Editing Somerset County, New Jersey (section)

==History==
===Etymology===
Somerset County is one of America's oldest counties, and is named after the English county of [[Somerset]].  

===History===
The area was first settled in 1681 in the vicinity of [[Bound Brook (Raritan River)|Bound Brook]], and the county was established by charter on May 22, 1688.  Most of the early residents were [[Dutch Americans|Dutch]]. 

During the [[American Revolutionary War]], [[General]] [[George Washington]] and his troops marched through the county on several occasions and slept in many of the homes located throughout the area.  Somerset County also played an important part during both [[World War I]] and [[World War II]]. Weapons depots were established here, and factories manufactured the army's woolen blankets. For much of its history, Somerset County was primarily an agricultural county. In the late 19th century, the [[Somerset Hills]] area of Somerset County became a popular area for country homes built by wealthy industrialists. The area continues to be the home of wealthy people who own businesses.<ref>Clemence, Sara. [https://web.archive.org/web/20050420121047/http://www.forbes.com/realestate/2005/03/14/cx_sc_0314how.html "Home of the Week: Peapack Palace"], ''[[Forbes]]'', March 14, 2005. Accessed May 22, 2008. "It was once the country home of some of the 19th century's wealthiest families, and modern-day residents now include pharmaceuticals and chemicals barons."</ref> 

In 1917, Somerset County, in cooperation with [[Rutgers University]], hired its first agricultural agent to connect local farmers with expert advice. The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County, located in Bridgewater, serves residents in the areas of agriculture and natural resources, [[4-H]] youth development, and family and community health sciences.<ref>[http://somerset.njaes.rutgers.edu/ Home Page], Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County. Accessed January 11, 2017.</ref> In the 1960s, townships which were once exclusively agricultural were quickly developed as suburban residential communities. Examples include [[Bridgewater Township, New Jersey|Bridgewater Township]]<ref>[http://www.bridgewaternj.gov/history/ The History of Bridgewater Township], [[Bridgewater Township, New Jersey]]. Accessed March 24, 2018. "In the early years, Bridgewater was known as a farming town."</ref> and the Watchung Hills communities of [[Watchung, New Jersey|Watchung]], [[Green Brook Township, New Jersey|Green Brook]] and [[Warren Township, New Jersey|Warren Township]].<ref name="Warren">Sordillo, Victor J. [http://www.warrennj.org/ About Warren Township], Warren Township. Accessed October 1, 2013. "Once described as 'the greenest place in New Jersey', Warren Township residents and elected officials are working to keep its rural character and charm while recognizing that there will be growth due to the town's beauty, favorable property taxes and strategic location.  Less than 35 miles to Manhattan makes Warren Township a favorite suburb for commuters to New York City."</ref><ref>[http://greenbrooknj.com/main6.htm Overview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004225430/http://greenbrooknj.com/main6.htm |date=October 4, 2013 }}, Green Brook Historical Society. Accessed October 1, 2013. "As the traffic through the corridor expanded, Green Brook Township developed from a quiet farming community, which it had been for nearly two hundred years, into the suburban community that it is today."</ref><ref>[http://www.watchungnj.com/ History], Borough of Watchung. Accessed October 1, 2013. "Watchung was settled in the early eighteenth century and grew slowly until recent years. In 1960 the population was 3,312 and in 2000 it was 5,613."</ref>  The growth was aided by the development of the county's very strong pharmaceutical and technology presence. [[Warren Township, New Jersey|Warren Township]] used to be considered "the greenest place in New Jersey."<ref name="Warren" /> More recently, there has been an influx of New York City commuters who use [[NJ Transit]]'s [[Raritan Valley Line]] and [[Gladstone Branch]] or use [[Interstate 78]].

In 1996, [[Nicholas L. Bissell Jr.]], the county prosecutor, was charged with [[embezzlement]], [[tax fraud]], and [[abuse of power]]. He fled to [[Laughlin, Nevada]] southeast of [[Las Vegas]], and killed himself when the federal authorities attempted to arrest him.<ref>Glaberson, William. [https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/01/nyregion/in-prosecutor-s-rise-and-fall-a-story-of-ambition-deceit-and-shame.html "In Prosecutor's Rise and Fall, a Story of Ambition, Deceit and Shame. "], ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 1, 1996. Accessed August 30, 2014. "When Nicholas L. Bissell Jr. put a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger in a $20 room on a neon strip here, it was almost the cliche ending to an ambitious man's rise and fall. An unexceptional child of New Jersey's modest suburbs, he rose to become a feared prosecutor in Somerset County known for his swaggering assault on drug dealers."</ref>