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1955 Map of Paterson

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Paterson
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

The Passaic River anchors this mid-century portrait of a rapidly densifying industrial and residential landscape, showing the city of Paterson at its heart. As postwar expansion reached into the surrounding hills, many of the region’s older institutions remained prominent landmarks, including the Valley View Sanatorium, the North Jersey Training School, and the Home for the Aged. The transport network is in a state of transition; the historic routes of the Erie Railroad and New York Susquehanna and Western RR are seen alongside the newly developing Garden State Parkway, which by 1970 was already reshaping the borders of Fair Lawn and Clifton.

To the west, the topographic divide of Watchung Mountain and Preakness Mountain separates the urban core from the more open grounds of Franklin Lakes and Wyckoff. This map is particularly rich in genealogical data, preserving the locations of numerous historic burial grounds such as Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Laurel Grove Cemetery, and the Van Houten Cem. From the mills of Riverside to the reservoirs like Point View Reservoir, the map documents the infrastructure and communal structures of a classic New Jersey industrial hub.