Salem, New Jersey
| Salem, New Jersey | |
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| Coordinates: 39°34′11″N 75°28′3″W / 39.56972°N 75.4675°WCoordinates: 39°34′11″N 75°28′3″W / 39.56972°N 75.4675°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Salem |
| Formed | October 1693 |
| Incorporated | February 21, 1798 as Township |
| Incorporated | February 25, 1858 as City |
| Government[1] | |
| • Type | City |
| • Mayor | Earl R. Gauge |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.8 sq mi (7.2 km2) |
| • Land | 2.6 sq mi (6.8 km2) |
| • Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[2] | |
| • Total | 5,146 |
| • Density | 1,800/sq mi (710/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 08079 |
| Area code(s) | 856 |
| FIPS code | 34-65490[3][4] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0880233[5] |
| Website | http://www.salemcitynj.com/ |
Salem is a city in Salem County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the city population was 5,146.[2] It is the county seat of Salem County,[6] the most rural county in the state of New Jersey.[7] The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning "peace".[8]
The town and colony of Salem was founded in 1675 by John Fenwick. On February 25, 1858, it was reincorporated as Salem City.[9]
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[edit] Geography
Salem is located at 39°34′11″N 75°28′03″W / 39.569584°N 75.467622°W (39.569584, -75.467622),[10] along the Salem River.[11]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km2), of which 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (6.79%) is water.
Salem borders Elsinboro Township, Pennsville Township, Mannington Township, Quinton Township, and Lower Alloways Creek Township.
[edit] History
Fort Nya Elfsborg was a settlement that was part of New Sweden. Fort Nya Elfsborg was built shortly after Johan Printz, governor of New Sweden, arrived in the colony in 1643. Named after the old Älvsborg Fortress off shore from Gothenburg, Sweden, it was located on the Delaware River near Alloway Creek. Fort Nya Elfsborg was one of the earliest European settlements in the State of New Jersey. In 1655 Peter Stuyvesant, on behalf of the Dutch West India Company, re-asserted control over the region, which was later captured by the British in 1664.[12]
Salem City is the county seat of Salem County. The Salem County Courthouse serves the county while the Old Salem County Courthouse, situated on the same block, serves Salem City. The Old Salem County Courthouse is the oldest active courthouse in New Jersey and is the second oldest courthouse in continuous use in the United States.[13] The present courthouse was erected in 1735 during the reign of King George II using locally manufactured bricks. The building was enlarged in 1817 and additionally enlarged and remodeled in 1908. Its distinctive bell tower is essentially unchanged and the original bell sits in the courtroom.[13]
Judge William Hancock of the King's Court presided at the courthouse at the beginning of the American Revolution and was accidentally killed by the British troops during the Hancock House Massacre committed by the British against local militia during the Salem Raid in 1778.[14] The courthouse was afterward the scene of treason trials wherein suspected Loyalists were put on trial for having allegedly aided the British raid of Salem. Four men were convicted and sentenced to death for treason; however, they were pardoned by Governor William Livingston and exiled from New Jersey.[15]
The courthouse is also the site of the legend of Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson proving the edibility of the tomato. Before 1820, Americans often assumed tomatoes were poisonous. In 1820, Colonel Johnson, according to legend, stood upon the courthouse steps and ate tomatoes in front of a large amazed crowd assembled to watch him do so.[16] Modern scholars doubt the veracity of this story, however.[17]
[edit] Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 3,052 |
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| 1860 | 3,865 | 26.6% | |
| 1870 | 4,555 | 17.9% | |
| 1880 | 5,056 | 11.0% | |
| 1890 | 5,516 | 9.1% | |
| 1900 | 5,811 | 5.3% | |
| 1910 | 6,614 | 13.8% | |
| 1920 | 7,435 | 12.4% | |
| 1930 | 8,047 | 8.2% | |
| 1940 | 8,618 | 7.1% | |
| 1950 | 9,050 | 5.0% | |
| 1960 | 8,941 | −1.2% | |
| 1970 | 7,648 | −14.5% | |
| 1980 | 6,959 | −9.0% | |
| 1990 | 6,883 | −1.1% | |
| 2000 | 5,857 | −14.9% | |
| 2010 | 5,146 | −12.1% | |
| Population 1930-1990[18][19] 2010[2][20] | |||
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 5,857 people, 2,383 households, and 1,463 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,244.3 people per square mile (866.4/km2). There were 2,863 housing units at an average density of 1,097.0 per square mile (423.5/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 37.46% White, 56.77% African American, 0.60% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 1.38% from other races, and 3.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.88% of the population.
