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1890 Map of High Bridge

Name: 1890 Topographic Map of High Bridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1890
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1890

About this map

The South Branch of Raritan River carves a central path through this late-nineteenth-century landscape, serving as a corridor for both water and rail. The town of High Bridge sits at a critical junction where the High Bridge Branch Central Railroad of New Jersey splits to serve the northern valleys. The topography is dominated by the dramatic horseshoe curve of Cushetunk Mountain and Round Valley Mountain, which encircle a basin that would later become a major reservoir.

Railroad networks define the region's connectivity, with the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Central Railroad of New Jersey cutting across the terrain to connect industrial hubs. Rural life is reflected in the numerous small settlements like New Germantown, Readingsburgh, and Glen Gardner. These villages are interspersed among named watercourses such as Spruce Run and Mulhockaway Creek, illustrating a well-settled agricultural and early industrial interior New Jersey.