▁by ▁the ▁New ▁Jersey ▁Natural ▁Land s ▁Trust ▁which ▁set ▁aside ▁tract s ▁for ▁wild life ▁habit ats ▁that ▁protect ▁unique ▁e cos ystem s ▁and ▁some ▁threatened ▁species . ▁ ▁History ▁and ▁to pon ym y ▁ ▁On ▁June ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Ge ological ▁Sur ve ys ▁Board ▁of ▁Geographic ▁Names ▁approved ▁the ▁to pon ym ▁Pap ak ating ▁for ▁a ▁cre ek ▁in ▁north western ▁New ▁Jersey . ▁Pap ak ating ▁is ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁language ▁spoken ▁by ▁the ▁Mun see ▁( the ▁northern ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁L ena pe ▁or ▁Del aware ▁Indians ) ▁who ▁inhab ited ▁northern ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁n ort he astern ▁Pennsylvania , ▁and ▁southern ▁New ▁York ▁and ▁western ▁Long ▁Island ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁European ▁settlement ▁of ▁eastern ▁se ab o ard ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁Pap ak ating , ▁and ▁several ▁variant ▁spell ings , ▁had ▁been ▁recorded ▁for ▁the ▁cre ek ▁consist ently ▁since ▁the ▁American ▁colonial ▁period . ▁Maps ▁and ▁documents ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution ▁often ▁render ▁the ▁name ▁as ▁P ep oc ott in ▁or ▁Pe pper - C ot ton . ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁used ▁for ▁both ▁the ▁cre ek ▁and ▁its ▁valley , ▁and ▁subsequently ▁during ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century ▁for ▁a ▁small ▁ham let ▁that ▁later ▁gave ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁a ▁post ▁office ▁and ▁train ▁dep ot . ▁The ▁post ▁office ▁was ▁author ized ▁as ▁" P ep ok ating