New Book Releases

Manalapan Township and Englishtown Borough-- originally a part of the township--share a long and rich history dating to the Revolutionary War.

From the late 19th to the mid-20th century, the township was composed of several small villages that sustained themselves through farming. In creating this book, author Richard J. Dalik seeks to preserve the significance of this thriving stage of the communities' heritage. The collection includes fascinating photographs, engravings, and postcards illustrating the early rural way of life in these areas, as well as some early views highlight the Battle of Monmouth--fought mostly on the farmlands of Manalapan Township--and other historical landmarks of that period. Vintage images of farms, mills, houses, schools, churches, streets, and families are presented together with informative captions to transport the reader to an earlier time and another Manalapan.

Here, with over 200 vintage photographs, images of Middletown presents a dramatic view into the realm of our suburban villages and neighborhoods.

Middletown Township has the distinction of being one of the earliest settlements in New Jersey. Although the township does not have any large photograph archives, author Randall Gabrielan has carefully gathered images from many private and public sources.

Rare and vintage images act as postcards, telling the fascinating stories of Monmouth County, New Jersey.

From the 1890s through the 1930s, the postcard was an extraordinarily popular means of communication, and many of the postcards produced were works of art. Postcard photographers traveled the length and breadth of the nation snapping photos of busy street scenes, documenting local landmarks, and assembling crowds of local children only too happy to pose for a picture. These images, printed as postcards and sold in general stores across the country, survive as telling reminders of an important era in America's history. This fascinating new history of Monmouth County showcases more than two hundred of the best postcards available of this region of New Jersey.

Established in 1688, Evesham Township was settled by members of the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, as a place where they could worship freely.

Despite being a sizeable suburb of Philadelphia, Evesham's past has been well-preserved, and many homes of the original settlers as well as Quaker meetinghouses still stand today. Historically, Evesham's residents supported themselves with agriculture and the mining of marl--a greensand clay that was used as a fertilizer. The vintage photographs in this collection illustrate how the early settlers and those who followed lived and explores the township's transformation from a rural community into the suburban hub it is today. The township has seen tremendous growth but is still only about one quarter of its original size. Images and captions show fertile farmland becoming neighborhoods, attracting many people to Evesham and stimulating growth.

Journey through South Jersey towns and villages along the Cooper River, and their unique role in the long and rich history of the area.

The Cooper River is a meandering tributary of the Delaware River in Camden County with a rich cultural heritage. Along the Cooper River, English Quakers found safe haven from religious persecution in Colonial times, and General Washington's soldiers fought for control of Cooper's Ferry during the American Revolution. The river was ideal for industry in Camden, where many immigrants worked in the factories along its banks. From 1925 to 1928, landscape architect Charles Leavitt Jr. designed the plans for the 550-acre Cooper River Park. From 1935 to 1939, Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration carried out the plans to create open, gently sloping landscapes and wooded areas for recreation by dredging meadows and tidal wetlands. Along the Cooper River: Camden to Haddonfield focuses on the communities of Camden, Pennsauken, Cherry Hill, Collingswood, Haddon Township, and Haddonfield and how each of them has played a unique role in the long and rich history of the river and its evolution into a nationally significant recreational area.

Constructed as the Easton and Amboy Railroad, opened by 1875, the Lehigh Valley Railroad was instrumental in developing commerce and communities of central New Jersey.

Thout it no longer runs, it was originally built to haul unending trains of ""black diamonds"" from Pennsylvania to Perth Amboy, the Lehigh Valley Railroad became so much more than a conduit for shipping coal. In building across the state, it became instrumental in not only hauling produce to New York City markets but also for providing service to companies like Johns-Manville and Lionel Trains. From Phillipsburg to Jersey City and all points in between, the Lehigh Valley Railroad hauled freight and passengers, while at the same time contributing to the social fabric of the area. The Lehigh Valley Railroad across New Jersey paints a picture of a railroad that provided over 100 years of quality service to the Garden State.

Middletown Township, a fascinating visual journey through New Jersey's past, will delight and educate both the avid historian and the casual observer.

Middletown Township: Volume II is a fascinating collection of over 220 vintage views of this venerable township, and it explores in even greater depth the rich and historic fabric of the community first brought to life last year in Middletown Township.

In this second volume, the author has collected an extraordinary diversity of images from a wide range of sources, and these images bring to life the development of the township and the lives and aspirations of its people. We meet the people who gave the township character; witness the changing landscape; visit places of worship; marvel at the growth of business and industry; and explore the development of the individual neighborhoods. These scenes of the familiar and unfamiliar will bring to local people and visitors alike a new appreciation of the richness and depth of the township's history.

