Editing Old Bridge Township, New Jersey (section)

===Clay industry===
The clay soil in the area surrounding Old Bridge was used for pottery and bricks way before the first European settlers. "Fine clay had surrounded Cheesequake Creek when the Lenni Lenape Native Americans lived there. The early discoveries of clay along the banks opened the clay industry to Middlesex County as well as the state of New Jersey. By the 1800s clay was a major industry. The clay deposits found along Cheesequake Creek are reported to be some of the finest stoneware clays in the United States."<ref name=ArcadiaOldBridge/> The clay supplied local potters as well as those in [[Hudson Valley]], [[Norwalk, Connecticut]], other [[New England]] states, and parts of [[Canada]]. The earliest use of clay from this area was used by Captain James Morgan before the Revolution. The Perrine clay pit was located near [[U.S. Route 9 in New Jersey|U.S. Route 9]] and Ernston Road.<ref name="Disbrow Martin 1979"/>