NJHUNTER-L Archives

Archiver > NJHUNTER > 2003-01 > 1043163401


From: hoffmanmk <>
Subject: Re: [NJHUNTER] Riegelsville?
Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 10:36:41 -0500
References: <002a01c2c151$c09e3260$93f85a18@nyc.rr.com><001f01c2c15c$ca335930$0d8a3941@D3D2Y211>


My two cents, based on growing up in the area.

Riegelsville was the site of one of the Riegel Paper Corporation's paper mills--there were also mills in Milford, Warren Glen, and Hughesville all on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River.

Once the largest employer in the area south of Phillipsburg, the paper plants are not what they used to be. In fact, the Riegelsville NJ plant closed then burned down several years ago. A brother and our father worked in the Milford plant for a combined total of 75 years but the paper mills have been repeatedly sold, downsized, etc. Paper mills need water in their manufacturing processes and to dispose of waste. As these plants and
other industries have closed, costing lots of jobs, the river quality has dramatically improved and shad in now quite plentiful in the river.

I am sure that Riegelsville NJ is an unincorporated town and has no government. Last summer, it looked like there were no more than 30 houses in the immediate area on the (free) Riegelvsille Bridge and the remnants of the paper mill.

The Hunterdon-Warren County lines pass through that area and just north of the plant site (at the bridge) you are in Warren County and Lopatcong Township. South of that point you are in Hunterdon County and Holland Township.

On the Pennsylvania side of the river, Rieglesville PA, is a prosperous borough. There is a post office, bank, "hotel", eating establishments and, I think two churches, as well as probably 150 or more homes. There is a fire station and a rescue squad. PA 611, taking all the southbound truck traffic (off old US 22 and now I-78) to various river towns, passes through Riegelsville PA. On the New Jersey side of the river there is no good
road south of Riegelsville NJ and in fact there is an area called the narrows where two cars can pass but very slowly. There is a weight limit on the bridge and bridge police to enforce it.

A nearly abandoned link of the old Belvidere-Delaware rail line runs on the New Jersey side of the river carrying local freight almost as far south as Frenchtown. There were plans to start a rail museum in Phillipsburg and have excursion passenger service run south from Phillipsburg through Riegelsville. I do not know if this is still in the works.

My brother owned property just north of Riegelsville NJ. Lopatcong Township and/or the State of New Jersey a year or so ago bought it for recreation purposes. There are sheer cliffs for rock climbing, nesting areas for eagles, and a deep swimming hole in the Delaware that people whom he described as "hippies" swung out from a tree to drop into. The area is rich in Indian arrow heads and artifacts that have been carbon dated as being
thousands of years old. Ducks and geese on the Delaware at Riegelsville is pretty site.

So much for my walk down memory lane. Back to work I either have too much free time or too much work to do.

Marvin Hoffman
Boone, NC

William Hartman wrote:

> Marilyn,
>
> There is a Riegelsville in PA and in NJ:
>
> From: Hunterdon County Place Names, Phyllis B. D'Autrechy, Published by Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission, Flemington, New Jersey. Copyright 199
>
> "RIEGELSVILLE, Holland Township. A ferry operated between the two towns of Riegelsville on opposite sides of the Delaware River. The name "Shenk's Ferry" was sometimes used before 1806 for the owner of the Pennsylvania side ferry. Benjamin Riegel bought out Shenk and the Jersey side of the river became permanently Riegelsville. The ferry was replaced by the first bridge built here in 1837. (Easton Express, 24 Sept. 1984; Docket 2713)"
>
> and
>
> "SHANKS FERRY, Holland Township. The ferry here dated to colonial times but was superseded by the Riegelsville-Delaware Bridge. (Snell: 428)"
>
> Riegelsville is approximately 9 miles North of Frenchtown along the Delaware River and lies just north of the Musconetcong River which I assumed put it in Warren County. Troubled by this, I called (today: 1/21/02) the Hunterdon County Clerk's Office and the Holland Township Clerk's Office and both said that Riegelsville was in Warren County!
>
> "The definitive answer [but is anything really definitive?] !!!!!"
>
> Regards, Bill
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "msouders" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 8:33 AM
> Subject: [NJHUNTER] Riegelsville?
>
> > This is a question that's bothered me for a while:
> >
> > In what township and county are:
> > Riegelsville, NJ
> > Riegelsville, PA
> >
> > Thanks
> > Marilyn
> >
> >
> > ==== NJHUNTER Mailing List ====
> > Visit the Updated Hunterdon County GenWeb page at:
> > http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter
> >
> > ==============================
> > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to:
> > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237
> >
> >
>
> ==== NJHUNTER Mailing List ====
> Visit the Updated Hunterdon County GenWeb page at:
> http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter
>
> ==============================
> To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to:
> http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237

This thread: