08/27/2026
Who actually were Lydia and Rebecca?
If you’ve ever hiked through Black Run Preserve, you’ve probably seen their names stamped right onto the trail maps.
When I first started asking around, the official story I got was pretty standard: "Oh, they’re just the wives of the old cranberry bog owners."
But that answer felt incomplete. Who were they as individuals? Why were these specific bogs named after them?
I couldn't let it go. After hours of digging through the Stockton University archives, I reached out to the Evesham Historical Society and connected with Connie, a direct descendant of the founding Evans family.
What she told me blew my mind!
The bogs right here at Black Run? They’re a total historical misnomer. The actual Lydia and Rebecca bogs are miles away, hidden deep in the Pine Barrens near the Carranza Memorial, tucked inside the ghost town ruins of Friendship.
This journey is just getting started. I’m currently deep in a research rabbit hole tracking down the forgotten stories of the women from the Evans and Shafer families.
Thank you to
South Jersey Culture and History Center and Evesham Historical Society
