Butler, New Jersey

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Butler, New Jersey
—  Borough  —
Butler highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Butler, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°59′58″N 74°20′47″W / 40.99944°N 74.34639°W / 40.99944; -74.34639Coordinates: 40°59′58″N 74°20′47″W / 40.99944°N 74.34639°W / 40.99944; -74.34639
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Morris
Incorporated March 13, 1901
Government
 • Type Borough (New Jersey)
 • Mayor Robert W. Alviene (2013)
 • Administrator James Lampmann[1]
Area
 • Total 2.1 sq mi (5.4 km2)
 • Land 2.1 sq mi (5.4 km2)
 • Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation[2] 436 ft (133 m)
Population (2010 Census)[3]
 • Total 7,539
 • Density 3,600/sq mi (1,400/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 07405
Area code(s) 973
FIPS code 34-09040[4][5]
GNIS feature ID 0885175[6]
Website http://www.butlerborough.com

Butler is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,539.[3]

Butler was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 13, 1901, from portions of Pequannock Township.[7]

Contents

[edit] Geography

Butler is located at 40°59′58″N 74°20′47″W / 40.999497°N 74.346326°W / 40.999497; -74.346326 (40.999497, -74.346326).[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (0.96%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1930 3,392
—
1940 3,351 −1.2%
1950 4,050 20.9%
1960 5,414 33.7%
1970 7,051 30.2%
1980 7,616 8.0%
1990 7,392 −2.9%
2000 7,420 0.4%
2010 7,539 1.6%
Population 1930 - 1990.[9][3]

As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 7,420 people, 2,868 households, and 2,024 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,568.9 people per square mile (1,377.3/km2). There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 1,405.9 per square mile (542.6/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 94.89% White, 0.62% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.85% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.48% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.11% of the population.

There were 2,868 households out of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the borough the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $57,455, and the median income for a family was $66,199. Males had a median income of $45,975 versus $35,815 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $27,113. About 2.5% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

The area now known as Butler was originally called "West Bloomingdale" and was sparsely populated. Water power brought manufacturing entities to the area. In 1857, The Pequannock Valley Paper Company moved from Bergen County and in 1868 the Newbrough Hard Rubber Company built a factory, both based along the Pequannock River. These were two significant economic entities that contributed to the growth of the Borough. In 1871, the New Jersey Midland Railroad extended track through Butler from Paterson, making an important transportation connection for both passengers and freight. The northern terminus for the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway's passenger service was located at Butler until 1966. The railroad still carries freight through Butler.

The growing town was given the name "Butler" in 1881 after Richard Butler, who had taken ownership of the Hard Rubber Company. A Post Office was established and a larger railroad station was built. This station has been the Borough Museum since about 1977. The Hard Rubber Company eventually merged with other businesses and became the American Hard Rubber Company in 1898. A "Soft" Rubber Company built a factory just along Main Street. The town continued to grow as other factories and supporting businesses were established. The population in 1920 was 2,265 people. By 1950, it was 4,063.

Butler's largest fire began just after midnight, February 26, 1957, when one of the nation's largest rubber reclaiming mills (Pequanoc Rubber Company, Main Street) was destroyed by a blaze estimated to have caused a loss of as much as $3 million at the time. The mill occupied the site on upper Main Street, an irregular shaped complex 600 feet by 300 feet and 3 to 4 stories high; it produced over 100 tons of reusable sheet rubber daily from 200 tons of scrap. One Butler Heights resident remembers the fire being so bright she could read a newspaper in her yard at 3am at a distance of a mile. The glow reportedly was visible for 100 miles, mutual aid response was required by volunteer fire companies from a dozen nearby fire companies.[10]

Numerous organizations exist in town and, along with the neighboring towns of Kinnelon and Bloomingdale, many "Tri-Boro" organizations serve the area, including the local Little League & Volunteer First Aid Squad.

Butler was the location of a health resort run by Benedict Lust called "Yungborn" that opened on September 15, 1896.[11]

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Butler is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.[12]

As of 2011, the Mayor of Butler is Robert W. Alviene, whose term of office ends December 31, 2013. members of the Borough Council are Council President Edwin Vath, Robert Fox, Robert Meier, Verdonik Raymond, Stephen Regis and Judith Woop.[13]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Butler is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 26th state legislative district.[14] The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[3]

New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 26th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph Pennacchio (R, Montville) and in the General Assembly by Jay Webber (R, Morris Plains).[15] Republican Alex DeCroce, who had been the longest-serving member of the Assembly, died at the New Jersey State House on January 9, 2012, the day before he would have taken office for his next term.[16] On January 25, 2012, his widow, BettyLou DeCroce, was selected by the Morris County Republican Committee to replace him in the Assembly until a November 2012 special election is held.[17] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[18] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[19]

Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year.[20] As of 2011, Morris County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director William J. Chegwidden (Wharton),[21] Deputy Freeholder Director Douglas R. Cabana (Boonton Township),[22] Gene F. Feyl (Denville),[23] Ann F. Grassi (Parsippany-Troy Hills),[24] Thomas J. Mastrangelo (Montville),[25] John J. Murphy (Morris Township)[26] and Margaret Nordstrom (Washington Township).[27][28]

