above Wiehacken," then taking in the sweep of land on the peninsula west of the Hudson and east of the Hackensack River extending down to the Kill Van Kull in Bayonne. A stipulation for the settlement was that a garrison be built so that homesteaders, whose farms spread out around the village, could retreat there in the event of an attack. The charter for the village gave it a semi-autonomous government, and it became the seat of government for the region, which included all the European settlements radiating from the west bank of the North River. In 1664, a negotiated surrender gave control of New Netherland to the English, who on September 22, 1668, recognized and confirmed original town charter. In 1674, soon after English possession of New Netherland was formalized, the village at Bergen became part of the proprietary colony of East Jersey, and the "capital" of one of four newly established administrative districts, Bergen County, where it remained until 1710, when the government moved to Hackensack. To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the town's founding in 1910, The New York Times sponsored a seven-week composition competition for Jersey City students to study and write about its history. See also Newkirk House Jane Teurs Achter Col Bergen Constable Hook Old Bergen Church Patroon Paulus Hook Van Wagenen House New Netherland settlements Gravesend, Brooklyn References External links Stuyvesant statue controversy Peter Stuyvesant Statue Heads to The Beacon for Restoration On its Way Back to Bergen Square | The Jersey City Independent Bergen Square Walking Tour Geography of Bergen County, New Jersey New Netherland Populated places established in the 17th century History of Jersey City, New Jersey Pre-statehood history of New Jersey Streets in Hudson County, New Jersey Neighborhoods in Jersey City, New Jersey Colonial forts in New Jersey Tourist attractions in Jersey City, New Jersey Squares in Jersey City, New Jersey