Springfield Township was one of the
earliest townships formed in what was known as West Jersey.
Settlers from England, primarily Yorkshire and Derbyshire began
settlement in 1682. The proprietary court of William Penn set the
boundaries in 1688. The good soil, perfect for farming, later drew
additional folks from Long Island and Rhode Island. The good soil
has kept the township agricultural.
Jacksonville is one of the three
major towns in Springfield. It was known as Slabtown until 1863
when the village postmaster, Abel Gaskill petitioned to have the
name changed. The residents honored President Andrew Jackson by
naming their town after him. The town was the shipping center for
the sandstone slabs mined from nearby hills. Hence the name
Slabtown.
The early settlers and large
landowners were Daniel S. Zelly, Solomon Thomas and Stacy Haines.
Abel Gaskill, postmaster, was also a weaver; Thomas Tooley,
blacksmith; Miles King, wheelwright; Charles Schulyer, shoemaker;
and Daniel Gaskill the tavern keeper.
Jobstown was settled shortly after the Revolutionary War on the
Monmouth Turnpike six miles east of Mt. Holly, the county seat.
Job Lippincott built a tavern there, surrounded by several large
tracts of land. The town was named for him.
Other early settlers were Isaac
Evans, wheelwright; Jack Horner, storekeeper; Adam Warren,
blacksmith; William Curtis, tailor, and the first postmaster was
Benjamin Kemble. Thomas Bryant, walking, brought the mail once a
week from Pemberton.
Pierre Lorillard, the millionaire
tobacco merchant created an internationally known thoroughbred
stock farm in Jobstown. William G. Helis later bought the farm and
continued the breeding of fine horses.
John Renshaw settled Juliustown in
1693. John Ewan, a weaver, followed shortly after. The town is
named after his son, Julius Ewan. Before that time the town was
also called Julytown and Houghton. Caleb Wright opend a store in
the early 1800s. William F. Chambers kept the Julytown Tavern.
John Fenimore was the blacksmith and John Canew the cabinetmaker,
opened his shop in 1809.
Many of the original homes built by
the early residents are in excellent condition and still in use.
Some are still inhabited by descendents of those early families.
Officials have adopted the Farmland Preservation Project to help
the farmers the right to keep the area agricultural.
Arlene S. Bice
Author,"Ghosts of Bordentown"
Springfield Township Web site
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