Oaklyn was once dense forest land which was inhabited by Lenape Native Americans. In 1681, a group of Quakers seeking religious freedom sailed from Ireland to Fenwick's Colony at Salem, New Jersey where they spent the winter. In 1682, they sailed up the Delaware River and settled on Newton Creek. William Bates, their leader, purchased on the south side of Newton Creek from the local Native Americans. The original Quaker settlement, known as Newton Colony, was located in The Manor section of today's Oaklyn.