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History · Raritan

Raritan’s history is
mostly unwritten

The public archives hold no old photos of Raritan. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

0old images & papers
0recent photos

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

Raritan was founded by settlers of Dutch Reformed Church who originated from Raritan, New Jersey.

"In the southeast corner of Henderson county, the village of Raritan began in 1856 when a group of immigrants of the Dutch Reformed denomination from New Jersey came to what was then called Bedford Precinct. Since many of the settlers came from New Jersey towns located along the Raritan River, it was only natural for them to name their new community after the land they left behind."

Founding of the village

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Be one of the first

Start Raritan’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Raritan’s history is told.

0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Famous people close to Raritan

See all 18 →
Olan SouleOlan SouleLa Harpe · 10 miOlive OatmanOlive OatmanLa Harpe · 10 miEmma Smith DeVoeEmma Smith DeVoeRoseville · 9 miHNHelen NielsenRoseville · 9 miFrances GearhartFrances GearhartGladstone · 13 miHi WestHi WestRoseville · 9 mi
By decade

Raritan, decade by decade

Before
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your album
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Raritan is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Raritan has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is LaHarpe City Hall in La Harpe, 10.8 miles away.

Raritan and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Raritan. Tap a dot.
LaHarpe City HallLaHarpe Historic DistrictSouth Henderson Church and CemeteryOquawka Wagon BridgeCrapo Park and Arboretum Historic DistrictCascade Bridge

Closest to Raritan

LaHarpe City HallLa Harpe · Building10.8miLaHarpe Historic DistrictLa Harpe · District10.9miSouth Henderson Church and CemeteryGladstone · Building13miOquawka Wagon BridgeGladstone · Built 186515.2miCrapo Park and Arboretum Historic DistrictBurlington · Victorian15.5mi

How a place gets listed

1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. LaHarpe City Hall’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Raritan?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Raritan’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old place
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons

Then & now

When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 Raritan📜 Media📜 Media📜 Point Pleasant
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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