Union Township, Union County, New Jersey

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Not to be confused with Union City, New Jersey in Hudson County and Union Beach, New Jersey in Monmouth County.

Union Township, New Jersey
—  Township  —
Map of Union Township in Union County. Inset: Location of Union County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Union Township, Union County, New Jersey
Coordinates: 40°41′49″N 74°16′14″W / 40.69694°N 74.27056°W / 40.69694; -74.27056
Country United States
State New Jersey
County Union
Incorporated November 23, 1808
Government [1]
 - Type Township (New Jersey)
 - Mayor Clifton People, Jr.
 - Administrator Frank Bradley[2]
Area
 - Total 9.1 sq mi (23.6 km2)
 - Land 9.1 sq mi (23.6 km2)
 - Water 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2)
Elevation [3] 121 ft (37 m)
Population (2007)[4]
 - Total 54,062
 - Density 5,968.1/sq mi (2,304.3/km2)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 07083
Area code(s) 908
FIPS code 34-74480[5][6]
GNIS feature ID 0882212[7]
Website http://www.uniontownship.com

Union is a Township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,405.

Union Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on November 23, 1808, from portions of Elizabeth Township, while the area was still part of Essex County. It became part of the newly-formed Union County on March 19, 1857. Portions of the township have been taken to form Clinton Township (November 8, 1809), Linden Township (March 4, 1861), Roselle Park, (March 22, 1901), Kenilworth (May 13, 1907) and Hillside (April 3, 1913).[8]

Contents

[edit] Geography

The Township of Union is located on the northern-central edge of Union County and is bordered by eight municipalities: Hillside to the east, Elizabeth to the southeast, Roselle Park and Kenilworth to the south and Springfield Township to the west. Northwest of the township lies Millburn, to the north lies Maplewood and to the northeast lies Irvington, all in Essex County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 9.1 square miles (23.6 km²). 9.1 square miles (23.6 km²) of it is land and none of the area is covered with water.

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1930 16,472
—
1940 24,730 50.1%
1950 38,004 53.7%
1960 51,499 35.5%
1970 53,077 3.1%
1980 50,184 −5.5%
1990 50,024 −0.3%
2000 54,405 8.8%
Est. 2007 54,062 [4] −0.6%
Population 1930 - 1990.[9]

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 54,405 people, 19,534 households, and 14,162 families residing in the township. The population density was 5,968.1 people per square mile (2,303.3/km²). There were 20,001 housing units at an average density of 2,194.1/sq mi (846.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 67.66% White, 19.76% African American, 0.15% Native American, 7.72% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.44% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.93% of the population.

There were 19,534 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the township the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $59,173, and the median income for a family was $68,707 (these figures had risen to $68,979 and $80,260 respectively as of a 2007 estimate[10]). Males had a median income of $45,299 versus $35,604 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,768. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

Union Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.[1] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor. The Mayor, in addition to voting as a member of the Township Committee, presides over the meetings of the committee and carries out ceremonial duties.

As of 2009, members of the Union Township Committee are Mayor Anthony Terrezza., Deputy Mayor Joseph Florio, Peter A. Capodice, Clifton People Jr. and Brenda C. Restivo.[11]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Union Township is split between the Seventh and Tenth Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 20th Legislative District.[12]

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, covering portions of Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, Somerset County and Union County, is represented by Leonard Lance (R, Clinton Township). New Jersey's Tenth Congressional District, covering portions of Essex County, Hudson County, and Union County, is represented by Donald M. Payne (D, Newark). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 20th District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Raymond Lesniak (D, Union) and in the Assembly by Joseph Cryan (D, Union) and Annette Quijano (D, Elizabeth).[13] Quijano was selected on August 20, 2008 to fill the vacancy resulting from the resignation of Neil M. Cohen (D, Roselle) on July 28, 2008.[14][15] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[16]

Union County is governed by a nine-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis. Union County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella (Roselle Park), Freeholder Vice Chairman Daniel P. Sullivan (Elizabeth), Angel G. Estrada (Elizabeth), Chester Holmes (Rahway), Bette Jane Kowalski (Cranford), Rick Proctor (Rahway), Deborah P. Scanlon (Union), Rayland Van Blake (Plainfield), and Nancy Ward (Linden).[17]

