Brand New Illustrated Booklet

The early days of Essex County, NJ (which originally included much of Union County), and its various communities -- Belleville, Bloomfield, Caldwell, Camptown, Clinton, Elizabeth, Elizabethport, Elizabethtown, Fairfield, Livingston, Newark, New Providence, Orange, Plainfield, Rahway, Springfield, Union and Westfield -- are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this NEW 97 Page Booklet reprinted from two hard to find books: the 1847 edition of John Warner Barber and Henry Howe's Historical Collections of the State of New Jersey and New Jersey, a Guide to Its Present and Past, a WPA project published in 1939. The spiral-bound booklet is printed on 60# paper, with the fine print enlarged for easier reading. A sheet of clear vinyl has been added to protect the front cover.

The Howe/Barber history covers the development of this area until about 1844, while excerpts from the WPA book, give a nostalgic glympse from a 1939 vantage point, including interesting historical notes, especially as they relate to sightseeing possibilities.

Among the many and varied topics in the booklet are:
Early settlers; a physical description of the county; the College of New Jersey (later moved to Princeton) and other schools; Churches, including the First Presbyterian Church's request for compensation for property lost in the Revolution; Religious Controveries; Tombstone Inscriptions; the Battle of Springfield,  a Town Divided in Loyalties, Ravages of British Soldiers on Citizens, Tories as well as Rebels, and other Revolutionary War stories; Biographical Sketches of Geradus Haugevort, Aarent Schuyler, Josiah Hornblower, the Rev. Jonathan Dickenson, the Rev. Aaron Burr, William Livingston, Abraham Clark, the 'Poor Man's Counsellor,' and others; the Tragic Deaths of the Rev. James Caldwell and his Wife at the hands of British Soldiers; Land Distribution and Title Disputes; a plan of the Principal Part of Broad Street in Newark, with buildings and occupants shown; Exploits of Capt. Littell; Newark's Cider; Special WPA sections on Newark and Elizabeth, with maps; a special section on Orange; a map of the area; and many other interesting bits of history and trivia.  

The booklet contains delightful hand-drawn sketches by Barber and Howe depicting: Bellville, the Presbyterian Church in Bloomfield, Elizabethtown, the Livingston Mansion, Newark (2 full page),  Courthouse, Orange Cemetery, Rahway, Springfield, Plainfield and Washington Rock.

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?

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