Exploring the Pine Barrens - The Ruins of Fries Mill 

The real treasure was the friends you lost along the way.

Fun fact, the name of the ruins Fries Mill is a shibboleth. The actual pronunciation is "Frees Mill", with Fries Mill Road (a road in modern use) being where most people would here it referenced. Love seeing a presence of NJ on youtube- this state has so much more than what people think!

I grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ and I always heard stories about Fries Mill and the families that lived there. It's amazing the amount of history in this highly disregarded state...

Have to say I've had my preconceived notion of the Pine Barrens as the most haunted place in the world shattered. It's freaking gorgeous!

I love how you document everything. I'm a historical archeologist. I'd be very interested at doing some exploring with you guys.

Southern New Jersey is home to many ruins similar to this, it would be interesting for the group to explore some more similar to these as shown within the video.

Honestly, I really love these exploring videos. The reason I really enjoy this content right now is because I’m going through a lot of serious health issues and I can’t walk right now or really do anything. So kind of able to get out and explore vicariously through your videos.

“Guy was an interior decorator.” “His house looked like shit!”

Love it! My dad used to bring me to the Pine Barrens. We'd visit Batsto and we canoed the Batsto River. Later, a friend and I went mountain bike riding there.

I remember reading a book about The Pine Barrens by Tom Wolf as a teenager back in the late '70s. It peaked my interest in natural places, that I drove up to Alaska and never left...42 years later, I'm still here ✌️

My cousin lived in Little Egg Harbor Township in part of the Pine Barrens near Tuckerton. I only got to visit a couple of times, but it really looked interesting. However, even by the time I visited the first time, I was too disabled to explore more than just the edge of his backyard. This getting old stuff is tough. Now it is sometimes hard to just get the mail...

Thanks for this video man. I'm from Vineland, but have been living in China for 6-7 years and because of the pandemic I wasn't able to come home this year. This video was a nice substitute to being back home in the pines. Thank you for this video and the history lesson. Happy New Year man!

I had a postdoc deep inside the Pine Barrens, at the Marucci Blueberry and Cranberry Research Center. It's near Chatsworth. I collected insects all over the barrens. It is carpeted with an incredible and rich endemic fauna. Those are fond memories that will never flee from me. That is until I get dementia.

This area has basically been my playground for the last 33 years. I find new and interesting things each time I visit. Great stuff.

As a life time NJ resident, I found this video fascinating. Not to many RU-vidrs from NJ 👍 good work! Stellar!

This is basically right around where I grew up. There are so many old foundations out in the Pine Barrens. A great easy day to find them is look for something other than pine trees, apple, oak, etcetera. You'd be surprised how quick you get a eye for different trees. I appreciate seeing people exploring the old Pine Barrens but there's better & creepier ruins.

Thank you so much for doing something on the Pine Barrens! No one ever does anything on them and there are so many spooky and great stories about them!!

Looks like a nice trek. Don't forget to check for ticks after!

I got a good laugh being a gamer and you bringing up RDR 🤣 always loot in the chimney!

Wow...one of the best 'documentary' style videos I've watched on the Pine Barrens. Telling the history was a great plus! And, love when maps are used! Thank you!! Look forward to your other adventures!

I was checking out your videos in the American West and was very excited to see some videos from my home state of New Jersey! Very cool stuff the Pinelands are full of interesting ruins and history. I just subscribed, keep it up!

This channel is a gem, glad to have stumbeled across it :)

Super cool history about an area I've only heard of, but not details about. As for loot in chimney, frequently it is in the forms of hornets, snakes, or irate racoons.

I live about an hour away and never knew all of this awesome history. Going to plan a weekend of camping and hunting out the ruins! 🎉

You are the only channel that I have ever watched and never felt disappointed after watching each video. One day I hope to go to the US and see some of the places you have talked about.

❤ you travel in the footsteps of all my ancestors! It’s super cool! I will probably never get to travel to all of these places so it’s great I have found your channel.

