A Quick History of Bargaintown, NJ

The personal injury attorneys in Bargaintown, NJ at NJ Injury Guys have kindly sponsored the following article detailing the neighborhood's history.

Bargaintown

The unincorporated community is located in Egg Harbor Township within Atlantic County, New Jersey. The nearby communities are Linwood, Northfield, Pleasantville, and Sommers Point. The main roadways in the town are Blackman Road, Atlantic 651, Central Avenue, and the Garden State Parkway. 

History

The area was originally purchased from the Lenape Native American Indian tribes. The tribes had encampments along the cedar swamps that would later become the Bargaintown Pond. The Natives would spend the summers in the area living off of the resources and doing activities including: 

• digging for shellfish
• picking wild berries
• hunting for bird eggs
• catching and drying fish
• collecting shells for use as beads

One of the early European landowners was a blacksmith, David Howell. Howell owned many acres in the area and began to survey the lots for individual development. One of the two legends behind the town's name suggests that Howell could not sell the lots as quickly as he had hoped and was forced to lower the price, hence offering them at a bargain rate. 

The second legend involves landowner and slaveowner James Somers. Somers was said to have struck a bargain with his female slaves. The plan was that they could win their freedom if they could complete a road crossing the swamp area. By carrying sand and gravel in their aprons, the women labored by night, using lanterns to light the way. Upon completion of the road, Somers stood firm to his deal and gave the women their freedom along with some land. The road is now the present-day Central Avenue. 

Neighborhood

Within the community is the 48-acre Bargaintown Pond. The pond serves as a community ice skating rink in the winter months and allows for fishing in the warmer months. Some of the different types of fish that can be caught in the pond include:

• Catfish
• Sunfish
• Crappie
• Yellow Perch
• Largemouth Bass
• Pickerel

The community is the county seat for the township and within the community are the Egg Harbor Township Police Department and the Egg Harbor Twp Fire Department. 

Demographics

The community's population consists of 13.5% of the residents that were born outside of the United States. English is spoken primarily by the residents. Additionally, 1.8% speak Portuguese as their first language, while others speak Spanish or Chinese. The ancestral makeup of the residents includes the following:

• 21.6% German
• 17.4% Irish
• 15.2% Italian
• 14.6% Puerto Rican
• 8.1% English
• 6.3% South American

The annual median income for the households in the greater region was $69,754 in 2010. The breakdown of the resident's occupations includes the following: 

• 35.1% sales and service occupations
• 33.6% executive, management, and professional roles
• 18.5% clerical, assistant, and tech support occupations
• 12.8% manufacturing and laborer professions

Continue reading: Discover the History of Linwood, NJ

Our Local Office

If you have experienced an injury due to the neglect of another, let our experienced Bargaintown, NJ personal injury attorneys at NJ Injury Guys help. Our personal injury attorneys are dedicated to seeking justice for victims of personal injuries. Call today to schedule your free consultation.

NJ Injury Guys
2628 Fire Rd #102,
Egg Harbor Township, NJ 08234
(609) 241-9990