West Hudson is the collective name of the municipalities of Kearny, Harrison and East Newark located west of the Hackensack River and east of the Passaic River in Hudson County in northeastern New Jersey. The Passaic River separates it from Newark and Belleville, and the Hackensack River separates it from Jersey City, the county seat. Residential districts are concentrated along the banks of the Passaic, while along the Hackensack there is more industry, brownfields, or protected areas of the New Jersey Meadowlands known as the Kearny Meadows or the Kearny MarshThe area was known as Meghgectecock (spellings include masgichteu-cunk) by the Lenape people who lived there at the time of European coloniazation, meaning where May-apples grow, from a moist-woodland perennial that bears edible yellow berries and used to describe the lobe of land between and the confluence of the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers at Newark Bay. (Contemporary: masgichteu meaning may apple )It was part of the area called Achter Col by New Netherlanders in the province of New Netherland during the 17th century. It was later given the name New Barbadoes Neck by British colonialists, and was originally part of Essex County. In 1710 it was made part of New Barbadoes Township, and part of Bergen County. It became part of Hudson County formed in 1840.