I used to hike the tracks at Lakehurst in the barrens. So unique and good creatures and plants. I saw old telegraph poles and ruins but not much in the way of buildings. Lots of ATV's around those blue sand ponds which kind of ruins the experience

Thank you for this interesting video & for bringing history back to our generation. “I wonder what happened here” was a question I often asked myself while exploring the woods of my home state North Carolina. It’s cool to see others exploring the past. At-least part-time, anyway.

In Elizabeth Pa. there is a sight along the Yough rail trail called deadmans hollow. Have been there several times. It has ruins of an old clay pipe mill and brick company. Seems like it is right up your alley. If you don't have time or inclination, my son and I have talked about doing an exploration of it and filming and posting it on RU-vid. let me know what you think.

Thanks, Tom, for filming this. I'd tried to show my wife, in the past, videos about the Pine Barrens, but the pickings on RU-vid were, well, kind of barren. I enjoy your videos about the history of the MidAtlantic region, especially by exploring on foot. Recollections of your father are also nice. Your film background is obvious, such as when you superimpose images of ruins with your sketches. Not flashy, but very effective.

Thanks Tom for the videos you make. I enjoy watching them all the way from Australia.

18:35 we called it a cup elevator at were i work before, its the prehistoric version of a felxowell transporter belt that is modern these days, but the cup elevator at my pervious worksite has been running almost none stop since the early 70s so one could argue its a stable design.

Lol I allegedly have swam in that exact “lagoon” (we call them blue holes). Don’t swim out too far and especially on a windy day. They can be very dangerous…. Gorgeous to look at though. One time we had to do the long hike back to our cars for something and left all our stuff (backpacks, chairs, football, towels, speakers etc.) and when we came back the football and one of the chairs was missing. 🙃

Ok first of all the Maurice River is locally pronounced Morris as in the cat.If you say it any other way you will be taken as a Shooby.Secondly Potters Cabin and Fries Mill Tavern are one and the same.The Cabin sat in front of the more northerly of the double chimneys.It was burned down by kids in the early 90's.Potter lived in it mid 1900's,40's and 50';s I believe.It was a tavern in the 1800';s.The cabin had a piano in it and was still livable in the 70's when i first seen it as a kid,it was abandoned though.I got some wrold war two era readers digests out of it still in mint condition that were in the cellar hole where the pump still is,the roof was still good then.The town itself you wandered through on the way to find Matt.You missed the Mill foundations.The brisk house remains just north of the village with prickly pear all around it was a house that lasted into the early 80,s but abandoned long ago.The evil man who runs people off you spoke of is a retired cop named Garrison,those were his Dobermans you no doubt heard.He is very protective of the area though he doesn't own any land that side of the creek.You were on nature conservancy not state land but it definitely is not his. He will try to give you the third degree like he did me but when I informed him he did not own the land and that I was obviously not hurting anything he backed off and became quite friendly. He hates bikers,partiers and anyone who would trash the woods,once he realizes your not an A Hole he is quite nice.The lagoon you refer to is locally called either a sand wash or a blue hole and the sand plant ruins you were in were abandoned late 80,s so you guess correctly.camp Hollbrook an old YMCA camp I went to as a kid in early 70's is across creek from Fries Mill;,Garrison owns north half of the camp on north side of Fries Mill rd where the girls huts were,boys were south of the road and there were no Trans genders back then at least not at camp.I could show you the old outdoor chapel we had sermons at and the actual pads now buried bu a couple inches of dirt_(you have to poke the ground till you hit concrete) that we camped in.I learned to swim in the crik by the bridge when I was seven. Potter was rumored to haunt the cabin (nonsense) but they took us out there at night to scare the bejjebers out of us.Thats how I found the place and have went back ever since. It was a cedar log cabin with a cedar shake roof.Yo can still see some of the logs laying in front of the chimney go in november,the persimmons are great! Nice video

I am a fisherman in SE Pennsylvania and I’m always looking for new lakes to fish at. I’ve seen this spot on google earth many times but never actually knew what it was. Thanks for sharing this, it was very interesting.

