Superintendent of Schools, Jersey City, New Jersey Copyright, 1916, 1921, by American Book Company....

The original inhabitants of New Jersey H were Indians of the Delaware tribe, which belonged to the Algonquin family. The early white settlers were of different nationalities,—Dutch, Swedes, English, and French. The geographical names of the state are interesting reminders of the various occupants. The first exploration of the state was made by Henry Hudson, who, in the employ of the Dutch East India Company, sailed for a week in 1609 on the waters of Delaware Bay and Delaware River, which the Du

New Jersey lies between 73° 55′ and 75° 32′ west longitude and between 38° 56′ and 41° 21′ north latitude. Its northernmost point is marked by a rock on the shore of the Delaware River just south of Port Jervis, New York, known as Tri-States Rock. From this point to Cape May the length of the state is 166 miles. Its narrowest part, between Trenton and Raritan Bay, is 335 miles wide. Its widest part, measured on a line extending northwest from Great Egg Inlet, is 57 miles wide. It is the smallest

In a general way the surface of New Jersey may be described as mountainous in the northern part, undulating in the middle part, and low and sandy in the southern part. The state is divided into four provinces or zones; namely, the Appalachian zone, the Highlands, the Piedmont Plateau, and the Coastal Plain. These zones extend from southwest to northeast. The Appalachian zone, which consists of Kittatinny Mountain and Kittatinny Valley, extends across the northwestern part of the state from the D

The climate of New Jersey is milder and less subject to extreme fluctuation than that of the interior states in the same latitude, because it extends along the ocean (Sec. 107). The average annual temperature of New Jersey is 51.5°. The average annual temperature of the extreme northern part is 5° lower than that of the extreme southern end of the state. The lower temperature of the northern part of the state is due to the higher latitude, its distance from the ocean, and its greater altitude. T

The divide between the streams that flow into the Delaware River and Delaware Bay on the west and those that flow into the Hudson River, Newark Bay, New York Bay, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, and Atlantic Ocean on the east is a very irregular line extending from the northwest corner of the state to Cape May. It is so near the Delaware River and Delaware Bay that only a little more than one third of the state is drained into these waters. The tributaries which drain this basin are, therefore, sma

Forests. —When the state was first settled it was covered with a vast primeval forest, consisting of pine, oak, maple, chestnut, hickory, ash, walnut, tulip, poplar, and cedar. For many years lumbering was an important industry, but it ceased a long time ago, after the best timber had been cut down. In the northern part of the state, where agriculture is difficult or impossible, the mountains are still covered with forests which promise to be of great value in the future. In the southern part, t

Soils. —In the northern part of the state the sides of the higher mountains are steep and are in many places denuded of soil. In the valleys and on the hills north of the terminal moraine the soil consists largely of glacial drift, which is composed of clay, sand, and gravel mixed with bowlders. This soil is fertile, but a large part of it is not easy to cultivate, because of the large stones in It and because of the rugged surface. South of the terminal moraine, in the Highlands and in the Pied

Iron ore is found in many parts of the state. The mines of Morris County in the Highlands are the most productive. Iron ore was smelted at Shrewsbury in the seventeenth century by Colonel Lewis Morris, and in many places at the time of the Revolution. The iron industry of the state was most extensive and successful during the third quarter of the last century. The greater abundance and richness of western ores has since made it impossible to operate most of the mines and furnaces of Warren and M

In the early days of the state communication between the settlements was by Indian trails, which, as travel increased, expanded into roads. Settlements on the coast were also connected by sailing vessels. The roads gradually increased in number and length as the interior of the state was developed. Little effort was made, however, toward keeping the public roads in good condition. The difficulties of travel and transportation led to the construction of many "turnpikes," or roads built by private

New Jersey is rich in its facilities for recreation and recuperation. The long sea coast is one long line of attractive summer resorts, which are famous all over the world, while some places are pleasure and health resorts all the year round, and attractions of a different kind are found in abundance among the mountains, woods, lakes, and streams of the northern part of the state. Under authority given by state law the counties and cities have provided many parks and playgrounds and have adopted

Government. —The Constitution of New Jersey divides the government into three departments,—legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative department is vested in the legislature, which is composed of the senate and the general assembly. The senate is composed of one senator from each county, elected by the voters for three years. The general assembly is composed of sixty assemblymen apportioned among the counties according to population and elected by the voters for one year. The executiv

The population of New Jersey in 1910, according to the United States Census, was 2,537,168; and the density of population, or the number of people per square mile, was 337.7. In 1920, according to the United States Census, the population was 3,155,900, an increase of 24.4 per cent., giving a density of 420. Compared with other states. New Jersey was tenth in population, and third in density of population, Rhode Island being first and Massachusetts second. The area of greatest density of populati

The cities, towns, boroughs, and villages of New Jersey may be placed in six groups: first, those in the New York City Metropolitan District; second, places lying just outside the Metropolitan District of New York; third, Trenton and the towns of the Upper Delaware Valley; fourth, places in the Philadelphia Metropolitan District; fifth, places in the southern part of the state, near Delaware Bay; sixth, cities and towns on the Atlantic coast. Metropolitan District of New York. —The following are

Table I.—References on the Geography of New Jersey 1. Reports and other publications of the Department of Conservation and Development of New Jersey, including 2. Reports of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. 3. Reports of the State Board of Agriculture. 4. The Industrial Directory of New Jersey, published by the Bureau of Statistics. 5. Publications of the United States Geological Survey. 6. Reports and bulletins of the United States Census Bureau. 7. Publications of the United States De