Back in March, the Montclair History Center was given this wonderfully preserved copy of Robinson’s Atlas of Essex County, New Jersey from 1890! The atlas was published in New York by Edward Robinson who also published an earlier version of Atlas of Essex County, New Jersey in 1881 (a copy of which is in the Montclair Public Library's collection).

Cover of *Robinson’s Atlas of Essex County, New Jersey*, 1890

This atlas is a fantastic addition to the collection, not only because four whole plates are dedicated to highlighting the minute details of the entirety of Montclair and Upper Montclair, but the maps show the evolution of the town during a time of great expansion. The establishment of the first train station in town at Lackawanna station in 1856 marked the start of the evolution of Montclair from a sleepy farming community to a suburban haven for the wealthy and working class.

While there is a lot to explore in these plates, here are some highlights:

-Lucy Stone, the famous suffragette and abolitionist. When she married Henry Blackwell in 1855, she did not take his name (scandalous!). However, on some legal documents she was required to sign her name as "Lucy Stone Blackwell," an example of which can be seen here on the map as "L.S. Blackwell." The house they lived in still stands at 118 North Mountain Ave.

-The proposed Morristown Branch of the New York & Greenwood Lake Railroad. According to The Erie System compiled by George H. Minor (1911), the branch would have been a "single-track railroad extending from a connection with the main line near the intersection of Walnut Street and Anthony's Brook [today known as Tony's Brook]...through the Watchung Mountain to Caldwell, thence to the Village of Whippany, thence to the City of Morristown, and thence to the Village of Brookside." Due to a lack of funding, the branch was eventually abandoned. However, evidence of this branch can still be seen today. According to Images of America: Montclair, A Postcard Guide to Its Past (1998), ghosts of this proposed line can be found in the mound at the back of the parking lot of MKA’s Muenster Field (which used to be the start of a tunnel for the railroad before MKA filled it in in 1989); the embankment east of Central Avenue near Bellaire Drive; and the clipped northwest corner of Tierney’s Tavern.

The proposed plan begins in the bottom left corner and extends to the top middle.

Location of the former tunnel entrance, filled in by MKA in 1989. The back of the Howe House can be spotted on the far left.

Back of Tierney’s Tavern showing the clipped northwest corner.

-The home of famous landscape artist, George Inness. The house identified as "The Misses Dodge" house was later bought by Inness who moved the house back. Inness's daughter and son-in-law (the famous sculptor, Jonathan Scott Hartley) soon moved in and a walkway was built connecting the two houses. They were both demolished in the 1920s to make way for Columbus Avenue.

-The Jewish Cemetery next to Rosedale Cemetery, today known as the Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel Cemetery or the Sharey Tefilo-Israel Cemetery. The cemetery was first started in 1887 for the exclusive use of members of the Temple Sharey Tefilo. The Montclair Times described the cemetery in 1889: “It is neatly laid out with walks and drives and has just been enclosed with a neat iron fence at a cost of over $600 [today that would be around $20,000!].”

-Hose No. 4 located at what is today Anderson Park. Cliffside Hose No. 4 was organized in 1888, moving to their current location at 588 Valley Road in 1902. It wasn’t until 1918 that the company stopped using horses and switched to automobiles! Anderson Park itself did not come to be until the early 20th century. According to the Essex County Department of Parks and Rec, the park was originally called "Montclair Park" and was transferred to the Essex County Park Commission from the Town of Montclair in 1901. In 1909 the town requested the name be changed in honor of its original donor, C.W. Anderson. The design for the park was completed in 1903 by the Olmsted Brothers firm.

-Previous location of what is today the Crane House & Historic YWCA at 159 Glen Ridge Avenue. The house was built in 1796 by Israel “King” Crane. By 1890, the house had passed to Israel’s son, James. The house moved to its current location at 110 Orange Road in 1965.

Dive deeper into these plates on our digital collections website here! And did we miss anything? If so, comment below!