The Raritan River is the largest river in New Jersey, flowing from the state's western mountains for approximately 16 miles toward the tidewaters of New Brunswick, from which point it widens over 14 miles before reaching the Raritan Bay. By the end of the 20th century, this estuary, known as the Lower Raritan River, was one of the most polluted in the nation. The very industrialization that brought economic prosperity to the communities along the Lower Raritan River was also the origin of the river's contamination. Today, however, the waterway is making a comeback. Along the Raritan River: South Amboy to New Brunswick includes historical maps and photographs to tell the story of this changing cultural landscape and its natural beauty and resources, historic floods, economic enterprise, devastating pollution, and continued renewal and recovery.
