Where on Earth
Historic or current place names?

The confusion about place names for events in the historical and genealogical literature is not going to go away. House numbers, street, city, municipality, county, territory, state country, and empire names changed over time.

The question arises as to which place name one should record as the location for an event in a genealogical database? Should one record the name of the place as it was known at the time of the event, or the name of the place as it is now known? Certainly the first option is the best. The historic place name should be recorded.

In practice, however, both types of place names are used, many times mixed together. Most modern genealogical researchers have a lack of geographic knowledge, mainly because they are not professionals. It takes time to research historic place names, and the sources of accurate information are not always immediately available. Some resources are listed at the bottom of this page.

Verona Township, Essex County, New Jersey, is an example of how changes in political boundaries have affected place names.

Verona, Essex County, New Jersey

Maps by

www.expediamaps.com

The Provenance of Verona Borough
Verona, Essex County, New Jersey

The land that was to become the borough of Verona, Essex County, New Jersey, has gone through a number of iterations in political geography. The following is a brief summary.

Nominaly part of New Netherland, Dutch Colony
In 1615 the Dutch built Fort Orange on Castle Island near the present Albany, New York, establishing their claim to trading rights in the area now New York and New Jersey. The land that was to become the borough of Verona was the domain of the Lenni Lenapi, Native Americans. No Dutchman had ever been there.

Nominaly part of New York, British Colony
In 1664 the English captured New Amsterdam and claimed all New Netherland. The land that was to become the borough of Verona was the domain of the Lenni Lenapi.

Nominaly part of the Province of New York, British Colony
In 1666 the land the founders of the city of Newark purchased from the Lenni Lenapi extended northward to the Passaic county line and westward to the top of the Orange Mountains. The land that was to become the borough of Verona was the domain of the Lenni Lenapi.

Nominaly part of New Orange, Dutch Colony
In 1673 New Netherland was restored as a Dutch Colony. The land that was to become the borough of Verona was the domain of the Lenni Lenapi.

Nominaly part of the Province of East Jersey, British Colony
In 1674 New Netherland became New York again. The land that was to become the borough of Verona was the domain of the Lenni Lenapi.

Nominaly part of Essex County, New Jersey, United States of America
In 1683 Essex County was formed from part of the Province of East Jersey. The land that was to become the borough of Verona was the domain of the Lenni Lenapi.

Part of the Horseneck Tract, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey
In 1701 a tract of 13,500 acres west of the present city of Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, was purchased from some Lenni Lenapi. This area was known as Horseneck, and was part of Newark. Part of the Horseneck track was later to become the borough of Verona, located in the valley between the First and Second Watchung Mountains. The Lenni Lenapi were no longer in possession of the land.

Part of Caldwell in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey
In 1798 Horseneck was renamed Caldwell after the fighting parson James Caldwell.

Part of Caldwell Township, Essex County, New Jersey
In 1892 Caldwell township separated from Newark. Part of the township was later to become the borough of Verona.

Verona Borough, Essex County, New Jersey
In 1907 the borough of Verona was incorporated in Essex County, New Jersey. In 1908 Cedar Grove was formed from part of Verona.

Bibliography

Ludvik Mucha and Bohuslav Hlinka. The Scott Stamp Atlas, Prague: Geodetic and Cartographic Enterprise, 1987. This source is useful for global historic place names of political entities that have issued postage stamps 1840 to just before the date of publication.

Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
This database is or international searches place names around the world. It provides information including latitude and longitude, hisorical notes, the hierarchical position in geography, variant names, type of place, and sources.

GEOnet Names Server (GNS)
This database is a good resource for searching current foreign place names.

Geographic Names Information System (GNIS)
This database is useful for searching current place names in the United States and Antarctica.

Local Names, State of New Jersey
The State of New Jersey provides a table of current local names with municipality, and county for each.

New Jersey Place Names
A table identifies some historic place names with the current names in the present state of New Jersey. The list in incomplete, but useful.