1871 Meyer and Wonneberg Wall Cadastral Map of Elizabeth, New Jersey

This is a previously uncatalogued 1871 Ernest L. Meyer and W. F. Wonneberg cadastral wall map of Elizabeth, New Jersey. This map is a unique record of the urban expansion of Elizabeth through the late 19th century.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces from Mount Olivet Cemetery to Staten Island Sound and Newark Bay and from Linden Township to Woodruff's Creek, Meyer and Wonneberg. Dashed lines and faint lettering mark streets outside the historical town center, illustrating the rapid urbanization. These 'ghost' streets cut through larger tracts of land owned by individuals, or marshes or swamps that have been reclaimed. Other 'ghost' streets cut through parts of the city closer to the center of town, illustrating the city's expanding grid. Innumerable buildings appear throughout town, many of which are identified by the owner's last name or by their use. Among these are factories, businesses, and churches. The New Jersey Rail Road and the Central Rail Road of New Jersey cut through town and intersect near Broad Street and Morris Avenue. Wharves operated by the railroads, which include the Central Rail Road of New Jersey and the Delaware, Lakawanna and Western Railroad Company, appear on the shores of Newark Bay, ready to unload their cargo.

Then and Now

Most of the streets illustrated here still exist in Elizabeth today, including some of those 'ghosted' in on the right. The southernmost boundary of Newark Airport runs along North Avenue, with the southernmost reaches of the airport near the intersection of North Avenue and Division Street (which appears on this map). However, land use has drastically changed over time, and the street grid on the right does not appear today as exactly it does here.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by Ernest L. Meyer and W.F. Wonneberg in 1871 and engraved by Joseph Shedler. It does not appear in OCLC or the Library of Congress.