Cedar Grove

Cedar Grove was part of the Horseneck Tract, which was an area that consisted of what are now the municipalities of Caldwell, West Caldwell, North Caldwell, Fairfield, Verona, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Roseland, and portions of Livingston and West Orange. In 1702, settlers purchased the 14,000 acre (57 km²) Horseneck Tract, so-called because of its irregular shape that suggested a horse's neck and head, from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans for goods equal to $325. This purchase encompassed much of western Essex County, from the First Mountain to the Passaic River. Cedar Grove was originally a small farming community. In 1896, Essex County built the county mental institution in Cedar Grove known as Overbrook. In 1908, Cedar Grove was incorporated as a township. In the 1950s and 60s, Cedar Grove became one of the destination suburbs in Essex County among those looking to escape urban living from Newark and New York City.

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