Those of you who were raised in Burlington County or pretty much anywhere else in South Jersey most likely had the opportunity to visit the Indian Chief Tavern in Medford, or at the very least, you were familiar with its name.
The original location of the Indian Chief Tavern was on Main Street in the town of Medford. The location was formerly occupied by the residence of a Lenape Indian chief, and in the year 1810, cabinetmaker Richard Reeve constructed a tavern on the site. Over the course of the 1920s, the bar was in operation there until it was forced out of business by the railroad and prohibition.
Most of us remember the Indian Chief Tavern, which was constructed in the 1960s on Route 70 in Medford, approximately half a mile east of Main Street. For many years, the location was frequented by generations of both residents and tourists who were on their way to the coast.
After being shuttered for the last time in late 2014, it had been unoccupied for about a decade. During the pandemic, it was also utilized as a testing laboratory for the COVID virus. One month ago, the bulldozers were finally able to get to it.
The content that will be shown on the website is not yet decided upon. It was reported that the owners of the Medford Shoprite had intentions for the property some time ago, but it appears that those ideas have not materialized until now.
With the Indian Chief logo, the only sign that has survived is the famous one. Native American tribes are honored by the naming of a great number of objects in that particular region in Burlington County. Among the schools that are included in the Lenape school district are Shawnee, Cherokee, Lenape, and Seneca High Schools. Tabernacle, Marlton, Medford, and Mt. Laurel are all included in this district.
The very first Indian reserve in the United States was located in the town of Indian Mills, which is located inside the Shamong municipality.
It was referred to as the Brotherton, and it was established by Lenape Indians who made the decision to remain there after a treaty occurred that relocated the majority of the tribe out of the region.
They made the decision to become Christians, and Brotherton was home to around two hundred native Americans who remained behind. Currently, there is one less component of the Lenn-Lenape tradition that is still present in the region.