Author Archives: njgate

Roughly equidistant between New York City and Philadelphia, Jackson is the site of Six Flags Great Adventure, home to the 456-foot (139 m) Kingda Ka, which as of 2022 is the tallest roller coaster in the world.[22] Jackson is also home to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor and the 350-acre (140 ha) Safari Off Road Adventure, which replaced Six Flags Wild Safari in 2013.[23]

Settled in 1667, Union was the third English speaking settlement in New Jersey after Elizabeth and Newark, with the area that is now Union then called Connecticut Farms.[22]

Wayne was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 12, 1847, from portions of Manchester Township. Totowa was formed from portions of Wayne and Manchester Township on March 15, 1898.[21][22] Points of interest include William Paterson University, Willowbrook Mall, Wayne Towne Center, High Mountain Park Preserve, and Dey Mansion.

The area of present-day Plainfield was originally formed as Plainfield Township, a township that was created on April 5, 1847, from portions of Westfield Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. On March 19, 1857, Plainfield Township became part of the newly created Union County.[19]

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]

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.