The Local History Collection
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To browse a subject in our historical collection pick a subject and click search:
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Types of Material:
The collection is available to all interested persons whenever the Library is open. All the material in the Franklin Township Local History collection is for reference only and may not be checked out. A photocopier is provided in the Library for those who wish to make copies. A microfilm reader/printer is available to read and make copies of the newspapers on microfilm.
- Books
- Pamphlets
- Maps
- Newspapers. Digital versions of several local newspapers are available from computers at the library.
- Record (1948-1958)
- Franklin News (1954-1958)
- Franklin News-Record (1958-1998)
- Franklin Focus (1989-1997)
- Spectator (1992-1998)
- Strictly Somerset (1994-1997)
- Photographs
- Oral history tapes
- Manuscripts
The New Jersey Collection
The New Jersey Collection contains materials dealing with all aspects of New Jersey life from history to social issues. The collection contains both circulating and non-circulating materials.
To browse a subject in our New Jersey Collection pick a subject and click search:
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Local Genealogy
The following is a list of websites and documents that will aid the researcher in topics related to the genealogy and history of Franklin Township and its surrounding areas.
Click a link below to jump to the corresponding section.
- Somerset County-- Somerset County RootsWeb
- Migrations--The Dutch Migration from Franklin Township to Fulton County, Illinois
- Somerset County--Somerset County Geneaology
- Somerset County Web Archive
- Land Records--Somerset County Early Land Purchases
- Dutch Migration to Fulton County, Illinois
- Middlesex County--Middlesex County RootsWeb
- Church Records--Dutch Reformed Church Records
- Church Records-- Historic Dutch Reformed Churches of Somerset County
- Church Records--Historic Highlights of the Mt. Carmel Church, Somerset
- New Jersey--Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey
- New Jersey--Civil war--Record of Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Civil War, 1861-1865
- LoC American Memory--Washington's Headquarters at "Rockingham" (HABS-NJ-18); Judge John Berrien House
- Rockingham State Historic Site; Judge John Berrien House
- The Meadows Foundation--Van Wickle House
- LoC American Memoery Project--Symen Van Wickle House (HABS-NJ-479)
- LoC American Memory--The Cornelius Stoothoff House (HABS-NJ-674)
- LoC American Memory--Berrien-Pumyea House (c.1740) - (HABS-NJ-98)
- LoC American Memory--Wyckoff-Voorhees House (c.1745) - (HABS-NJ-447)
- LoC American Memory--Van Liew House-Franklin Inn (c. 1752) - (HABS-NJ-648)
- The Meadows Foundation--Franklin Inn/Ann Van Liew Homestead
- The Meadows Foundation--Van Liew-Suydam House
- LoC American Memory--Hageman House (1778) - (HABS-NJ-620)
- LoC American Memory--Nevius-Voorhees House (1799) - (HABS-NJ-673)
- The Meadows Foundation--The Hageman House and Farm
- The Meadows Foundation--Blackwells Mills Canal House
- The Meadows Foundation--the Wycoff-Garreston House
- LoC American Memory-- "A map of Rariton River, Milstone River, South River ... (1685)"
- LoC American Memory--"Map of Somerset County, New Jersey"
- The above two maps come from the Library of Congress' American Memory Collections which includes materials documenting the history of the American people. To search the maps collection click here.
- Franklin Township, NJ 1873
- Franklin Township Photo Archive
- The Franklin Township Photo Archive contains a number of maps of the area.
- Beekman Family -- History of the Beekman Family
- Bennet Family -- The Descendants of Willem Adrianse Bennet
- Blackwell Family -- The Blackwell Researchers Newsletter
- Blaw/Blau Family -- The National Blue Family Association
- Conover Family -- Conover Family Research
- Conover Family -- Conover Family Genealogy Forum
- Cortelyou Family -- The Descendants of Jacques Cortelyou
- Cowenhoven Family -- The Descendants of Gerrit Wolfert Van Couwenhoven
- DeHart Family -- The DeHart Family Homepage
- DeHart Family -- More DeHart Records
- DeMott Family -- Descendants of Michiel DeMott
- Dumont Family -- Dumont Genealogy
- Dumont Family -- The Dumont Genealogy Group
- Fonteyn Family -- Vantine/Vantyne Descendants of Carel Fonteyn and Catharyn de Baile
- Fulkerson Family -- The Descendants of Dirck Volkertse
- Fulkerson Family -- Fulkerson Family Genealogy Forum
- Hagaman Family -- The Hagaman Family Genealogy Forum
- Hageman Family -- The Ancestors of Isaac Hageman
- Hegeman Family -- The Descendants of Hendrick Hegeman, of Flatbush and New Lots, Kings County, Long Island, New York
- Hoagland Family -- Notes on the Hoagland Family
- Hoagland Family -- The Ancestors of Maria "Polly" Hoagland
- Huff Family -- The Huff, Hough, and Hoff Newsletter
- Mount Family -- Mount Family Genealogy Forum
- Nevius Family -- The Descendants of Johannes Neffius (Nevius)
- Piatt Family -- Piatt Descendants
- Polhemus Family -- The Descendants of Johannes Polhemus
