>From Antique Maps, but the Blue Mountains seem to run from NJ to Easton, PA area and have many ski resorts. I know many of my ancestors lived in NJ and worked in PA which is across the Delaware river, i.e. Decker's Ferry. Marilyn in CA http://www.antiquemapsandprints.com/usa-newjersey.htm STATE OF NEW JERSEY The article below was written in 1885 and makes interesting reading. Topography: New Jersey has an extreme length north and south of 157 miles; a breadth of from thirty-seven to seventy miles; and an area of 7,815 square miles, or 5,001,600 acres. The highest ground is found in the northwest, where the Blue mountains attain an elevation of from 1,000 to 1,750 feet. The Highland range consists of a series of hills rising 300 to 600 feet above their alternating valleys, and separated from the Blue mountains by the Kittatinny valley, which has a width of about ten miles. The elevation of this range is from 1,000 to 1,400 feet above the sea. The Palisades of the Hudson, on the northeast, consist of rough ridges of trap formation, never exceeding 600 feet in height. The centre of the State is an undulating plain, and the southern division is low and level. The Hudson forms part of the eastern border, and the Delaware river and bay the western. The Atlantic coast line is 120 miles long, and the water frontage on Delaware Bay is almost as great, while the Hudson river and the Raritan, New York and Newark bays afford splendid harbor facilities. The coast from Cape May to Sandy Hook is bordered by long strips of sand beach enclosing considerable bodies of water connected by narrow passages. Vessels of light draft can sail round much of the coast in these protected lagoons, and thus avoid the rough sea of the Atlantic. The most noticeable natural features of the State are the peculiar gorge or cut through the Blue mountains known as the Delaware Water Gap and the falls of the Passaic at Paterson. In the northern highlands there are several small picturesque lakes, and the watering places on the Atlantic coast, including Long Branch, Squan Beach, Atlantic City and Cape May, are among the most popular summer resorts in the East. Climate: The temperature varies considerably in different parts of New Jersey, the annual mean in the northern highlands being from 48º to 50º Fahrenheit; while in the south, where the elevation is slight and the influence of the ocean is felt, it reaches 54º. The uplands are healthy, but marsh fever and ague prevail in some parts of the south. The precipitation of rain and snow ranges from forty-one inches at Cape May to fifty inches in the northern highlands. History: The first settlers in New Jersey were the Dutch of New Amsterdam, who planted a colony at Bergen about 1620. A colony of Swedes settled on the east shore of the Delaware in 1638. In 1655 the Dutch dispossessed the Swedes, and in 1604 the country passed to the English with New York. The Duke of York transferred the whole to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, and the territory was named New Jersey in compliment to the latter, who had been governor of the island of Jersey. Prior to this, however, the towns of Newark, Shrewsbury, Elizabeth and Middletown were founded by immigrants from Connecticut. The Dutch captured New York, and New Jersey submitted to them in 1673, but reverted to England in 1674 and for six years was governed by Sir Edmund Andros, the royal governor of New England. >From 1682 to 1702 William Penn and a company of Friends governed New Jersey. Previous to that time there had been two distinct governments, known as East and West Jersey. The proprietary government lasted twenty years and surrendered its powers to the crown in 1702. While retaining its separate assembly New Jersey was subject to the governor of New York until 1708, when it acquired a distinct administration. Immediately after the declaration of independence New Jersey became the theatre of war, and some of the most important contests of the Revolution Occurred within its borders. It was here the battles of Fort Lee, Trenton, Princeton, Millstone, Red Bank and Monmouth were fought. New Jersey adopted a State constitution in 1776 and a new one in 1844, which has recently been amended. The Federal constitution was adopted unanimously in December, 1787, and the State capital was established at Trenton in 1790. Slavery existed in the State for many years, but in 1840 there were only 674 persons held as slaves, and at the census of 1860 only eighteen were returned, and New Jersey was counted as one of the free States. It contributed 75,814 men to the Federal armies during the Civil war. Population: Census of 1880: Males, 559,922; Females, 571,194; Native, 909,416; Foreign, 221,700; White, 1,092,017; Colored, 39,099, including 170 Chinese, 2 Japanese, 74 Indians and 2 East Indians. ----- Original Message ----- From: "William Hartman" <[email protected]> To: "NJHUNTER" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 3:09 AM Subject: [NJHUNTER] Blue Mountain(s) in Hunterdon? > Where is(are) the "Blue Mountain(s)" ? > > If you know for sure, I would appreciate an answer - NO Speculation, Please - I reserve that prerogative! > > In the Hunterdon Republican newspaper dated November 18, 1885 there were 2 items regarding the "Blue Mountain(s)": > >>From the correspondent - "Jingo" - at Ringoes we find: > "Mr. L. Dilts and Mr. Mahlon Schenck, with their wives, have returned from a trip to the Blue Mountains, where they went to visit Mr. Walter Wilson. The party made the journey in a wagon." > > and from the correspondent - "U-No-Hoo" - at Bloomsbury: > "S. R. Dalrymple and Mark Creveling, spent part of last week at the Blue Mountain, hunting." > > Since the 2 items are from opposite ends of Hunterdon County, my impression is that they refer to different "mountains"! The Sourlands come to mind for the group from Ringoes, but I have no 'speculation' for the northern area of Hunterdon, or perhaps the southern area of Warren County. > > Thank you for any positive leads! > > I remain your faithful investigator, > MrBill > > PS: I have found no further references to the "Rio Grande" river in Hunterdon County! > > PSS: The Hunterdon Republican Website is slowly progressing, visit: www.huntrepnews.com for a peek! > Visit the Hunterdon County GenWeb page at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >