1664

Elizabethtown Associates purchase land from Lenape Indians

1683

Benjamin Hull purchases "Blondyn Plains", (southwest area of Plainfield) from the Indian Cowankeen

1684-85

Most severe winter recorded since the settlement of Elizabethtown

1702

Queen Anne takes control of the colony of Jersey and encourages growth of the slave trade

1707

First appearance of the name "Plainfield" on the birth record of Elizabeth Laing "born at Plainfield ye 1th of ye 10th month, 1707."

1735

First frame house built in Plainfield

1736

First Quaker Meeting House constructed on land left by John Laing

1743

Isaac Drake purchases 111 acres of land in Plainfield

1746

Drake House is built. Nathaniel Drake marries Dorothy Retan of Morristown

1747

Nathaniel Drake listed among the charter members of the Scotch Plains Baptist Church

1751

Abraham Drake, first child of the Drake Family born at Drake House

1755

First gristmill built by Jon Webster on the banks of Tiers' Pond in Plainfield

1758

Indian reservation established at Brotherton

1756

Death of Isaac Drake who leaves his home plantation to his son Samuel Drake, and the Drake House to his son Nathaniel Drake. Cate, Drake's only female slave is set free.

1760

First school house built in Plainfield. John Woolman, a Quaker & abolitionist visits the Plainfield area

1763

The Webster Family opens the Road to Rahway formerly Peace Street, now Watchung Avenue

1766

Queens College now called Rutgers University receives its charter

Isaac Drake's three male slaves Tom, Tone and Cesar are manumitted

1774

New Jersey sends five delegates to the First Continental

Congress

1777

Blue Hills Militia stationed between Scotch Plains and Middlebrook. George Washington visits

Drake House.

1778

Washington's troops win at Monmouth

1779

Plot among local slaves discovered in Elizabethtown

1782/83?

Nathaniel Drake marries Elizabeth Bishop

1788

Quaker Meeting House established on Watchung Ave (formerly Peace Street) by John & Hugh Webster

3 of the Drake sons & their families migrate west and help to establish May's Lick, Kentucky

1800

Plainfield Post Office established in the home of Postmaster John Randolph (1800-1805), at the corner of Front & Somerset Streets

1801

Nathaniel Drake dies at the age of 75 or 76

1804

New Jersey adopts a policy to gradually abolish slavery

1806

Cesar, ex-slave of Drake Family dies at the age of 104

---

Return to Contents Page

---

For more information about the

Drake House Museum

Contact Lisa Crawley
Education Coordinator
908-755-5831

---

Contents of any advertisements associated with this page are NOT endorsed in any way by
The Historical Society of Plainfield or the Drake House Museum.
This web page is freely provided by Tripod.

Please forward comments & suggestions about this web site to the Webmaster