Author Archives: njgate

The borough of Palisades Park was created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 22, 1899, from portions of Ridgefield Township. A portion of its area was annexed by the neighboring borough of Fort Lee in April 1909.[24][25][26] The borough was named for its location atop the New Jersey Palisades.[27][28]

Middle Township was formed as a precinct on April 2, 1723, and was incorporated by Township Act of 1798 of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798 as one of New Jersey’s initial group of 104 townships. Portions of the township have been taken to form Anglesea Borough (on June 13, 1885; now North Wildwood City), Avalon Borough (April 18, 1892), Wildwood (May 1, 1895), Stone Harbor Borough (April 3, 1914) and West Wildwood (April 21, 1920).[22] The township’s name came from its location when Cape May was split into three townships in 1723 at the same time that Lower Township and Upper Township were created.[23]

The borough had the 10th-highest property tax rate in New Jersey, with an equalized rate of 4.810% in 2020, compared to 3.470% in the county as a whole and a statewide average of 2.279%.[21] Geographically, the borough is part of the South Jersey region.

The first European to settle the township was Hendrick Jacobs Falkenberg, who likely arrived by 1693 when he does not appear on a census of the Swedes along the Delaware River, where he had lived for nearly three decades.[23] Though he was from Holstein (now in Germany), his first wife was a Finn and part of the Swedish community. Falkenberg settled on an 800-acre tract of land that he had acquired from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans in 1674, and a 1697 deed re-confirmed this earlier purchase. This tract included the two islands of Monhunk and Minnicunk later known as Osborn Island and Wills Island.[24] Falkenberg was a linguist, fluent in the Lenape language, and was considered southern New Jersey’s foremost language interpreter involving land transactions between the Indians and the European settlers, particularly the English Quakers.[25]

Pleasantville was originally incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 10, 1889, from portions of Egg Harbor Township, based on the results of a referendum held on December 15, 1888. Pleasantville was incorporated as a city on April 14, 1914, replacing Pleasantville borough, based on the results of a referendum held that same day.[17] the city was named by David Ingersoll for its surroundings.[18]

Jefferson Township was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 11, 1804, from portions of Pequannock Township and Roxbury Township.[23][24] The township was named after Thomas Jefferson, the President of the United States at the time the Township was created.[25][26] The township is situated in the northernmost part of Morris County bordering both Passaic and Sussex counties.

South Plainfield was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 12, 1926, from portions of Piscataway Township, based on the results of a referendum passed on April 6, 1926.[21] The borough’s name derives from Plainfield, which derived its name from a local estate[22] or from its scenic location.[23]

West Milford started out as New Milford in what was then western Bergen County in the 18th century, having been settled by disenchanted Dutch from Milford, New Jersey (later renamed by the British as Newark). These same Dutch also built a town of New Milford in eastern Bergen County. When both New Milfords applied for post offices in 1828, a clerk in Washington, D.C. is said to have approved the other application first and assigned the name “West Milford” to the New Milford in western Bergen County in order to distinguish between the two locations.[20]

The area known as Scotch Plains was first settled by Europeans, including many Scottish Quakers as early as 1684.[20] The name is said to have come from George Scott, a leader of a group of Scottish settlers.[21] It later served as a stop on the stage coach line between New York City and Philadelphia.

Carteret was originally created as the borough of Roosevelt on April 11, 1906, from portions of Woodbridge Township, based on the results of a referendum approved on May 22, 1906.[15] The name was changed to Carteret as of November 7, 1922. The borough was also called Carteret during the period from December 19, 1921, to January 16, 1922.[16] The borough was named after Sir George Carteret, one of the first proprietors of New Jersey, and his son Philip Carteret, the first royal governor of New Jersey.[17][18]