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Inhabited
since pre-Columbian times by the Lenni Lenape Native American tribe,
the region surrounding Waldwick was first explored by Europeans when
a Dutch trading expedition landed near there in 1610. With the
creation of the Nieuw Amsterdam colony in 1624, the present site of
the borough, along with the rest of northeastern New Jersey,
became a Dutch possession. During the period from 1624-1664 it was
sparsely developed by Dutch settlers, mainly for agricultural
purposes. With the annexation of Nieuw Amsterdam by the English in
1664 came a nearly instant increase in immigration to the region and
the development of several settlements in and around the present
borders of the borough.
On
the eve of the American Revolutionary War, Waldwick and the
surrounding area constituted a small settlement within Franklin
Township, an area that encompassed much of northwestern Bergen
County. On January 1, 1886,
Orvil
Township
was formed from portions of Hohokus
Township
and Washington
Township, in honor of its chief surveyor. Not long after, the
Erie Railroad created a stop in the township, bringing about the
first major population boom in the region's history. Still later,
around the 1870s, the area constituting modern-day Ridgewood broke
away from Orvil; not too long afterwards, Orvil
Township
as an independent municipality began to fade. On April 7, 1919, a
council of citizens voted to incorporate as the borough of
"Waldwick" (A Light in the Woods), from the remaining
portions of Orvil
Township. With
the creation of the borough of Waldwick, Orvil
Township was dissolved. According
to the book The History Of Bergen County written in 1900 by
James M. Van Valen, the name Waldwick is a Saxon word meaning
"beautiful grove".
Since
that time, Waldwick has undergone a transformation from sleepy
railroad hamlet to prosperous suburban town. The borough is home to
approximately 10,000 citizens, many employed in the New York City
metropolitan area. It boasts two elementary schools, one junior high
school, and one high school.
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