Watchung

Wach Unks, or High Hills, were the Lenni Lenape words used to describe this area and are the origin of the name Watchung. Approximately six square miles, Watchung comprises parts of the first and second ridges of the Watchung Mountains, a valley of fertile rolling land between them, two lakes, and streams across the valley and through a gorge in the mountains. These natural resources and the beauty of the area attracted the early Dutch, English, and German farmers who settled here. At various times, Watchung was known as Browsetown (where the cows used to browse), Green Valley, and Washingtonville, before incorporating as the borough of Watchung in 1926. Carefully selected historical photographs tell a memorable story in Watchung. Richly detailed images feature friends and neighbors enjoying the Watchung Lake Swim Club, participating in the Indian Legend of Watchung pageant, and competing at the annual pie-baking contest. Employees of another age are at work in quarries, ice-harvesting businesses, gristmills, and other historical industries. Cherished, familiar persons, such as Hippolyte Texier, Mary E. Wilson, Dr. Charles Eaton, and others, enliven the pages of this eagerly awaited book.

Author Author David B. Page, a Watchung native, became interested in his community's history as he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. The publication Watchung coincides with the seventy-fifth anniversary of the borough's incorporation, providing a timely tribute to the community.