The Swedish Settlement in Bridgeport, NJ
In April 1995 at a visit to the Bookmark on South Street in Philadelphia a book by Henry Charlton Beck, "More Forgotten Towns of New Jersey" was found to contain a chapter on "Swedes beyond Swedesboro: New Stockholm".
Living in Delaware Valley since 1984 I had never heard about this place and decided to visit to find out if there was anything left to be seen of this "old town".
According to the book New Stockholm was to be found at the mouth of the Raccoon Creek.
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Only problem was that the road leading down to that area was closed (according to a sign, not a barrier) Anticipating a barrier further down the road I decided to interpret the sign in the most positive way and started driving down the road to see how far I could get.
Not very far, a police car came from the other end of the road and the policeman made it very clear to me how to interpret the sign.
In other words, I had to get back to the book and see if I could find other approaches to learning more about New Stockholm.
On my way back to Philadelphia that day I stopped my car at the western end of Bridgeport to take a look at my map and find the best way back. A gentleman approached me, coming out from the nearest house and asked if I needed any assistance. I told him my story, was invited to his home, presented with a map of Gloucester County, shown old pictures and a small book containing, to my delight, a map of the site of New Stockholm. Further excursions that day led to an Antique Shop where the owner was kind enough to give me a copy of the same book I had just seen [LOGAN - Sponsored by Logan Township Committee In Commemoration of the New Jersey Tercentenary (1664-1964)]
Now I had two books telling me about New Stockholm and both of them referred to a Samuel H. Richards - a Camden lawyer who used to live in Bridgeport and who became , as Henry Charlton Beck writes - properly excited when, in clearing a property title or two, he came upon deeds plainly indicating the whereabouts of the lost Swedish colony.
Mr. Beck further writes - "Much has been written and much more will be said of what happened when the Swedes went to the other side of the Delaware, but as far back as 1842, Isaac L. Mulford, an authority on history, referred to New Stockholm, on the Jersey shore, as "our Delaware Plymouth."
A visit to the Gloucester County Historical Society in Woodbury, New Jersey a couple of days later made it possible for me to obtain copies of Mr. Richards two pamphlets, EARLY SETTLEMENTS ON OR NEAR THE RACCOON, 1925 and NEW STOCKHOLM 1930 [with an introduction by Frank H. Stewart] both reprinted by the Society.
In the 1925 pamphlet Mr. Richard writes - There is recorded in the Secretary of State's office in Trenton a deed dated September 1, 1702, from Andrew Robeson, executor of Samuel Robeson, to John Finney conveying "a certain tract of land or plantation called New Stockholme front upon ye River Delaware situate near a creek called Raccoon Creek within ye sd County of Gloucester containing six hundred and ninety three acres of fastland and meadow ground or thereabouts being limited laid forth and bounded as in and by these presents is hereafter described."
He then states - I have this original parchment deed
and proceeds to say that - In another old recorded deed this tract is called the town lands of New Stockholme.
In his introduction to Richards 1930 pamphlet Frank H. Stewart writes - On the 1st of 2nd mo. 1687 Andrew Robeson of New Stockholme, yeoman, brought suit against Lacy Hooman alias Anderson of Rapapock Creek, planter.
In the pamphlet Samuel H. Richard writes - Samuel Smith, of Burlington, who in 1765 wrote a "History of The Colony of Nova-Caesaria or New Jersey" and who certainly could not be accused of playing up or even appreciating the importance of anything Swedish, tells of the arrival in 1677 of the Kent's passengers, 230 in number, about Raccoon Creek. He tells of the Swedish habitations found there in which these passengers lived for a time, some having to occupy cow stalls.
In their Introduction to LOGAN, Frances M. Pedrick, Eva K. Dukes and Irene Wilkinson write - We are the Plymouth of the Delaware. No marble monument marks the spot as yet. To what is now the Township of Logan must be accredited the honor of having within its borders the spot upon which the first permanent settlers of West Jersey landed at the mouth of Raccoon Creek.
No marble monument marks the spot as yet.
Bibliography.
Beck, Henry Charlton, MORE FORGOTTEN TOWNS OF SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY 1937 - Ordering Information
Pedrick, Frances M., Dukes, Eva K., Wilkinson, Irene LOGAN 1967
Richards, S. H. EARLY SETTLEMENTS ON OR NEAR THE RACCOON 1925 - Publication #89 in Gloucester County Historical Society's List of Publications
Richards, Samuel H. NEW STOCKHOLM 1930 - Publication #110 in Gloucester County Historical Society's List of Publications
Smith, Samuel THE HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF NOVA-CAESARIA, OR NEW-JERSEY - Ordering Information
Books may be purchased at the Gloucester County Historical Society's web site.