Our chapter territory, like New Jersey itself, is rich in Revolutionary War history. Our name comes from a colonial-era designation for the area known as the West Fields of Elizabeth, which today encompasses Union, Middlesex, and Somerset counties. Of the nine major battles fought in New Jersey during the Revolutionary War, three occurred within a few miles of Westfield: the Battle of Short Hills in 1777 and the Battles of Connecticut Farms, now Union, and Springfield, both in 1780. Local militia played important roles in these and other engagements.

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Of the hundreds of smaller encounters fought in New Jersey during the war, this area also includes the 1777 Battle of Spanktown, fought along Saint Georges Avenue in what is now Rahway. In August 1781, parts of the Continental and French armies marched through several of our communities on their way from Rhode Island to Virginia to take part in the Siege of Yorktown, which led to the American victory in the war. This historic march is commemorated each August in the town of Westfield with a parade and encampment in Mindowaskin Park.