I came across this after searching for Pine Barrens hikes/kayaking (we're planning to do some local paddling this coming weekend) and something just seemed oddly familiar once I heard the voice...... then I remembered that I watched the 2020 Titanic Live Stream this year and am a fan of T:HaG. Subscribed! Stay safe.

These ruins were pretty cool to see, Keep up with your amazing content!!

I'm so happy I found this channel, great work bud.

Very interesting. Loved it!, so beautiful! Thank you.

Your explorations are fun! A neat change from liner things.

Enjoy your content watching in KW region of Ontario. As a kid walked the tracks to the old Brick yards in Chatham along the river.🇨🇦

This is great .Very interesting thanks for posting this.

Hopefully you get a chance to go back and survey the town center. I'd love to see how much of the remains are still there compared to the old map that you had on screen

Fantastic! That sand pit shocked me!

Love seeing Pine Barrens videos!

I was absolutely loving your channel, I have watched a few different docu-videos now, but when you said "...and anyone else who shops at Spencers Gifts", I knew I had come home, you are true kindred Spirit, I cannot tell you how well said that was. God speed! And, by the way, I absolutely love your videos and channel, very enjoyable and extremely interesting.

Great adventure hiking vid-love it.👌🏻

Thanks for sharing your exploits

Loving this content

Awesome video! Poor Matt, lol. That's what it's all about; taking your time, enjoying your time outside and with friends...then losing your friend, then finding them again, lol. But, seriously...very well put together video! Thumbs up!!!

I really enjoyed this video (as I do all of your work!). I’ve always wanted to know more about the NJPB. Great job!

"...hopefully this video was interesting, getting to see some neat ruins in the middle of a forest..." and you 3 living your best life! Heck yeah! 💯💗

I just subscribed to your channel last night and I just love that you give history on these places. Some people go in knowing nothing and I'd rather watch a video that I will at least glean some history knowledge etc. of a place. I never realized there were so many ruins in the Pine Barrens. I'm originally from NJ and never got a chance to explore it. I've only driven through it. Bigfoot central. Just FYI concrete is WAY older than you think. It was first used in Egypt in 6500 B.C. But many concrete blocks were used during the 1800's. Just trying to help. If you go to Historic aerials and go to that area they have photos that go back as far as 1937.

I've enjoyed watching this adventure. Seeing you guys packed in a cast iron frying pan and guitar made me laugh!

Very nice video!

This was awesome man thank you!!!

After watching the Sopranos, I'd never have guessed this was a real place. Czechoslovakian interior decorators should be proud.

Hi, Tom and Emma, I'm a very recent subscriber and am sort of binge watching your videos. I think that tower that had recently collapsed may have been the smoke stack for a power plant (just a guess). It can get quite interesting , letting your imagination run wild as to just what many artifacts could have been used for. God Bless and stay safe.

I’m a little late but this is great content

This looks like so much fun.

An excellent video, had my attention 100%!! Also those abandoned RR tracks were still in great shape. You could ride a custom self propelled vehicle down its length.

I love this channel

Fine Work !

Glad you found your friend. :)

More viral-focused youtubers would make the title something like "friend lost deep in the woods," or something like that. It's nice to see that isn't the case here; the actual exploration is what is important.

Hi from New Zealand!🇳🇿I am really loving your U Tube videos. They are great!

found your channel and enjoying it

Third video ive seen from newly found (for me) PTE, all excellent, will be viewing a bunch more...huge jump up from the ones ive been viewing the past years

Great video!

Your such a humble nice guy and do a great job God.bless you and your lady and friend

Fantastic 💎

There’s similar ruins in Franklin township up above Vineland and Millville. They’re not too far from Fries mill road and coles mill road.

