Jersey City has existed as a municipality since 1838. But the city’s origins date back to November 1660, when Dutch settlers formed an 800 square-foot walled village – now part of the Journal Square area – considered by historians to be the first permanent settlement in New Jersey.
Now it is 350 years later, and agencies in the city are moving forward with promotions to prepare for a celebration later this year.
One of those efforts is an essay contest on the history of Jersey City for children in middle school and high school, a joint collaboration between the Jersey City Free Public Library, the Jersey City Board of Education, the Hudson County Genealogical Society, and historians from New Jersey City University.
“Hopefully, that will help some people trace their history.” – Cynthia Harris
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Two winning essays for each grade level will be selected by a panel of judges. The first place winner for each grade level in the district will receive a $50 prize while runners up will receive $25.
The deadline for submissions is May 14. For more information on the contest, contact Bob Murgitroyd at info@hudsoncountynjgenealogy.org.
Oldest family in Hudson County?
Who’s the oldest family in Jersey City? For that matter, what family had the oldest roots in Hoboken, Bayonne, or in any of the 12 Hudson County municipalities?
The Hudson County Genealogical Society and Jersey City Public Library’s New Jersey Room are looking for them to honor later this year during the celebration of Jersey City’s 350th anniversary.
Cynthia Harris, a member of the society who – as mentioned – is the head librarian at the New Jersey Room, said the idea to seek out the oldest families came about after she was asked about it for a recent Reporter article on the subject. Harris said the subject piqued her interest since she did not know who the oldest family was in Jersey City.
“I addressed the [Genealogical Society] about seeking out the oldest families in each town,” Harris said. “And they thought it was a wonderful idea.”
Harris said while she is aware of families whose roots date back to the mid-1800s, she would like to identify any that go back to the 18th century, and even before. But she admits that can be a bit of a challenge since many families have not keep records pertaining to their history.
Harris is offering to assist to the public since the New Jersey Room, where she works, holds a substantial collection of historic materials about New Jersey including numerous documents and books on Jersey City and Hudson County.
“The Jersey City Public Library has 112 items, which date back to the Dutch settlement in New Jersey,” Harris said. “Hopefully, that will help some people trace their history.”
She said this search and a local essay contest are being done to make Jersey City’s 350th anniversary (see sidebar). She said the promotions are important in helping the public realize not only how old is Jersey City as a town, but also how far back Hudson County’s history spans.
“We have a really rich history that the public is not aware of, this county being part of the Dutch territory known as Bergen back in the 1600s that went all the way to Hackensack,” Harris said.
For more information on the oldest families search, call Harris at (201) 547-4503 or e-mail events@HudsonCountyNJGenealogy.org.
Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com.