1890 Map of Glassboro

About this map

Glassboro and its surrounding townships in Gloucester and Salem Counties are depicted here at the height of their late-19th-century rail expansion. The landscape is defined by the strategic intersection of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and the West Jersey Railroad, which facilitated the growth of industrial and agricultural hubs like Clayton and Elmer. Local water power remains central to the economy, evidenced by family-named landmarks such as Ewan's Mills and Frie's Mill. The southern portion of the sheet reveals the headwaters of the Maurice River, winding through the townships of Franklin and Pittsgrove. Small settlements like Pitman Grove and Mullica Hill appear as established community centers, while numerous smaller crossroad hamlets like Five Points and Whig Lane illustrate the dense network of early South Jersey travel routes before the era of modern highways.