Bridgeton, New Jersey

Bridgeton, New Jersey, is home to the state's largest historic district, and its past is full of exciting events and remarkable people. The Lenni-Lenape first populated this region, and during the Revolutionary War, the city sent Patriots like Dr. Jonathan Elmer to lead the struggle for the young republic. The town continued to grow in size and importance through the Victorian era, building everything from roads to taverns to industries. Owens-Illinois Company, Seabrook Farms and Ferracute Machine Company were all business innovators and leaders. Bridgeton has always produced concerned, community oriented citizens who through the years have come together to build the hospital, save the library, rebuild a football stadium and perform countless other civic deeds. Local writer Sharron Morita recounts these and other stories in her chronicle of Bridgeton.