Following Beck: Weekstown: hidden in the pines

Dear Fellow Trekkers:

    I’m rarely accused of being a Mensa candidate; I’d even go so far as to say many of you are smarter than I am. Until recently I didn’t really know the definition for the word “unincorporated” when it makes reference to a city or town. At first I thought it was based on the population of the town and I had a vague idea that it might be some sort of licensing issue. Turns out I was close to almost being kind of right, in a roundabout way. The only criteria for your town to be unincorporated is for it to: “exists only by tradition and does not have elected officials at the town level”[1]. So I got to thinking about this definition and decided that this would be a good criteria to guide, but not decide, which towns would be best to classify as “Forgotten towns.”

Here’s the problem...

     Beck was searching for forgotten towns, places where no one lived anymore because the town had dried up, dissolved, and at best been absorbed into another city or township. While this may still happen these days, I want to expand the definition of a “forgotten town” to one that may still exist, but few people have heard of. So, dear reader, I have decided to include these hidden gems of Southern New Jersey in our search. While it may not be the original intention of what a forgotten town should be (he outlines this in the foreword of his second book) Beck had in mind the idea to get New Jerseyeans excited about their states culture and history. Guiding you to these places honors the spirit of all Beck’s journeys.

And to begin…

     One town that is a good example of this idea of mine is Weekstown, NJ. I had the privilege of living in Weekstown for five years during the very early part of this century. I’ve always described it as a blink-and-miss-it town. Weekstown completely fits the definition of an unincorporated town: they have no direct elected officials, as they are part of Mullica Township, and have no official charter from the state of New Jersey, which means the only reason Weekstown exists is because the people of Weekstown, by tradition, says it exists.

You know what we need?

            Weekstown was founded by a family named Weeks. It’s largely a collection of a few houses, a firehall, a church almost as old as the town itself, and cranberry bog run by a nice couple but owned by Ocean Spray. The church, pretty much the original landmark of Weekstown, was built as a result of one of those “uphill both ways” kind of stories. The original settlers were attending church in Green Bank which required them to ride or walk to the local river, cross it, then ride or walk some more until they reached the church in Green Bank. Well it didn’t take long before someone decided they should just build their own church and hire their own preacher, a church building which still stands today, and is a source of pride for the members of the founding family.

Quaint and Calm:

Weekstown is one of those quiet towns with an interesting history that makes travelling their worth the trip. Chances are, if you’re the type to stop and talk with the locals, you’ll find someone willing to share. Weekstown if a hidden gem of a South Jersey town full of related neighboring families deep in the pine barrens. It’s biggest claim to fame is found down a dirt road just half a mile up from the church. Down the lane, back amongst the trees, and past the church parsonage hidden back there lies the cranberry bogs where my kids and I spent many a day during the five years that we lived in Weekstown. The stories the locals can tell about what’s gone on in their town is a trip truly worthy of following Beck’s quest for forgotten towns.