Hikers explore old mining town
Vernon. Vernon Township Parks and Recreation sponsored the hike into the historic remnants of Williamsville.
| 08 Jun 2021 | 09:27
People and dogs conquered the hike on a perfect Saturday morning (Photo by Janet Redyke)
A house foundation and other fragments are all that remain of the 1800s Williamsville village (Photo by Janet Redyke)
One of the three shafts measures 200 feet straight down (Photo by Janet Redyke)
Two dozen hardy hikers on Saturday explored the historic farming hamlet of Williamsville and its iron ore mines.
They were guided by Mishelle Downtain, director of Vernon Township Parks and Recreation, and Elmer Platz, area landowner.
The mining village, which was active between 1815 and 1883, contained a church, school, blacksmith shop and several homes and outbuildings. The group discovered the foundations of many unbelievably tiny houses. Platz related a story about one homestead family in 1876 that had 15 children — all the better for distributing the farm chores.
Iron ore mining was a major industry in Sussex County. Williamsville consisted of three shafts, which, according to Platz, are as deep as 200 feet.
“One shaft had a car in it because Prohibition moonshiners ditched it to escape pursuing Feds back in the 1920s,” Platz said.
This post-pandemic hike is the first of others planned by Vernon Recreation. For information on future guided hikes and other Vernon activities, call 973-764-4055 ext. 2261.