Nancy’s Notes
We’re heading to New JOYzee!
As we pack up and prepare to leave Stockton, New York, we were presented with a three-way dilemma: there are three very different, amazing routes suggested by GoogleMap that all lead to our next destination, which is Stockton, New Jersey. It was really hard to decide which route we wanted to take. The “fastest route” is I-86E, but we don’t care for traffic congestion around the larger cities we would pass by. Then we talked about taking the route through the Allegheny National Forest which might be the most scenic, at least for awhile, but if all we would see is trees, that might get tiresome, and a very long stretch of it is only two lane. So we chose the route in the middle, I-86E to start, then dropping down on I-90 to catch I-80E. This has quite a lot of forest areas, too, but also farming communities and smaller towns that will give us plenty of opportunities to pull off and rest.
As we left Stockton, New York, I noticed something on the map that I hadn’t seen before: we have been in the Stockton State Forest! How about that! We headed southeast on Chautauqua Road, enjoying the drive through the Stockton State Forest, and then turned onto I-86E at Jamestown, NY, where we notice signs for the Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz Museum & Center for Comedy. That sounded like fun, but it’s not on our agenda, so we pressed on. This section of interstate is called the Southern Tier Expressway, and after crossing the Allegheny River, the highway follows the beautiful winding river for many miles. We passed through the town of Seneca, named after the Seneca Nation of Indians on the Allegheny Reservation. Since we’re not big on gambling, we passed by the Seneca Casino that, with a heaping bunch of good luck, could have paid for our trip!!
At Corning, New York, after being on the road about four hours, we decided to take in a little of this city and spent the night there. This is the home of Corning Glass, that timeless CorningWare in most everyone’s kitchen. There’s a lot to see and do in this town, and we enjoyed the visit.
We got a good start the next day and headed south on I-99, passing through the Tioga River valley and a number of different state forests. This is truly an awesome drive through this area of the country. Not very far into our drive, we passed over the New York state line into Pennsylvania. Still trying to stick to our rule of “no franchise fast food places,” we kept our eyes peeled for an interesting place to eat. When we drove into Williamsport, we noticed a sign for Riepstine’s Pub and pulled in there. As we ordered our food, the waitress asked if we had been to see the ball field where the first Little League games were played in 1939. She gave us directions, and it was just a few blocks away, so of course we had to stop there. That was really neat, and was a nice rest stop before we got back on track. There are signs for a lot of other Little League attractions in this town where it all began.
Our drive on Highway 15 then followed the West Branch Susquehanna River, and I’ve got to say—of all the Stocktons we have traveled to, this drive has been absolutely the most beautiful. I could write pages and pages of this quasi-travelogue, describing this area of the country, and I am very interested in some “real time” experiences, if you know what I mean. But since I think the Sentinel is about to limit my word count, I’ll quickly cut to the chase and get us to our destination.
As we passed through the famous Poconos ski resort area, we knew we were getting closer to our destination, as shortly thereafter we left I-80 and exited onto a state highway dropping us down to I-78, near the Pennsylvania/New Jersey state line. In this stretch, however, there was an interesting find that I just have to mention. I have heard of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, but I did not know that before getting to Bethlehem we would pass Nazareth, and I also saw the town of Emmaus on the map. Interesting, to say the least. It was also interesting to see on the map that the Pennsylvania/New Jersey state line in this area runs right through the Delaware River for many miles as it snakes through the countryside.
What I’ve not mentioned yet (because I was waiting to surprise you!) is that Stockton, New Jersey is located on the Delaware River, and it is just 60 miles from the Atlantic Oean. This location has shaped the town’s history as well as its lifestyle, even today. And now that we have arrived, we can understand that even better. The tiny town remains today much as it was in the eighteenth century. As we drove into town, one of the first things we saw was Prallsville Mills, an attraction that we have been reading about. The historic Prallsville Mills, no longer in the milling business, now offers a variety of cultural and community activities, including weddings in a very picturesque setting.
We pulled up to Cravings, a tiny restaurant at the edge of town. Here, we hoped to find someone who could tell us all about Stockton. It is located just down the street from the Wolverton Inn, described as “an elegant B&B in a 1792 manor house,” and we had made a reservation there for the night. At Cravings, we learned that the town of Stockton was first known as Reading Ferry and subsequently Howell’s Ferry, due to the actual ferry crossing the Delaware River. This has historical relevance because it is one of the few ferries used by George Washington and his troops in the famous Christmas night crossing of the Delaware River, leading to the recapture of Trenton and turning the tide of the Revolutionary War. With the arrival of the railroad, the name of the town was changed to Centre Bridge Station which corresponded to the post office and hamlet on the Pennsylvania side of the river. With the establishment of its own post office in 1851, the village was renamed Stockton, in honor of U.S. Senator Robert Field Stockton, who was instrumental in the creation of the Delaware and Raritan Canal, and bringing the railroad through town, adding greatly to the town’s prosperity. This senator was the grandson of Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, whom we have heard as inspiration for other towns being named Stockton.
As we listened to some folks there at the restaurant, we were struck by how different they sound when they talk, but then we remembered that, in these parts, WE are the ones who talk funny, not those in New JOYzee!
After our delicious meal, we drove around town, taking in more of its history. Since 1710, the town has been presided over by the Stockton Inn. This beautiful inn is now closed and for sal e; we could buy it for a mere $2,750,000 and live here the rest of our lives! The inn was first built as a private residence and is believed to have been converted to an inn in 1832. The inn was immortalized by Richard Rodgers in the song, “There’s a small hotel with a wishing well,” sung in the Broadway play “On Your Toes.” Also, according to local legend, an Inn guest registered under the name Peggy Marsh as she was known by friends and family including her husband John, after visiting a friend in Bucks County decided to stay in the area, continuing to work on a novel she was writing. She spent numerous afternoons alone at a table in one of the restaurant’s dining rooms with good results. In 1936, “Gone with the Wind” was first published under her birth name, Margaret Mitchell.
Also in Stockton is the oldest, three-room schoolhouse in New Jersey that is still in operation today. Established in 1872, the school has been educating students in grades kindergarten through the sixth grade for nearly 150 years.
After driving all around town and the area, we decided to check in at the B&B, a beautiful inn that is now 228 years old! Such a grand place, another local wedding and special events venue, and we were captivated by its charm.
The next leg of our search for Stocktons will take us further down the Atlantic coast. Come back next week as we travel to Stockton, Maryland!
