ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

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PALISADES REGIONAL FIRE & RESCUE

DINE & DONATE FUNDRAISER

July 25th from 4 to 8 p.m. at OWOWOCOW Ice Cream  Shop in Ottsville. Mention “Palisades Regional Fire and Rescue” when ordering and 20% of your bill will be donated to support the volunteer fire company.

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CELEBRATING 250 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Nockamixon Historic Commission is proud to present a special series entitle NOCKAMIXON HISTORIC MINUTES. This commemorative initiative aims to highlight and honor Nockamixon's rich and enduring legacy.

EARLY SETTLERS OF NOCKAMIXON TOWNSHIP PART 2: THE LENAPE By Roseann McCarty

The Lenape people William Penn encountered controlled territory extending from the Delaware River Valley through much of what is now New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and parts of New York. In the Nockamixon area, a Shawnee village had once occupied the land, but the Shawnee had lost the land to the Lenape in “The Grasshopper War.” The Lenni Lenape settled in the former Shawnee village.

The name "Nockamixon" is derived from the language of the Lenni Lenape. The phrase “nocha-miska-ing” is commonly interpreted to mean “at the place of soft soil,” likely referring to the swampy or marshy terrain in the region. Some sources note slight variations in spelling and interpretation, with alternative forms like "Nocha-nichs-ink" potentially meaning “at the place of three huts,” though the "soft soil" interpretation is more widely accepted.

Penn’s approach to the Lenape was shaped by both religious tolerance and practical judgement. Peaceful relations supported trade, avoided the high cost of war, and helped protect the young colony as it took root. Penn negotiated Pennsylvania's first land-purchase survey with the Lenape people and established cordial relations between the colonists and the Lenape.

Although William Penn was regarded as fair in his dealings with the Lenape, his heirs were not. After returning to England, Penn left control of the colony to his sons, John, Thomas, and Richard, who were eager to acquire more Lenape land. In 1736, they produced a deed dated 1686, claiming the Lenape had agreed to sell land stretching from the Delaware River near present-day Wrightstown northwest into the interior “as far as a man could walk in a day and a half,” a common Native American way of measuring distance.

The claim led to the Walking Treaty Meetings and the Walking Purchase Treaty of 1737. The Lenape leaders believed the distance a man would walk would be about 40 miles. However, the colonists hired the colony’s three fastest runners and cleared paths. One runner reached the area near present-day Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. As a result, the Lenape lost 1.2 million acres, sparking a 20-year war. Despite repeated efforts to recover their land, the Lenape were eventually forced from the area and resettled in Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley.

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2026 BUCKS COUNTY HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION DATES & LOCATIONS

• August 8 - Bensalem High School, 4319 Hulmeville Road, Bensalem
• October 24 - strayer Middle School, 1200 Ronald Reagan Drive, Quakertown

2026 Bucks County HHW Flyer, provides more information on the materials you can bring.

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GET PAID TO RECYCLE YOUR OLD APPLIANCES

Contact First Energy/Met-Ed to schedule a pickup for your old refrigerator, freezer, washer/dryer, air purifier, dehumidifier, or dishwasher and get a check for $15 to $50! Call 888-314-4116 or visit www.energysavePA.com.

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WATER WATCH UPDATE: June 18, 2026

• Precipitation: WARNING Status. Bucks County received only 7.7 inches of precipitation in the past 90 days (3/19 – 6/17).
• Groundwater: WATCH Status. Spring 2026 data from the Nockamixon SWL wells shows 67% of wells below median water level.
• Streamflow: NORMAL Status.
• Remember to water your plants early in the morning (5 AM–10 AM) when evaporation is minimal. This lets plants absorb moisture efficiently and reduces leaf diseases.

PA Drought Map: https://rconnect.usgs.gov/PA_drought_map/  More info go to the GMC website: https://www.bntgmc.org/

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HOW CAN I PRESERVE MY PROPERTY?

Email a letter of interest to or mail it to Nockamixon Township office at 589 Lake Warren Road, Upper Black Eddy, PA 18972. (Click here for the: Sample of Landowner Preservation Interest.) After your letter is received, a Nockamixon Open Space Committee member will contact you, arrange a meeting to explain the program, provide an application, and discuss your preservation goals. 

• Preliminary Conservation Easement_Application

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COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE: 2026

A Comprehensive Plan is the main policy guide that summarizes a community's vision for planning and development issues along with a current inventory of the township’s resources. Beginning in 2025, Nockamixon Planning Commission has draft updates under the guidance of the Bucks County Planning Commission. On January 6, 2026, the Planning Commission finalized its review. After a 45-day public review period beginning April 20th and ending June 5th, the Board of Supervisors adopted the 2026 Comprehensive Plan Update at the June 18, 2026 Board  meeting. 

Click here for the current draft of the Nockamixon Township Comprehensive Plan Update. Upon receipt from the Bucks County Planning Commission, the final plan will be made available online.

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NOCKAMIXON SPRING NEWSLETTER

Click here for the latest NOCKAMIXON SPRING NEWSLETTER 2026 which highlights a Nockamixon Historic Minute!

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