Author Archives: njgate

Teaneck was created on February 19, 1895, by an act of the New Jersey Legislature from portions of Englewood Township and Ridgefield Township, both of which are now defunct (despite existing municipalities with similar names), along with portions of Bogota and Leonia.[24] Independence followed the result of a referendum held on January 14, 1895, in which voters favored incorporation by a 46–7 margin.[25] To address the concerns of Englewood Township’s leaders, the new municipality was formed as a township, rather than succumbing to the borough craze sweeping across Bergen County at the time.[25] On May 3, 1921, and again on June 1, 1926, portions of what had been Teaneck were transferred to Overpeck Township.[26]

Marlboro Township was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 17, 1848, from portions of Freehold Township.[22] The township was named for the marl beds found in the area.[23]

Kearny is named after Civil War general Philip Kearny.[23][24] It began as a township formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1867, from portions of Harrison Township. Portions of the township were taken on July 3, 1895, to form East Newark. Kearny was incorporated as a town on January 19, 1899, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier.[25] The Arlington section of town was named for Arlington Station on the Erie Railroad at the Arlington Mill plant, owned by Arlington Mills of Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Hillsborough Township was originally created by Royal charter issued May 31, 1771, which was revoked and revised on September 12, 1771.[20] It was incorporated on February 21, 1798 by the New Jersey Legislature Township Act of 1798 as one of New Jersey’s original group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were taken to form the boroughs of Millstone (May 14, 1894) and Manville (April 1, 1929).[20][21] The township’s name may have come from an earlier name of “Hillsbury”, though it may have been named for Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire who was the Earl of Hillsborough.[22]

The initial patent for the land that would become Bloomfield Township was granted to the English Puritan colonists of Newark, and the area assigned to Essex County in 1675, and Newark Township in 1693. From the 1690s to about the 1720s, much of the northern and eastern land was sold to descendants of New Netherland colonists who had settled Acquackanonk, and the remainder mostly to English families. Speertown (now Upper Montclair), Stone House Plains (now Brookdale), and Second River (now Belleville and Nutley) were essentially Dutch and Jersey Dutch-speaking, while Cranetown, Watsessing, and the Morris Neighborhood (now North Center) were predominantly English. Starting in the mid-18th century, the English and Dutch neighborhoods gradually integrated, with Thomas Cadmus being among the first Dutchmen to settle in an English neighborhood.

Based on data from the 2010 census, among places with a population above 50,000, West New York was the second-most densely populated municipality in the United States, with more than 52,800 people per square mile.[17]

East Brunswick was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 28, 1860, from portions of both Monroe Township and North Brunswick Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Washington town within the township (February 23, 1870; became independent as South River on February 28, 1898), Helmetta (March 20, 1888), Milltown (January 29, 1889) and Spotswood (April 15, 1908).[23]

West Orange was originally part of the Native American Hackensack clan’s territory, for over 10,000 years. The Hackensack were a phratry of the Unami tribe of the Leni Lenape. In their language, “Leni Lenape” means, “The Original People.” The Acquackanonk sub-tribe were located along the Passaic River. They were part of the Algonquin language family, and known as “Delaware Indians” by the 18th century. They identified themselves with the totem of the Turtle. They were hunter-gatherers, matrilineal, and had cultural traditions such as wedding ceremonies. Northfield Ave and Old Indian Road in West Orange, remain as original Hackensack trails. Their main settlement was where the city of Hackensack is today. They would travel to the ocean or mountains to hunt for food. The Passaic River runs in an upside-down V shape—8 miles (13 km) west and east, and 13 miles (21 km) north of West Orange. In the centuries prior to industrial development, the Passaic River and Watchung Mountains were major geographic landmarks amidst the untouched wilderness.

Washington Township was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 17, 1836, from portions of Deptford Township. The township officially moved to the newly created Camden County on March 13, 1844. Monroe Township was created on March 3, 1859, from part of the township. Most of Washington Township, along with all of Monroe Township, was moved back into Gloucester County on February 28, 1871, with the remaining portions of Washington Township that were still in Camden County being transferred to Gloucester Township. Additional transfers to Gloucester Township were made in 1926 and 1931.[27] The township was named for George Washington, one of more than ten communities statewide named for the first president.[28][29] It is one of five municipalities in the state of New Jersey with the name Washington Township.[30] Another municipality, Washington Borough, is completely surrounded by Washington Township, Warren County.

Howell Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 23, 1801, from portions of Shrewsbury Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Brick Township in the newly created Ocean County (February 15, 1850), Wall Township (March 7, 1851) and Farmingdale (April 8, 1903).[22] The township was named for Richard Howell, who served from 1794 to 1801 as the third Governor of New Jersey.[23][24]