1905 Map of Plainfield

About this map

The Great Swamp and the prominent ridges of First Mountain and Second Mountain define the topography of this early 20th-century corridor between the Passaic River and the Raritan River. The map captures a critical era of transit-oriented development where the Central Railroad of New Jersey and Lehigh Valley Railroad intersect thriving townships. Industrial and maritime activity is concentrated along the Arthur Kill, while the inland areas show a dense network of suburbanizing settlements like Scotch Plains, Metuchen, and Bound Brook. Notable landmarks such as Washington Rock overlook the spreading grid of North Plainfield, providing a snapshot of the region before the massive post-war expansion of the New York metropolitan area. This survey, based on work from the late 1880s with culture updated at the turn of the century, preserves the original footprints of local names like Smalleytown, Pumptown, and Samptown.