The Lockatong Creek
Franklin Township, New Jersey

Lockatong Creek

I think the most historic place in Franklin Township the Lockatong Creek, I think it is the most historic place in because the Lenape Indians used the creek for fishing and as hunting ground. The creek provided a habitat for a variety of animals such as beavers, herons, hawks, minks, turtles and spotted salamander . The stream includes blueguils and small mouth bass among others. The Lenape Indians also settled by the creek because it was very fertile land.

I use the creek to swim, catch minnows and frogs. I also race small wooden boats in the creek.

The creek starts at a underground spring and ends at the Delaware River. From its origins in Franklin Township, the Lockatong Creek travels through Kingwood Township where it has powered mills for 250 years. It runs south to the beginning area of Delaware Township to empty into the Delaware River just south of Raven Rock. Strumpuis Saw Mill still operates as it did for over 150 years.

The Lockatong Creek tends to have rocky bottoms. Rocky bottoms provide good material for stone walls.

The creek’s name has a variety of spellings, such as Laoglulon, Loyloland, Leaoglin, and Theoagolin. In old deeds its often appears as “Laugaland.” Clint Wilson, a local historian writing in the 1970’s said that the name came from the village of Locktown, but there is no connection with that town.

“Lockatong, “whatever its original spelling, is historical because it is a Lenape Indian name; the village of Locktown is not located on the Lockatong, but on the Wiekecheoke. I think it is historical because children still play in the creek as they did for hundreds of years. I found my information in a pamphlet.

Bradley Paisker
Spring, 2002

Resources:

The Wickecheoke and The Lockatong, published by the Environmental Endowment for New Jersey, 1997. Compiled and Written by Marfy Goodspeed.