Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Port Elizabeth. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1890Tuckahoe sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Port Elizabeth.
Port Elizabeth, named for Elizabeth Clark Bodly, a Quaker and owner of lands on which Port Elizabeth lays, was laid out in 1785. In 1778, a dam was built on the Manumuskin River, drying out valuable lands for farmers, who flocked in. Further down the river wharves were built, giving Port Elizabeth the Port part of the name.
Port Elizabeth United Methodist Church, built in 1827 to replace Cumberland County's first Methodist Church, which was completed in 1786.
!John Boggs Hall, built in 1854 as the Port Elizabeth School, was moved to its present location in 1958, where it is used as the Sunday School and fellowship hall of Port Elizabeth United Methodist Church.
Passages that mention Port Elizabeth, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Port Elizabeth, Cumberland County, New Jersey1885Read the page →
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across the river to Port Elizabeth, was laid in the usual way in 1810, a short distance north of the former one. The road from Port Elizabeth to Tuckahoe was laid and opened in 1794. The road from Port Elizabeth to Millviile as now used was laid out and opened, after a long contest, in 18 18. The road from Broadway, leading by the Eagle Glass-Works, was regularly laid out in 1800, July I.
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History of the early settlement and progress of Cumberland County, New Jersey1869 · page 80Read the page →
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Schooner Landing, on the Menantico, about a mile below where the railroad crosses that stream, was at one time a place of considerable business. The road from Millville to Port Elizabeth passed through here originall3\ In the year 1793, Fithian Stratton, afterwards well known as an energetic but eccentric Methodist preacher, purchased the property, and in 1800 laid out a town of considerable size, which he called "Stratton Burrough," the last part so spelled for borough. He made efforts to have a bridge
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History of the early settlement and progress of Cumberland County, New Jersey1869 · page 77Read the page →
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The road from Port Elizabeth to Tuckahoe was laid and opened in 1796. In the year 1791: an act of the legislature appointed commissioners to lay out and open roads from Bridgeton to Cooper's Ferry, as Camden was then designated, and also from Roadstown and from Port Elizabeth to Bridgeton. These commissioners laid these roads, but only that IVom Roadstown to Cooper's Ferry was opened. That from Port Elizabeth to Bridgeton passed through Buckshootem, but it was never opened. One
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History of Port Elizabeth, Cumberland County, New Jersey1885Read the page →
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for the collection of duties on imports, and the eastern side of the Delaware, from above Camden to Cape May, was made the district of Bridgeton, with Bridgeton as the port of entry, and Salem and Port Elizabeth as ports of delivery. Port Elizabeth was considered a fine location for business, particularly in wood and lumber; consequently a number of enterprising young men of business saw the advantages of the place, purchased lots, and built dwellings, storehouses, etc. Among these were James
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Port Elizabeth, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1870s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (6), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1876
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2024
2024
2024
2021