The Washington Township Police Department was formed circa 1925 when the town consisted of less than 2000 residents. The below photgraph was taken August 4th, 1929. The department consisted of ten(10) full and part time officers which covered a population about 2068 residents. Much different than the Washington Township of today where the population easily exceeds 50,000 residents.
Washington Township Police Department 1970
Washington Township Police Vehicle 1978
Washington Township Police Department Photograph From 1974
Washington Township was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 17, 1836, from portions of Deptford Township. The Township officially moved to the newly created Camden County on March 13, 1844. Monroe Township was created on March 3, 1859, from part of the township. Most of Washington Township, along with all of Monroe Township, was moved back into Gloucester County on February 28, 1871, with the remaining portions of Washington Township that were still in Camden County being transferred to Gloucester Township. Additional transfers to Gloucester Township were made in 1926 and 1931.
The oldest community in Washington Township, Grenloch Terrace, was a thriving Lenni Lenape Native American village called Tetamekon. Some of the early settlers to the area were the Collins family of Chestnut Ridge Farm (whom one of the middle schools is named after), the Turner family (for whom Turnersville was named), the Hurff family of Hurffville (Hurffville Elementary School is named after them), the Heritage family whose family began the Heritage Dairy Farm Stores, the Morgan family who were the first residents of the Olde Stone House (a landmark for residents of the Township), and the Bell Family who arrived in 1899, turning the 139-year-old grist mill into General Mills, Inc. The mill, located at Bells Lake, was destroyed by fire in 1963.