TOM GLOVER'S HAMILTON LIBRARY SCRAPBOOK: LOCAL HISTORY WITH A PERSONAL TOUCH.

Here is a very interesting 1907 map of "Perriwig Bar" in the Duck Island area. In 1907, the newspapers were printed on very inexpensive pulp paper. Over the years, the pages became brittle and "foxed" (brown with age.) The Perriwig Bar is one of the reasons Trenton was never able to sustain ocean going vessels. Over the years, many attempts were made to remove the bar using the U.S. Government's dredges. However, for whatever reason, the project never got off the ground. History records numerous problems with the Perriwig. A number of paddle wheel boats were hung up on the bar. During very severe winters when the Delaware froze over, the Perriwig acted as a dam, preventing the ice from moving down river. Of historic interest is the inhabitants of the area. Sucker Point, Biles Island, Emily Island, and Echo Point are little known areas.

SJBill said...

The upstream end of Biles Creek began just across the river from the north end of the Trenton Marine Terminal, and not far from what used to be the chemical company (was it Stauffer's Chemicals?).

Biles Creek was actually a bogan or backwater that ran behind Biles Island. Not much of an island because the land was mined for gravel and sand back in the 60s.

The downstream end of Biles Creek re-entered the river just across from the docks of the oil companies on Duck Island, below the power plant and at the end of Lamberton Road.

The middle of Biles Creek was filled in, maybe to mitigate the shoaling of Perriwig Bar.

Your map shows what was the north end of Duck Creek - another backwater on the Jersey side, and that was long gone before my time. The south end of Duck Creek met the river not too far down stream, and that just about the finest camping area anywhere for us kids.

We swam, waterskiied, hunted, fished and had some great times in there. The spot where we camped is on the Bordentown side of the creek, just under the north bound lane of Route 295.

Happy Easter, Tom!

Saturday, April 07, 2012

FASCINATING AND INFORMATIVE COMMENTS, BILL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND ALSO A HAPPY AND HOLY EASTER TO YOU AND YOURS.

TOM GLOVER