Township of Wyckoff

Located in Northwest Bergen County, midway between Saddle River and the Ramapo Valley, the Township of Wyckoff was originally inhabited by the Lenape Indians. In 1720, the first settlers were recorded as John and William Van Voor Haze. There is reason to believe that the name Wyckoff is a derivation of the Indian word wickoff meaning high ground or wickok meaning water. The Township was the site of the Sicomac happy hunting ground where many of the Lenape, including Oratam, Chief of the Ackingshacys, were buried. The high ridge connecting the present Township with Hawthorne was the place where the Minsis of northern New Jersey met to barter with the Long Island Indians. The famous Minnisink Trail from the Delaware River to the Atlantic Ocean ran through the southwestern section, which has retained the old Indian name, Sicomac. As part of East Jersey, the territory now comprising the Township was originally in the hands of Sir George Carteret, who along with Lord John Berkeley rece...