[edit] Education

The Butler Public Schools serves students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment from the National Center for Education Statistics[29]) are Aaron Decker School serves grades K-4 (387 students), Richard Butler School serves grades 5-8 (266) and Butler High School serves grades 9-12 (553). Students from Bloomingdale attend Butler High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Bloomingdale School District.[30]

St. Anthony of Padua School is a Catholic school operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson.[31]

[edit] Transportation

The former Butler station (for the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad) as seen in August 2011 just before Hurricane Irene
Main article: Butler (NYS&W station)

New Jersey Transit bus service is provided on the 194 route to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan and on the 75 to Newark.[32]

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Butler include:

[edit] References

  1. ^ Borough Administrator, Butler Borough. Accessed July 1, 2011.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Borough of Butler, Geographic Names Information System, accessed January 4, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d 2011 Apportionment Redistricting: Municipalities sorted alphabetically, New Jersey Department of State, p. 2. Accessed July 1, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  5. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
  6. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  7. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 191.
  8. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
  9. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 2, 2009. Accessed July 1, 2011.
  10. ^ via Associated Press. "$2,000,000 Fire Set Off by Blast Destroys New Jersey Rubber Plant", The New York Times, February 27, 1957. Accessed July 1, 2011. "A fire that started early today in a drying-room explosion destroyed the plant of the Pequanoc Soft Rubber Company, causing a loss estimated at $2,000,000 to $3,000,000."
  11. ^ a b Whorton, James C. Nature cures: the history of alternative medicine in America, p. 198, Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 0195140710. Accessed July 1, 2011.
  12. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 121.
  13. ^ Town Council, Butler Borough. Accessed July 2, 2011.
  14. ^ 2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 55. Accessed July 2, 2011.
  15. ^ Legislative Roster 2012-2013 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 11, 2012.
  16. ^ Wright, Peggy. "Alex DeCroce Morris stalwart passes away", Daily Record (Morristown), January 11, 2012. Accessed January 11, 2012.
  17. ^ Dan Goldberg (2012-01-26). "BettyLou DeCroce to assume N.J. Assembly seat, succeed husband in 2 weeks". The Star-Ledger. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/betty_lou_decroce_will_succeed.html. Retrieved 2012-01-26. 
  18. ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved 2010-01-21. 
  19. ^ "About the Lieutenant Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/lt/. Retrieved 2010-01-21. 
  20. ^ What is a Freeholder?, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 5, 2011.
  21. ^ William J. Chegwidden, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
  22. ^ Douglas R. Cabana, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
  23. ^ Gene F. Feyl, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
  24. ^ Ann F. Grossi, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
  25. ^ Thomas J. Mastrangelo, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
  26. ^ John J. Murphy, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
  27. ^ Margaret Nordstrom, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
  28. ^ Meet the Freeholders, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed January 9, 2011.
  29. ^ Data for the Butler Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 2, 2011.
  30. ^ Lee, Michelle. "Proposal to merge Butler, Bloomingdale school chiefs snagged on state pay-cap", The Record (Bergen County), February 20, 2011. Accessed July 2, 2011. "Lauren Grecco, Bloomingdale school board president, said the trustees came up with the shared superintendent idea last fall with the goals of saving money and better-aligning curriculum. Bloomingdale students attend Butler High School, and the districts share a librarian and a buildings-and-grounds supervisor."
  31. ^ Morris County Elementary / Secondary Schools, Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. Accessed July 26, 2008.
  32. ^ Morris County Bus/Rail Connections, New Jersey Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 22, 2009. Accessed July 1, 2011.
  33. ^ Staff. "Kurt Adler, 70, Conductor Of 20 Different Operas At Met During 22 Years", The New York Times, September 22, 1977. Accessed July 2, 2011. "Kurt Adler, opera conductor and chorusmaster of the, Metropolitan Opera from 1945 through 1973, died yesterday after a long illness. He was 70 years old and lived in Butler, N.J."
  34. ^ McLeod, Don. "First sub-Arctic type: Marine lab opens in May", Leader-Post, September 29, 1966. Accessed July 2, 2011. "Dr. Aldrich, 39-year-old native of Butler, N.J., who came to Memorial five years ago from the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, expects to have a staff of eventually 100, probably 48 of them senior researchers."
  35. ^ Frederick A. Aldrich, Memorial University of Newfoundland. Accessed July 2, 2011. "Frederick Allen Aldrich, AB, M.Sc., PhD, was born in Butler, New Jersey, on May 1, 1927. Following the award of his doctorate in marine biology and physiology from Rutgers University, he served for seven years as curator of invertebrates at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia."
  36. ^ Martin, Douglas. "Harry L. Sears, 82, Politician And Courier for Vesco Cash", The New York Times, May 21, 2002. Accessed July 2, 2011. "Harry Lloyd Sears Jr. was born on Jan. 16, 1920, in Butler, N.J. He graduated from Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn., and Rutgers University Law School. He was elected to the General Assembly in 1961 and was re-elected every two years until he ran successfully for the Senate in 1967."

[edit] External links

Bloomingdale Borough
Kinnelon Borough Riverdale Borough
   Butler Borough    
Kinnelon Borough
Municipalities and communities of Morris County, New Jersey, United States
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