Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
by Douglas Dixon Here are some of the highlights of the 2022 additions to the History Project site, with links to more information, plus associated documents, maps, photos, and videos. The purpose of the Hopewell Valley History Project is assemble an archive of reference material in local history, shared online in digital and searchable formats … Continue reading Hopewell History Project – 2022 Highlights
The arrival of railroad service in the 1870s along the foothills of the Sourlands helped drive the development of Hopewell into the town that we know today. See below for the presentation video and slides, and references from the Life in 1900s Hopewell With the Arrival of the Railroad presentation by Douglas Dixon, held on … Continue reading Hopewell with the Arrival of the Railroad – Video and References
Maps are beautiful! Local atlas and topographic maps provide amazing glimpses into the past – showing the topology, rivers and roads, and even buildings with identifications. These are impressive examples of the cartographic arts, combining lines, text, and symbols with color and shading – all at different sizes and scales – into a coherent and … Continue reading Historic Maps – Topographical and Geological
It’s Hopewell Borough’s annual Town-Wide Yard Sale weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 11 & 12. So as you clear out the attic and browse the sales – this weekend and this summer – please be on the lookout for historic artifacts that we can preserve and share here on the History Project site. Here are … Continue reading Yard Sailing for Local History
This is an amazing 1914 map of the entire Delaware & Raritan Canal system. The map was drawn by the Pennsylvania Railroad, who owned the canal from 1871 until 1933. The canal then reverted to the state of New Jersey and used as a water supply. The 70-mile Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park was … Continue reading 1914 Delaware & Raritan Canal Map
The mania of trolley construction in the United States in the early 1900s included one line from Trenton servicing Hopewell and Pennington from 1902 to 1931, and two competing lines to Lawrenceville and Princeton from 1899 to 1939. The rails have long since been torn up – apparently to be used as scrap for World … Continue reading Hopewell Valley Trolley Routes – 1902 – 1931
It’s difficult to imagine life in Hopewell Township in 1880 – almost century and a half ago. It was an exciting time, since two train lines had been recently built though the township, accelerating the growth of the region. (See the Hopewell Railroads post.) We are blessed with some maps of the area, including details … Continue reading The Villages of Hopewell Township in 1883
Somerset Street is the lost street of Hopewell Borough. Yes, the street is still there, but the physical history is gone – all the homes and buildings, and even the remnants of foundations and the ground itself are lost. This was mostly the result of the clean-up in the 1990s of the contamination from the … Continue reading Lost Somerset Street
The December updates to the Hopewell Valley History Project site included historical photos of snowy views around the valley, the Hopewell train station, and some possibly false images around the area. Plus a 1924 high school program packed with ads for local businesses, and New York Times articles published directly after the Hopewell Frog War. … Continue reading December 2021 Update – Hopewell or Not
The October updates on the Hopewell Valley History Project site focused on the local Hopewell and Pennington train stations, including a trove of over 40 historical photos by Ralph Curcio. Other posts showed examples of how to use historical maps to learn about local properties, such as the additions to St. Michael’s and Weart’s Market … Continue reading October 2021 Update – Train Stations
