New Jersey

Stirking historic images bring to life the story of a 150 year old village on the outskirts of Manhattan with a legacy that will continue to suprise.

From the mid-1800s through the late 1900s, life in South Orange was a mirror of events taking place on a national and global level. Evolutions in population, transportation, education, and culture played an important part in South Orange's growth from a small farming village to the bustling community it is today. For more than 150 years, the village's excellent road and rail infrastructure, salubrious climate, and close proximity to Manhattan has drawn residents from a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and talents. Today many South Orange residents enjoy the convenience of working in a bustling city and at the same time, living in late-19th- and 20th-century homes on streets illuminated by Victorian gaslights. These are just some of the factors that make South Orange a unique community.

Take a fascinating journey through the history of Linden, New Jersey with more than 200 vintage photographs and anecdotes from the locals who experienced it.

This volume of Linden, New Jersey contains an interesting array of images from the past 140 years, including pictures of some of the first settlers of the township to images of the parades that capture the changing facades of the downtown areas of the borough and city.

Featured are some of the early industries that made Linden their home, a representation of some houses of worship, and the Linden schools through the years. In 1861, Linden Township was formed. It was composed mainly of Rahway, but included part of Elizabeth and a small piece of Union Township. In addition to present-day Linden, the city included what is now Roselle, Winfield Park, and a portion of Cranford. The borough of Linden emerged from the center of the township as an island municipality in 1882. The two communities consolidated on April 3, 1924, and officially became a city on January 1, 1925. As the twenty-first century approaches, so does the 75th anniversary of the city of Linden.

Florence Revisited recounts the rich and unique history of Florence, New Jersey through the lens of vintage images; some never before seen.

Known as the Community with Character at the Bend in the River, Florence has a fascinating past and rich heritage. First inhabited by the Lenni-Lenape tribes, Florence is believed to be named after the daughter of Charles Macalester of Philadelphia, one of the area's first landowners who was instrumental in dividing Florence into lots for future homes in the early 1850s. Some early residents were decoy carvers, whose labors are in high demand today under the classification of Delaware River decoys, while others worked in foundries or as storekeepers, farmers, and fishermen. Picking up where Florence left off, Florence Revisited will provide information and enjoyment for those who are proud to call this town home, and it will spark an interest for old pictures, stories, and news articles about early families in Florence, New Jersey.

This pictorial overview of Hanover Township covers a nearly 70-year period from the late 1890s to 1965 and traces the development of the Village of Whippany and Cedar Knolls.

Hanover Township introduces us to a time when numerous paper mills employed a large contingent of the community's Irish-Catholic, Polish, and Italian populations; a time when as many as 16 local passenger and freight trains rolled through Hanover on the tracks of Morristown & Erie Railroad every day. In Hanover Township: Whippany and Cedar Knolls, we meet important community builders like the members of the McEwan family, whose industrial influence upon the region enabled Hanover to grow as it did. At one time the McEwans owned a vast majority of Hanover's real estate; they owned the Hanover, Stony Brook, and Eden Mills-three of the largest paper-producing mills in the northeast. And, of course, they owned the railroad that paper built.

The city of Bridgeton, New Jersey's largest historic district, was one of the state's leading commercial and industrial centers during the Victorian Era.

In this vibrant and exciting photographic history, local author Bill Chestnut brings to life the city's past from the advent of photography through the 1970s. Little-known historical facts about public buildings, recreational and cultural centers, schools, and churches are explored in the informative captions that accompany over 200 images in this collection. Memorable moments and events from the years gone by are illustrated in vivid detail, including the legendary Flood of 1934 that left the town without a span over the Cohansey River. Many scenes from Bridgeton's neighborhoods and neighboring communities reveal what life was like in the past of this old county town.

This book is a wonderful journey into a rich and diverse past--a past that will prove fascinating to resident and visitor alike.

For more than 200 years Eatontown, Oceanport, and West Long Branch shared a proud history as one township, and this book covers that community's heritage from the Colonial and Victorian eras through the 1950s. It also highlights the importance of Fort Monmouth, a US Army communications research facility that has now been listed as a maritime site on the New Jersey Coast Heritage Trail. Through the pages of this book we meet presidents and magnates; read local newspapers from over a hundred years ago; learn the history of the Jersey Shore's horse-racing tradition; discover ghosts and grisly crimes; and experience war, industrial revolution, the coming of the railroad, and great disasters from our past. Above all, we meet the people who have created Eatontown over the centuries at work, at play, in church, and at school. This book is a wonderful journey into a rich and diverse past--a past that will prove fascinating to resident and visitor alike.

Vintage and never before seen photographs document the histories of the New Jersey Caldwells.

Remembering the Caldwells offers a nostalgic view of three neighboring communities rich in history and character. This impressive collection of vintage photographs covers the period from the end of the 19th century to the eve of the millennium. These rare photographs, few of which have been shared with the public, are from the private collections of local families and archivists. Trace within these pages the emergence of a diversity of churches and schools, tour nationally significant historic homes, and explore the transportation system that helped shape the entire region. Remembering the Caldwells also features the Caldwells' connection with Grover Cleveland, from his parents' association with the town to his own residency in Caldwell. Join John J. Collins in this enlightening journey back in time to discover the people, places, and events that shaped the future of the Caldwells.

