[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 35 (Thursday, March 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         TRIBUTE TO THE TOWNSHIP OF MILLBURN, ESSEX COUNTY, NJ

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                      HON. RODNEY P. FRELINGHUYSEN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 1, 2007

  Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the township 
of Millburn, Essex County, NJ, a vibrant community I am proud to 
represent. All through 2007 the good citizens of Millburn township will 
be celebrating the township's 150th anniversary with special events 
including a sesquicentennial parade in June and an anniversary ball in 
October.
  Millburn began as a colonial settlement with agricultural origins, 
followed by a 19th century mill/factory economy and eventually became a 
Victorian--and later--residential community. There are many examples of 
this rich history still present in the township, from the Hessian 
House, the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum, and the Paper Mill Playhouse to 
the historic districts, Short Hills Park and Wyoming.
  Millburn township was once part of Elizabethtown and Newark 
settlements in New Jersey, created by a grant from Charles II to his 
brother James in 1664. In 1793, Springfield township was created 
including Millburn. In 1857, Springfield became part of the new Union 
County and Millburn became a separate township within Essex County.
  After the Revolution, the Rahway River was dammed in five places to 
form mill ponds. Samuel Campbell built the first paper mill in 1790 and 
manufactured banknotes. Most of the early mills were paper mills, among 
them the Diamond Mill, now the site of the Paper Mill Playhouse, but 
hat mills eventually became dominant. In 1835, the Morris and Essex 
Railroad was finally completed, linking Millburn to the big cities in 
the East and the coal regions in the northwest.
  Millburn has had many names, from Rum Brook, Vauxhall, Milltown, and 
Millville. In 1857, Millburn was decided upon, partly because many of 
the town's residents were from Scotland and the mill burn--Scot word 
for river or stream--reminded them of home. Later there were disputes 
over the spelling of Millburn, but the double-L advocates won.
  In 1872, the Wyoming Land and Improvement Company purchased 100 acres 
of land and the first speculative real estate development was started 
and named Wyoming. Stewart Hartshorn acquired 1,552 acres to build his 
ideal village called Short Hills, the first planned commuter suburb in 
America.
  Today, Millburn township has a population of approximately 19,735 and 
is comprised of Millburn, including the historic Wyoming district, 
South Mountain and Millburn Center areas, and Short Hills which 
includes the sections of Knollwood, Glenwood, Brookhaven, Country Club, 
Merrywood, Deerfield-Crossroads, Mountaintop, White Oak Ridge and Old 
Short Hills Estates.
  Madam Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in 
congratulating the residents of Millburn township on the celebration of 
150 years of rich history of one of New Jersey's finest municipalities.

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