Goodspeed Histories explores the history of Hunterdon County, the Province of West New Jersey history, and my hometown, Delaware Township. The site is an outgrowth of my old blog, “Hunterdon History & Genealogy” which I started in June 2009.
Along with an interest in genealogy and the early years of Delaware, Hunterdon and West NJ, I am interested in the politics that influenced the growth of these places and the well-being of those who lived here. Political stories have the advantage of being well-sourced, as opposed to the quiet lives of ordinary people. I try to find a way to balance the two, since they go hand in hand.
Along with people and politics, I write about institutions like schools, churches, taverns, mills, stores, cemeteries.
I hope that people who know even more about my subjects will add to the stories in the comments section and make corrections whenever I jump to the wrong conclusion.
Regarding the Top Menu:
“FAMILIES.” Clicking on this will bring you to a page that lists some of the most frequently discussed families. It is only meant as a list; to find particular families use the sidebar. Some of the family names on this page are in caps, which is meant to indicate that I have published a family tree here. Clicking on those names will bring you to the tree, but not to other articles.
“LOCALITIES.” Like Families, certain locations get studied more than others, and links on this page will take you to a listing of those places. Clicking each name will take you to a page of articles where those places are discussed. However, the sidebar provides links to additional places that are mentioned in the articles.
“INDEX OF ARTICLES.” The Index is arranged to provide links to articles about West New Jersey, Hunterdon County, Delaware Township, and articles by local historians. It also includes a page for Basic Sources that I have relied on. However, this page needs some serious updating, especially now that I have published well over 500 articles.
About Sources:
Many years ago, as a beginner genealogist, I made the common mistake of neglecting to note the sources of my information. I learned the hard way what a mistake that is. Sources give you grounding, especially when family trees grow large.
Thanks to the internet it is much easier to keep track of sources than it once was. Currently (as of Dec 2025), sources are listed in Footnotes. Links to articles focused on various sources are listed in the “Index of Articles” page. I hope to have a separate page for sources sometime in the future.
Corrections:
Whenever one of my readers discovers I’ve made a mistake, or when new information turns up in later research, my practice will be to recognize the Sharp Reader who caught one of my goofs; then amend the original post with correct information; and (following the practice of the New York Times) make a note at the bottom that the original was amended.
About Marfy Goodspeed
I have been a resident of Hunterdon County since 1976. My research business, Goodspeed House Histories, has taught me many things about early county residents, especially in my home town, Delaware Township. Many years on the Township Planning Board and as a member of the Delaware & Raritan Canal Commission have added to my understanding of historical geography.
I have been researching Hunterdon County, New Jersey families since 1981 when I started my house history business. Along the way, I have collected a lot of information. I have also written articles for the Hunterdon Historical Newsletter, the Township newsletter “The Bridge,” and the website “The Delaware Township Post.”