Category Archives: NJ Cities Gates services

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Lower Township as its 34th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the “Best Places To Live” in New Jersey.[21] Geographically, the township is part of the South Jersey region.

Millburn was created as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1857, from portions of Springfield Township, when Union County was formed.[24] Earlier known variously as Milltown, Millville, Rum Brook and Vauxhall, the name “Millburn” was adopted before the township was established. The township’s name derives from the burn (Scottish for a stream) that powered mills in the area.[25][26]

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.

Prior to 1916, the area was known as Dundee Lake, a section of Saddle River Township.[4] Residents of the Dundee Lake area voted on April 18, 1916, to secede from Saddle River Township to form the Borough of East Paterson.[3] In 1917, residents of the Rosemont section of Saddle River Township voted to be annexed to East Paterson.[4] In November 1972, residents voted to change the name of the borough to Elmwood Park. The new name became official on January 1, 1973.[4]

Moorestown was authorized to be incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 11, 1922, from portions of Chester Township (now Maple Shade Township), subject to the approval of voters in the affected area in a referendum. Voters approved the creation on April 25, 1922.[21][22] The township is named for a Thomas Moore who settled in the area in 1722 and constructed a hotel[23] though other sources attribute the name to poet Thomas Moore.[24]

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]

When surveying the area now known as Maplewood, Robert Treat found several trails used by Lenape tribes of Algonquian Native Americans, though there was only sparse pre-European settlement. These paths form the basis for what are the township’s main thoroughfares today.[25]

Roxbury was formed on December 24, 1740, from portions of Morris Township.[20] It was formally incorporated by the Township Act of 1798 of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as part of the state’s initial group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were taken to form Mendham Township (March 29, 1749), Washington Township (April 2, 1798), Chester Township (April 1, 1799), Jefferson Township (February 11, 1804), Mount Olive Township (March 22, 1871), Mount Arlington (November 3, 1890) and Netcong (October 23, 1894).[21]

The area that is now Mahwah was originally formed as Hohokus Township on April 9, 1849, from portions of the former Franklin Township (now Wyckoff). While known as Hohokus Township, territory was taken to form Orvil Township (on January 1, 1886; remainder of township is now Waldwick), Allendale (November 10, 1894), Upper Saddle River (November 22, 1894), and Ramsey (March 10, 1908). On November 7, 1944, the area was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature as the Township of Mahwah, based on the results of a referendum held that day, replacing Hohokus Township.[25] New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Mahwah as its ninth best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the “Best Places To Live” in New Jersey.[26]

North Plainfield Township was created from portions of Warren Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature passed on April 2, 1872. The borough of North Plainfield became an independent municipality on June 9, 1885.[21][22] The name derives from Plainfield, which derived its name from a local estate[23] or from its scenic location.[24]