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1955 Map of Orange

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Orange
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Watchung Mountain and its prominent ridges shape the residential and institutional landscape of northern New Jersey in the mid-1950s. The area is characterized by a dense network of suburban settlements such as Montclair, Bloomfield, and West Orange, alongside massive public works and healthcare complexes including the Overbrook Hospital, the County Sanatorium, and the County Isolation Hospital. These institutions represent a specific era of public health infrastructure situated on the higher elevations of the Second Watchung Mountain.

Industrial and transport corridors are clearly defined by the winding Passaic River and the numerous rail lines like the Erie RR and Lackawanna RR. The map captures the early footprint of the Garden State Parkway as it cuts through the established street grids. Abundant civic and religious landmarks, from the State Teachers College to the Holy Sepulchre Cem, provide specific points of interest for genealogists and local historians studying the growth of Essex Co during this post-war period.