Speaker Series XVII - Jim Alexander - Marl in the Pines, The Pemberton Marl Company

Join us for this entirely FREE speaker series at the North Pemberton Railroad Station Museum on June 15th at 11:00AM to hear Jim Alexander speak about one of the most prominent resources in New Jersey's history: Marl!

A massive amount of marl lies under the ground in a strip across New Jersey, with one of the early pits where it was dug being located in Pemberton's Birmingham section. A result of natural forces along what had been the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, Marl is high in potash and other beneficial components. In the 19th century it was hauled by train to farmers throughout the region, where it greatly enhanced the soil's productivity. Later it found other uses. Jim's presentation will discuss its history, several major marl pits in South Jersey including Birmingham, the local railroads that hauled it, as well as an unexpected future.

A graduate of Middlebury College and the University of Pennsylvania, Jim served in both local and State government, and has researched a number of historical subjects in the area, including local railroads, solid waste management, the Nike Missile base system, the Tuckerton Mound and the region's marl resources. He has also researched the proposal to dam the Delaware River at Tocks Island, and the resulting impact on the area and local people. His approach to presenting is that it is a learning experience for him as well.