I was going through a children’s book, Our Community – Washington Township by Joan Michael, the head of the Washington Township Historical Society. I came across an interesting chapter about a Turnersville legend based off of true events. Here is what it says:
“In the 1890s, the community had a peddler named Sammy. He sold shoe laces, socks, buttons, and other little things to families.”
At this time, Washington Township was mostly farms and Sammy would travel to each one selling his items, the book explains.
“One day he visited the Prosser family at their sawmill at Turnersville. The family was at church when Sammy came to their house. The only one at home was a man who worked for the Prosser family. When the family came home, they did not know Sammy was there. Their helper was not there. The helper never returned to work at the sawmill. He started to sell buttons and shoe laces just like Sammy. No one ever found Sammy. Winter came and ice formed on the lake by the mill. When spring came, the ice melted and Sammy’s body was found.”
The Prosser’s family helper admitted that he killed Sammy, taking his easier job as opposed to working at the sawmill. The unnamed family helper was the only person hung for killing someone in Washington Township, the book further explains.
Now for the curse: “The lake at the mill suddenly dried up. Grandmothers who had known Sammy said that the lake was cursed because a man was killed there.”
The book’s explanation: “There was really a storm that broke the dam and let the lake wash away. Now the Atlantic City Expressway goes over the land where the old mill and lake used to be. You can still find the old road that used to go to the sawmill and the Prosser’s house.” Note: This book was written in 1986, so I’m not sure if the road can still be seen. I do, however, travel on the Atlantic City Expressway frequently and will try to check it out.
One more note: The picture above is actually from an area in Williamstown. I couldn’t get a picture of the dried up lake since, as is stated above, the closest I could come to that is a picture of the Atlantic City Expressway. The picture is just for illustrative purposes.