Go down the shore to Belmar, a unique community settled in 1700 and enjoy nostalgic images of its early days.

Belmar, a unique shore community formerly known as Ocean Beach, was settled around 1700 and has lured summer visitors from near and far for over one hundred years. The beach, boardwalk, Shark River, and Silver Lake were such popular and beloved attractions that many summer residents chose to make Belmar their permanent home. The Borough of Belmar was carefully laid out by developers so that most streets run between the Atlantic Ocean and Shark River, capitalizing on the cool breezes and scenicviews of this area. In the early days there werenumerous luxurious hotels, many of which are pictured in this new pictorial history along withnostalgic images of swimming, boating, and fishing in the early years of this century. Also featured are vintage photographs of Belmar's Main Street shops, restaurants, and community celebrations, which together present a lively view of Belmar's history.

The story of Trenton begins in 1678, when 20 Quakers left Yorkshire, England to travel to America.

They wintered in the fort at Burlington, New Jersey, and, in the spring of 1679, set sail for the lands they had purchased at the head of the navigable waters of the De La Warr River. Approaching rocky outcroppings in a sharp bend of the river, they stopped and began to build the village that would become the capital city of New Jersey. Trenton traces the city from these beginnings to more recent times, and just about everything in between, concentrating on the era of photography: from 1850 to 1960. The authors have masterfully compiled this volume, which blends images of the places and people that make Trenton so unique, with the stories of the important, timely events that helped to shape the history of Trenton.

This fascinating new book introduces us to the landed gentry of the Somerset Hills, with over 200 images bringing to life these colorful families and their magnificent estates.

After the Civil War, a class of industrialists and financiers amassed great fortunes while building the infrastructure of an expanding nation. Much of this money and power was concentrated in New York City, which quickly became crowded and unsuitable for the building of large estates. Many wealthy businessmen began to look eagerly toward the pastoral beauty of New Jersey as a site for their luxurious homes. Modeling itself on the English aristocracy, this uniquely American plutocracy sought to establish country seats, requiring acreage on a grand scale but in close proximity to New York City. Men such as George Seney, president of the Metropolitan Bank of New York, began purchasing property in Somerset County in the early 1870s, and soon many others were purchasing land in the county from the local farmers. We meet the great families themselves, from the Seneys, Drydens, Stevenses, Pfizers, and Roeblings, to the Forbes, as well as such famous individuals as Jackie Kennedy and King Hassan II of Morocco. We are shown around the great estates, and see the stone masons, wood carvers, and other artisans and tradesmen who created them.

Join author William B. Longo as he completes a comprehensive portrait of this 1848 jurisdiction. Longtime residents will surely appreciate this installment in the region's history.

Hazlet Township--originally composed of four separate villages known as Hazlet, Mechanicsville, North Centerville, and West Keansburg--celebrates its 150th anniversary in 1998, and this marvelous new book has been created to commemorate that occasion. Residents of Hazlet will learn about the community's development since 1900, and study its most significant period of growth--beginning around 1955. The earliest images contained in this volume illustrate Hazlet's rural past, depicting farms and the rustic character of the township. Other photographs represent the history of the township's municipal and public service centers, such as the post office, railroad station, and fire departments. Following World War II, the township began to lose its village divisions, and Hazlet Township describes this change in detail.

With more than two hundred vintage images, Linwood presents the view along the road from Leedsville to Linwood. Treasured nineteenth-century homes throughout the community provide a glimpse of the early years. Featured are such personalities as sea captains Israel Adams and Peter Reed, blacksmith Harry Potter, teacher Lizzie Cavileer, and chief of police Jesse James. Also included are well-known locales, such as Stuber's and Hagerthey's corner stores, the Mill Pond, Linwood Station, Belhaven and Leedsville Schools, and historic area churches.

Highland Park, New Jersey explores the rich history of this 2-square-mile town in an unprecedented collection of over 200 photographs.

Highland Park's history is one of growth and is best seen through the ever-tightening weaving of old and new architecture. As 19th century farmsteads gave way to residential developments, Highland Park's main street experienced considerable development and change; the horse and buggy gave way to trolleys and, eventually, to automobile traffic. In this unique pictorial collection, discover the charm of this New Jersey town through historic images of Highland Park's architecture, from mansions and churches to shacks. Also featured are collected memorabilia from local cultural events such as parades and horse races. While Highland Park acknowledges close ties to the city of New Brunswick, its small-town identity comes out from under New Brunswick's large shadow. Outstanding photographs of Ayres beach, the building of the railroad bridge, and the American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps in dress uniforms are complemented by timely graphics from maps, advertisements, and even a raffle ticket that was saved for 95 years.

Discover the hidden history of Hasbrouck Heights with images throughout the centuries and meet the notable figures who called it home.

Hasbrouck Heights highlights the development of an enterprising community located minutes from Manhattan, in Bergen County. The hilltop borough was incorporated in 1894, but it had a role in the Revolution and was part of the early Dutch settlements of the mid-1600s. Now a beautiful tree-lined town, Hasbrouck Heights has been home to celebrities such as Arthur Godfrey, Frank Sinatra, and Jason Biggs.