{"product_id":"old-map-of-summit-new-jersey-by-usgs-1955-westfield-watchung-reservation-rahway-river","title":"Old Map of Summit, New Jersey by USGS, 1955 – Westfield, Watchung Reservation \u0026 Rahway River","description":"\u003cp\u003ePublished with a 1964 imprint from 1955 survey data, the US Geological Survey’s “Roselle” quadrangle captures a highly dynamic portion of northern New Jersey at a pivotal moment in its postwar transformation. At 1:24,000 scale, the map presents Summit, Westfield, Roselle, Cranford, Springfield, Millburn, Union, Linden, and neighboring communities with the precision and restraint characteristic of mid-century federal topographic mapping. Red urban tinting marks the expanding built environment, while green areas preserve the visual presence of parks, reservations, and woodland. Contour lines reveal the subtle but meaningful relief between the Watchung slopes near Summit and Short Hills and the lower, more intensively developed lands toward Elizabeth, Rahway, and Woodbridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe US Geological Survey brought scientific rigor and a distinctly American visual language to maps such as this, combining field survey, aerial interpretation, and standardized symbology into a document of both practical and historical value. The “Roselle” sheet belongs to the celebrated 7.5-minute quadrangle series, a format designed to record local landscapes in exceptional detail. Roads, rail lines, streams, municipal boundaries, schools, cemeteries, industrial sites, and parklands are rendered with quiet authority. Its color scheme is especially evocative: red identifies dense settlement and major cultural features, green distinguishes wooded and recreational land, blue traces watercourses, and brown contours articulate the underlying terrain. The result is a remarkably legible portrait of suburban New Jersey before later waves of redevelopment further transformed the region.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the most compelling features is the map’s portrayal of the transition from older town centers to the expanding automobile suburbs of Union County and eastern Morris County. Westfield, Summit, Cranford, Millburn, and New Providence appear as established communities connected by a lattice of local roads, rail corridors, and emerging regional infrastructure. The New Jersey Turnpike, one of the defining engineering projects of the postwar Northeast, anchors the southeastern portion of the map, emphasizing the growing importance of high-speed travel and freight movement. The Rahway Valley Railroad is also shown, recalling an earlier industrial and commuter geography that linked small manufacturing districts, depots, and towns long before the modern highway landscape reached maturity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNatural and recreational landscapes provide a striking counterpoint to the dense urban pattern. Watchung Reservation, Echo Lake Park, and Nomahegan Park appear as green refuges within an increasingly developed metropolitan corridor. The map’s contours gently describe the Watchung Mountains and associated ridges, especially around Summit, Short Hills, Gillette, and Mountainside, where elevation and topography helped shape settlement, road alignments, and park preservation. Streams and river systems, including the Rahway River and tributaries associated with the Raritan drainage, thread through the towns and lowlands, reminding the viewer that this built landscape remained tied to older natural systems. These waterways influenced transportation routes, industrial siting, floodplains, and the placement of public open space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a historical document, “Roselle” offers a richly detailed snapshot of northern New Jersey before subsequent decades of intensified suburbanization, highway expansion, commercial redevelopment, and changing land use. Communities such as Union, Clark, Linden, Kenilworth, Rahway, and Woodbridge are shown in a period when residential growth, industrial corridors, rail lines, and parklands still formed a visibly layered landscape. The map records not only where roads and towns lay, but how metropolitan growth was organized at mid-century: compact centers, rail-linked suburbs, preserved reservations, and new expressways coexisting in close proximity. For collectors, historians, and admirers of American cartography, it is a finely composed study of place, infrastructure, and transformation in one of the nation’s most densely settled regions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCities, towns and places on this map\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSummit\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWestfield\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSpringfield\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCranford\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGillette\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMillburn\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShort Hills\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew Providence\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMountainside\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnion\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLinden\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoselle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKenilworth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRahway\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClark\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWoodbridge\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eElizabeth\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMillburn Township\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWatchung Reservation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEcho Lake Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNomahegan Park\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRaritan River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRahway River\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRahway Valley Railroad\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNew Jersey Turnpike\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVarious local roads and trails throughout the area\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHistorical context \u0026amp; cartographic details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMap name: Roselle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduced by the US Geological Survey\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical 1:24,000 topographical map of Summit, Westfield, and the surrounding area in New Jersey\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBased on 1955 mapping, with a 1964 imprint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUses traditional topographic styling with distinct colors for land elevations and land uses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreen indicates vegetation, while red highlights urban areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTerrain is shown with contour lines to indicate elevation changes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eColor variation emphasizes the contrast between populated and natural areas\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShows mid-20th-century urban development patterns that have likely changed significantly since the original mapping data was collected\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLooking for a particular place?\u003c\/strong\u003e Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop to check before you order\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDetailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee personalised map examples\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of \u003ca target=\"”_blank”\" href=\"\/it\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003erare old and vintage maps\u003c\/a\u003e to discover another place, period or style.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":58780959474048,"sku":null,"price":364.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58780959506816,"sku":null,"price":980.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":58780959539584,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":58780959572352,"sku":null,"price":364.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":58780959605120,"sku":null,"price":980.0,"currency_code":"CNY","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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