History

Map Research & Archives: Sharing Local History with Maps

Researching Local History with Maps

As a historian, I believe maps are one of the greatest sources of information, capturing a time and place. We use these maps to research history and find buildings, families, farms, or streets. We often compare those historic maps to current maps. Then, we go on a journey to find that actual location today. Once in a while, we take our research and create maps to give perspective. #readytoremember.


Want a Historic Map of one of 5 towns in the Somerset Hills?
Click one of the maps below to find out how to get one.

MLH Get a Map Program. Free with every donation. Learn More

Mr Local History Interactive Google Maps

Check out our research, which includes digital maps. (Over 30 maps) – Diner History, Hamburger history, and all kinds of other maps tied to our research
Lost Motorsport Board Tracks Across America
Early settlers of Basking Ridge, New Jersey – Approximate locations from the early 1600s in Somerset County, New Jersey.
An interactive map showcases Bernards Township’s large development history.
History of the Irish in New Jersey – Parade map!
Historic Gardens in New Jersey
1970s – The building of the AT&T world headquarters in Basking Ridge, New Jersey – Property acquisition map.
S & H Green Stamps co- founders roots in New Jersey – Sperry Map Cranford, New Jersey
1779 Washington Encampment at Jockey Hollow
and the Basking Ridge Trail
Story – The Hospital Trail
Revolutionary War Beacon Towers

Mr. Local History Story – The Beacon Project
Somerset County Historic Landmarks

Mr. Local History Story – Somerset’s most historic sites
New Jersey One Room Schoolhouses

Mr. Local History Story – Historic One Room NJ Schoolhouses
The Bedminster Vanderveer Brothers Map

Mr. Local History Story – Before West Point……
Mansions of the Somerset Hills – The Mountain Colony

Mr. Local History Story – The Somerset Hills Most Famous
Walking Tour of Historic Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Mr. Local History Story – Walking Tour
Historic Pub Crawl Tour – Three Tours

Mr. Local History Story – Take a Pub Crawl Tour
REFLECTION: Somerset County Farms, Orchards, Dairies, Stables & Historic Preservation
10 More Haunted Tales From Central New Jersey
Princeton University New Jersey Map Collection 1666-1888
also
University of Michigan Map Collection
See the entire New Jersey Rutgers collection – Click Here
Map Plan of the Operations of General Washington, against the King’s Troops in New Jersey, from the 26th of December 1776 to the 3rd of January 1777 It was drawn by William Faden, a noted British cartographer, and published in London shortly after these events during the American Revolutionary War.
New Jersey – 1872 Single color
New Jersey 1872 topographical map
NEW JERSEY 1873 Color

See more from the David Rumsey Map collection (Zoomable Maps) – Click Here
New Jersey 1814 Color Map

See the entire New Jersey Rutgers collection – Click Here
Carey’s 1822 Geographical, Historical and Statistical State Map of New Jersey
NEW JERSEY GEOLOGY – 1868

See the entire Rutgers collection – Click Here
The Rochambeau March Map – 1782
See the entire New Jersey Rutgers collection – Click Here

The Rochambeau New Jersey Collection – Click Here
Morristown 1779Robert Erskine, F. R. S., the Surveyor-General of the Continental Army
1888 – New Jersey Relief Map – The New Jersey Geological Survey “Historical Maps” page: “New Jersey Relief Map, 1888, 1889, 1892” — they note that the maps have been scanned in TIFF format – Various Maps in this collection. – NJ DEP
Click Here
Map GeeksCollection of historic digital Maps of New Jersey
Jeffery’s 1776 Map of the Provinces of New York and New Jersey with part of Pennsylvania

Carey’s 1795 State Map of New Jersey Compiled from the most Authentic Information

Arrowsmith’s 1804 State Map of New Jersey

Carey’s 1814 State Map of New Jersey

Carey’s 1822 Geographical, Historical and Statistical State Map of New Jersey

Finley’s 1827 State Map of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania

