Hunterdon County, NJ
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Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington.
Hunterdon County was established in 1714, separating from Burlington County. This is the second county to be established in New Jersey. Hunterdon County is rich in Native American and Colonial heritage. This is due to the rolling hills and the rich soils which produce agricultural crops. This is why many Native American tribes and Europeans established themselves there.
Geology
Around five hundred million B.C. a chain of volcanic islands shaped like an arch collided with proto North America and rode over the top of the North American plate. The rock from the islands created the highlands of Hunterdon County as there was a shallow sea where Hunterdon County is now located. Then around four hundred million B.C., a small continent that was long and thin, collided with proto North America. This collision created compression, which caused heat. The Paleozoic sediment of shale and sandstone folded and faulted. The heat allowed the igneous rock to bend, thus Hunterdon County was born.
The African plate which later collided with North America created more folding and faulting, especially in the southern Appalachians. Then the African plate tore away from North America.
The Wisconsin glacier that entered into New Jersey around 21,000 BC and then melted around 13,000BC, did not reach Hunterdon County. However there are glacial outwash deposits from streams and rivers that flowed from the glacier southward depositing rock and sediment.
Hunterdon county has two geophysical provinces. The first is the Highlands which is the western section of the county. The other is the Piedmont which is the eastern and southern section of the county. The Highlands account for one third of the area and the Piedmont accounts for two thirds of the county.
The Highlands are part of the Reading Prong. Limestone and shale over igneous rock comprise the Highlands.
The Piedmont includes the Hunterdon Plateau and the Raritan Valley Lowlands which are one hundred fifty feet to three hundred feet above sea level. The Piedmont is made up of shale and sandstone.
Paleo Indians and Native Americans
Paleo Indians moved into Hunterdon County between 12,000BC and 11,000BC. The area was warming due to climate change. The Wisconsin Glacier in Warren and Sussex County was retreating northward. The area was that of Taiga/Boreal forests. Paleo Indians traveled in small groups in search of game and edible plants. The used spears made of bone, jasper or black chert. Their camp sites are difficult to find as they are many feet below the present surface.
Native Americans moved into the area but the time they arrived is unknown. Most have come from the Mississippi River area. Many tribes of the Delaware Nation lived in Hunterdon County especially along the Delaware River and in the Flemington area. These tribes were agriculture in nature, growing corn, beans and squash. Those that lived along the South Branch of the Raritan River fished and farmed. There was a Native American trail that went along the South Branch of the Raritan River. (Philhower 1924).
European settlement
Between 1611 and 1614, three Dutchmen, A. Block, H. Christiaensen and C. Mey surveyed land between the 40th and 45th parallels along the Atlantic coast and named the area they surveyed New Netherland.
In 1614, a Dutch fort was established on Castle Island on the Hudson River near Albany, New York. This fort was called Fort Nassau. In 1615, three Dutchmen left Fort Nassau and traveled southwest to the Delaware River and followed the river downstream. In 1616 they were captured by Native Americans near the confluence of the Schuykill River and Delaware River, south of Easton, Pennsylvania. The route the three men traveled is unknown, but they may have traveled through Sussex County, Warren County, Hunterdon County or Pennsylvania. This is the earliest record of Europeans traveling in or near this area.
In the early 17th century, the Dutch settled from Manhattan Island to slightly north of Albany, New York along the Hudson River. In 1625, a Dutch fort was built on the southern end of Manhattan Island and named Fort Amsterdam.
Governor Kieft’s War of 1643 to 1645, the Esopus War of 1655 to 1660, and the Peach War of 1655 to 1657 would have prevented colonization of New Netherland, which today is called Hunterdon County. There were also hostile relations between the Dutch and Native Americans. The Dutch had problems with the Native Americans which lead to three wars in the mid-17th century. Due to these problems the interior of New Jersey was not settled. After the British took control of New Netherland in August 1664, the relations with the English and Native Americans became better for a while. Through land purchases which the Native Americans did not fully understand, from disease contacted from the Europeans, and from the Little Ice Age, Native American populations fell drastically. The Little Ice Age which occurred in the beginning of the 17th century caused crop failures with the corn, beans, and squash that the Native Americans planted. Also river stayed frozen longer which prevented fishing. Native trees such as oaks, walnuts, hickory, chestnuts, beech that produced nuts failed to produce crops for Native Americans. Due to this, Native Americans starved.
Land purchases from Native Americans occurred from 1688 to 1758. Large land purchases from Native Americans occurred in 1703, 1709 and 1710. Over 150,000 acres (610Â km2) were bought with metal knives and pots, clothing, blankets, barrels of rum or hard cider, guns, powder and shot. This allowed for European settlers to enter into Hunterdon County in the early 18th century. After 1760 nearly all Native Americans left New Jersey and relocated to eastern Canada or the Mississippi River area.
The first European settlers were Col. John Reading who settled in Reading Township in 1704 and John Holcombe who settled in Lambertville in 1705.
The French and Indian War occurred in the mid 18 century. This did not affect Hunterdon County but effected Warren and Sussex County as well as the Port Jervis area. Frontier forts and fortified homes allowed settlers to hold their ground but many died in the war.
County origin
Hunterdon County was separated from Burlington County on March 22, 1714. At that time Hunterdon County was large, going from Assunpink Creek near Trenton to the New York State line which at that time was about ten miles (16 km) north of Port Jervis, New York.
On March 15, 1739 Morris County was separated from Hunterdon County.
Hunterdon County is named for Robert Hunter, a colonial governor of New Jersey, through a corruption of Hunterston, his former home in England.
Recent history
Transitioning from rural to suburban, Hunterdon County is an exurb on the western edge of New Jersey and home to commuters to New York City and Philadelphia. The county seat, Flemington, is noted for the Lindbergh kidnapping trial which convicted Bruno Hauptmann of the murder of aviator Charles Lindbergh’s son. With growing towns and shopping areas, as well as relaxing rural areas, Hunterdon County is a far stretch from the urban areas stereotypically associated with New Jersey.
