borough (town), Bergen county, northeastern New Jersey, U.S. It lies 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Paterson, near the Passaic River. Laid out in 1862, the settlement was originally known as Boiling Springs. In 1875 it was renamed to honour John Rutherfurd, a U.S. senator from New Jersey (1791–98). The manufacture of paper products, industrial machinery, and computer software make up the town's economic base. Rutherford was the birthplace of the poet William Carlos Williams (Williams, William Carlos). It is home to Fairleigh Dickinson University (1942). Inc. 1881. Pop. (1990) 17,790; (2000) 18,110.