Tanner’s 1836 State Map of New Jersey

Colton’s 1856 State Map of New Jersey

Mitchell’s 1880 State, County and Township Maps of New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware
1873 – SOMERSET COUNTY FW Beers
1873 – HUNTERDON COUNTY FW Beers
1850 – SOMERSET COUNTY – – Contributor: Otley, J. W. – Keily, James – Smith, Robert Pearsall – Van Derveer, Lloyd
1850 – Somerset County – Color – Relief shown by hachures. Plan of Somerville. Includes names of property owners and 7 views. LC Land ownership maps are available also through the Library of Congress website as a raster image, and zooms in very well on the Library of Congress website.
1850 Map of Somerset County, New Jersey: entirely from original surveys- Published by Lloyd Van Derveer, surveyor, 1850. Zooms in well. Used for Coffee House in Madisonville section of Basking Ridge.
1766 – Plan of Somerset County in the province of New Jersey: Copied from the original by Lieut. I. Hills, asst. engr. / surveyed by Benjamin Morgan.
1781 – Somerset County Survey – John Hills (Surveyor)
Benjamin Morgan (Draftsman)
1935 Bridle Path Map of Somerset and Morris Counties
1940 Picture Map of Somerset County, New Jersey


John Smith Map Collection (Historic Recreations)
List of Available Maps covering areas from 1700-1900, including:
Somerset Hills, Bernards Township, Basking Ridge, Liberty Corner, Bedminster, Pluckemin, Bernardsville, including Bernardsville Center, and more.
Click Here for Information
1873 BERNARDS, BERNARDSVILLE, LIBERTY CORNER
1873- BASKING RIDGE VILLAGE
1781- LIBERTY CORNER – BULLION’S TAVERN
1873- Liberty Corner Village – Beers
1900- Bernards Township
1953 – Bernards Township
1778-Liberty Corner
1770- Lord Stirling Property Map
1779 – Road towards Morristown past Baskenridge Meeting House; and joined Mr. McMurray’s work near Woodard’s Mill
2012- Basking Ridge Presbyterian Cemetery Map -(search Mr. Local History for list tied to numbers.
2025- Bernards Township Tax Map
2021 – Liberty Corner and Basking Ridge sections of Bernards Township interactive map (Annin’s Corner)
2017- Bernards Township Elementary School Map
1901- Bernardsville Sanborn Fire Insurance Company Maps (4) – Library of Congress
1909- Bernardsville Sanborn Fire Insurance Company Maps (8) Library of Congress
19230 Bernardsville Sanborn Fire Insurance Company Maps (10) Library of Congress
2020 – Bernards Township Map of bike paths, walkways, parks
2020 – Bernards Township Zoning Map
1873- BEDMINSTER TOWNSHIP
Bedminster Township Landholders, 1766 -1766 map of Somerset County, NJ, by Benjamin Morgan and I. Hills

We love studying the history of New Jersey food – diners, sandwiches, bars, and more.

Mapping New Jersey’s Most Iconic Diners
Jersey Comfort Food – Mapping The Best of the Best!
Finding New Jersey’s Giant Pizzas

Distillers in New Jersey Map – Tell us when a new distillery fires up.
The Only Map of New Jersey Dive Bars
Jersey’s History with Bar Room Shuffleboard

Do you have a map you’d like to share?
Let us know.

There is a wealth of history to be learned from a map. We have historic maps and interactive maps embedded in many of our stories, and we try to list that research here. If you’re looking for something specific, try our search feature.

Sir Francis Bernard Honored With American Town Names

Sir Francis Bernard’s Legacy Carries On as Towns Honor the Royal Governor of New Jersey and Massachusetts In 1758, Francis Bernard, originally from Lincolnshire, England, was appointed Governor of the province of Nova Caesarea (New Jersey). He packed up his…

Lord Stirling Deep Dive Series

Some called him William, others called him General. Some even called him Lord Stirling. Whatever you called him, William Alexander, aka Lord Stirling, was one of the most interesting people of the Revolutionary War. The Mr. Local History Project Lord…

Day Trips – Four Historic New Jersey Fall Locations You Must See

The 2025 Fall Foliage Map is the ultimate visual planning guide to the annual progression of leaf change. While no tool can be 100% accurate, this tool is designed to help travelers better time their trips to maximize their chances of catching…

