SoJourn — our new journal devoted to the history, culture, and geography of South Jersey has arrived from the printers.
It is available at the Stockton Campus Center Bookstore, Second Time Books in Mt. Laurel, the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center gift shop, the Visitors Center at Smithville, which is part of the Burlington County park system, the Pine Barrens Store next to the Shamong Diner on Route 206 and Amazon. It will be available in other bookstores and establishments soon. Price is $7.95. All proceeds go to the SJCHC publication fund.
SoJourn is a collaborative effort. Local historians contribute the articles; Stockton students edit, set type, and design the layout; SJCHC oversees the publication.
Brief Description of Articles:
“Bipolar State: A Survey and Analysis of South Jersey’s Geographical and Cultural Borders” by Robert Lowe Barnett and Steve Chernoski.
For years, divisions within the state of New Jersey have been a topic of conversation. Most people recognize a cultural divide between North and South Jersey, and some argue for a “central” Jersey. This entertaining article mixes geography and cultural analysis to examine historical boundaries that influence the state to this day.
“The Future of Transportation: The Bicycle Railway” by Dennis McDonald
2,000 people gathered within three days of the opening of the Arthur Hotchkiss’s bicycle railway in 1892. Six years later, the track which connected Smithville and Mount Holly was in disrepair. Hardly a trace remains today. Follow the rise and fall of one of New Jersey’s most novel inventions.
“Nature, Naturalists, and South Jersey” by Claude M. Epstein
Follow noted naturalists as they explore South Jersey over a 400-year span. Epstein describes the areas where naturalists studied, their research and field logistics, and the specialization of their professions over time.
“Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary. . .” by Patricia A. Martinelli
Mary Tillotson was a 19th-century suffragist who lived in Vineland and campaigned for the right of women to wear comfortable clothing. She herself wore pants around town, believing that less restrictive fashions supported women’s health and comfort. Tillotson traveled the northeast and across the country preaching social and dress reform.
“Nash’s Cabin (Buck Run)” by Richard Watson
Local historians have long been intrigued by the site known as “Nash’s Cabin” on Buck Run of the Oswego River. Did the 20th-century poet Ogden Nash build it, did his relatives own it, or even someone named Nash? Richard Watson has traced the history of the land and the cabin built upon it, uncovering the Nash family and describing the intriguing tale of this site.
“Immersion” by Ken Tompkins
Forty-six years ago, three of Stockton University’s early administrators—its first president and two deans—spent 48 hours on the streets of Camden with $2 in their pockets. Their immersion experience was a social experiment from another time.
“Shinplasters: Economic Remnants of New Jersey’s Glass Industry” by Todd R. Sciore
Before New Jersey was known for produce, it had a booming glass industry. Glass manufacturers, in order to retain skilled workers in rural South Jersey, needed to provide food, shelter and wages. They found that locally issued scrip, or shinplasters, helped keep employees in one area. The issuance of this “funny money” was popular in the glass houses of New Jersey and has become a collectible for historians.
“The Burlington Town Plan: From Medieval to Modern” by Robert P. Thompson
Extracted from Robert P. Thompson’s forthcoming Burlington Biographies: A History of Burlington City, New Jersey Through the Lives and Times of Its People (published by the SJCHC, supported by a grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission). This article provides an intriguing glimpse of the original European settlement of Burlington. To this day, decisions made during the 17th century inform the urban design of the city.
“Mary Ann and the Cranberry Farm, a Transformative Experience” by Alexis Demitroff
Mary-Ann Thompson, who ran Paradise Hill Farm, an organic heirloom cranberry farm in Vincentown, New Jersey, was a well-known preservationist, activist and visionary. She is remembered by Alexis Demitroff who studied with Mary-Ann for a semester in 2013.
Editors: Rebecca Hund, William Bassett, Greg Melo, Ashley Robertson, Taylor Carmen, Aurora Rose Landman, Gabrielle Veneziale, Naijasia Thomas, Jenna Geisinger, Olivia Oravets, Kristina Boyer, Kyle Ewers, Paul W. Schopp and Tom Kinsella.
SJCHC / School of Arts & Humanities
Stockton University
101 Vera King Farris Dr.
Galloway, NJ 08205
Or write Thomas.Kinsella@stockton.edu
