Category Archives: NJ Cities Gates services

Hammonton was settled in 1812 and was named for John Hammond Coffin, a son of one of the community’s earliest settlers, William Coffin, with the “d” in what was originally “Hammondton” disappearing over time.[22][23] It was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 5, 1866, from portions of Hamilton Township and Mullica Township.[24] It is located directly between Philadelphia and the resort town of Atlantic City, along a former route of the Pennsylvania Railroad that is used by NJ Transit’s Atlantic City Line.

What is now South River was originally formed as the town of Washington within East Brunswick Township on February 23, 1870. South River was incorporated as an independent borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 28, 1898, replacing Washington town.[21][22] It was named after the South River, which marks the borough’s eastern and northeastern boundary.[23][24]

Located just north of the historic town of Morristown (separated by a thin strip of Morris Township) and adjacent to the regional Morristown Municipal Airport, Hanover Township offers many public attractions including the Whippany Railway Museum,[22] the Frelinghuysen Arboretum[23] and the Morris County Library. Patriots’ Path, a wilderness walkway and bike trail that stretches for 26 miles (42 km), also passes through the township along the Whippany River.[24]

In July 2009, CNNMoney.com ranked Warren sixth in the nation on its list of “Best Places to Live” in the United States, citing in particular its schools, June carnival (the Lions Club’s annual “Expo”), “wide open spaces” (generally 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) per house), 74 “working farms” (“taxed-as-farmland” tracts, but rural, nevertheless), and proximity to New York City.[20]

The name “Pequannock”, as used in the name of the township and of the Pequannock River, is thought to have been derived from the Lenni Lenape Native American word Paquettahhnuake, meaning “cleared land ready or being readied for cultivation”.[21][22][23][24][25] The name “Pompton” has been cited by some sources to mean “a place where they catch soft fish”.[26][27]

The territory that would become Clark was originally a part of several early settlements. The Robinson Plantation House[18][19] and The Squire Hartshorne House, buildings from the late 17th century,[20] are remnants of the era. The Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge was the site of a skirmish preceding the Battle of Short Hills.[21] In 1858, after the City of Rahway was incorporated, the area of present-day Clark was designated as the 5th Ward of Rahway. Clark was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1864, from portions of Rahway.[22] The township was named for Abraham Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.[23] Portions of the township were taken to form Cranford Township (March 14, 1871) and Winfield Township (August 6, 1941).[22]

The township dates back to February 20, 1700, when the area was still part of Burlington County. One of the earliest European settlers before 1710 was George Woolsey, formerly of Jamaica, Queens, whose father was one of the earliest pre-1650 settlers of what was New Amsterdam. His descendants maintained the family farm for over 200 years.[23]

As of the 2010 United States Census, the township’s population was 16,773,[9][10][11] reflecting an increase of 992 (+6.3%) from the 15,781 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 4,249 (+36.8%) from the 11,532 counted in the 1990 Census.[23]

The name Weehawken is generally considered to have evolved from the Algonquian language Lenape spoken by the Hackensack and Tappan. It has variously been interpreted as “maize land”, “place of gulls”, “rocks that look like trees”, which would refer to the Palisades, atop which most of the town sits, or “at the end”, among other suggested translations.[15][16][17]

Springfield was formed as a township on April 14, 1794, from portions of Elizabeth Township and Newark Township, while the area was still part of Essex County, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey’s first 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. It became part of the newly formed Union County on March 19, 1857, with portions remaining in Essex County used to create Millburn. Other portions of the township have been taken to form New Providence Township (November 8, 1809, now known as Berkeley Heights), Livingston (February 5, 1813), Summit (March 23, 1869) and Cranford (March 14, 1871).[22] The township’s name derives from springs and brooks in the area.[23]