Abandoned Ruins on Public Lands in New Jersey

Book excerpt: Scattered throughout New Jersey are remnants of history that are being reclaimed by nature or destroyed by vandals. Author and photographer, Kathleen Butler, takes the reader on a journey back through time to rediscover the little-known history of these forgotten places. Most are deep in the woods of New Jersey; one is only known to the author and is exclusive to this book. Discover ruins from iron-making industries, mills, the railroad, and more. Some of the ruins are from industries that were at their peak, but fell hard when the market was no longer in their favor. They ultimately abandoned their businesses, or they rediscovered another market and moved elsewhere. Some companies tried to establish themselves only to find that the area was not suitable, leaving their failed community behind, or simply went bankrupt. Now, nature is taking over, and soon, these abandoned ruins will disappear forever.