Ocean County , NJ History

These iron works were located in the town of Florence, Florence Twp, Burlington County, in the western portion of the village. It was established in 1857-8 by Richard Jones, and ran intermittently thereafter until about 1861. In 1867 it was purchased by R.D. Wood and Company, who by the 1880s were doing a more successful business making water and gas pipes and shipping them out by railroad, and advantage the earlier owner did not have. I have received from another researcher the following information regarding one Richard D. Wood of the Florence Iron Works: Richard D. Wood lived from 1799 to 1869, and operated many businesses, one of which was the Florence Iron Works. On his death in 1869 his businesses were divided between his sons. One son, George Wood, received the cotton mill in Millville, N.J., and one of the other sons, Walter Wood, received the Florence Iron Works. Another son, Stuart Wood, received the R. D. Wood & Co. pipe and hydrant manufacturing business. All thes...