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INTRODUCTION OF TOWNSHIP GOVERNMENTS
7 cont'd.
The first divisions of the
counties into townships was made pursuant to two acts of the
colonial assembly, one approved in September, 1692, and the other
in October, 1693. The reasons for this division were set forth
in the preamble to the second of the above mentioned acts, as
follows:
"WHEREAS, several things
is to be done by the inhabitants of towns, hamlets, tribes, or
divisions within each county, as chusing [sic] of deputies, constables
&c, taxing and collecting of several rates for publick [sic]
uses and the making orders amongst themselves respectively about
swine, fences &c.
"WHEREAS, a great many
settlements are not reckoned within any such town or division,
nor the bounds of the reputed towns ascertained, by means thereof
the respective constables know not their districts, and many
other inconveniences arising from them, and forasmuch as the
act made in Sept 1692, for dividing the several counties
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and townships, the time for
the returns of the said divisions, being too short and the method
of dividing by county meetings inconvenient. Therefore be it
enacted," etc.
Under the above acts Bergen
County (then including the present Bergen and Hudson Counties)
was divided into three townships: Hackensack, New Barbadoes,
and Bergen. Of these, Hackensack comprised "all
the land betwixt the Hackensack River and Hudson's River, that
extends from the corporation town bounds of Bergen to the partition
line of the province." New Barbadoes comprised "all
the land on Passaic River, above the third river, and from the
mouth of the said third river northwest to the partition line
of the Province, including also all the land in New Barbadoes
neck, betwixt Hackensack and Passaic rivers, and thence to the
partition line of the Province." Bergen comprised what is
now that part of Hudson County east of the Hackensack River.
(See
Map 2.)
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The following table shows
the names of the several townships erected in Bergen County to
date, the dates of their erection, and the names of the townships
or municipalities from which they were erected:
|
NO. |
NAME OF TOWNSHIP. |
DATE OF ERECTION |
NAMES OF TOWNSHIPS FROM WHICH TAKEN |
|
1. |
Hackensack. |
October, 1693. |
Original. |
|
2. |
New Barbadoes. |
October, 1693. |
Original. |
|
3. |
Saddle River. |
1737. |
New Barbadoes. |
|
4. |
Franklin. |
1767. |
New Barbadoes. |
|
5. |
Harrington. |
June 22, 1776. |
Hackensack and New Barbadoes. |
|
6. |
Pompton. |
February 8, 1797. |
Saddle River and Franklin. |
|
7. |
Lodi. |
December 1, 1825. |
New Barbadoes. |
|
8. |
Washington. |
January 30, 1840. |
Harrington. |
|
9. |
Hobokus. |
February 5, 1849. |
Franklin. |
|
10. |
Union. |
February 19, 1852. |
Harrison in Hudson County. |
|
11. |
Midland. |
March 7, 1871. |
New Barbadoes. |
|
12. |
Palisades. |
March 22, 1871. |
Hackensack. |
|
13. |
Englewood. |
March 22, 1871. |
Hackensack. |
|
14. |
Ridgefield. |
March 22, 1871. |
Hackensack. |
|
15. |
Ridgewood. |
March 30, 1876. |
Franklin. |
|
16. |
Boiling Springs. |
April 17, 1879. |
Union. |
|
17. |
Orvil. |
April 20, 1885. |
Hohokus and Washington. |
|
18. |
Bergen. |
February 22, 1893. |
Lodi. |
|
19. |
Teaneck. |
February 19, 1895. |
Englewood and Ridgefield. |
|
20. |
Overpeck. |
March 23, 1897. |
Ridgefield. |
|
21. |
Hillsdale. |
March 25, 1898. |
Washington. |
There is no record of the erection of Saddle River and Franklin.
They are first mentioned as townships in deeds and other recorded
instruments in 1737 and 1767 respectively. Prior to that they
are called "Precincts." Franklin is first mentioned
in the county freeholders' book May 17, 1772.
The following table shows the names of the several townships
and municipalities erected in Hudson County to date, the dates
of their erection, and the names of the townships and other municipalities
from which they were erected:
|
NO. |
NAME OF TOWNSHIP. |
DATE OF ERECTION |
NAMES OF TOWNSHIPS FROM WHICH TAKEN |
|
1. |
Bergen (Tap.). |
October, 1693. |
Original. |
|
2. |
Jersey (City). |
January 28, 1820. |
Bergen. |
|
3. |
Harrison (Tp.). |
February 22, 1840. |
Lodi, Bergen County |
|
4. |
Van Vorst (Tp.). |
March 11, 1841. |
Bergen. |
|
5. |
North Bergen (Tp.). |
February 10, 1843. |
Bergen. |
|
6. |
Hoboken (Tp.). |
March 1, 1841. |
North Bergen. |
|
7. |
Hudson (Tp.). |
March 4, 1852. |
Bergen. |
|
8. |
Hoboken (City). |
March 28, 1855. |
North Bergen. |
|
9. |
Weehawken (Tp.). |
March 15, 1859. |
Hoboken. |
|
10. |
Bayonne (Tp.). |
February 16, 1861. |
Bergen. |
|
11. |
Union (Tp.). |
February 28, 1861. |
Bergen. |
|
12. |
West Hoboken (Town). |
February 28, 1861. |
Bergen. |
|
13. |
Greenville (Tp.). |
March 18, 1863. |
Bergen |
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|
NO. |
NAME OF TOWNSHIP. |
DATE OF ERECTION |
NAMES OF TOWNSHIPS FROM WHICH TAKEN |
|
14. |
Town of Union. |
March 29, 1861. |
Union. |
|
15. |
Kearney (Town). |
March 14, 1867. |
Harrison. |
|
16. |
Bayonne (City). |
March 10, 1869. |
Bayonne. |
|
17. |
Guttenberg (Tp.). |
April 1, 1878. |
Union. |
|
18. |
West New York (Town). |
March 21, 1898. |
Union. |
|
19. |
East Newark (Town). |
--------, 1898. |
Harrison. |
|
20. |
Secaucus (Bor.). |
March 12, 1900. |
North Bergen. |
Of the above, all of Pompton
and a large part of Franklin and Saddle River in Bergen County
became part of Passaic County by act of February 7, 1837. (See Map 4.) Union in Bergen County was taken
from Harrison in Hudson County, February 19, 1862, and Harrison
in Hudson was taken from Lodi in Bergen County, February 22,
1840. Part of Lodi in Bergen was annexed to New Barbadoes in
1896. Van Vorst, Hoboken, Greenville, Hudson, and Bayonne Townships
in Hudson County have been absorbed by the remaining municipalities
in the county. Kearney was made a "Town" March 23,
1898. West New York absorbed the whole of Union.
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