Some ruins look like nothing more than the remnants of failed industries left to decay. But sometimes, they tell a deeper story. In northern New Jersey, one set of ruins helped transform a small town into a thriving community, drawing families and putting it on the map.

Hidden in the woods behind the Gingerbread Castle in Hamburg, New Jersey, are the remains of the Hamburg Paper Mill, also called the Union Waxed and Parchment Paper Co. If you visit today, you can still make out faded lettering on the lone smokestack towering over the trees.

Before the mill was built in 1874, this spot housed Edsall Furnace, an iron-making facility. While the furnace itself is long gone, its dam was raised by eight feet to power the new mill. The mill used a water wheel connected to two large turbines, and part of the wheel can still be found among the ruins.

The paper mill became a lifeline for the community, providing steady jobs to about 300 workers. Families moved to Hamburg for the promise of work, and the town’s population grew as a result. Workers often labored long shifts—11 hours during the day or up to 13 hours at night. The job wasn’t complicated, so people were willing to put in the time.

Powered by eight boilers and several furnaces, the mill processed pulp with dyes and chemicals to create tissue paper. The fumes were strong and carried through the town, but residents didn’t mind; the mill supported their families and neighbors. Its tissue paper was prized for wrapping fruit and keeping it fresh during transport. It was a big deal for fruit growers at that time.

A nearby railroad was essential for transporting the paper mill’s supplies and bringing in pulp from Canada. For years, the mill thrived, but it wasn’t without problems. Fires and floods became more frequent. In 1902, a newspaper reported that a flood destroyed part of the mill after the dam broke. The mill’s final blow came in the 1930s when a massive fire destroyed everything except its concrete structures.

Today, nature is reclaiming the site. Concrete ruins remain scattered in the forest, and one smokestack still rises above the treetops. Flooding continues to trouble the area, but the ruins still remain today.