1914 USGS Geologic Atlas Raritan New Jersey Rockaway Somerville Many Fe Mines

Description

Geologic Atlas of the
United States
Raritan, New Jersey Folio No. 191
by
W. S. Bayley, R. D. Salisbury and H. B. Kummel, United States Geological Survey; George Otis Smith, Director. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1914.
First edition. Folio, library edition. 32 pp. plus 5 color lithograph maps (topographic, surficial geology, areal geology, economic geology and structure sections) and columnar section sheet. In original tan heavy paper wraps with original black cloth binding strip. Size: 18.5 x 21.75 inches. Map scale: 1 to 125,000. An early atlas of this northern New Jersey area located just west of the Passaic quadrangle that emphasizes mineral resources, especially its many iron ore (magnetite) mines.
Old folio topographic and geologic maps form an important historical record of the physical and cultural features of the country as they existed and were named (and, in the case of geology, interpreted) over 100 years ago. These maps with accompanying explanatory text are among the earliest of the area surveyed by the USGS and often show a simpler, less well developed and sometimes surprising landscape than is familiar today. These old folios are long out of print and can make wonderful research or conversation pieces. Given the relative rarity of separately published early USGS topographic and geologic maps in the marketplace, the folio series generally offers the best source of maps available to the public for those fortunate enough to have a connection with the surveyed areas.
Condition: Complete. Wrappers are uniformly soiled with an old library stamp in the top right corner of the front wrap and some peel damage to the rear wrap. Interior text and map sheets are clean and unmarked. Overall, condition is very good.
Content: The Raritan Quadrangle includes parts of Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties comprising an area of about 905 square miles. The topo sheet shows the surface physical (hills, rivers, lakes, etc.) and cultural features (buildings, farms, roads, railroads, towns, localities, ferries, etc.). Some of the named places shown in the map include: Towns: Washington, Somerville, Boundbrook, Flemington, Blairstown, Rockaway, Port Oram, Gladstone, Hackettstown, Netcong, Andover, Dover, and other small localities. Street grids are shown for the denser, more developed cities and towns with some individual homes and buildings shown in less populated areas. Water bodies: Pequest River, Raritan River, Passaic River, Millstone River, Lake Hopatcong, Budd Lake, and many smaller waterways and water bodies. Railroads: Lehigh Valley; Central Railroad of New Jersey; Rockaway Valley; Delaware, Lackawanna and Western; Hudson River; NY Susquehanna and Western and possibly others.
The geologic map is attractively colored with multiple colors, patterns, shadings, tints, and/or hues used to illustrate the local geologic formations and mines and quarries.
In 1894, the USGS implemented a plan to prepare a geologic map of the US in the form of over 3,000 quadrangle atlas sheets issued individually in folio size. The essential parts of each folio were a description of the region surveyed, a topographic map, and an areal geologic map. Additional geologic map sheets and illustrations would be included as determined by the important economic and/or scenic characteristics found in the area. Of the over 3,000 folios planned, only 227 were ever issued before the series was discontinued in 1945. The majority of folios, such as the one offered for sale here, were issued in a library edition containing never-folded, single-sided maps printed on heavy paper with a highly calendared (glossy) surface. This surface was specifically chosen to give the best effects to the patterns and colors. These characteristics make the library edition the preferred choice for collectors and print sellers. Never-folded (and later folded) field editions were also issued but as a portfolio without calendared map surfaces.
Shipping: For reasons of size and fragility, your atlas will be shipped flat sandwiched between multiple sheets of new cardboard pads for best protection.