New Barbadoes Township was a
township
A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
that was formed in 1710 and existed in its largest extent prior to the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
in
Bergen County
Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...]
. The Township was created from territories that had been part of
Essex County that were transferred by royal decree to Bergen County. After many departures, secessions and deannexations over the centuries, New Barbadoes Township exists presently as
Hackensack, which adopted its present name in 1921.
The township was named for the
English colony of
Barbados
Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...
. Soon after the English annexation of the Dutch province of
New Netherland
New Netherland () was a colony of the Dutch Republic located on the East Coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod. Settlements were established in what became the states ...
in 1664,
Philip Cartaret, governor of what became the
proprietary colony
Proprietary colonies were a type of colony in English America which existed during the early modern period. In English overseas possessions established from the 17th century onwards, all land in the colonies belonged to the Crown, which held ul ...
of
East Jersey
The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey. ...
, granted land to Captain
John Berry in the area known as
Achter Kol[
]
He soon began residence there and called it "New Barbadoes", having previously resided on the Caribbean island. The original land patent encompassed the area between the
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, about 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban ar ...
and the
Saddle River. The early colonial owner is recalled in the name of a stream in the
New Jersey Meadowlands
New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the Hackensack River, primary river flowing through it, is a general name for a large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States, a few miles to th ...
,
Berrys Creek
Berry's Creek (sometimes referred to as Berrys Creek or Berry Creek) is a tributary of the Hackensack River in the New Jersey Meadowlands in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, New Jersey. The creek drainage basin, watershed contains a div ...
, and the historic
Yereance-Berry House.
As constituted originally, the Township included all of present-day Bergen County west of the
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, about 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban ar ...
, including portions beyond the
Passaic River
The Passaic River ( or ) is a river, approximately long, in North Jersey, northern New Jersey. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburb ...
, and added the whole territory between the two rivers from
Newark Bay
Newark Bay is a tidal bay at the confluence of the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers in northeastern New Jersey. It is home to the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, the largest container shipping facility in Port of New York and New Jerse ...
once known as
New Barbadoes Neck
New Barbadoes Neck is the name given in the colonial era for the peninsula in northeastern New Jersey, US between the lower Hackensack and Passaic Rivers, in what is now western Hudson County and southern Bergen County. The neck begins in the ...
(including the
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
part of present-day
Hudson County
Hudson County is a List of counties in New Jersey, county in the U.S. state of New Jersey, its smallest and most densely populated. Lying in the northeast of the state and on the west bank of the North River (Hudson River), Hudson River, the No ...
), northward to the boundary with
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
and west to the boundary line of
Sussex County.
In 1716,
Saddle River Township was created from all portions of New Barbadoes Township west of the
Saddle River. New Barbadoes then consisted of all lands west of the Hackensack River and east of the Passaic and Saddle Rivers.
In 1775,
Harrington Township was formed by royal charter from the northern portions of both New Barbadoes Township and
Hackensack Township.
Lodi Township was formed in 1821 from the southern portion of New Barbadoes Township.
In 1871, Midland Township (now
Rochelle Park) was created from the northern portions of New Barbadoes Township.
The Hackensack Commission was formed within New Barbadoes Township in 1868. New Barbadoes Township remained in existence until 1921 when it was replaced by the City of
Hackensack.
Sources
*"History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630-1923;" by "Westervelt, Frances A. (Frances Augusta), 1858-1942."
*"Municipal Incorporations of the State of New Jersey (according to Counties)" prepared by the Division of Local Government, Department of the Treasury (New Jersey); December 1, 1958.
References
External links
Bergen County Townships and Municipalities
{{coord, 40.89, -74.05, type:adm3rd_globe:earth_region:US-NJ, display=title
Former townships in Bergen County, New Jersey