There were 2,383 households out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.7% were married couples living together, 29.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 80.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,846, and the median income for a family was $29,699. Males had a median income of $35,389 versus $24,354 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,559. About 24.7% of families and 26.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.3% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Salem is governed under the City form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor, who is elected at large. The City Council is made up of eight members, with four members representing each of two wards. Council members are elected on a staggered basis in partisan elections, with one seat from each ward up for election each year.[1]
The Mayor of Salem is Robert Davis.[21]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Salem is in the 2nd Congressional district. New Jersey's Second Congressional District is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Ventnor City). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
Salem is in the The 3rd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Stephen M. Sweeney (D, West Deptford Township) and in the General Assembly by John J. Burzichelli (D, Paulsboro) and Celeste Riley (D, Bridgeton).[22]
Salem County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders who are elected at-large to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each year. As of 2011, Salem County's Freeholders are Director Lee R. Ware (Elsinboro Township), Deputy Director David Lindenmuth (Woodstown), Julie A. Acton (Pennsville Township), Bruce L. Bobbitt (Pilesgrove Township), Dale A. Cross (Pennsville Township), Ben Laury (Elmer) and Beth E. Timberman (Woodstown).[23]
[edit] Transportation
Roads and highways passing through Salem include Route 45 and Route 49. Nearby highways and structures include Interstate 295, the New Jersey Turnpike, and the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
[edit] Education
The Salem City School District serves public school students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide.[24]
Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[25]) are John Fenwick School for PreK-2 (384 students), Salem Middle School for grades 3-8 (469) and Salem High School for grades 9-12 (476).
Public school students from Elsinboro, Lower Alloways Creek Township, Mannington Township and Quinton Township attend the district's high school for grades 9-12 as part of sending/receiving relationships.[26]
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Salem include:
- Benjamin H. Brewster (1816–88), United States Attorney General from 1881 to 1885.[27]
- Alexander G. Cattell (1816–94), United States Senator from New Jersey.[28]
- John Chowning (born 1934), musician, inventor and professor who developed FM synthesis.[29]
- Leon "Goose" Goslin (1900–71), Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player.[30]
- William J. Hughes (born 1932), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives [31]
- Orlando Jordan (born 1971), professional wrestler [32]
- Lydell Mitchell (born 1949), running back in the National Football League from 1972 to 1980.[33]
- John R. Patrick (born 1945), former IBM vice-president and innovative leader in the information technology industry, author of Net Attitude (Perseus, 2001).[citation needed]
- Charles J. Pedersen (1904–1989), American organic chemist and winner of the 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry [34]
- John S. Rock (1826-66) African-American doctor, dentist, abolitionist, and lawyer.[citation needed]
- Clement Hall Sinnickson (1834–1919), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district from 1875 to1879.[35]
[edit] Photo gallery
- Salem, New Jersey
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Broadway in downtown Salem in 2006
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The Salem River in Salem in 2006
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Broadway in downtown Salem in 2006
[edit] References
- ^ a b 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2006, p. 19.
- ^ a b c 2010 State & County QuickFacts for Salem (city), New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 29, 2011.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ Walsh, Daniel. "History and nature to merge on byway / Officials unveil scenic bayshore route for drivers", The Press of Atlantic City, July 23, 2009. Accessed November 29, 2011. "The county has rolled out an advertising campaign that includes radio, print and television commercials, along with a new Web site, and county leaders have sought to sell outsiders on New Jersey's least-populated and most-rural county."
- ^ "A Brief and Partial History of the City of Salem". The City of Salem Master Plan Historic Preservation Element. Preservation Salem County, Inc.. http://www.preservationsalem.org/PSIHIST.HTM. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
- ^ Snyder, John P (1969). The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968. Trenton, New Jersey: Bureau of Geology and Topography. p. 217.
