Editing Lumberton, New Jersey (section)

==History==
The [[Lenape]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] were the earliest inhabitants in what is now known as Lumberton. By the 17th century, European colonists began to settle the southwestern part of the township. They cleared wooded areas and established farms centered around [[Fostertown, New Jersey|Fostertown]], an unincorporated community. Eayrestown was founded by Richard and Elizabeth Eayres in the late 1600s and became the first significant settlement in the area. It also served as the center of commerce, thanks to its sawmill. The village of Lumberton emerged from these two neighboring communities.

The history of some homes in Lumberton can be traced back to the times of slavery. The township's earliest settlers and their descendants held various views on slavery. These perspectives varied from supporting and tolerating it to passive and active opposition. Over the years, many locals became advocates for the abolition of slavery, first in New Jersey, and then across the entire nation.

One notable historical site is a house on Creek Road. Built in 1824 by D.B. Cole, a descendant of the founders of Old [[Colestown Cemetery, Cherry Hill Township|Colestown]], New Jersey, this house played a crucial part in the Underground Railroad. The property's deed dates back to 1806 when the Coles bought it from the Moores of Moorestown. Charles Blockson's ''Hippocrene Guide to the Underground Railroad'' documents that a fake well in the backyard once served as a refuge for enslaved people. They would slide down into it to hide from their masters as they made their way to Canada.<ref>[http://www.travelingwithmj.com/2011/02/traveling-the-east-coast-underground-railroad/ "Traveling the East Coast Underground Railroad"], Traveling with MJ, February 5, 2011. Accessed September 5, 2013. "New Jersey – D.B. Cole House, Creek Rd, Lumberton – Can be seen from the road, and rumored to be open by appointment – Cole used a well to hide runaway slaves by building a room with 20-foot ceilings at the bottom of the well."</ref>

During the [[Cold War]], the town served as a site for [[Project Nike]]. In the event of a nuclear war, Nike Ajax and Hercules missiles would have been deployed from bases in Lumberton and other neighboring bases. This strategy aimed to deter the [[Soviet Union]] from bombing the [[Delaware Valley]].<ref>Bender, Donald E. [http://alpha.fdu.edu/~bender/N-A-lumberton.html "Lumberton's Cold War Legacy: Nike Missile Battery PH-23/25"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174600/http://alpha.fdu.edu/~bender/N-A-lumberton.html|date=2016-03-03}}, Nike Missiles and Missile Sites. Accessed July 14, 2016.</ref>