Bergen Township, New Jersey (1661–1862) facts for kids

Bergen Township was an important area in New Jersey that existed for a long time, from 1661 to 1862. It started as part of New Netherland, then became part of Bergen County, and later Hudson County. Even today, many places in New Jersey are named after it, like North Bergen, Bergen Square in Jersey City, and Bergenline Avenue.

Early Days in New Netherland

The name "Bergen" was first given to the land between the Hudson River and the Hackensack River by early European settlers. There are a few ideas about where the name came from. Some people think it comes from the Dutch word bergen, which means "hills," because of the tall Palisades cliffs in the area.

Another idea is that it comes from the Dutch word bergen, meaning "to save" or "to recover." This might be because settlers returned to the area after they had to leave due to conflicts with Native Americans in 1655. Others believe it was named after a town in the Netherlands, like Bergen, North Holland. There's also a theory that it was named after Hans Hansen Bergen, an early settler from Norway who arrived in 1633.

Before Bergen Township was officially formed, there were smaller settlements in the area, like Communipaw and Pavonia. These places faced tough times and were even burned down during conflicts between the Dutch settlers and the Lenape Native Americans.

In 1658, Peter Stuyvesant, who was in charge of New Netherland, made a deal with the Lenape people. He bought the land again and named it Bergen. This area covered a large part of the peninsula, from the Hudson River to the Hackensack River.

Bergen was founded by settlers who wanted to live on the west side of the Hudson River. They built their village at what is now Bergen Square. On September 5, 1661, Peter Stuyvesant gave Bergen its own local government. This made Bergen the first permanent European settlement and the oldest town in what would become the state of New Jersey. It was the main center of government for the area until 1709.

Becoming Part of Colonial America

In 1664, the English took control of New Netherland from the Dutch. On September 22, 1668, the first English governor of New Jersey, Philip Carteret, confirmed Bergen's original town rules. The Treaty of Westminster in 1674 officially made the area part of the English colony called East Jersey.

In 1675, the colony was divided into four administrative areas, or counties: Essex, Middlesex, Monmouth, and Bergen. On March 7, 1683, the village of Bergen and its surrounding lands became a town within Bergen County.

In 1710, Queen Anne of Great Britain expanded Bergen County. The village of Hackensack became the new county seat because it was easier for most people in Bergen County to reach. Bergen Township was officially created by the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. It was one of the first 104 townships formed in New Jersey. At first, Bergen Township included all the land between the Hudson River and the Hackensack River, stretching from Constable Hook in the south to the current southern border of Bergen County in the north.

Changes and Disappearance

Over its 200-year history, Bergen Township became smaller as different parts of it broke away to form new towns. Eventually, the township itself disappeared.

• On January 28, 1820, Jersey City was formed within Bergen Township. By 1838, Jersey City became its own independent city.
• On February 22, 1840, the New Jersey Legislature created Hudson County from the southern parts of Bergen County. This new county included all of the original Bergen Township.

More parts of Bergen Township continued to separate:

• Van Vorst Township was formed on April 12, 1841.
• North Bergen Township was formed on April 10, 1843.
• Bergen town was formed on March 24, 1855.
• Bayonne Township was formed on April 1, 1861.

Finally, on March 11, 1862, the remaining parts of Bergen Township were absorbed by Bergen town, and the township officially dissolved.

North Bergen, which had been created from Bergen Township, also saw parts of its land used to form other towns over the years, including:

• Hoboken Township (April 9, 1849, now the city of Hoboken)
• Guttenberg (March 9, 1859)
• Weehawken (March 15, 1859)
• Union Township and West Hoboken Township (both created on February 28, 1861)
• Secaucus (March 12, 1900)