Arent Schuyler

Arent Schuyler was born in Rensselaerswyck (now Albany, New York) on June 25, 1662 and died in Belleville, New Jersey on November 26, 1730. A member of the influential Schuyler family (among the first settlers to New Netherland), during his lifetime he was a surveyor, "Indian agent", miner, merchant, and land speculator.

Schuyler participated in the military actions an early French and Indian War in Canada in the 1690s. In 1694, Schuyler traveled into north-western New Jersey to investigate rumors that the French were trying to incite the local Lenni-Lenape population to rebel against the English. Schuyler found no evidence of a rebellion, but discovered a rich fertile valley where the Lenni-Lenape grew a variety of crops. Schuyler reported his findings to the English and then convinced Major Anthony Brockholst, Samuel Bayard, Samuel Berry, Hendrick and David Mandeville, George Ryerson and John Mead to invest in the purchase of the land he referred to as the Pompton Valley. The seven chose Schuyler to be negotiator with the Lenape for the rights to the area. Samual Bayard, however, was chosen to negotiate with the East Jersey Company, which maintained land rights over the area that is now Wayne. Approximately 5,000 acres (20 km²) were purchased on November 11, 1695. He built the Schuyler-Colfax House along the Pompton River.

In 1710, he bought a large tract on New Barbadoes Neck. The new purchase (present-day Kearny, North Arlington, and Lyndhurst and Kingsland) had a significant deposit of copper, and the family became wealthy as they started to mine the metal at the Schuyler Copper Mine.

Arent Schuyler married three times: to Jenneke Teller, to Swantje Van Duyckhuysen, and to Maria Walter(s), the daughter of Robert Walter(s) and Catharine Leisler. He had eleven children; among them were Adonijah, John, and Peter. Peter Schuyler was responsible for the introduction of the first steam engine assembled in the United States. Schuyler Avenue (Kearny) recalls the early settlers.