Denville, New Jersey

Denville Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 16,635, reflecting an increase of 811 (+5.1%) from the 15,824 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 2,012 (+14.6%) from the 13,812 counted in the 1990 Census.Denville is known as the "Hub of Morris County" for its location along major transportation routes at the center of the county. In 1988, as part of the town's 75th anniversary celebration, a time capsule was buried that contained "artifacts" from that era.Denville was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 14, 1913, from portions of Rockaway Township.HistoryNative Lenape Native Americans were known to travel the Minisink Trail for centuries before Europeans arrived in New Jersey. Part of that trail cut across what is now southern Denville, roughly following the course of Route 10 and Mount Pleasant Turnpike. Some research has indicated that there was a Lenape campsite along the trail in Denville, on or near the Ayres / Knuth Farm Historic Site along Route 10.When Dutch and English settlers began to arrive in the new world in the early 17th century, the Minisink Trail was the likely route they traveled to explore the interior. Daniel Denton, one of the purchasers of what is known as the Elizabethtown Tract in 1664, led an expedition into the interior of northern New Jersey. In 1670, he wrote the first English language description of the area. Some researchers conclude that the name "Denville" derives from Denton.