Indian Mills, formerly known as Brotherton, is an unincorporated community located within Shamong Township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was the site of Brotherton Indian Reservation, the only Indian reservation in New Jersey and the first in America, founded for the Lenape tribe, some of whom were native to New Jersey's Washington Valley.
Before becoming a reservation, it was an industrial town, known for gristmills and sawmills. Brotherton was the first Native American reservation in New Jersey.
The town was also historically known as Edgepillock or Edgepelick.
In 1756, the British colonial government appointed commissioners to resolve disputes between white settlers and the Munsee Lenape native to the Washington Valley. For 100 years prior, the groups had been on peaceful terms.
In 1757, the "New Jersey Association for Helping the Indians" wrote a constitution to expel Munsee Lenape native to the Washington Valley. Led by Reverend John Brainerd, colonists forcefully relocated 200 people to Indian Mills, then known as Brotherton.
In 1777, Reverend John Brainerd abandoned the reservation, making circumstances increasingly difficult.
In 1780, Munsee Lenape community leaders of Brotherton, native to Washington Valley, wrote a community treaty to oppose selling any more land to white settlers:
In 1796, the Oneidas of Stockbridge invited Brotherton's Lenape families to join their reservation. The initial Lenape response was negative; in 1798, Munsee Lenape community leaders Bartholomew Calvin, Jason Skekit, and 18 others signed a public statement of refusal to leave "our fine place in Jersey."
However, in 1801, many of the Munsee Lenape families agreed to relocate to New Stockbridge, New York to join the Oneidas. A few Munsee Lenapes stayed behind and assimilated with the white colonists.
In 1822, the remaining families were forcefully displaced by white colonists again, more than travel away, to Green Bay, Wisconsin.