- Runyon Family -- Runyon Family Genealogy Forum
- Schenck Family -- The Descendants of Roelof Martense Schenck
- Sebring Family -- The Descendants of Roelof Lucassen Sebring
- Skillman Family -- The Skillmans of America and their Kin
- Skillman Family -- Descendants of Thomas Skillman
- Smock Family -- Genealogical Report of Smock Family
- Soden Family -- Descendants of Garret Soden
- Suydam Family -- Suydam Family Genealogy Forum
- Terhune Family-- Terhune Family Home Page
- Van Der Veer -- The Van Der Veer Name in America
- Van Horn Family -- The Van Horn Family Page
- Van Horn Family -- Van Boskirk - Van Horn Roots
- Van Pelt Family -- La(e)nen Van Pelt
- Voorhees Family -- The Descendants of Coert Van Voorhees
- Voorhees Family -- (Van) Voorhees Family Association
- James Schureman (1756-1824) U.S. Senator 1799-1801 and Representative 1813-15
- John Macpherson Berrien (1781-1856) Attorney General of the United States 1829-31 and U.S. Senator 1825-29; 1841-52
- Theodore Frelinghuysen (1787-1862) U.S. Senator 1866-1869; 1871-1877,Vice-Presidential Candidate, College President
- Theodore Frelinghuysen (1787-1862) U.S. Senator 1866-1869; 1871-1877,Vice-Presidential Candidate, College President
- Peter Davis Oakey (1861-1920) U.S. Representative 1915-17
- Helen Westley(1875-1942) Actress
- Clifford Philip Case (1904-1982) U.S. Senator and Representative 1955-79
- Clifford Philip Case (1904-1982) U.S. Senator and Representative 1955-79
- "The American Revolution and the Post-Revolutionary Era: A Historical Legacy"
- A detailed account from the National Counterintelligence Center that gives a history of the counterintelligence movement (i.e. spies) from the Revolutionary war until after the First World War. The section linked here details some of the known spies during the Revolutionary Era, amongst which was Frankliite John Honeyman.
- "The Founding Fathers of American Intelligence"
- A lengthy essay from the CIA discussing the early American members of the intelligence community, amongst these was Frankliite John Honeyman.
- Obituaries:
- The (New Brunswick) Home News and The (Bridgewater) Courier News -- Obituaries (1997 to present)
- Lists from Early Cemeteries in and around Somerset County:
- Rootsweb's list of Somerset Co. Cemeteries.
Photograph Collections
Elton Wade Photograph Collection
About the Elton H. L. Wade Photograph Collection
View the Exhibit
Elton H. L. (Henry Lee) Wade was an amateur photographer who lived in the Middlebush area of Franklin Township for most of his life. The collection presented here is a small sample of the over 2,000 photographs taken by Mr. Wade during his lifetime. The collection, in the form of photographic negatives, was donated to the Franklin Township Public Library in 2009 by Mr. Wade's nephew, Robert Zimmermann.
Elton Wade was born on February 11, 1899 in Newton, Sussex County, New Jersey. He lived for most of his life in the Middlebush area of Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey. He married Sarah Totten. Mr. Wade worked at the New Brunswick Post Office for 46 years and rose to the position of chief accountant, and later Assistant Postmaster. He died on May 5, 1980 at the age of 81.
Most of the photographs in this collection were taken by Mr. Wade, although some were taken by family and friends. The collection captures images of Mr. Wade's extended family, as well as life in the Franklin Township area. Mr. Wade also took pictures during vacations and travels around New Jersey and nearby states.
Mr. Wade's most notable photograph was undoubtedly the picture he took on a summer day of his three nephews fishing and reclining on the banks of the Delaware & Raritan Canal. He entered that photograph in an Eastman Kodak international photo contest. Mr. Wade won the first prize of $100, representing New Jersey. His photograph appeared in a full-page ad on the back cover of the Saturday Evening Post July 2, 1932 issue.
Mr. and Mrs. Wade lived near many other members of the Wade and Totten families. Elton's older brother G. Harold Wade was married to Sarah's sister Marian Totten Wade. They were also residents of the Middlebush area of Franklin Township. The three boys in Elton's prize-winning photograph were Harold and Marian's children: George H. Wade, Jr., Alan T. Wade, and E. Leslie Wade.
Over time, Library staff will digitize the collection, catalog the photographs, and create exhibits of the photographs for display on the Library's website. Mr. Wade kept meticulous records about most of the photographs he took. He recorded information about the date of the photograph, the subjects, the lighting conditions, and more, and that information will be included in the Library's online exhibit. As additional photographs are added to the online collections, the Library will also provide genealogical information whenever possible to help document the extended family.
The Franklin Township Public Library is delighted to be able to share these photographs that document Mr. Wade's life and that of the Franklin Township community in the early 20th century. Please check back frequently as new photographs will be added monthly!
View the Exhibit