Category Archives: NJ Cities Gates services

Chatham Borough, New Jersey

The area that is Chatham has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years. During historic times, Europeans began trading with the Native Americans who farmed, fished, and hunted in the area when it was claimed as part of New Netherlands. The community that now is Chatham was first settled by Europeans in 1710 within Morris Township, in what was then the English Province of New Jersey. The community was settled because the site already was on the path of a well-worn Native American trail, the location of an important crossing of the Passaic River, and being close to a gap in the Watchung Mountains. The residents of the English community changed its name from John Day’s Bridge to Chatham, New Jersey in 1773.[20]

Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey

The Lenape Native Americans first inhabited the township and many names throughout the general area were passed down from the Lenape. Pascack and Kinderkamack are just two of these names. However, after Dutch and other European settlers began arriving in the 16th and 17th centuries, the Lenape population was decimated. It is estimated that by 1750, 90% of the Lenape population in and around present-day New Jersey was killed by European settlement through war and European diseases.[22]

Leonia, New Jersey

Leonia was formed as the result of a referendum passed on December 5, 1894, from portions of Ridgefield Township.[21] The borough was formed during the “boroughitis” phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone.[22] Portions of Leonia were taken on February 19, 1895, to form the Township of Teaneck.[21][23]

Chesterfield Township, New Jersey

Chesterfield has permanently preserved more than 7,000 acres (2,800 ha) of farmland through state and county programs and a township-wide transfer of development credits program that directs future growth to a designated “receiving area” known as Old York Village, which is a neo-traditional, New Urbanism community built on 560 acres (230 ha) incorporating a variety of housing types, neighborhood commercial facilities, a new elementary school, civic uses, and active and passive open space areas with preserved agricultural land surrounding the planned village. Construction began in the early 2000s and a significant percentage of the community is now complete. As of 2016 the construction is still ongoing and there is soon to be Chesterfield’s first retail outlet, along with more condos and homes. Old York Village was the winner of the American Planning Association’s National Outstanding Planning Award in 2004.[19][20][21]

Mount Holly, New Jersey

What is now Mount Holly was originally formed as Northampton on November 6, 1688. Northampton was incorporated as one of New Jersey’s initial group of 104 townships created by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Little Egg Harbor Township (February 13, 1740, now part of Ocean County), Washington Township (November 19, 1802), Pemberton borough (December 15, 1826), Coaxen Township (March 10, 1845, now known as Southampton Township), Pemberton Township (March 10, 1846), Westampton Township (March 6, 1850) and Lumberton Township (March 14, 1860). The township was renamed Mount Holly as of November 6, 1931, based on the results of a referendum held three days earlier.[22] The township was named for hills covered with holly trees.[23][24] Some areas of today’s Mount Holly were known as Bridgetown.[25][26][27]

Southampton Township, New Jersey

What is now Southampton was originally incorporated as Coaxen Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 10, 1845, from portions of Northampton Township (now known as Mount Holly Township). The name lasted for about three weeks when it was renamed Southampton Township on April 1, 1845. As the population increased, portions of the township were taken to form Pemberton Township (March 10, 1846), Shamong Township (February 19, 1852), Lumberton Township (March 14, 1860), Woodland Township (March 7, 1866) and Tabernacle Township (March 22, 1901).[19]

Waterford Township, New Jersey

Waterford Township was originally created by Royal charter on June 1, 1695, while the area was still part of Gloucester County. The township was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. On March 13, 1844, Waterford Township became one of the original townships in the newly created Camden County. The settlement of Long-a-Coming (today’s borough of Berlin) along the White Horse Pike (US 30) in Waterford was the new county’s first seat, but lost that designation in 1848 when the seat moved to the city of Camden.[20] Portions of the township were taken over the years to form Delaware Township (on February 28, 1844, now Cherry Hill Township), Chesilhurst (November 26, 1887), Voorhees Township (March 1, 1899) and Berlin Township (March 11, 1910).[21][22] The township was named for Waterford, Ireland.[23][24]

Little Ferry, New Jersey

Little Ferry was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on September 18, 1894, from portions of Lodi Township and New Barbadoes Township, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier.[21][22] The borough was formed during the “Boroughitis” phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, in which 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone.[23]