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Bergen County, New Jersey, was established in December 1682 (formed 7 Mar 1683), when the Assembly of East Jersey divided the Province into four original counties: Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, and Monmouth. It originally included the area that is today Hudson County, and part of the area that is today Passaic County. On October 31, 1693 Bergen County was divided into Bergen and Hackensack Townships. In 1709 (January 21, 1710) New Barbadoes township was transferred from Essex County to Bergen, and became its county seat. On February 7, 1837 part of Bergen County's area was transferred to form Passaic County. On February 22, 1840 an area of Bergen County, including the ancient settlement of Bergen, was set off as Hudson County. On February 19, 1852 part of Harrison Township, of Hudson County, was added to Bergen County as Union Township. What is today Bergen County was settled by the Dutch, French, Scotch, German, English and others, but the character of the county was predominantly Dutch and of an agricultural nature until about 1850. It was about then that the railroads began to open the area as a commuting locality, and wealthy merchants, bankers and lawyers from the cities made towns in Bergen County their summer or year-round homes. Early Settlers of Bergen County Landowners and Settlers MORE HISTORY TO COME James Van Valen, History of Bergen County, NJ, 1900, 691 pgs. History of Bergen County, New Jersey, 1630-1923 New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1923, 1229 pgs., Township and Borough Histories from Westervelt, Frances Augusta Johnson, |
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