1. The
of Rockaway Township

2. When was Rockaway founded?
Rockaway was founded in the year 1844
Morris County divided its larger townships into smaller ones
The original Rockaway included what is today’s Rockaway Borough, Denville, and Rockaway Township
Denville split off in 1913
Rockaway Borough split off in 1894

3. Why is it named “Rockaway”?
In 1715, Dutch settlers came to the eastern part of what is modern day Rockaway Township
The Dutch settlers are the ones who gave Rockaway its name
The name Rockaway is based on the Native American word “Rechouwakie” which means “the place of sands”
Why would our township be known as “the place of sands”?

4. Early Rockaway History
The Lenni Lenape were also early settlers of the Rockaway area
They disappeared from the Morris County area in 1750
They left trails from lake to lake
Before they disappeared, the Lenni Lenape showed early settlers “succasunna” or black stone, which turns out to be iron

5. Lenni Lenape and Iron

7. Rockaway and Mining
Rockaway was the first “district” or area to mine iron ore
The mining of iron ore helped America become independent from England
Job Allen built the first forge in Rockaway Village (which is now part of Rockaway Borough)
A forge is a blacksmith’s workshop where they work with the metal in a fire or furnace and hammer it into shape

8. Forges

9. Rockaway and Mining
BY 1740, there were tons of forges operating along the Rockaway River
It was important to be near the river because it provided:
Access to iron ore
Waterpower
Thick forests (you could get charcoal here for the forge fires)

10. Rockaway and Mining
By 1776, Morris County was the main “smelting” center of the United States!
Smelting: taking the iron out of the ore by using heat
There were three blast furnaces built in Rockaway
Blast Furnace: a tall tower that was used to blast hot air from below during the smelting process
Hibernia, Mount Hope, Split Rock

11. Split Rock Blast Furnace

12. Blast Furnaces
The one at Split Rock is the only blast furnace still standing
The furnaces provided important tools for the Continental Army
Shovels
Axes
Cannons/cannonballs
The Continental Army was the American army that was led by George Washington during the American Revolution

13. Blast Furnaces and the American Revolution
The Continental Army desperately needed more men to join
New Jersey law kept 50 men at the Mt. Hope furnace and 25 men at the Hibernia furnace - they would not be allowed to join the war and couldn’t be forced to
The mining of iron ore was extremely important for the war effort