Jefferson Township was once part of the much larger Pequannock Township until 1804. It includes Milton, a name whose origins are apparently lost to time; an area once known as Petersburg (now the Lake Swannanoa area); and parts of Oak Ridge. Like much of northern New Jersey, the area was settled by Europeans in the early […]
Alfred T. Ringling, he of circus fame, discovered the picturesque Berkshire Valley in the early 20th Century. Declaring it the most beautiful place he had ever seen, he purchased 100 acres and a pond in Petersburg (now the Milton section of Oak Ridge) and set about building a winter HQ for his circus. A 26-room […]
There once was a lovely village called Newfoundland, up West Milford/Jefferson way. A landmark of the area was Brown’s Inn, a lovely four-story hotel renowned all over for its hospitality and unrivalled peace and quiet. It stood on what was then the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike, which we know today as Route 23 South, just across from […]
This was originally known as the George Chamberlain house. In the 1870s, Amos Chamberlain, a resident of Milton Village, built a house for his son, George and his bride Ruth Elizabeth Speaker. The family enjoyed life in Milton Village until the 1890s. For many years afterwards, the house was home to various families who rented from […]
Here’s what Pequannock looked like in 1887. It was much larger than today’s 7-square-mile area — it still included Bloomingdale, Butler, Kinnelon, and Lincoln Park. Jefferson had split off in 1804, Rockaway Township in 1844, and Boonton and Montville took their leave in 1867. Butler kicked off the 20th Century by declaring itself a new borough […]
European settlers — primarily Dutch and English farmers — found much to like in the plains of Pompton when they arrived in the early 1700s. When it was incorporated in 1740, Pequannock Township was the largest township in Morris County. Its 176 square miles stretched from present-day Jefferson Twp to Boonton. Various towns split off […]
These are my primary areas of interest. I’ll add others, no doubt. Bloomingdale NJ Butler NJ Jefferson Twp. (including Milton and Oak Ridge) Newfoundland NJ Pequannock Twp. NJ (Pequannock & Pompton Plains) Pompton — that is, Pompton Lakes & Pompton Twp NJ Riverdale NJ Wayne Twp. NJ West Milford, NJ Miscellany – Other items of […]
I’ve been a local historian for many years. It started as an offshoot of my family history research, because to truly understand how your ancestors lived their lives, you need to know what life was like during their lifetimes. Some of us are lucky enough to have some of their personal belongings left to us […]
I’m a genealogist and local historian. Genealogy leads inevitably, I think, to an interest in where one’s ancestors and relatives lived. To that end, in addition to my family tree, I’ve slowly amassed a lot of info about the towns listed here. Currently I’m the Archivist for the Jefferson Twp Historical Society; the Secretary for […]