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1905 Map of Somerville

Name: 1905 Topographic Map of Somerville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1914
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1914

About this map

The Raritan River and its major tributaries serve as the organizing spine of this Somerset County landscape, where early 20th-century industry meets an established village network. The presence of the Water Power Canal Raceway near Somerville and Raritan highlights the era’s reliance on water-driven manufacturing, while the Delaware and Raritan Canal borders the southeastern edge near South Bound Brook.

Rail infrastructure, including the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley, connects rural settlements like New Germantown and Pottersville to regional markets. Steep elevation changes are defined by the First Watchung Mountain and Second Watchung Mountain, providing a natural boundary to the more densely settled valley floors. Genealogists can trace local landmarks from Pottersville Falls to the various depots and post offices, such as Gallia P.O., that anchored these central New Jersey communities before modern suburbanization.