Want a quick way to search for articles about the history of one of the towns we cover? The Mr. Local History Project has created a few quick searches to give you a head start.
| Official Name | Nickname/Origin | Photo | Tidbit | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedminster | Derived from Bedminster, a district in Somerset, England |  | Has recently become known as the town that has the President’s “Summer White House,” a quaint equestrian town that still has dirt roads and beautiful farmland. | Bedminster History |
| Bernards Township | aka Basking Ridge or the ridge where the animals would come to bask in the sun. |  | Named after New Jersey’s Royal Governor Sir Francis Bernard. In 1960, during the town’s bicentennial, a township flag was introduced to honor the history of the four hamlets in the township. | Bernards Township History |
| Bernardsville | The Village of Bernards Town |  | Also named after Sir Francis Bernard, but this town was once part of Bernards Township until 1924. | Bernardsville History |
| Cranford | The Venice of New Jersey |  | Cranford actually is named after the family name Crane, who had a stop on the Rahway River which is called a “Ford.” The river that runs thru the town gave it the nickname the “Venice of New Jersey,” as this license plate shows. | Cranford New Jersey |
| Far Hills | Those Far Hills (Elizabeth “Bessie’ Seney) |  | The name “Far Hills” for Far Hills, New Jersey, is believed to have been coined by Elizabeth “Bessie” Schley, the wife of wealthy landowner Grant B. Schley in the late 19th century. The Schleys were among the early prominent families in the area, and they built an estate there. According to local history, Bessie named the area “Far Hills” because of the scenic views of the distant hills visible from their property. | Far Hills History |
| Newark | Brick City |  | Newark is nicknamed “Brick City” due to the widespread use of brick in its architecture, especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries. | Newark The Brick City History |
| Paterson | William Paterson Silk City |  | Paterson, New Jersey, is known as “Silk City” because it became the center of the American silk industry in the 19th century, especially after the 1830s. The nickname reflects its dominance in silk production during the Industrial Revolution. The city’s rise began with the vision of Alexander Hamilton, who founded the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.) in 1791 | Paterson NJ History |
| Peapack & Gladstone | The name Peapack in New Jersey is believed to originate from the Lenape Native American term “Peapackton,” which translates to “marriage of the waters.” This name likely references the confluence of the Peapack Brook and the Raritan River in the area |  | Gladstone, New Jersey, derives its name from William Ewart Gladstone, who served as the British Prime Minister multiple times between 1868 and 1894. The community was named in his honor, reflecting the admiration for his leadership during that era. | Peapack & Gladstone History |
| Warren | General Warren |  | Joseph Warren (born June 11, 1741, Roxbury, Massachusetts [U.S.]—died June 17, 1775, Bunker Hill, Massachusetts, U.S.) was a soldier and leader in the American Revolution, who on April 18, 1775, sent Paul Revere and William Dawes to Lexington and Concord on their famous ride to warn local patriots that British troops. | Warren Township in Somerset County |
| Westfield | The West Fields of Elizabeth Town |  | Westfield, New Jersey, got its name because it was initially known as the “West Fields” of Elizabethtown (now Elizabeth, NJ), during colonial times. The area was part of the Elizabethtown Tract purchased from the Lenni Lenape in 1664. | Westfield History |
| Wildwood (and the Jersey Shore) | Those “Wild Woods” aka DooWop City and DOO-WW |  | Wildwood, New Jersey, got its name due to the area’s once-abundant forested and undeveloped landscape along the barrier island. When it was first being settled and developed in the late 19th century, the island was largely covered in wild brush and dense woods. Developers and promoters chose the name “Wildwood” to reflect this natural, untamed character. | Check them all out |
What is the Somerset Hills?
The Somerset Hills is a region in the northern part of Somerset County, located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It includes the townships of Bedminster, Bernardsville, Bernards Township, Far Hills, Peapack, and Gladstone. The term was coined in the early 1800s and refers to the 2nd Watchung Mountain, which crosses Bedminster, as well as the Bernardsville Mountain, the highest mountain in the region.
The Somerset Hills is in the northern section of Somerset County, which was created on May 14, 1688, from portions of Middlesex County. There are also hills in Somerset in England. Many of these hills are significant historical, archaeological, and nature conservation sites, as well as popular hiking and tourist destinations in the county of Somerset in southern England.
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