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The origin and meaning of the name "Teaneck" is not known. The resemblance to certain
Dutch words has encouraged speculation about a possible Dutch derivation and meaning.
Likewise, the two syllables "Tea" and "Neck" have equally distinct English meanings.
But most experts agree Teaneck is probably Indian in origin, and may mean "place
where there are woods". This is as good a definition as any other.
In the early days, the name "Teaneck" referred to the high ridge of land that runs
roughly north and south through the town and on which today's Queen Anne Road runs.
Early trails and camp sites established by tribes of the Lenape Indians were laid
out on either side of the ridge. At the time European explorers arrived in New Jersey
and New York, a powerful sachem or chief named Oratam was the ruler of a large tribe
of Lenapes in this area. They lived in a village that they called Achikinhesacky,
on the banks of the Tantaqua (Overpeck) Creek, on the eastern slope of Teaneck Ridge
near Fycke Lane.
 Troubles
persisted between the Indians and the Europeans until 1655, and it wasn't until
1704 that any reference to a permanent structure within Teaneck's current boundaries
can be found. Later, more houses and farm buildings were constructed along the old
Indian trail that ran along and above the west bank of the Hackensack River. The
neighborhood that grew here came to be known as East Hackensack or New Hackensack.
A separate group of Dutch farm houses was constructed along the eastern slope of
the Teaneck ridge. There were only a few European families in this neighborhood.
Today, we are fortunate to have still standing seven of these early stone houses.
Officially designated as historic houses and lovingly maintained by their private
owners, they are reminders of our 17th and 18th century Dutch farm heritage.
Life was peaceful for the families who lived and farmed in Teaneck for nearly three
generations. Then, during a cold and dreary November 1776, Teaneck was witness to
General George Washington's famous withdrawal of Colonial forces from nearby Fort
Lee on the Hudson River. Early on the morning of November 20th, Washington rode
by horseback from his headquarters in Hackensack through Teaneck and across the
Overpeck Creek to Fort Lee. There he watched as 6,000 British troops made their
way by boats up the Hudson River. He furiously arranged for his owns troops to abandon
their vulnerable position on the Palisades. Abandoning camp kettles, tents and most
of their provisions, they hastily made their way across the Overpeck Creek and through
Teaneck to New Bridge Landing (today's Brett Park in Teaneck). They crossed the
bridge, marching barefoot, two abreast, their garments so worn that they were exposed
to the cold rain that fell in the late afternoon and evening.
 Bergen County was the
site of many such harrowing events, and Teaneck was right in the thick of it. Throughout
the war, both British and American forces occupied several local homesteads at various
times, and Teaneck citizens played key roles on both sides of the conflict.
After the war, Teaneck returned to being a quiet farm community. Fruits and vegetables
grown locally were taken by wagon to busy markets in nearby Paterson and New York
City. New growth and development were aroused at mid-century by the establishment
of railroads throughout the regions. Wealthy New Yorkers and others purchased large
tracts of land on which they built spacious mansions and manor houses. They maintained
New York City as their principal places of employment and traveled daily to work
by train, thus becoming Teaneck's first suburban commuters.
 The largest
estate built in Teaneck belonged to William Walter Phelps, the son of a wealthy
railroad magnate and New York City mercantilist. In 1865, Phelps arrived in Teaneck
and enlarged an old farmhouse into a spectacular Victorian mansion on the site of
the present Municipal Government Complex. Phelps' "Englewood Farm" eventually encompassed
nearly 2,000 acres of landscaped property within the central part of Teaneck. Hence,
subsequent development and house construction refocused along the perimeters of
the Township, the central part being a lovely park like tract crisscrossed by picturesque
roads and trails.
The Township of Teaneck was established on February 19, 1895 and was comprised of
parts of Englewood, Hackensack, Ridgefield Park, Bergen Fields and Bogota. William
W. Bennett, overseer of the W.W. Phelps Estate, chaired the three man Township Committee
(later replaced by a seven member Town Council). The town's population was 811.
During these early days of the 20th century, the town's affairs focused on construction
of streets and street lamps (originally gaslights), trolley lines (along DeGraw
Avenue), telephones and speeding traffic. Social activities centered on church events
and harness racing at the popular racetrack on Cedar Lane, near River Road. Several
small inns offered fine dining and dancing to overnight guests.
Residential development began in earnest after the opening of the Phelps Estate
in 1927. The completion of the George Washington Bridge in 1931 and its connection
to Teaneck via State Highway Route 4 brought hundreds of curious and eager new home
buyers. The population increased 300% between 1920 and 1930, from 4,192 to 16,513.
Such rapid growth was not without its pains. Financial turmoil and inefficiencies
in the town government finally result in the adoption of a new form of government.
A full-time city manager, Paul A. Volcker, Sr. was appointed to handle day-to-day
business affairs. Volcker's 20-year term, from 1930-50, provided Teaneck with economic
stability, zoning and long-term development plans, a paid fire department and civil
service for Township employees. It also established a model for future administrations.
 The rapid changes and complicated
demands of the modern era have been met by careful consideration and adherence to
the principles established by Teaneck's early citizens and planners. Never was this
better illustrated that in 1965 when, after a long and difficult struggle, Teaneck
became the first town in the nation where a white majority voted for school integration.
There have been other challenges as well: interstate highways; high-rise hotel and
office complexes; the demands of increased vehicular traffic; and the needs expressed
by a citizenry of diverse ethnic and religious background. They are also among the
fibers that make up the ornate and fine fabric that is Teaneck.
Excerpted from material prepared by Robert D. Griffin, Township Historian
Additional information about Teaneck's History is available in the following publications:
A Guide To The Historic Landmarks Of Teaneck, New Jersey
The Teaneck One-Hundred Year Book
Available for purchase from the Township Clerk's Office and at the Teaneck Library.
For further information, please call the Township Clerk's Office at 201-837-4806.
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