Medford Through the Lens

Medford has a rich history, beginning with the original Quaker settlers in the late 1600s.

In 1847, state legislators divided Evesham Township, creating Medford. At the time of its incorporation, Medford Township included the communities of Fostertown, Crossroads, Medford Village, Cross Keys, Chairville, Flyat, and Taunton. These small farming communities nucleated around gristmills, sawmills, cranberry bogs, churches, taverns, and isolated country schools. Such settlements laid the foundation for the Medford of the 21st century. William B. Cooper, a photographer during the early 20th century, captured many of the images featured in Medford through the Lens. Using photographs from Cooper and others, we glimpse Medford Township's visual past within the context of county, state, and national issues, offering new insight into how the municipality developed and how its history can better inform the present.

Dennis McDonald is a Medford Township resident and is the author/coauthor of three previous books for Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series: Medford, Smithville, and Whitesbog. Zachary Baer is a history teacher at Shawnee High School in Medford. He is the author of numerous articles related to South Jersey history and is a member of the West Jersey History Roundtable.