Morris County Library: NJ Collection

Morris County Library > Reference > NJ Collection

Morris County area, past and present: some rare editions, the New Jersey Legislative Manual from 1885, current New Jersey county manuals, Morris County documents, and ordinances and master plans for many Morris County municipalities. In addition, we are one of the few libraries in the state who own Early American Imprints, in the microprint edition of the text of every non-serial title (books, pamphlets, and broadsides) printed in the United States from 1639-1800. (Prints can be made from this set.) See archives inventory.

Reference Books
4,500 monographs cover a wide range of subjects including state, county and local history, genealogy, religion, politics, and government, education, agriculture, geology and biography. We have 19th century county histories, the recent Soil Surveys for nearly every county in the state, the state historic sites survey reports for each of the Morris County communities and New Jersey pension or service rosters for wars from the Revolution to the Vietnam. Our books do not circulate.

Periodicals
The entire run of New Jersey History and The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey, plus other titles covering archaeology, history, government, genealogy and historic preservation. New titles continue to be added.

Microfilm
State and federal census, 100 years of local city directories, records of the Morris Canal Company, Morris County Clerk's marriage register (1795-1912), Ford family papers, the Hauptmann (Lindbergh kidnapping) trial, NJ Court of Errors & Appeals, pp. 1-5,685 and exhibits, briefs and summations (3 rolls). Images can be printed or scanned from our microfilm machines.

Vertical File
Primarily newspaper clippings and pamphlets dealing with current and historic New Jersey related subjects.

Directories
Telephone directories are for the Morris County area from 1974. Our city directories, in print or on film, are for various years and communties. (Download NJ City Directories @MCL.) We have NJ Industrial Directories from the beginning of the 20th century.

Authors
Started late in 2007, the Morris Authors Collection brings together the books, biographies and bibligraphies of local writers.

Genealogy--see 1752 list of 435 property owners in the county
Collections holdings include published family histories, a surname file, church and cemetery records, Morris County records on microfilm (property deeds and marriage records), New Jersey federal census schedules (1830-1930), federal census indexes for New Jersey (1830-1930), the New Jersey State census (1855-1915, but note that 1855-1875 is incomplete), tax ratables on microfilm for Morris County (1778-1822), New Jersey Archives (full set), and genealogical indexes, including the Newberry Library of Chicago. We also have several genealogy databases for public searching. Vital records are available from the State or Morris County communities.

See the Genealogical Society of NJ or the Association of Professional Genealogists if you want to hire a professional researcher.

Special Collections-- see archives, surnames file and houses/sites file.
Manuscripts include the histories of cemeteries, churches, organizations, historic houses, schools, etc. We have Somerset County manumissions (108 slaves freed, 1806-1839) and records of Morris County slave births, 1805--1821. Personal papers in the collection record family and local history, deeds, land surveys, etc, during the 18th and 19th century. Also included are scrapbooks, postcards, pictures, prints and newspapers.
Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital--thanks to Peter Olin, we have, on CD, photos of the hospital from 1895 to 1970 and annual reports of the facility from 1877-1935. Note: the annual reports list staff and numbers of patients treated for varying conditions, but do not list the patients themselves. Lists of staff and patients from US Census (1910-1930) are in our files. Also, some Greystone records are in the NJ State Archives

Online, see
Morris Area Genealogical Society (MAGS).
Greenwood Cemetery (Boonton) interment list
Second Presbyterian Church, Mendham, NJ
Chatham marriages
See also archives of the NJ Historical Society

Publications
Guide to City Directories in Morris County Library, by Sue Rowe
pp 1-7 Intro to Highland Park, NJ
pp 8-14 Hillside-Morristown, NJ
pp 15-21 Morristown-Woodbury, NJ
These are .pdf files. Need Acrobat Reader? (free download)
or, drop us a note if you'd like a copy mailed to you.

Great Depression timeline
Historic prices, Morris County NJ, as advertised in the [Morristown] Daily Record, 1900-2007
Irish Genealogy @MCL, a guide to our resources. [Legal paper, .pdf file.]
Researching Your Historic Morris Home (Request a copy)

See also New Jersey history for students