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In the style of 19th-century histories, this work begins with an outline history of New Jersey, emphasizing the early Dutch and Swedish presence, the British proprietors Berkeley and Carteret, colonial statutes, commerce, contact with the Indian population, New Jersey in the colonial wars and the Revolution, and so on. The bulk of the volume is devoted to historical sketches of no fewer than 350 towns scattered around the state. The town sketches describe the town's location, natural features, principal industries, churches and schools, and, in many instances, noteworthy historical episodes. Not the least of the work's attributes for the genealogist are the epitaphs, biographical sketches, and various lists of colonial New Jerseyans that are sprinkled throughout the volume.