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