The History of Burgers and Mapping the Best Burgers in America

Start This Journey with 2 minutes of #burgerporn. Enjoy as we did! Who doesn’t love a good burger? Ah, yes, even the statement opens the door for interpretation. How big, ketchup or not, steamed, fried, broiled, with lettuce—the debate goes…

Bernardsville’s Lost Dayton Home, Orchards and Mount Airy Nursery

UPDATE:Another Dayton family discussion came up…. we couldn’t refuse the query. MLH Introduces Ezra Dayton and the Dayton Families The name “Mount Airy” first appears in printed atlases and maps as early as the 1870s–1880s, when the hill above Bernardsville…

Pocono Pines and Lake Naomi Area – Map Collection Showcases History

I’ve been creating a series of memories and researching the history of Lake Naomi, Pocono Pines, and the greater Pocono Mountains area. While some call me a historian, I’m more of a researcher who shares what I find, and it’s…

Meet the Historians Series

Featured individuals include longtime resident and historian Ruth Thomson (with ties to the Peapack-Gladstone area) and her son, Barry Thomson, along with other local history advocates dedicated to preserving the region’s cultural heritage. Bedminster’s Dutzie Robie, Bernardsville’s Marion Kennedy and Jean Hill,…

Garden State’s Top Historic Gardens and Estates

April 14th is National Garden Day, so make sure you get out there and enjoy our Garden State’s beauty (and history) While the Mr. Local History Project typically focuses on historical research, stories, and events, we figured one great tour…

Col. Samuel Colt Got His Start in Paterson, New Jersey

Starting in 1836 in Paterson, New Jersey, Samuel Colt’s revolver is one of the 10 most influential inventions EVER produced. The Colt Paterson revolver was the first practical revolving-cylinder handgun, and it was made in Paterson, New Jersey. For years, MLH for…

Jersey’s History with Bar Room Shuffleboard

Isn’t it interesting how history becomes a part of history? Take, for example, pay phones. When you were using them, you never thought about it, and then they’re gone and not just gone……totally gone. Then you see them 20 years…

Retrospective: Building AT&T Headquarters Basking Ridge

As with all Mr. Local History retrospectives, we often update the post when we learn stories and are sent photos from our community. We will continue to expand this piece as information becomes available. If you have any stories to share,…

Best Crumb Cake in New Jersey – Discuss Now

Maybe we’re taking this too seriously, but we’ve been searching for bakeries serving New Jersey’s best crumb cake. If you’re not a fan of the cake, you might want to leave now because we’re really going to get into the…

New Jersey Hills are Alive with Distilling History

Distilling in Central New Jersey New Jersey has a deep history of distilling spirits that goes back to colonial times. The Somerset Hills is an area in central New Jersey’s Somerset County grouping six similar towns, villages, and hamlets into…

Where is West Millington, Lyons and Madisonville Sections of Bernards Township

NOTE: As with all Mr. Local History retrospectives, we often update the post when we learn stories and are sent photos from our community. We will continue to grow this piece as information becomes available. Mr. Local History Project We’re often…

Local Cemetery History Research

There is a wealth of history to be learned from a cemetery. We have a rich genealogy embedded in many of our stories, and we strive to describe other facts, analytics, and stories about those who make their final resting…

Maps That Share Our Research – Mr. Local History Project Collection

There is a wealth of history to be learned from a map. We have historic maps and interactive maps embedded in many of our stories, and we try to list that research here. If you’re looking for something specific, try…

Franklin Corners and William Childs Williamsburg-esqe Vision

Tucked in the northernmost section of Bernards Township, New Jersey, along the Passaic River lies a small historic district. If you drive through it, you’ll notice the area’s rich history, marked by its grist mill and restored barns. However, what…

Grand Mansions and Historic Estates Mapped in New Jersey’s Somerset Hills

Many people have asked why you post all this history stuff on the area you’re calling the Somerset Hills. Well, call it passion. Call it intrigue. Call it local awareness. I think the main reason is that the information wasn’t…