This composite of eight 19th century topographic maps by George H. Cook and C. C. Vermeule offers a level of accuracy not found in other historical maps, thanks to all-new precision georeferencing. Almost 4,000 features on sheets 10 through 17 of the Cook Atlas were matched with with high resolution contemporary data, correcting substantial errors in the original maps. They were then color-corrected and stitched into a seamless Mobile Atlas Creator map. Mobile Atlas Creator is a free open-source program running on Windows, Linux and the Macintosh that lets you view the map and send it to Garmin or Magellan handheld GPS units plus over two dozen apps for Android, iOS, MacOS, Windows and Linux.
Although the processing creates some artifacts in areas where the original map contained large errors, the enhanced accuracy outweighs these little glitches, making it easy to compare historical features with modern aerial imagery, or just to see your correct position during a hike.
And these vintage maps from the State of New Jersey offer a wealth of details not found on historical USGS maps (such as 1899 in the Pines). For example, the little trees are not merely a decorative feature, but a graphic representation of the density and proportion of coniferous and deciduous trees in the forest. This kind of detail wasn’t available again until the 21st century when the NJDEP began publishing high resolution land use/landcover (LULC) data.
Explore the rich history of Southern New Jersey with this unique 19th century topo, available for the first time as a free, seamless, remarkably accurate map for your computer, smartphone or handheld GPS!
(Work in progress… download links coming soon)