Early Roads

"A highway is to pass through" the lands of Elizabeth Ward (Ogden), and of Elizabeth Morris "near" and "by" the Second River in 1675.

There is a "third going over," supposed to be a third crossing or ford of Second River, on Thomas Pierson’s land about 1678. A north and south highway bounds Matthew Camfield’s land on the Third River, next to Benjamin Baldwin, in 1698.

A highway is to pass through Elizabeth Ward’s (Ogden’s) land "by the Third River," which land adjoins Samuel Plum’s land by the "Ocquekanunc lyne" by the great river, in 1679.

These points in roads indicate rough wagon tracks, during the first early years of settlement, northwest towards Watseson, through the present centre of the town towards the "Morris plantation," and northwards from the Newark village through the present Belleville to the Acquackanonck line.

The road to the present centre of the town from the Newark settlement undoubtedly bent northeastward to pass around "mill brook swamp." It then found its way past "sunfish pond," over "Watseson Hill" to the Second River, to the plain between that river and the Third River and to hands on the Third River farther north.

In 1675 the east and west line of Aaron Blatchley’s land, "by the first branch of ye second river," is a highway. This is, no doubt, a rough road from the Newark settlement westward to the lands of Crane, Huntinton, Kitchell and Blotchley, in the upper part of the present Montclair. Surveyors are chosen in town-meeting, on Dec. 12, 1681, "to lay out highways as far as the Mountains if need be, and Passages to all Lands." An east and west highway lies along the south side of Matthew Camfield’s land, "by the mountain path," next Thomas Huntington, in 1698. A road from the town to the mountain crosses "Bushie Plain Brook" near a saw-mill in 1712.

These signify, no doubt, the early road or roads from the settlement to "Newark Mountains," as Orange was at first called.

A road from Stephen Morris’ mill, "up the hill," as the hill "will alow," was laid out in 1762. This is, no doubt, the Bay Lane road, and it indicates that the old Cranetown roads, from "Isaac Dodd’s corner" and from the Caleb Davis house, and the road westward on Watseson Plain to the mountains, were already in existence.