A Place Called Whippany

Book excerpt: A Place Called Whippany is a book about the history and contemporary times of Hanover Township, New Jersey. The Township of Hanover includes the villages of Whippany and Cedar Knolls, the communities of Countrywood and Trailwood, and the historic districts of Malapardis and Monroe. Whippany is a musical name with a fanciful meaning given to us by the Native Americans who first inhabited this land. The name was adopted by its New World inhabitants when the Township of Whippenny was established in the seventeenth century. Whippenny Township was a vast wilderness that included all the land that is now known as Morris County. Eventually its American name was replaced by a German name when Whippenny Township was renamed Hanover Township in the eighteenth century. Through the years its landmass has dwindled as municipalities formed and ceded from the township. Although Hanover is a notable name, it is also quite common; hundreds of places in the world are known as Hanover, including over seventy-five Hanover municipalities in the United States. In order to distinguish this place from the other Hanovers of the world, it seems fitting to call it by its original name of Whippany, since Whippany is unique to only one place on earth. A Place Called Whippany contains the indigenous, colonial, industrial, agricultural, and early modern history and contemporary times of Hanover Township, as well as a description of its character and how and why it has changed. It takes the reader from a time when Whippatiy was a prehistoric wilderness, through its colonial times, to its present status as a busy suburban community, including accounts of local politics, government, points of interest, and community institutions, organizations, and activities. It contains over 150 photos of its colonial past, its agricultural and industrial heritage, and scenes of the township as it appears today. ---Black & White Edition