We’re lucky in New Jersey to be surrounded by historic battlefields and historic towns. New Jersey played an important part in our fight for independence from the British. Because of that and many natural resources here, we have at least eight towns that are older than the United States itself.

Compared to other countries around the world, we are still very young. But some of the oldest towns in the country are right here in our state. There is so much rich and colorful history in this state, that you could dedicate a lifetime studying all of it. Here are the eight towns that were settled before we became a country.

Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
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Hillsborough Township quickly took its place in history as the path General George Washington and his troops traveled from the Battle of Princeton to winter quarters in Morristown.

Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
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The name Alloway is a derivative of Allowas, a local Native American chief.

Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
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It was initially incorporated as Upper Alloways Creek Township.

Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
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It is the site of the first European settlement in Northwest New Jersey. The name "Hanover" was taken from the House of Hanover in Germany. This namesake was given to the Township of Hanover on December 7, 1720, as a sign of respect to King George I of Great Britain who was of the House of Hanover and who ruled over the American colonies in the 18th century.

Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
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When settled in 1683, the new city was dubbed "New Perth" in honor of James Drummond, Earl of Perth, one of the 12 associates of a company of Scottish proprietors; Drummond has been honored with a statue located outside of city hall. Amboy comes from a corruption of the Algonquin word for flat land, ompoge and became pronounced ambo and later Amboy.

Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
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Its original name was New Barbadoes Township, after the English Colony of Barbados. The current name of the township came from the Saddle River, a tributary of the Passaic River, which in turn was named for a stream and valley in Saddell in Argyll, Scotland.

Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
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Its original name was also part of New Barbadoes Township. The current name either comes from an Algonquin word meaning, "hook mouth" for a bend in the river or possibly from an old inn there named "Hock and Sack."

Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
Google Earth / Townsquare Media illustration
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The area was settled in 1666 by Connecticut Puritans led by Robert Treat from the New Haven Colony. It was started as a theocratic assembly of the faithful, though this did not last long as new settlers came with different ideas. On October 31, 1693, it was organized as a New Jersey township based on the Newark Tract, which was first purchased on July 11, 1667.

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From product innovations to major recalls, Stacker researched what happened in food history every year since 1921, according to news and government sources.
 

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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