The History of Franklin Township
Somerset, New Jersey
Dutch settlers came to the Raritan Valley circa 1650, where they met the Raritan Indians. Members of the Lenni-Lenape tribe were the first inhabitants of the area. In 1664 King Charles II of England declared rule over the Dutch lands in America. He parceled out New Jersey to Lord John Berkeley and Sir Philly Carteret. Later, in 1710, the central portion of Franklin was acquired by a Dutch company.
During 1776 and 1777, the Franklin area was ravaged by raiding parties fighting the Revolutionary War. Barns were torn down and the materials were used for construction of temporary bridges over the Raritan River. After the Battle of Princeton in early 1777, General George Washington withdrew his troops along the Millstone River and encamped overnight in Millstone. On June 14, 1777, area residents witnessed the startling scene of two divisions of General Howe's British Soldiers (about 15,000) marching along Amwell Road between Millstone and New Brunswick -- a road much traveled today. They entrenched themselves at East Millstone and Middlebush under Generals Cornwallis and DeHeister who attempted to burn every building in sight.
The British hoped to engage Washington's troops in battle, but the "Americans" were in an advantageous position at Chimney Rock, in the Watchung Mountains (Bridgewater), and refused to be drawn out. General Howe, therefore, returned his forces to Staten Island. The Griggstown section of the Township produced the romantic Revolutionary War figure of John Honeyman. His home still stands at the foot of Bunker Hill Road and Canal Road. It is said that while posing as a cattle-trader sympathetic to the British, Honeyman penetrated British lines and spied of their forces. His information helped Washington plan the surprise attack that liberated Trenton.
In 1798, the Township was incorporated into Somerset County, and into the state of New Jersey, becoming legally the Township of Franklin. The area was probably named after William Franklin, last Royal Governor of New Jersey (1762 - 1776). The completion of the 22 mile portion of the Delaware and Raritan Canals through Franklin in 1834 formed a continuous water route for freight between Philadelphia and New York. During the Civil War, as much as 200,000 tons of freight were hauled each year by mule and horse drawn barges. The canal was abandoned for commercial purposes in 1932, but is still actively used for recreational canoeing and fishing.
