The history of this road is unparalleled in the service it rendered to the County of Hunterdon. This road was used to transport locally produced distilled spirits to New York earning it the moniker "The Bungtown Road" for the bung which sealed the product in the barrel.
New historical research book on the early history of Lambertville, New Jersey (Coryell's Ferry)
If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does the tree fall? An ancient Chinese philosophical thought experiment that raises questions regarding observation and knowledge of reality. Now transfer this concept to a road hidden in the woods, intact after 300 years but out of sight and out of use. Is it a road? Not just a road but one with a historic pedigree that authors John P. and Barbara J. Hencheck, longtime Lambertville residents ascribe is second to none in all of America.
The history of this road is unparalleled in the service it rendered to the County of Hunterdon. This road was used to transport locally produced distilled spirits to New York earning it the moniker "The Bungtown Road" for the bung which sealed the product in the barrel. This trade provided a very high level of wealth to Amwell Township, and Coryell's Ferry in particular. The high level of maintenance afforded this road made it a major artery for the combatants in the American Revolution: Charles, Lord of Cornwallis, subaltern James Monroe, and General George Washington marked their places in history in some measure by traveling this road.
The years the road was used during the American Revolution as it was fought in New Jersey and more is documented in this just released book The Road Along the Rocks 1758 "The Bungtown Road."
The authors will launch the books for sale on Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Lambertville Historical Society's 2015 Holiday CD Release Party and Concert held this year at the Lambertville Hall, 57 Bridge St., Lambertville, from 2-6 p.m. Check the society's website for further information on the upcoming launch and release party http://lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org/
Books are also available prior to the Nov. 22, launch. Email the authors at jhencheck@gmail.com or call 609-397-2531.
The cost is $20 per copy picked up locals; add $6 for mailing through the United States Postal Service. Cash or check made out to the authors.