Early beginnings of the Township of West Milford

BY ANN GENADER
WEST MILFORD — To address the history of the Township of West Milford requires immediate recognition of the mountains, lakes, rocks and streams that are its natural wonders. The picturesque features likely encouraged American Indians who lived here to choose it as their home. The same attractions mesmerized the earliest European citizens who came here to farm and develop the mining industry.
As late as 60 or 70 years ago, some old timers from this area remembered knowing some of the Indians who lived here - and sold their land to the Europeans who settled on it. The late West Milford Councilman Noble Rhinesmith once told this reporter that this was illustrated by his ancestral property deed in the Westbrook Road area. Noble, who served as a West Milford committeeman (a designation before officials were referred to as councilmen) remembered some of the last Indians who moved from this area westward. He described them as generally being tall people in stature with calm and peace loving personalities.
In her book “Windbeam” published in 1930, the late Minnie Mae Monks told of the “Woods Indians” in this area who gathered wild herbs for their medicinal plants. She wrote of an old Indian medicine man who used the barks and roots of common trees in his medicines and dyes. She mentioned in her book that black walnuts were a favorite food of the Indians who lived here.
Monks reported that the Indians made a valuable dye from the shucks of the nuts and used the root bark of the tree in medicine. She said the Indians used the inner bark of the tree and the outer shucks of the nuts to make a yellow dye and the root bark in medicine.
Her grandmother had a more thorough knowledge of medicinal herbs than anyone in the area - having gained her knowledge from an old Indian doctor, wrote Monks. She said her grandmother knew when to peel her barks and when to dig her roots; when to gather her herbs, flowers, berries and seedpods and how to dry and cure them.
Woodchuck, squirrels, rabbit, deer, turkey, partridge, turtle and fish were among the foods available in the wild. Monks said she was invited by a settler to share a meal of eels – which he caught the night before. In doing earlier research on the area, it was apparent that eels had been abundant and were often enjoyed at the tables of early European settlers. Trappers came and, along with the arrival of more European settlers, the supply of wild game and fish lessened.
Although historical reports say that prior to 1693 this area was known as New Barbadoes that was part of Essex County, there are records of Indian deeds being given for land as late as 1753. It became part of Bergen County when it was established in 1709 and changed to Passaic County when it was formed in 1837.
Reports by the late Kenneth Hirsch for the North Jersey Highlands Historical Society say the township name changed from New Barbadoes to Saddle River to Franklin, to Pompton and finally on Feb. 25, 1834 the Township of West Milford was established. Hirsch said it covered approximately 90 square miles and had many small hamlets and areas within its boundaries.
Ann Genader's historical columns will appear each month in The West Milford Messenger. This is the first in the series.