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5000 BC Archaic Culture Period to Early, Middle
and Late
to
Woodland Cultures
1700 AD
Last
known inhabitants were Wild Turkey Tribe of
the Leni Lenape Tribe
Artifacts found-
site of Pine Valley Court Apts.
First Settlers
1735
Andrew Newman purchased about 200 acres of land and
was given permission
to dam two of the lakes.
Grist Mill- site
of present bank
Saw Mill- Site of
Borough Garage
Early Industry
1800
Samuel Clement (Clementon) purchased the mills and
land.
Glass works - Site of the
Clementon Lake Park parking lot across from the park.
1830's There
were 15 dwellings, a grist mill and a saw mill.
Red Lion Inn -
site of Produce Junction
Moved to the corner of Brighton and Barber Aves and is there
today.
Was a stop on the Stage Coach run from Blackwood to Berlin
Clementon Hotel
- site of present Harper's pub
Walt Whitman 1870's - 80's visited
and wrote Leaves of Grass
1886
The town consisted of 25 residences, two stores and a post
office.
1880's - 90's saw
more development
1886 Town
Hall - Redman's Hall ( Corner of Berlin Road and Lake Blvd
1904
Clementon became the County Seat
1907
Clementon Lake Park became a commercial enterprise
Trolley Line Camden to Clementon Lake Park (Down Garfield Ave)
1908 Maine C. Parker
had plans for an airdome and motordome race track
(between Elm and Holly Roads off Blackwood Road.) The Duponts
were interested in investing but the deal fell through.
Hangers were built and had one plane, which never flew.
Volunteer
Fire Company established
1919
Clementon Bank was built
1921
Original row of stores were built
1925
Clementon was incorporated
Silver Lake, Pillings Lake, Clementon
Park- amusement centers
Trains Depot, Coal yard - site of
Gibbsboro/ Berlin Roads
Business District- Had just about
anything you wanted
Movie Theater - 1000 seat
Clementon Photoplays
Airport - (on the site of Silver
Lake Apts. - 1950's)
Post War Era
Clementon was a thriving town
until post WW II. During the war years travel was limited
because of gas rationing, etc. Following the war, however,
people were able to drive car greater distances, changes from
coal to oil and gas heat, and TV began to replace the movies.
Super markets and shopping centers also began to sound the
death knell for the Clementon business district.
" Clementon, a small
village on the Philadelphia and Atlantic City Railroad, five
miles from Chewslanding on the North Branch of Timber Creek,
noted for its water power." This is the description of
Clementon in Prowell's History of Camden County.
Clementon, always a rural
community, was founded around sawmills, Gristmills and a
Glass factory. The first records of the mills are mentioned
in Boyer's "Old Mills Of Camden County", when he
states that i"in the middle of the 18th century, Andrew
Newman had built a Sawmill of which frequent mention is made
in the early records of the Township." Other millers
are connected with the mills of Clementon are, William
Lawrence and Christopher Kneiser. A local miller, John
Thorne, in his will dated July 29, 1751, lists among his
assets, " A Sawmill", and nearly a hundred years
later, research identified the mill as, at Clementon.
Samuel Clement later became the
principal owner of this mill. In 1806, records show the area
was called, "Clement's Sawmill Dam" and Clement's
Gristmill". In 1814, Samuel Clement started the Glass
works and the name of the surrounding village became
Clementon.
When Samuel Clement moved his
Glass Works to Gloucester City, the town was left with no
industry but it's mills, which soon became the property of
Isaac Tomlinson, and later, Theodore B.Gibbs. The Gibbs Mill
was a feature of Clementon from 1872 until more recent
times.
Near the sites of Clementon
Mills was the Burden Graveyard, named for Richard Burden,
who was a large landowner and patriot of this area before
1789. Many other early Clementon settlers are buried
there although today the cemetery is gone.
The first public hearing was the
Town Hall, built in 1886, by the Clementon Hall Association,
with a capital outlay of $2000.00. The growth of Clementon
was slow. In 1855 a census report states that
"Clementon boasts a Gristmill, a Sawmill, about fifteen
dwelling houses and a one room school." For twenty two
years Clementon was part of Clementon Township becoming an
independent Borough in 1925. Clementon Township has since
gone out of existence.
In 1845, the Red Lion Inn, a
Tavern owned by William Middleton, was used by the
Gloucester Township Committee as a place to hold their
meetings.
Clementon Park, founded in 1907,
by Theodore B. Gibbs, made Clementon the amusement mecca of
South Jersey. In the early decades of the century, trolley
cars ran from Camden to the entrance of the Park. The Gibbs
family have always retained their interest in the Park and
it's forty acre Lake. This Park is a popular today as it was
65 years ago.
Other prominent early settlers
included Robert Rowand, Joseph Lippencott, Abel Bottoms,
Nicholas Bryan and Robert Jaggard.
The Clementon Glass Furnace was
operated by members of the Jaggard family
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