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The Ramapo Tract and Its Early SettlersThe Ramapo Tract was a colonial tract of land in Bergen County, New Jersey, under the administration of the East New Jersey Proprietors. The tract encompassed a large area in northwest Bergen County, N.J., including the present towns of Allendale, Franklin Lakes, Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus, Mahwah, Midland Park, Ramsey, Waldwick, and Wyckoff. Ownership of land within this tract was tied up in controversy until after the Revolution. The Ramapo Tract controversy originated in grants made by Peter Sonmans in 1709, which the Proprietors of East Jersey considered as unauthorized. After 1742 the board began leasing some lands in Ramapo to tenants, while also attempting to reach settlements with some of the claimants under titles derived from Sonmans grants. In the 1760s the Proprietors, through their agents and committees, continued their efforts to lease lots. By the 1780s, however, they clearly preferred to sell the lands. By declaring a division of the Ramapo lands remaining unsold in 1790 the board expected to end permanently questions about the title to lands in the region. The lands at Ramapo, located in what is now northwestern Bergen County, New Jersey and part of Rockland County, New York, were held in common by the proprietors. George Ryerson, acting as the East Jersey proprietors' agent, was the main negotiator with tenants. Peter Sonmans, claiming to act for the English proprietors, conveyed 43,000 acres of the Ramapo Tract to Peter Fauconier and others in 1709. The proprietors repudiated his authority and after 1731 sold and leased these lands. They also pursued a dual policy of trying to prove their title in the courts while attempting to reach a settlement with Fauconier, his daughter Mrs. Magdalen Valleau, his associates and those who had purchased lands from them. The family groups represented in the Ramapo Tract included German Palatines, Holland Dutch, French Huguenots, and other ethnic groups, including a number of free Blacks. Surnames of families associated with the Ramapo Tract before 1790 include: | |
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Ackerman Ackerson / Eckerson Albertson Banta Baremore / Barrymore Bartholf / Bertholf Bastian Bayard Benson Blauvelt Boggs Bogert Brown Bush Cairns / Kearns Campbell Carlough / Carlogh / Geerlach, etc. Christie Conklin / Concklin Courter / Coerten DeBaun / Debane DeGray / DeGraw / DeGraff / Margrauf Doremus Eckerson/ Ackerson Eckhert / Eckert / Eckart Fell Fisher Folly / Folley / Valley Fox Frederick Geroe Haring Hennion / Hemion Hopper Jenkins Johnson Jones Kierstead Kingsland La Roe / Lereux / LaRue / Lareaux, etc. Lozier / Lazear, etc. May McCall Messenger / Maysinger, etc. Meyers / Myers |
Micheler / Michelor / Mickler Moore Mowerson Neafie Oldis Osborn / Osborne Packer / Hanselpacker / Henselbecker, etc. Provost / Prevost Pulis / Pulisfelt Ramsey Rap / Rapp Rattan / Rutan Rose Row Ryerson Servant / Sarvent Shaver Shoemaker / Schumacher Smith Stier Stols / Stults Sturr / Stor / Star Sutton Tebow / Debow Terhune Tice Traphagen Tyson / Tysen Valleau Van Allen / Van Alen Van Blarcom Van Buskirk Van Dien Van Emburgh Van Gelder Van Horn Van Orden Van Voorhis / Van Voorhees, etc. Van Zile Verwer / Verwey Voss Wanamaker / Wannemaker Westervelt Winter / Winters Yeomans Zabriskie |
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