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From Historic Roadsides of New Jersey by The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New Jersey, 1928
Edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2002
Bergen County, created in December, 1682, by Act of
Assembly of East Jersey, dividing the province into the four
counties of Bergen, Essex, Middlesex and Monmouth. The
County was enlarged by Act of January 21, 1709, having
originally consisted only of a narrow strip five or six miles wide
between Hackensack River and Hudson River. It is now
bounded on the north by New York State, on the west by
Passaic and Essex Counties, on the south by Hudson County,
and on the east by the Hudson River. Passaic County was
partly carved out of Bergen County in 1837, and Hudson
County was taken from Bergen County in 1840.
FORT LEE
A small village on the Hudson, about five
miles southeast of Hackensack. The Fort was three hundred
feet above the river. Fort Lee was, in 1776, the site of a Fort,
which, with Fort Washington on the east side of the Hudson
River, was supposed to command the river. When Fort Washington was taken by the British November 16, 1776, it was
necessary for the Continentals to evacuate Fort Lee, which was
done November 20, 1776. General Greene commanded the
retreating troops, crossing the Hackensack River north of
Hackensack at Old Bridge, later known as New Bridge, and
more recently as River Edge. The site of the old bridge has
been located.
BULLS FERRY
A few miles below Fort Lee, where a ferry
existed for more than a half century, the site of a small block-house held by the British. General Anthony Wayne made an
unsuccessful attempt, July 20, 1780, to storm the block-house.
The tradition is that the British defenders of the block-house
had but a single round of ammunition left when the assault was
given up.
NEW BARBADOES
Site of Tory attacks in 1779.
ARCOLA
Here lived Peter Lutkins, at whose home Washington slept on one occasion.
WEST ENGLEWOOD
The Liberty Pole is the third which
has stood upon this site, the first being a tree from which floated
the American Flag during the entire Revolutionary War, the
present pole being erected by the Society of the Daughters of
the Revolution of Englewood.
HOHOKUS
On road from Hackensack to Suffern. Here
resided Colonel Provost, first husband of Madam Jumel, who
later married Aaron Burr.
HACKENSACK
County Seat of Bergen County on west
bank of Hackensack River. The town is ancient. The first
building of the Dutch Church erected in 1696. In and near
Hackensack repeated conflicts occurred between the British,
Hessians and Refugees and the Continentals and Patriots. In
September, 1777, Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Burr surprised the
British Picket Guard at Hackensack and dispersed them after
killing a considerable number. The following day the British
abandoned the place. The stone Academy, presided over by
Peter Wilson, LL.D., a Scotchman, was erected in 1762.
Wilson was subsequently Professor of Languages at Columbia
College and is buried near the grave of Brigadier General Enoch
Poor in the graveyard of the First Reformed Dutch Church.
A monument to the memory of Brigadier General Enoch Poor
was erected opposite the Court House. Poor, a Brigadier
General of the State of New Hampshire, under the command
of Lafayette, died September 8, 1780. Lafayette visited his
grave in 1824.
The "Mansion House" was formerly the residence of Peter
Zabriskie, where General Washington made his headquarters in
1776. Built in 1751. Became a tavern known as Albany Stage
Coach. The tap room was occupied in 1825 by the Weehawken
Bank. Room 19 is the traditional room occupied by George
Washington. Marked by bronze tablet erected by Bergen
County Historical Society.
CLOSTER
Above Huyler's Landing on the Hudson River.
Raided by the Refugees July 10, 1779. Captain Harring and
Thomas Branch, with a few of the neighbors hastily collected,
attacked the Refugees, and took prisoners. To escape, the
Refugees cut the cable of their vessel and let it drift with the
tide, staying below decks.
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