Editing Mahwah, New Jersey (section)

== History ==
The [[Lenape]] and ancestral Indigenous peoples were the original inhabitants of Mahwah (the meeting place) and surrounding area.

In 1849, ''Hohokus Township'' was established from the northern part of [[Franklin Township, Bergen County, New Jersey (Historical)|Franklin Township]] in [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]]. It extended from the [[Saddle River (Passaic River)|Saddle River]] on the east to the western boundary of Bergen County with [[Passaic County, New Jersey|Passaic County]] and north to the [[New York (state)|New York]] border. Hohokus Township was first subdivided in 1886 with the creation of [[Orvil Township, Bergen County, New Jersey (Historical)|Orvil Township]] on both sides of the Saddle River, consisting of the eastern portion of Hohokus Township and the western portion of [[Washington Township, Bergen County, New Jersey (Historical)|Washington Township]]. 1894's outbreak of "[[Boroughitis]]" brought the creation of the [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]]s of [[Allendale, New Jersey|Allendale]] and [[Upper Saddle River, New Jersey|Upper Saddle River]], both of which were created from portions of Hohokus and Orvil Townships. Next to leave was [[Ramsey, New Jersey|Ramsey]], which was created in 1908.

Hohokus Township ceased to exist on November 7, 1944, when a referendum was passed creating Mahwah Township from the remaining portions of Hohokus Township.<ref>[http://www.dutchdoorgenealogy.com/bergen_county_new_jersey_municipalities.html Bergen County New Jersey Municipalities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823023615/http://www.dutchdoorgenealogy.com/bergen_county_new_jersey_municipalities.html |date=August 23, 2020 }}, Dutch Door Genealogy. Accessed October 16, 2007. "Mahwah Township was incorporated November 15, 1944 (referendum November 7, 1944) replacing Hohokus Township."</ref><ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20160119154835/http://nynjctbotany.org/njhltofc/mahwahtwn.html Mahwah Township]}}. Accessed October 16, 2007. "1944 – Mahwah Township incorporated, replacing Hohokus Township."</ref><ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. [https://nj.gov/dep/njgs/enviroed/oldpubs/bulletin67.pdf#page=90 ''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''], Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 81. "Mahwah township - 1944 Nov. 7 - Replaced Hohokus twp.". Accessed May 29, 2024.</ref>

For twenty-five years, beginning in 1976, Mahwah hosted the [[The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company|A&P]] Tennis Classic, a tune-up for the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Open]] tennis tournament held at the [[USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center]] in [[New York City]]'s [[Flushing Meadows–Corona Park]].<ref>Cassidy, Hilary. [https://archive.today/20120708005521/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BDW/is_26_42/ai_76333290/ "MasterCard Fields a Full Lineup Keying on Baseball's All-Star Game – several professional sports marketing briefs"], ''[[Brandweek]]'', June 25, 2011. Accessed December 19, 2011. "A&P, suffering from a drop in its earnings and stock price, is out as title sponsor of the A&P Tennis Classic. The 24-year-old annual Mahwah, N.J., women's tennis event is locally popular and, under owner/director John Korff, combines a unique mix of tennis, concerts and family entertainment."</ref><ref>Kaplan, Ari. [https://books.google.com/books?id=y06jvTC77EEC&pg=PA126 ''Reinventing Professional Services: Building Your Business in the Digital Marketplace''], p. 126. [[John Wiley & Sons]], 2011. {{ISBN|9781118097526}}. Accessed February 14, 2016. "The A&P Tennis Classic, which he owned and operated for 25 years, beginning in 1976, turned out to be one of the most profitable in the sport thanks to the timing of the A&P Classic the week before the U.S. Open."</ref>

The 75-room, three-story [[Crocker-McMillin Mansion]], also known as Darlington, was built in 1901 for [[George Crocker (businessman)|George Crocker]], son of [[railroad magnate]] [[Charles Crocker]]. The estate, located at Crocker Mansion Drive, is one of New Jersey's historical landmarks.<ref>[http://crockermansion.com/historyindex.html General Historic Information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814023528/http://crockermansion.com/historyindex.html |date=August 14, 2011 }}, Crocker Mansion. Accessed March 31, 2011.</ref>

