My ancestors arrived in New Brunswick about 1830. I have collected a bit of information about the city in that time, and thought I would post it in case anyone else might be curious. The 2 maps linked below are very interesting. The 1850 one is in color and has the homeowner`s name. Enjoy and take care, Kevin New Brunswick consisted of 2 townships in 2 different counties in this era. Franklin was the southern half of New Brunswick, in Somerset County. Albany Street and the old Post Road were the boundry line. Consisting of about 30,000 acres, 3,352 people lived there in 1830.10 stores, 4 grist mills, 4 saw mills,13 tan vats, 2 distilleries, 862 horses, and 1,335 neat cattle were counted there 2 years later. Parts of Kingston and Six Mile Run were within it's borders. Located in Middlesex County, appropriately named North Brunswick was slightly smaller, with 23,000 acres (5,000 then unimproved). The Princeton and Brunswick turnpike ran along it's western boundry, while the Trenton and Brunswick turnpike ran through it. It boasted 5,274 inhabitants in 1830, and it's citizens worked 47 stores, 1 saw mill, 4 "run of stones for grain", 1 plaster mill, 3 carding machines and fulling mills, 90 tan vats, 4 distilleries for cider, 593 horses and mules, and 831 neat cattle over 3 years old. New Brunswick, "the seat of justice of the county," Washington, Old Bridge, and part of Six Mile Run are "villages." The area formerly known as "Prigmore's Swamp" was divided into 5 wards, with 2 distinct sections*. Immediately on the river, the streets were narrow and crooked, with small frame houses. Albany Street starts a trend towards wider roads, itself being a broad well paved avenue, "ornamented with some excellent buildings." The houses then become "neat and commodious" with gardens. Many streets were paved with boulders, those not so become "easily wrought into deep paste" during the rainy season. The city contains 5-6000 people in about 750 dwellings, who can shop in 120 large stores, including "12 extensive grain stores." 20 taverns, 12 attorneys, and 8 physicians and 2 banks round out the description. A Catholic chapel opened in 1832. The Delaware and Raritan Canal was started in 1830. Finished in 1834, it ran for 43 miles x 70' wide, connecting New Brunswick with the Delaware River. Foodstuffs and coal for New Brunswick's steam powered industries were transported. The Camden and Amboy Railroad & Transportation Co. opened in 1833 and ran alongside the canal. The canal terminated at the Raritan river here ("a lock of 12 feet lift, into a basin 200 feet wide, made in the bed of the river, extending 1¼ mile in front of the town"), and 2 stage lines connected travelers to steamboats, which sallied forth 4 times daily to New York. 12 sloops carried NB's produce and manufactured goods. ("The history of New Jersey, from its discovery by Europeans to the adoption of the federal constitution" Thomas F. Gordon (1834) p.109,144 &195-6) If one wished to visit the BIG city, (NYC), train fare was seventy five cents.This passed through Newark, Elizabethtown, and Rahway.The aesthetically minded could travel by water via the Staten Island Sound and up the Raritan for "a delightful excursion". ("A Description of the cities, townships, and principal villages and settlements within thirty miles of the city of New York : being a guide to the most fashionable resorts, and watering places in the vicinity : accompanied by a correct map." (1839) p.43-4) The railroad initially stopped on the other side of the river, and passengers were transported by stage into the city (for 6½¢), but by 13 Nov. 1837, the RR bridge was open. It seems there were 9am and 4pm 'Mail Pilot' runs in 1839 to Philadelphia; trains left NYC for NB also at 9am & 4pm. To go to NYC, one left at 7am & 2pm. Single tracks guaranteed delay (double tracks arrived in 1859). ("The chronicles of New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1667-1931" John Wall p. 88-92) The 1855 City of New Brunswick Directory points out the recently completed gas works on Washington Street. Gas was introduced in 1852 and a "dense part of the city is now lighted by it." The Directory also tells us New Brunswick was connected by canal to Philadelphia and steamboat to New York (as early as 1818 according to the book "Gotham") besides having the railroad. The city boasted a flouring mill, planing mill, and saw mill, all powered by steam. Also an iron foundry, machine shop and wall paper factory. An India Rubber Company made shoes, among other goods. St. Peter's was almost ready to open its' doors. Until then, Catholics worshipped in a small building on Bayard St. near George. *It was christened New Brunswick about 1730. By the way, there was also a South Brunswick Twp. that was not part of New Brunswick, even though it bordered on both North Brunswick and Franklin. And had part of Kingston. (see the Gordon book p.195&109). 1829 NB map http://oldnewbrunswick.rutgers.edu/ 1850 NB map http://oldnewbrunswick.rutgers.edu/ The Thomas Gordon book qouted above is online at: http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=moa;g=moagrp;sid=6743c6e5333f52077fd84b171c90add0;tpl=home.tpl;cc=moa