Author Randall Gabrielan is president of the Middletown Township Historical Society and the township's official historian. With Middletown Township: Volume II he has combined a compelling selection of images with years of accumulated knowledge to create a history that is both entertaining and educational.

With a history dating back to 1664, Summit, New Jersey, has evolved from a pastoral town of farms and rolling hills to a populous suburb of Manhattan.

Though the land was originally purchased in the 17th century, it wasn't until the late 1800s, as the area began shifting from farmland into wealthy estates, that Summit was incorporated into a township. In the early days of the community's development, many residents were seasonal, but this changed as it became easier to live in the country and work in the city. In this original collection of images, author and local historian Patricia E. Meola takes readers on a journey into Summit's past. Through nearly 200 postcard images, Summitcelebrates a city known for its tree-lined streets, the reputation of its public and private schools, the activism of countless city volunteers, and its thriving opportunities for culture.

See the people, places and events that have defined the city of Toms River and its surrounding area since the early 1700s.

Located on the banks of the river of the same name, Toms River was first settled in the early 1700s by loggers drawn to the dense forests on the river's banks. During the American Revolution, the village was a constant thorn in the side of the British, and it was attacked and burned to the ground in 1783. The arrival of the railroads in the late 1800s ushered in a new age of expansion which, spurred on by the construction of the Garden State Parkway in the decade after World War II, continues to this day. See for yourself how it all came about with over 200 carefully-selected photographs.

This fascinating new addition to the Images of America series offers a glimpse into the unique history of Scotch Plains and Fanwood, New Jersey.

This wonderful new book contains more than 200 fascinating photographs, maps, and prints and brings to life the people, places, and events which have defined Scotch Plains and Fanwood over the centuries. These images invite us to explore the area's rich history from the time of its first settlement, in 1684, to the present day.

Scotch Plains and Fanwood were originally one community, also encompassing the area now known as Feltville or Glenside Park. From the beginning, the region played a critical role in American history. The Battle of the Short Hills, from June 14 to June 30, 1777, between the British under General Howe and the Revolutionary Army under George Washington, took place here. During the nineteenth century, Scotch Plains became an important stop on the Swift Sure stage line between New York and Philadelphia. As New York City burgeoned during the nineteenth century and the railroad arrived in Central New Jersey, Scotch Plains and Fanwood became a bedroom community of the metropolis. Finally, in 1895, Fanwood was chartered independently. Later, Feltville became part of the Union County Park System.

Local authors Richard and Suzanne Bousquet have brought together a unique collection of photographs and maps from both the Historical Society of Scotch Plains and Fanwood and from private collections. They have combined this superb collection with informative captions to create a fascinating journey down memory lane that will be enjoyed by old and young, resident and visitor alike.

Well-known for its hunting, fishing, and seafaring capabilities, the town of Barnegat, New Jersey, was also once a thriving center of industry and modern technology.

Steam locomotives once raged through the pines, and over 4000 boats were built at the Perrine Boat Works. A downtown business district thrived, and cottage industries--such as glass blowing and silkworm cultivation--also left their marks. The history of the Barnegat area, vividly chronicled in this marvelous photographic history by Kevin Hughes, is a truly varied and fascinating one.

The seaside resort of Cape May was named for Dutchman Cornelis Mey, who sailed past this part of southeastern New Jersey in 1616.

Originally known as Cape Island, the area was settled by a handful of English-speaking farmers and whalers in the 1690s. By 1776, it was advertised as a popular, healthy place for bathing in the ocean. The first boardinghouses were erected in the early 1800s, and by 1850, the town boasted nearly two dozen. Vacationers came from Philadelphia, Baltimore, and even the Deep South, many building summer cottages along the shore. The establishment of rail service in 1863 brought a new era of growth and even more hotels. Although a devastating fire in 1878 destroyed several of the oldest, they were soon replaced by new hotels and cottages boasting broad porches and eaves lavished with gingerbread trim. Today, most of Cape May City is a National Historic Landmark in recognition of its well-preserved collection of Victorian-era buildings. Cape May showcases the rich architectural and recreational heritage of this coastal New Jersey town.

The agricultural communities of what now comprise Parsippany-Troy Hills were settled in the mid-18th century, but time has destroyed many of the artifacts of early years.

Evidence of rock shelters once used by the Lenni-Lenape Indians is still present, but the farms that once existed have been replaced by modern developments. Lake Passaic, formed by a receding ancient glacier, once covered Parsippany-Troy Hills; this geological phenomenon left behind fascinating rock formations and a rich, fertile soil. Follow the history of this New Jersey township from early farmland into a bustling, modern city.