This 4 part series "Bergen County’s Townships and Municipalities" appeared originally in "The Archivist."
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Bergen County’s Townships and Municipalities

Part 3, 1836 to 1893

Compiled by Arnold Lang

As discussed in the last issue of The Archivist, in 1836, Bergen County encompassed all of the area that presently includes Bergen and Hudson counties, and most of the area of Passaic County.  Then, in 1837, the entire western section of Bergen County was set off to form part of Passaic County.   Three years later,  Hudson County was set off from the southern part of Bergen County.  These events reduced Bergen County to a fraction of its former size, and it was left with less than 50% of its previous population.  The history continues with these and other events leading up to 1893, the year before "Boroughitis" hit resulting in 26 boroughs formed in Bergen County within one year.


Passaic County Formed from Bergen and Essex Counties
 February 7, 1837

New Barbadoes Township had been part of theTownship of Acquackanonk and New Barbadoes when it was separated from Essex County and added to Bergen County in 1710 .   At that time, Acquackanonk Township (which includes the present cities of Passaic , Paterson and Clifton)  had remained as part of Essex County.

From the early 1820's, the people of Acquackanonk had become increasingly unhappy being part of Essex County and had been actively lobbying to separate from Essex County.   The reason for this was that Newark was receiving preference from the county.   By 1831, the population of the Paterson area of Acquackanonk had grown considerably, and this area was then set off to become Paterson Township.  (This later became Paterson City in 1851.)   Finally, in 1837, the New Jersey State Legislature approved the formation of Passaic County from parts of both Bergen County and Essex County.

As shown by the following map, this new county consisted of:

    Parts of Bergen County including:
        West Milford Township
        Pompton Township
        Part of Saddle River Township (which was then renamed Manchester Township in Passaic Co.)

    Parts of Essex County including:
        Acquackanonk Township
        Paterson Township



Hudson County Formed
February 22, 1840

On February 22, 1840, the New Jersey Legislature acted to form Hudson County from the southern section of Bergen County.  This new county was formed from the following sections of Bergen County:

    Bergen Township

    Jersey City   (In 1820, while still part of Bergen County, Jersey City was formed within Bergen Township. Later in 1838, Jersey City was reincorporated and made a city separate from Bergen Township.)

Part of Lodi Township    (The part of Lodi Township that was set off to Hudson County was named Harrison Township.  The new boundary between Lodi Township (Bergen County) and Harrison Township (Hudson County) followed the New Barbadoes Turnpike, now called Paterson Plank Road.


More Townships are Formed in Bergen County
1840 to 1893

Those townships that remained within Bergen County continued to be divided to form other townships. The significant changes, as shown by the map below, were:

Washington Twp - 1840. All of the area of Harrington Township located between the Hackensack River and Saddle River was set off to form Washington Township.

Hohokus Twp - 1849. The Township of Hohokus was set off from the northern part of Franklin Township and extended from Saddle River on the east to the western boundary of Bergen County.

Union Twp - 1852. Some of the area that had been transferred to Hudson County 12 years previously was added back to Bergen County after people in the northern part of Harrison Township (which was in Hudson County) petitioned to be returned to Bergen County.  Union Township was thus set off from Harrison Township to be part of Bergen County.

Midland Twp - 1871. Midland Township was set off from New Barbadoes Township.

The original Township of Hackensack, which occupied the area between the Hudson and the Hackensack Rivers was divided to form the following three townships.
Englewood Twp - 1871
Palisades Twp - 1871
Ridgefield Twp - 1871

Ridgewood Twp - 1876. The Township of Ridgewood was formed from Franklin Township.

Orvil Twp - 1886. Orvil Township was set off from parts of both Washington and Hohokus townships. This area is designated by the dashed lines on the map.

Boiling Springs Twp - 1889. Boiling Springs Township was set off from Union Township. This later became East Rutherford and is shown by the dashed line on the map.

Bergen Twp - 1893. Bergen Township (in Bergen County) was set off from the lower section of Lodi Township as shown by the dashed line on the map.

Other changes that occurred within Bergen County during this period included:

Carlstadt Village was formed within Lodi Township in 1860. (In 1894, an additional section was added and it was changed to Carlstadt Borough.)

The Hackensack Commission was formed within the Township of New Barbadoes in 1868. (New Barbadoes Twp. remained until it was replaced by Hackensack City in 1921)

In 1878, the New Jersey Legislature provided for the formation of a borough within a township not exceeding four square miles. Three years later, Rutherford became the first borough to be formed under that Act.  Rutherford Borough was fully separated from the township form of government in 1890.

Ridgefield Borough was next, being set off from Ridgefield Township in 1892, and Ridgefield Park Village was formed within Ridgefield Township in 1892.
 

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