Area's 1st Settlers Honored in Riverfront Dedication

Living in harmony with nature along the Musconectong River, the Lenape Native Americans were the first to inhabit the Washington Township and Hackettstown areas prior to the arrival of European settlers in the early 1700s.

Through the Lenape Recognition Program, a joint effort of the Heritage Conservancy’s Muscontecong River Management Council (MRMC) and the Musconectcong Watershed Association (MWA), the exact location of the Lenape villages in the area, have now been identified.

In a special ceremony held on Friday, July 8, dozens of area residents, state and town officials, and members of the two organizations gathered together for the dedication of two plaques, one located in Hampton, NJ and a second, at the water’s edge in Hackettstown Riverfront Park, to identify and honor the history of the villages.

Bill Leavens, a resident of Long Valley and former president of the MWA thanked Bob Sheridan, a resident of Hampton, and a member of the MRMC, who spearheaded the project.

“The Musconectcong Watershed Association and the RMC work together to preserve and protect the river and the surrounding watershed environment,” said Leavens.

“Our Association was founded on that ethic of sustainability. We express that ethic in our education programs, in our advocacy for the river and in our efforts at dam removal–righting the obsolete wrongs of our industrial past,” said Leavens.

In 2009, the Association was instrumental in dismantling the centuries old Seber Grove Dam on the Musconectcong River.

Leavens explained that the removal of the dam was a major step toward improving water quality. When the flow of water is impeded, pollutants can build up and threaten native plants and wildlife.

"Now, we stand on the banks of Musconetcong to remember that the history of this waterway began well before December of 2006, or October of 1968, or February of 1965 to a time when the land around this river was inhabited by the Lenni Lenape, Native Americans who were the first to enjoy its fresh, flowing water," said Karen Williamson, Chair of the MRMC. 

She said the dedicated signs acknowledge the existence of the two Lenni Lenape villages situated in this area centuries ago, but they are only a reminder.

Williamson said while reading words on a plaque can never give us the entire picture of how the Lenape culture viewed and interacted with the world, hopefully they will prompt us to consider their contribution. 

"These signs are symbols of our humble attempt to reconnect to the river in a sustainable way and to thank the Lenni Lenape for their faithful stewardship of this stream," said Williamson.

At the dedication ceremony, Andrea Proctor, Director of Winakung at Waterloo Inc., which is a replica of a Lenape village located within Waterloo Village in Stanhope, shared her excitement about the identification of the location of the villages.

Proctor and her associate, Bonnie Bryden, lead educational tours of the village to schools, scout troops, and libraries from April through November.

“Now we can not only teach them about the Lenape way of life, we can direct them to the actual locations of their villages,” said Proctor. 

The Lenapes, who first settled in the area and were allies of the British, were driven away after the Revolutionary War and scattered throughout the United States and Canada.

Chief Patrick Waddilove and other members of the Monsee Delaware Nation of Ontario, Canada joined in the dedication.

Waddilove spoke of the many ways that the Munsee-Delaware Nation is currently approaching progress, but always with a foundation of sustainability.

Leavens said he hopes that more residents will be inspired by the spirit of sustainability that was established by the Lenapes and get involved in the work of the MWA.

“The Association encourages the present and future residents of this beautiful valley to be aware of the impact of their day-to-day life on this tiny, fragile, blue marble in space that we are privileged to live on,” said Leavens.

Attendees of the event included: Michael Lavery, Mayor of Hackettstown; Helen Murella, Superintendent, Allamuchy-Stephens-Hopatcong State Parks; Shaymaria Silvestri, with the United States Natural Resources Conservation Service; Rich Ege, State Executive Director of New Jersey Trout Unlimited; Karen Williamson, Chair of the Musconectcong River Management Council; Scott Armstrong, Hackettstown DPW; and Paul Kenney of the US National Park Service; and Charlie Finernan and Paul Tarlowe, members of the MRMC Historical & Archeological Committee.

For more information, visit:

The Heritage Conservancy Musconectcong River Management Council: http://www.heritageconservancy.org

The Musconectcong Watershed Association, at: http://www.musconectcong.org

Winakung at Waterloo: http://www.winakungatwaterloo.com

Munsee-Delaware Nation: http://www.munsee-delaware.org