Piscataway Town: The Town: History

During its 300 years of existence, Piscataway has changed. Farms are now hidden in a sea of factories and businesses. The population has grown from 43 families (Piscataway Township Libraries) to a 47,038 population (1990 Census). The size of our town has, also, changed drastically. Piscataway has "...decrease(d) in area from the original size of over 300 square miles... to 19 square miles..." (Piscataway Township Libraries, inside front cover).

       Piscataway was founded by John Martin, Charles Gilman, Hugh Dunn, and Hopewell Hull in 1666. On December 18, of the same year, one-third of the original town was sold, forming two towns: Woodbridge and Piscataway.

       Piscataqua, as it was called in the late 1600's, was still fairly large. In 1685, Piscataway contained what is now Somerset County, and most of Middlesex County.

       The Lenni Lenape Indian tribe of the Algonkian group lived in the area at that time. They were a peaceful tribe that lived by hunting and fishing, and also grew corn, pumpkins, beans, and tobacco. They lived in wigwams, "...which were domed bark houses, a type of shelter used by all the Lenape and many other tribes of the seaboard region." (Piscataway Township Libraries). This tribe also, "...established primitive but well defined trails which become originally the sole means for the white settlers to travel through the wilderness..." (Meully) to the seashore.

       In 1677 the Lenape Indians claimed the area between the Raritan and Passaic rivers (parts of Woodbridge and Piscataway) that were not included in the land sold in 1664 to Elizabeth-Town. Since the English were on Indian land, the Indians said, "...that the English had cut down their trees, mowed their meadows, and took their hunting lands from them. They (the Indians) threatened to burn the houses of the Piscataway settlers..." (Piscataway Township Libraries). The settlers agreed to re-buy the land. On Sept 14, 1677, Governor Carteret signed a deed with 3 Indians: Conackamack, CaPatamin, and Thingorawis. In exchange for the land the Indians received guns, blankets, shirts, bars of lead, rum, etc..

       At first the homes of the settlers were similar to the Indians Wigwams. They soon built wood structures. Then in the eighteenth Century brick houses were built. Mansions were built for the rich families. Some of these original houses and mansions are still standing. Also at the beginning of the eighteenth Century, roads started to appear over the old Indian roads. Bridges were made over rivers.

       When Piscataway was first formed, almost all of its residents were farmers. Piscataway farmers all grew the same products: apples, potatoes, grain, butter, meat, and milk. Most residents grew only for their own dinner. If there were left over crops, they would sell it in "urban markets". But by the nineteenth Century, Piscataway citizens also had trades: carpentry, blacksmith, carriage making, milling, leather tanning, shoemaking, hat making, and tailoring. (Piscataway Township Libraries).

       Also during the nineteenth Century, industries started to form over the farms. Trains started to run through our newly modernized town. Mills were used to make flour. Dams were built in the lakes and rivers.

       Piscataway also has decreased in size during the years. In 1870, 12 miles went to Woodbridge. Parts of Piscataway also formed new towns. Metuchen was created in 1900. Highland Park in 1905. Dunellen was formed right after the Civil War. In 1913, Middlesex was created. Thirteen years later South Plainfield was. Now only 19.1 square miles remain of the original 300. (Piscataway Township Libraries).

       Present day Piscataway is more industrial then ever. There are less than four farms left in Piscataway. In place of the farms, there are over 90 industries. Piscataway is home to one of the top 500 largest businesses in the U.S.: American Standard Companies Inc.

       Piscataway has changed during its 300 years of existence. It is now home to industries, and small homes, compared to the large farms, and mansions that were once here. Piscataway is no longer a large farming community; it is now, a small industrial town.