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1921 Map of Plainfield

Name: 1921 Topographic Map of Plainfield
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1921
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1921

About this map

The Watchung Mountains form a dramatic diagonal spine across this region, separating the low-lying Great Swamp from the industrializing plains below. This tactical survey highlights the significant transit corridors of the early 1920s, dominated by the Pennsylvania RR and the Lehigh Valley RR, which served the growing hubs of North Plainfield and Dunellen.

Detailed boundary lines delineate the New Jersey Reformatory and smaller settlements like Smalleytown and Raritan Landing, which retain their early identities before later suburban expansion merged these distinct locales. From the heights of Washington Rock down to the winding Raritan River, the map captures a landscape defined by sharp topographical contrasts and a dense network of country roads connecting older hamlets like Pumptown and Bonhamtown during a period of rapid transition.