Chronological Timeline of Hunterdon Co Events
as compiled by Marshall Lake
29 Jul 2002
Date |
Event | |
c 1712 | Mill erected around current day Readington Village by Adrian Lane. | |
11 Mar 1714 | Hunterdon Co formed from northern part of Western division of NJ, including part of Burlington Co. Consisted of Amwell, Hopewell, Maidenhead Twps, and unorganized areas. | |
3 Jun 1719 | Trenton Twp first mentioned from Hopewell Twp. | |
c 1720 | First Courthouse and jail for the county was built in the center of Trenton. | |
2 Mar 1720 | Trenton Twp boundary recorded. | |
c 1729 | The first German Lutheran Church erected in NJ was built in what would become Reading Twp. | |
1730 | Bethlehem Twp first mentioned. | |
15 Jul 1730 | Reading Twp formed by Royal Charter from Amwell Twp. | |
c 1733 | Van Horne's Inn built in present day White House. | |
26 Oct 1731 | Lebanon Twp first mentioned from part of Amwell Twp. | |
c 1738 | Dutch Reformed Church of North Branch, Somerset Co moved west to Reading Twp. | |
15 Mar 1739 | Morris Co formed from Hunterdon Co. Morris Co then consisted of what is now Sussex and Warren Cos. | |
May 1739 | First recorded meeting of the Board of Justices and Chosen Freeholders of Hunterdon Co. | |
1746 | Trenton Borough formed by Royal Charter, part being in Hunterdon Co. | |
1749 | First sign of Kingwood Twp from part of Bethlehem Twp. | |
1750 | Trenton Borough Royal Charter surrendered. | |
1 Mar 1755 | Hopewell Twp incorporated by Royal Charter. | |
11 Mar 1755 | Tewksbury Twp first township meeting, formed from Lebanon Twp. | |
1760 | Mill and house of Colonel John Taylor built in far end of what became Potterstown. | |
5 Mar 1765 | Alexandria Twp formed by Royal Charter from Bethlehem Twp. | |
Mar 1780 | An act of the NJ legislature enabled the governing body to meet at the John Ringoes Tavern in Amwell Twp as a convenience to the county inhabitants. | |
May 1790 | The Legislature was petitioned to hold an election to fix a place where a Courthouse and jail should be built for Hunterdon Co. | |
Oct 1790 | An election was held to determine where the county Courthouse and jail should be built. It was determined Flemington. | |
25 Nov 1790 | Trenton City became state capital. (Became state capital before it was formed?! See 13 Nov 1792.) | |
Summer 1791 | Co Courthouse and jail was erected in Flemington. | |
1792 | First record of Freeholders being paid for their services | |
13 Nov 1792 | Trenton City formed and incorporated within Trenton Twp. | |
21 Feb 1798 | Amwell, Bethlehem, Readingtown (from Reading), Alexandria, Tewksbury, Maidenhead, Hopewell, Kingwood, and Trenton Twps incorporated. | |
May 1813 | The Flemington Aqueduct Co erected a trough in front of the Co Courthouse (see summer 1791). | |
24 Jan 1816 | Maidenhead Twp became Lawrence Twp. | |
13 Feb 1828 | Co Courthouse and jail (see summer 1791) was burned. Arson was suspected. | |
7 May 1828 | Cornerstone laid for rebuilding of Co Courthouse and jail on same site (see 13 Feb 1828). | |
7 May 1829 | First Court Session in newly built Co Courthouse (see 7 May 1828). | |
1831 | Part of Trenton City to Trenton Twp. | |
1832 | 15 acres of Readington Twp to Tewksbury Twp. | |
1833 | A new Dutch Reformed Church was built in what is now Stanton. | |
22 Feb 1834 | Ewing Twp formed from Trenton Twp. | |
10 Apr 1837 | Trenton City absorbed Trenton Twp. | |
22 Feb 1838 | Lawrence, Ewing, part of Hopewell Twps, and Trenton City set off to Mercer Co. | |
2 Apr 1838 | Delaware and Raritan Twps formed from Amwell Twp. Referendum to form Delaware Twp. | |
14 Feb 1839 | Remainder of Hopewell Twp set off to Mercer Co. | |
12 Apr 1841 | Clinton Twp formed from Lebanon Twp. Referendum to form Clinton Twp. | |
13 Mar 1844 | Tewksbury Twp transferred to Somerset Co. Hopewell Twp, Mercer Co restored to Hunterdon Co. | |
5 Feb 1845 | Hopewell Twp returned to Mercer Co. | |
14 Feb 1845 | Tewksbury Twp, Somerset Co returned to Hunterdon Co. | |
7 Apr 1845 | Franklin Twp formed from Kingwood Twp. Referendum to form Franklin Twp. | |
