History in Morris County
Each of Morris County's municipalities has something to offer the heritage tourist. There are many highlighting the county’s Revolutionary War-era past, its rich contributions to early Industrial America, the Gilded Age and its emergence in the 20th century as a cradle of innovation in the pharmaceutical & telecommunications industries. Home to America’s first national historical park, dedicated to preserving the history of General George Washington and the Continental Army who camped locally in the winters of 1777 and 1779-80.
Morris County Time Line
| 1715 | The Morristown Green established as the center of the community |
| 1739 | Morris County was created on March 15th |
| 1752 | Arnold’s Tavern on the Morristown Green opened |
| 1774 | Jacob Ford’s mansion built |
| 1777 | Continental Army came to Morristown after the Battle of Trenton |
| 1779-80 | Washington headquartered at the Ford Mansion, with 10,000 Continental Army soldiers at Jockey Hollow for the most severe winter of the century |
| 1787 | New Jersey became the third state in the Union |
| 1794 | First newspaper in Morris County established in Chatham, called The New Jersey Journal |
| 1822 | The Newark to Morristown Turnpike built with stops in Bottle Hill (Madison) |
| 1831 | First trip completed on the 102-mile long Morris Canal |
| 1838 | Samuel F. B. Morse and Alfred Vail demonstrated the first telegraph at the Speedwell Iron Works |
| 1863 | Thomas Nast illustrated Clement Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas”, creating the current image of Santa Claus |
| 1890 | Millionaires began building large mansions, mainly as summer houses |
| 1911 | Craftsman Farms was built by furniture designer, Gustav Stickley, in Parsippany |
| 1929 | Stock Market crashed, ending the Gilded Age in Morristown |
| 1933 | Morristown National Historical Park created, the first in the United States |
| 1955 | Morris County Park Commission was created |
| Present | Seventh largest New Jersey county and home to dozens of Fortune 500 corporations |
