Cumberland

Cumberland, county, southwestern New Jersey, U.S. It consists of a coastal lowland bounded by the Delaware River and Bay to the south, Stow Creek to the west, the Maurice River to the north, the Tuckahoe River to the northeast, and West Creek to the southeast. Other waterways include Union Lake and the Cohansey and Manumuskin rivers. The major forest types are oak and hickory as well as loblolly and shortleaf pine. The swampy shoreline includes several bay inlets, salt marshes, and wildlife management areas.

Algonquian-speaking Delaware Indians inhabited the region when European settlers arrived in the 17th century. In December 1774, before the outbreak of the American Revolution, protesters burned shipments of tea in Greenwich. Millville contains Wheaton Village, a restored 19th-century glassmaking community. Bridgeton, the county seat, has one of the largest historic districts in New Jersey. In the 19th century T.B. Welch developed a method of preserving grape juice without fermentation, and John L. Mason perfected the manufacture of glass jars for the home canning of foods; both were residents of Vineland, which has the largest area of any city in the state.

Cumberland county was created in 1748 and named for William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. The main economic activities are agriculture (vegetables and fruit) and manufacturing (glassware and preserved foods). Area 489 square miles (1,267 square km). Pop. (2000) 146,438; (2010) 156,898.