The Black Horse Pike

Book excerpt: The Black Horse Pike, like many roads in southern New Jersey, developed along a route forged by the Leni-Lenape, and its path remains virtually unchanged today. The pike follows the contours of Timber Creek, with towns established at landings and not the usual crossroads, making it unique. Lumber and charcoal were loaded onto flatboats and floated up the creek to market. Churches and stores soon joined the mills and taverns clustered along the banks. Over time, trains replaced flatboats, but no mode of transportation could compete with cars and trucks for flexibility and convenience. Progress rapidly established the many towns along the Black Horse Pike, and it just as quickly dimmed their future. While the high-speed roads that bypass the Black Horse Pike towns may have quashed their commercial futures, generations of citizens have worked tirelessly to preserve the essence of these historic towns.