The Birth of Plainfield (1) - On the Move

New Jersey history and the history of transportation are inseparable. Our first settlers arrived on horseback and progressed from horse drawn carriages to trains, trolleys, automobiles, and buses. Transportation connected cultural and economic life everywhere. Soon Plainfield was linked to every city in the Northeast corridor by a vast web of tracks, roads, and highway.

It All Started With The Horse?
In the early 19th century people steadily moved into Plainfield for open space, opportunity, and freedom of religion. Many had emigrated from other countries to escape oppression. Here they found peace and quiet away from the city. Plainfield was a pedestrian-friendly town. Most people lived within walking distance of where they worked.

Racing Sulky, Thorn

Plainfield was a regular stagecoach stop on the Swift Sure Stage Line that ran from New York to Pennsylvania. These first stagecoaches were little more than wagons with planks placed crossways as seats without backs. Historian Walter Van Hoesn reports that the coaches were crowded with mailbags, bundles, and several passengers to each seat.

Taverns and hotels built up in town. People would stay for the weekend and then get back on the stage to continue their journeys. Soon the word got out about the beautiful quiet countryside. Wealthier city people started to rent carriages to take vacations and build summer homes in Plainfield. With them they brought craftsmen to build their houses and make their elegant clothes.

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