Maps
(For best viewing, turn off your browser's auto-resize)

Of particular interest is a point on the map identified as Metapes Wigwam. Chief Sachems Metapes of Toponemose was a signatory of many of the Indian purchases. His wigwam was located at the intersection of Sebring Mill Road and Rt. 22.

The site is two miles upstream form the Raritan River at the confluence of Bound Brook and Green Brook, where King George Road crosses the stream before heading North over the first Whachung mountain. King George road, which runs between Metapes Wigwam and the confluence of the Dead River and the Passaic River was the dividing line between two of the tracks. The selection of that line suggests that the road may have been an important Indian trail connecting the Raritan and the Passaic Rivers.

The land covered by Lots 166 and 169, which encompassed most of Green Brook Township and a large portion of Piscataway, was initially purchased by Benjamin Hull from the Indian Chief "Cowankeen," in 1683, and then again by Lawrie in 1684. The two lots were included in a 1690 grant from the Proprietors to Sir Evan Cameron of Lochiel, Scotland, who was a Scottish Nobleman and land speculator. In the subsequent years, the lots were subdivided and distributed by several other land speculators including James Alexander (the father of Lord Stirling), Peter Drummond, Andrew Johnston, and Andrew Hay.

Hills was a British engineer, who came to America prior to 
the Revolution. He stayed in America after the war and made a series of maps of Philadelphia.

The map identifies the point where the road crosses the first mountain as the "Quibbletown Gap". During the late 1800's, the road over the mountain was called "Ravine Road". Although now abandoned, the road bed can still be identified. 

Robert Erskin, "Washington's Mapmaker", had managed a successful Iron manufacturing business in Ringwood, New Jersey, before accepting Washington's commission as Surveyor General. Until his death in 1780, he was responsible for the production of a large number of excellent maps for the the Continental Army.

The map also shows the location of artillery emplacements on the top of the mountain at Wayne's Gap (Vossller Avenue), Lincoln's Gap (King George Road), and Quibbletown Gap (the old Ravine Road). The dark square at the top of Warrenville Road, probably identifies the location of a redoubt or a fortified position. Finally note, that the gap through which Stony Brook and Somerset Street now run is identified as the Brownstown Gap.  

The confluence of Green Brook and Bound Brook shown on the map is not correct since the location is just upstream of Sebring's Mill. The confluence identified as Bound Brook is actually Ambrose Brook. Perhaps the swampy ground between the two Brooks caused the confusion.  

The houses indicated along Green Brook, from King George Road to Rock Avenue, are probably those that were built by John Ross (the Sebring House), Stephen Vail (the Trust House), Stephen Vail's eldest son Thomas Vail (the Blue Hills Plantation ), John Vail Jr. (the Johah Vail House), John Vail Sr. (the Joseph Vail House located on the site of the Green Brook Baptist Church), and Adrian Vermuele (the Mundy House).

Note that even by this date, there was no highway paralleling the first Watchung mountain on the North side of Green Brook. The first road along this route was built in 1930 . It was New Jersey Rt. 29 which later become Rt. 22.