| When you think of "Paramus" do you automatically | | | | proximity to Weasel Mountain, now called Garrett |
| think, "shopping malls?" If you do, you are not alone. | | | | Mountain. Acquackanonk Township was an earlier |
| On a recent trip to the west coast, I was asked, | | | | name for Clifton, which at one time also included the |
| "where in New Jersey do you live?" When I | | | | cities presently called Passaic and Paterson. |
| mentioned near Paramus, the person nodded her | | | | Acquackanonk was part of Essex County until its |
| head in recognition. She knew that the town was a | | | | residents, unhappy, with the preferential treatment |
| shopping mecca on the east coast.Paramus' origins | | | | Newark was receiving, asked to leave the county |
| and even recent history, belie the shopping mecca | | | | and be joined to Passaic County.In Essex County, the |
| label. As recently as the 1960s, the borough was | | | | name Bloomfield suggests bucolic farmland. While the |
| dotted with farmland; indeed Paramus is derived from | | | | farmland part may have at one time been true, |
| the Lenni Lenape name Perampsus, meaning: "where | | | | Bloomfield was named for a New Jersey governor |
| there is worthwhile or fertile land." Where there was | | | | who served from 1803-1812; Gov. Joseph Bloomfield |
| fertile land, maize or corn was grown and wild | | | | also served as a U.S. Senator. The present day |
| turkeys were also found in abundance. Thus, the | | | | township of Bloomfield was originally part of Newark, |
| meaning of Paramus . . . "A fertile land where corn | | | | which was settled in 1666.Matthew Keegan is the |
| was grown attracting wild turkeys". For kicks, go to | | | | owner of a successful article writing, web design, and |
| the Paramus Park Mall and observe the Indian riding | | | | marketing business based in North Carolina, USA. He |
| the turkey [Route 17 entrance near Macy's]. It looks | | | | manages several sites including the Corporate Flight |
| odd to the visitor, but with your new knowledge of | | | | Attendant Community and the Aviation Employment |
| Paramus' name origin, it explains much.Clifton could | | | | Board. Please visit The Article Writer to review |
| easily be called Cliftside or Underclift due to its | | | | selections from his portfolio. |