One in a Mill-ion

Sawmills existed as early as the 4th century and appeared in New Jersey by around 1682; by 1698, milled wood had become a staple export. As lumber demand grew, sawmills spread across the colonies, and at New Jersey’s peak nearly 300 mills were operating. Early milling began with the up-and-down saw, which could average between 500 and 1,000 feet of wood a day and remained largely unchanged for nearly a century and a half. Centered in a wood frame, the saw moved through gears attached to a water wheel, while logs were moved by hand through iron mill bars until a more efficient mechanical device was developed. The sawmill at Cedar Bridge, near the one room schoolhouse, was likely such a mill. Atlantic White Cedar swamps were numerous in New Jersey when European settlers first encountered them, and the rot-resistant wood was used for boats, decoys, buckets, shingles, housing, and channel-marking posts. Because of their value and versatility, cedar swamps were cut for wood and drained for agriculture in the 18th century, often becoming hardwood or brush swamps after cedar regeneration failed. Today, state and non-profit groups work to create and revitalize these habitats, which stabilize stream flows, store floodwaters, lessen drought effects, filter and purify water, provide habitat for endangered Swamp Pinks, support dense nesting bird populations, and serve as winter dens for Timber Rattlesnakes.

New Jersey · United States