The Lenape Indians were the first inhabitants of the general area, and many of the names originally given to the area remain today, such as Pascack, Musquapsink, and Kinderkamack to name a few. Dutch and other European settlers began arriving in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Township of Washington was created in 1840 by an act of the State Legislature, and was one of the largest townships in Bergen County. John Ackerman was its first elected leader, and the Township, made up of mostly farmers who settled along Pascack and Ridgewood Road, was open for business.