Ford Motor Company operated the [[Mahwah Assembly]] plant from 1955, producing 6 million cars in the 25 years it operated before the last car rolled off the line on June 20, 1980.<ref>via [[Associated Press]]. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19800620&id=CEZPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FwMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7082,7469332 "Last Ford Rolls Off Line At Mahwah Plant"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119073803/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19800620&id=CEZPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FwMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7082,7469332 |date=November 19, 2015 }}, ''[[Toledo Blade]]'', June 20, 1980. Accessed November 27, 2013. "A two-door, cream-and-tan-colored Fairmont Futura became the last of 6 million vehicles to roll of Ford's Mahwah assembly line as the 25-year-old plant shut down Friday, idling more than 3,700 employees."</ref><ref>Staff. [https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/25/nyregion/majority-from-ford-s-mahwah-plant-still-jobless.html "Majority From Ford's Mahwah Plant Still Jobless"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406122204/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/25/nyregion/majority-from-ford-s-mahwah-plant-still-jobless.html |date=April 6, 2016 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', April 25, 1982. Accessed December 19, 2011. "Mr. Pfeiffer is one of 3,359 auto workers who lost their jobs when the Ford Motor Company closed its assembly plant in Mahwah, N.J., nearly two years ago."</ref> At the time of its completion, it was the largest motor vehicle assembly plant in the United States. The Ford plant, along with other businesses such as American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company, helped contribute to the economic development of the township and its reputation for low home property taxes.<ref>Sikorsky, Kate. [http://mahwahmuseum.org/the-ford-motor-company-assembly-plant-mahwah-nj/ The Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant, Mahwah, NJ], Mahwah Museum. Accessed October 3, 2019. "The Ford Motor Company operated an assembly plant in Mahwah from 1955 to 1980. At the time of its completion, it was the largest motor vehicle assembly plant in the United States. The Ford Plant, along with other businesses, such as, American Brake Shoe and Foundry Company, helped contribute to the economic development of the town of Mahwah."</ref> The Mahwah town sports teams remain named Thunderbirds in honor of the Ford plant.

Due to contractors' dumping of hazardous wastes at the [[Ringwood Mines landfill site]] before federal regulation, it has been designated as an EPA [[Superfund site]] which needs extensive environmental cleanup. In 2006, some 600 [[Ramapough Indians]] filed a mass tort claim against Ford for damages.<ref>McGrath, Ben. [http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/03/01/strangers-on-the-mountain "Strangers on the Mountain; They had lived in the woodlands, twenty-five miles from New York City, for generations. Why were people so afraid of them?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021091548/http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/03/01/strangers-on-the-mountain |date=October 21, 2014 }}, ''[[The New Yorker]]'', March 1, 2010. Accessed November 15, 2014.</ref> Mahwah, and the closure of the Ford plant, is mentioned in the opening line of the 1982 [[Bruce Springsteen]] song "[[Johnny 99 (song)|Johnny 99]]".<ref>Staff. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PG&p_theme=pg&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADE39C85F535D4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM "27 Years of Glory Days in the 'Burgh"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204102342/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PG&p_theme=pg&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADE39C85F535D4&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |date=February 4, 2015 }}, ''[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]'', April 23, 2000. Accessed July 10, 2012. "And he launched into 'Johnny 99,' with the opening line 'Well, they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late last month.'"</ref><ref>[http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/Johnny99.html "Johnny 99" Lyrics] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517030342/http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/Johnny99.html |date=May 17, 2008 }}, BruceSpringsteen.net. Accessed June 13, 2008. "Well they closed down the auto plant in Mahwah late that month"</ref>

In July 2017, while holding the position of [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen]] [[County prosecutor]] prior to becoming [[New Jersey Attorney General]], [[Gurbir Grewal]] ordered the Mahwah police department [[2017–18 Bergen County eruv controversy|not to enforce a ban]] on non-New Jersey residents using parks in Mahwah, stating his concern that a ban could lead to [[anti-Semitic]] [[religious profiling]] against the growing population of [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox Jews]] in Mahwah and those visiting from neighboring [[Rockland County, New York|Rockland County]], [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/mahwah/2017/12/26/park-and-eruv-law-rollback-could-mahwah-ready-settle-state-suit/977041001/|title=With park and eruv law rollback, could Mahwah be ready to settle state suit?|author=Tom Nobile|publisher=NorthJersey.com - part of the USA TODAY network|date=December 26, 2017|access-date=December 26, 2017|archive-date=December 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229125823/http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/mahwah/2017/12/26/park-and-eruv-law-rollback-could-mahwah-ready-settle-state-suit/977041001/|url-status=live}}</ref> On December 14, 2017, following the advice of legal counsel, the Mahwah council repealed the still-unenforced ban on out-of-state park users, and abandoned an attempt to amend the sign ordinance to bar "other matter" (the lechis) from being affixed to utility poles to form an Orthodox Jewish [[eruv]].<ref name = "Mahwah walk back">Nobile, Tom. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/mahwah/2017/12/15/mahwah-walks-back-controversial-eruv-and-parks-bans/952560001/ "Mahwah walks back controversial eruv and parks bans"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112093920/https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/mahwah/2017/12/15/mahwah-walks-back-controversial-eruv-and-parks-bans/952560001/ |date=November 12, 2018 }}, ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', December 15, 2017. Accessed October 3, 2019. "The council introduced an ordinance Thursday that would do away with a ban on non-state residents in township parks and replace it with language that states Mahwah's parks and playgrounds may be used by 'residents and non-residents alike.' The council also approved a separate resolution disavowing a proposed law that would have prohibited the posting of devices or 'other matter,' such as the white PVC pipes used to denote a Jewish boundary known as an eruv, on utility poles. That ordinance was introduced but never adopted."</ref>