sue. A Ride Down Old Mine Road in Spanning the Gap Vol. 22, No. 2 (Summer 2000).
- Kopczynski, Sue. "The Dutch Mines: Fact or Myth? in Spanning the Gap Vol. 10, No. 2 (Summer 1998).