The first residents of Gloucester County were the Indians. There were Narraticons, Mantese, Armewamexes, and the Lenni-Lenape Indians. The Lenni-Lenape were farmers, hunters and fishermen. They grew tobacco and corn and enjoyed a peaceful existence, until the Dutch, Swedes, Finns, and the English arrived. The Lenni-Lenape eventually re-located west. Their land was taken piece by piece — either by force, by trade, or by purchase. But the Indians were a big part of the creation of Gloucester County. Indian trails became our county roads. The Indians helped the earliest settlers to survive the harsh winters in New Jersey. The word Lenape means “true men”, or “original people”.

The European settlements in Gloucester County were filled with conflicts. Each nationality arrived and staked a claim to the land. They used names like “Swedesboro” and “Gloucester” to show ownership of the land. They built forts and attacked one an- other. They made packs with each other and the Indians. They used official government documents to take control, and mapped out counties and townships. The Dutch were the first to arrive. These people formed the New Netherlands colony, which included parts of New Jersey, New York, and Delaware. The Dutch West India Company recruited people to come to New Jersey to support the commercial interests of the Dutch. But these people came from several different backgrounds. They were Dutch, Finns and English, and they came to be known as the New Netherlands Dutch.

New Netherlands became New Sweden with the arrival of the Swedes in 1638. The Swedes conquered the Dutch, most of what is now Gloucester County belonged to the Swedes. New Netherlands thrived until the English took over the land in 1663-64.The English colonists came to America in 1682. They took over the land, and renamed most of it. In May of 1686, the English formed a County Constitution. Townships were organized and the county of Gloucester became official. Gloucester County originally included Atlantic and Camden counties.