- ^ "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.
- ^ New Jersey Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2005. ISBN 0-89933-324-9.
- ^ Weslager, C. A. (1988). New Sweden on the Delaware 1638-1655. Wilmington: The Middle Atlantic Press.
- ^ a b "Salem, NJ". Discovery Salem County. 2009. http://www.discoversalemcounty.com/Salem-NJ.asp. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
- ^ "William Hancock House, Hancocks Bridge, New Jersey". Cup O'Jersey South. 9 November 2007. http://cupojersey.blogspot.com/2007/11/william-hancock-house-hancocks-bridge.html. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
- ^ "Crossroads of the American Revolution Association". Revolutionarynj.org. http://www.revolutionarynj.org/crossroads-guide/delaware-river/alexander-grant-house.php. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
- ^ "Robert Gibbon Johnson - Fact or Fiction?". Tomato and Health Magazine. 2009. http://www.tomatoandhealth.com/index.php/main/loveheartfood/history/more/robert_gibbon_johnson/. Retrieved 23 November 2009.
- ^ Smith, Andrew F. (Fall-Winter 1990). "The Making of the Legend of Robert Gibbon Johnson and the Tomato". New Jersey History (New Jersey Historical Society) 108: 59–74.
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ U.S. Census Historical Data 1790-2000, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 16, 2007.
- ^ Data for 1790-1840 not available
- ^ Salem County mayors, New Jersey Conference of Mayors. Accessed December 17, 2008.
- ^ Legislative Roster 2012-2013 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 11, 2012.
- ^ 2011 Board of Chosen Freeholders, Salem County, New Jersey. Accessed February 9, 2011.
- ^ Abbott Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 31, 2008.
- ^ Data for the Salem City School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 29, 2011.
- ^ Salem High School 2010 School Report Card, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed November 29, 2011. "Salem High School is one of the oldest comprehensive high schools in the State of New Jersey. Our high school is proud to serve its students in grades 9-12 from Salem City, Elsinboro, Lower Alloways Creek, Mannington, and Quinton. "
- ^ Benjamin H. Brewster (1882 - 1885): Attorney General, Miller Center of Public Affairs. Accessed November 27, 2007.
- ^ Alexander Gilmore Cattell, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed July 30, 2007.
- ^ Manfredi, Fernando. "llega a uruguay john chowning, pionero en la sintetizacion de los sonidos, algo indispensable para el musico de ahora: La música de las computadoras - El destacado creador realizará un concierto con sus obras y una conferencia para todo público", El País (Uruguay), September 25, 2006. Accessed January 11, 2011. "A su regreso a los Estados Unidos en el año 1963, Chowning ingresó a los cursos de posgrado de la Universidad de Stanford, California, y se graduó como Doctor en Composición."
- ^ Staff. "Goose Goslin: Hero of Salem - Horse & Plow", Salem County, New Jersey, Summer 2009. Accessed January 12, 2011.
- ^ William John Hughes profile, United States Congress. Accessed July 30, 2007.
- ^ "Biography for Orlando Jordan". Internet Movie Database. Amazon.com. 2009. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1404139/bio. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ Lydell Mitchell, database Football. Accessed February 22, 2008.
- ^ Bass, Alison. "CHEMISTRY NOBEL IS SHARED BY 3; 2 WIN IN PHYSICS", The Boston Globe, October 15, 1987/. Accessed June 26, 2007. "Pedersen, 83, reached at his home in Salem, N.J., told reporters: I've never had an experience like this. It is a great honor."
- ^ Clement Hall Sinnickson, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed June 26, 2007.
[edit] Bibliography
- Shourds, Thomas (1876), History and genealogy of Fenwick's Colony, New Jersey, New Jersey: Bridgeton, ISBN 0-8063-0714-5
[edit] External links
- Salem, New Jersey
- Salem City School District
- Salem City School District's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Salem City School District, National Center for Education Statistics
- History of Salem
- Today's Sunbeam - Salem's local Newspaper
- Salem County Historical Society
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