6 Apr 1846 | Amwell Twp divided into East Amwell and West Amwell Twps. Referendum to create East Amwell and West Amwell Twps. | |
1847 | Railroad came through where White House Station came into being. | |
1 Mar 1849 | Lambertville Town formed from West Amwell Twp. | |
17 Feb 1853 | Union Twp formed from Bethlehem Twp. | |
1854 | Parts of Delaware, Raritan, and West Amwell Twps to East Amwell Twp. | |
1859 | Part of Alexandria Twp went to Bethlehem Twp. | |
1861 | Part of Readington Twp to Tewksbury Twp. | |
5 Apr 1865 | Clinton Town formed within Clinton, Franklin, and Union Twps. | |
4 Apr 1867 | Frenchtown Borough formed from Alexandria Twp. | |
14 Mar 1870 | Flemington Town formed within Raritan Twp. | |
1871 | Part of Tewksbury Twp to Clinton Twp. | |
29 Mar 1871 | High Bridge Twp formed from Clinton and Lebanon Twps. | |
26 Mar 1872 | Lambertville Town became Lambertville City. | |
13 Apr 1874 | Holland Twp formed from Alexandria Twp. | |
1875 | The completion of the train tunnel through the mountain at West Portal | |
1876 | Part of Kingwood Twp to Frenchtown Borough. | |
4 Mar 1878 | Holland Twp restored to Alexandria Twp. | |
11 Mar 1879 | Holland Twp reformed from Alexandria Twp. | |
1891 | Part of Tewksbury Twp to Clinton Twp. | |
1893 | Steam heat replaced the fireplaces in the Co Courthouse (see May 1828) | |
1894 | Electricity replaced gas as the power source for the Co Courthouse (see May 1828). | |
11 Jun 1894 | Flemington Town became Flemington Village. | |
1895 | Clinton Town set off from Clinton, Franklin, and Union Twps. | |
19 Feb 1895 | Referendum to form Junction Borough. | |
20 Feb 1895 | Junction Borough formed from Lebanon and Bethlehem Twps. | |
1896 | Part of Delaware Twp to West Amwell Twp. | |
1897 | Parts of Delaware, Raritan, and West Amwell Twps to East Amwell Twp. | |
24 Feb 1898 | High Bridge Twp reorganized as a Borough with parts of twp going to Clinton and Lebanon Twps. | |
14 Apr 1898 | Stockton Borough formed from Delaware Twp. | |
1901 | The Flemington Women's Club installed the present day granite drinking fountain at the Co Courthouse (see May 1828). | |
30 Mar 1905 | Bloomsbury Borough formed from Bethlehem Twp. | |
Mar 1907 | Governor Stokes signed a bill outlawing hanging in NJ as the penalty for first degree murder, substituting electrocution. | |
Apr 1907 | A jury found John Schuyler guilty of first degree murder committed in Jan 1907. Schuyler was sentenced to die by hanging 28 Jun 1907 in Flemington. The execution was stayed (see Mar 1907) and later commuted on appeal. | |
11 Feb 1909 | Junction Borough renamed Hampton Borough by a Resolution of Council. | |
7 Apr 1910 | Flemington Village became Flemington Borough and separated from Raritan Twp. | |
26 Apr 1910 | Referendum to create Flemington Borough separate from Raritan Twp. | |
15 Apr 1911 | Milford Borough formed from Holland Twp. | |
8 May 1911 | Referendum to form Milford Borough. | |
2 Apr 1918 | Califon Borough formed from Tewksbury and Lebanon Twps. | |
26 Mar 1919 | Glen Gardner Borough formed from Lebanon and Bethlehem Twps. | |
22 Apr 1919 | Referendum to form Glen Gardner Borough. | |
1925 | Jail enlarged (see May 1828). | |
13 Mar 1925 | Incorporation of Milford Borough confirmed. | |
26 Mar 1926 | Lebanon Borough formed from Clinton Twp. | |
20 Apr 1926 | Referendum to form Lebanon Borough. | |
1931 | Part of Glen Gardner Borough and Bethlehem Twp to Hampton Borough. Part of Union Twp to Clinton Town. | |
27 Apr 1931 | Incorporation of Flemington Borough confirmed. | |
Jan 1935 | Bruno Hauptmann tried for the crime of the fatal kidnapping of the son of Colonel Charles Lindbergh. | |
1954 | Boundary between East Amwell and West Amwell Twps clarified. | |
1962 | Part of Clinton Twp to Lebanon Borough. | |
17 Dec 1965 | Tewksbury Twp boundary with Branchburg Twp, Somerset Co clarified. |
Sources -
1. "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries 1606-1968" by John P Snyder
2. http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/history.htm
3. "One Town Around...A Pictorial History of West Portal and Vicinity,"
published by the estate of Paul J. Hagaman in 1984