South Jersey owes much of its early prosperity and economic triumph to the cranberry bogs which populate its landscape. One of the best early cranberry growers was John Webb from Cassville who was also a local school teacher. In the 1880s, Webb discovered an innovative way to judge the freshness of his berries. His technique was evolved into the process still used today by national cranberry companies.

Webb stored his berries in the loft of his barn. However, due to his physical limitations, Webb was unable to carry them down the flight of wooden stairs. To solve the problem, Webb simply poured them down the steps. He noticed that the firmest berries bounced to the bottom, while the bruised and unhealthy ones remained on the stairs. Because of this method, Webb was known for his high quality cranberries. Later, a bounce board separator was designed to automate the process developed by Webb. Even today, cranberry companies utilize technology that finds its roots in the innovative and creativity of John Webb.

Webb sold his berries on the Philadelphia waterfront docks. Due to his reputation for high quality, Webb often usually received $50 a barrel, a very high price at that time. His most common buyers were whaling ship captains. They incorporated cranberries into the meals for the ship's crew. Cranberries, along with citrus, can prevent scurvy, a disease that regularly attacked crews multiple times on the sea.