In
1669, Moonachie was owned by just one man; Captain John Berry, a fur
trader. It was the
island
of
Moonachie
back then bordered by
Berry
's Creek, Indian Path, Losing Creek and the Hackensack
River. Indians of the Six Nations Branch inhabited the rich cedar
forests. Rumors say that Indian Chief Monaghie gave the town
its name. Captain
Berry
later sold Moonachie to T. Fransen Outwater, Henrik DeKyp
and George Brinkerhoff. (the Brinkerhoff house is now the
Wood-Ridge Library. During the American Revolution, Moonachie
was part of the Township
of
Bergen. Local farmers shipped their products along the
Hackensack
River
to markets in
New York. They were a self-supporting group, isolated by the marshes from
the other communities. When the British invaded Bergen
County
in November, 1776, Moonachie was on their map. One small group
of British soldiers was left to guard a horse drawn ferry in
Little Ferry. When Washington's army was evacuating the area, a
detachment crossed at Little Ferry and marched up Washington Avenue
to Liberty Street (an extension of Moonachie Road), on its way
to Hackensack. Moonachie's main role, during the revolution, was
helping to feed the army. This was not an easy task, as the Hessians
camping nearby terrorized the settlers. In 1825, the Township
of
Lodi
was organized and Moonachie became part of it. At first, no
education was offered in Moonachie. Well-to-do families sent
their children away to boarding school. In 1830, under
Lodi
Township, Moonachie opened its first school, in the kitchen of Peter Allen,
which was later known as the Blauvelt Estate off Moonachie Road. And finally in 1832, the first school house was erected on Moonachie Road south
of
Mousetown Road
and served for 40 years. Early in the 1870's a new school was built
seating 50 students, but later converted into a private home. In
1897, another school was built on the corner of Union Street
and Moonachie Avenue. In 1898, the last school to be built under the auspices of Lodi
Township
was erected on Redneck Avenue. On April 11, 1910, Moonachie was finally incorporated as a
borough.
The
Moonachie of today is entirely different from what had been
established so long ago. The dirt trails have disappeared and the
rutted path known as Mousetown Road
is broad Moonachie Avenue. The forests are gone and Moonachie is no longer an island but an
important link of Southern and Northern
Bergen
County. The brickyards, our first industry, no longer exists, but in its
place are many modern industrial buildings. The population has
increased. The first municipal budget of $1900.00 could not cover
the cost of running the Borough for one day. Moonachie is
young in years of incorporation, but has been an important factor in
the development of our nation. The residents are proud of their
heritage and community spirit, accepting changes and working in
harmony. Moonachie's warmth and color still have older
residents longing for the "good old days."
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