Just discovered your channel and love it. Loved seeing something from my own back yard. Anyone else out there pronounce it “Morris River” (like I do)?

That lunch looked YUM!🦀

I enjoyed the video 👍

One note on line has the first use of a cinder block in America was @1880…. love the video. Those sand cups said Budd manufacturing probably made at Budd plant in north Philly

That may not have been "too exciting" as far as your goal went, but I found it very interesting. I'm Canadian, and now in my 7th decade so my traveling is mostly the armchair variety. I like seeing different parts of our great subcontinent, and hearing its history, especially the "little" pieces of history, vs the large parts, eg, the Revolutionary War, which you did reference. All the big parts of history are made up of the little pieces. I also like seeing the land. I'd also love to know what bird that was, birds being one of my joys (though I'm not a real birder). Thank you for an enjoyable trek through that part of the country. Also glad you found Matt. LOL.

This is very cool!

Love the rare on-camera appearance by Emma!!

always wanted to explore the pine barrens love driving through them on the way to the beach

I love this kind of history

Well you've certainly captivated my attention with your interesting videos, but that little out of nowhere nod to Red Dead Redemption pretty much sealed the deal for me. You have my subscription sir (and of course my like). Good on ya and I know I'm looking forward to whatever you might have coming up next.

That funny little chuckle after looting the chimney xD love it. Good old red dead

Love it, you should go to the Wheatswrooth Mill in Hamburg NJ

your video reminds me of little house on the prairie

Jersey born and raised. I lived in the north in Jersey City. My brother, however, lives in Whiting not far from the old Pine Barrons.

I believe that cellar that you say is caving in could be a well. There is a similar one near my parents house and it was built round the 1940’s -50’s

I grew up in nj, and many of my ancestors have been there since the 1700s. Im enjoying this series so much! My sister currently lives off ofIndian Cabin Road and we’ve gone hiking on it numerous times through the protected forests. So much neat stuff! Theres an old boy’s school ruins near her place as well. Youll find the Ione Shaler grave nearbythe trail-people say it was a woman killed by indians with her 3 young children, but my BIL dug into it more and he believes it was more likely it was something like Typhus Fever. Oh! That concrete platform looks like the old boys school (for the “feebleminded” i believe) but in a different location than the one near Egg Harbor City Lake & indian cabin road. I wonder if it was a similar school? Or another similar “build as fast as you can” instituitional govt type building. There was many of those in south jersey at one point. Theres another one that was an offshoot of a mental instituition, but they turned it into a community type of living situation. Im not sure if that one was closer to the Millville area you where hiking or further north closer to Sweetwater. Hard to keep them all straight!

You guys have a lot of fun. :>)

Best season in the Pine Barrens is the Fall, lots of spooky history there & the Jersey Devil of course!

You should check out Lauzanne in PA. I went there last summer and it’s a cool hike

Love those pine barren crows!

You have an excellent channel. Looks like you all eat well when you explore and I get an Indiana Jones vibe from you

This area technically isn't the Pine Barrens since it's south of them and not connected (look up where Wharton State forest is) but it's a similar ecosystem though. There are way more "haunted" spots and ruins since it's a much larger area. Batsto and Apple Pie Hill are classic landmarks.

Thanks man! As someone from New Jersey it’s awesome to see this history. You guys from the area?

I always thought the Pine Barrens were in Ocean County but this was interesting. I love the Village of Allaire in Ocean/Monmouth County.

From NJ… pine barrens and Jersey Devil legendary. Christofer and Paulie Walnuts lost in Pine Barrens too! Rip Tony Sirico.

If you're ever in Kentucky, Explore the trail of Floyd Collins. And I'm talking about the stuff that happened off the trail.

Concrete blocks were first used in the United States as a substitute for stone or wood in the building of homes. The earliest known example of a house built in this country entirely of concrete block was in 1837 on Staten Island, New York.

ngl, I doubt I would watch a video about that site if it was being explored by anyone else but you.