During the First World War, the British developed a new explosive to stretch their depleting supplies of TNT. It was a mixture of TNT and another high explosive and was named Amatol.
In 1917, the United States entered the First World War. The next year, 1918, the US needed to build a new plant to supply munitions to the armed forces. It purchased 6000 acres of land just 4 miles east of Hammonton, NJ. On this land was built a munitions plant and a town to house the 10,000-20,000 plant workers.
Named Amatol, the plant made munitions of many different types and sizes.
The town of Amatol was built two miles away. This distance was to protect the workers and families in the event of an accident at the plant.
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| Houses in Amatol |
When the war ended, less than two years later, the plant closed down, and the town was deserted. Within five years, the town and plant were demolished.
Later, after years of neglect, the federal government became interested in the location for experimenting with blimps and dirigibles, but nothing ever came of the idea.
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| Grandstands and Racetrack |
The drivers that came to Amatol Speedway were the same drivers that raced at the Indianapolis Speedway. But the steep banking of Amatol's turns allowed for higher speeds.
On May 1, 1926 thousands of spectators watched Harry Hartz win the first race of 500 miles.
The racetrack was only open for two years. On May 30, 1928, the last event was held; a combination stock car and motorcycle race.
Schwab had lost interest in racing and he leased the site as a test track for automobile companies.
In 1933, the wooden track and grandstands were torn down and sold as lumber. The administration building was later remodeled and now houses the Hammonton New Jersey State Police.
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| Oval Still Seen on Satellite Photo |
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| Concrete "Bunker" |
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| Look Closely and You Can Still See the Street Grid of the Town of Amatol |
There are still some ruins lost deep in the woods.
Speedway -
The only thing left of the speedway is the oval layout of the racetrack. The oval can still be seen on aerial or satellite photos of the Hammonton area, and on some old maps. You can still hike around the mile and a half oval, too, but it's well overgrown.
The Plant -
Deep in the woods can still be found the concrete foundation of some unknown structure, a blacktop covered floor of another, and the ruins of two concrete buildings now looking more like some long-lost hidden bunkers.
The Town -
Most of the layout of the town has been lost to the woods.
The Mullica Township recreational park has taken over a little section of the town. Another section of the town is now a large pit used for recreation by ATVs and dirt bikes.
But, if you dig harder, you can still find some remnants of Amatol's roads. And if you hike back in the woods, you can still find a few small remnants of the town - chimneys, foundations, concrete slabs, and piles of rubble that used to be houses. In the middle of the "pit", are large concrete blocks that used to be the foundation of Amatol's water tower.
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| Speedway | Speedway |
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| Speedway Right-of-Way | Speedway Right-of-Way |
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| Speedway Administration Bldg Now NJ State Police Bldg |