Morristown

Morristown. 1 Town (1990 pop. 16,189), seat of Morris co., N N.J., on the Whippany River; settled c.1710, inc. 1865. Although chiefly residential, it has diverse manufactures, including electronic products, health and beauty aids, auto parts, and chemicals. Morristown is also a center for telecommunications research and development and other corporate activity. The town was a principal area of Revolutionary maneuvers, particularly in the winters of 1777 and 1779–80, when the Continental army encamped there. Benedict Arnold was court-martialed in the town. S. F. B. Morse and Alfred Vail perfected (c.1837) the telegraph there. Of interest are the Schuyler-Hamilton House (1760), where Alexander Hamilton courted (1779–80) Elizabeth Schuyler (it has become headquarters for the Daughters of the American Revolution); and the courthouse (1826). Other notable residents of Morristown were the cartoonist Thomas Nast, the writer Bret Harte, and the humorist Frank R. Stockton. Morristown National Historical Park (see National Parks and Monuments, tablenational parks and monuments, table) includes the Ford Mansion, which was Washington's headquarters in 1779–80; a historical museum; and the reconstructed sites of encampment of the Continental Army at Fort Nonsense and at Jockey Hollow.

2 City (1990 pop. 21,385), seat of Hamblen co., NE Tenn., in a fertile valley of a mountainous region; settled 1783, inc. 1867. An important tobacco, poultry, timber, and dairy center, it also has plants that manufacture furniture, wood products, hosiery, and jet and auto parts. Nearby Cherokee Lake provides recreation.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. Political Geography