[edit] Mayors of Union, NJ (Incomplete)

# Mayor Years in Office Party Terms Notes
1 John Leonard 1879-1883 1-4 First Term
2 James A. Burnett 1884-1885 5 & 6
3 John Leonard 1886 7 Second Term
4 James B. Woodruff 1887-1891 8-12 Five Consecutive Terms
5 John Tunison 1892-1893 13 & 14 Two Consecutive Terms
6 Daniel H. Beach 1894-1895 15 & 16 Two Consecutive Terms
7 William P. Bonnell 1896 17
8 John H. Doremus 1897 18 First Term
9 Daniel H. Beach 1898 19 Third Term
10 William A. Bainbridge 1899 20
11 John H. Doremus 1900 21 Second Term
12 Daniel H. Beach 1901 22 Fourth Term
13 John H. Doremus 1902-1903 23 & 24 Third & Fourth Terms
14 Walter A. Miller 1904-1905 25 & 26 Two Consecutive Terms
15 Daniel B. Wade 1906 25 First Term
16 John H. Doremus 1907 26 Fourth Term
17 Daniel H. Beach 1908 27
18 Daniel B. Wade 1909 28
19 Gottlieb Schnabel 1910 29
20 Daniel H. Beach 1911 30
21 Howard B. Kline 1912 31
22 Gottlieb Schnabel 1913 32
22 Daniel H. Beach 1914 33
23 Cornelius E. Blanchard 1915 34
24 George A. Bashford 1916 35
25 Daniel H. Beach 1917 36
26 Harry Schmitt 1918 37
27 George A. Bashford 1919 38
28 Daniel H. Beach 1920-1921 39 & 40
29 George A. Bashford 1922 41
30 Ambrose B. Kline 1923 42
31 Charles W. Wink 1924-1926 43-45
32 Ambrose B. Kline 1927-1928 46 & 47
33 Gustav Hummel, Jr. 1929-1931 48-50
34 Max A. Schoenwalder 1932-1933 51 & 52
35 Charles Schramm 1934-1939 53-58 Resigned in 1939.
36 Fred Edward Biertuempfel 1939-1973 Republican 59-93
37 Samuel Rabkin 1973 Republican 93 Finished Biertuempfel's term. Rabkin field named after him.
38 Anthony E. Russo 1974 Democrat 94
39 James C. Conlon 1975 Democrat 95
40 John S. Zimmerman 1976 Democrat 96
41 Edward Goodkin 1977 Democrat 97
42 James C. Conlon 1978-1980 Democrat 98 & 99
43 Edward Weber 1981 Democrat 100
44 James C. Conlon 1982 Democrat 101
45 Anthony E. Russo 1983 Democrat 102
46 1984 103
47 1985 104
48 1986 105
49 1987 106
50 1988 107
51 1989 108
52 1990 109
53 Anthony E. Russo 1991 Democrat 110
54 1992 111
55 1993 112
56 1994 113
57 1995 114
58 1996 115
59 1997 116
60 Anthony L. Terrezza 1998 Democrat 117
61 1999 118
62 2000 119
63 2001 120
64 2002 121
65 Brenda Restivo 2003 Democrat 122 First term. Union's first woman mayor.
66 Anthony L. Terrezza 2004 Democrat 123
67 Joseph Florio 2005 Democrat 124
68 Peter A. Capodice 2006 Democrat 125
69 Brenda Restivo 2007 Democrat 126 Second Term
70 Clifton People Jr. 2008 Democrat 127 Union's first African-American Mayor
71 Anthony L. Terrezza 2009 (Currently Mayor) Democrat 128

[edit] Education

The Union Public School District serves students in preschool through grade twelve. The ten schools currently in operation (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[18] are six K-4 elementary schools — Battle Hill School (441 students), Hannah Caldwell School (541), Connecticut Farms Elementary School (457), Franklin School (536), Livingston School (447) and Washington School (569) — Central Five-Jefferson School for grade 5 (591), both Burnet Middle School (1,020) and Kawameeh Middle School for grades 6 though 8 (763) and Union High School for grades nine through twelve (2,573).

The annual operating budget for the district is approximately 91 million dollars. The district employs 635 professional staff and 380 support personnel. The current enrollment of students in the district is 8,006.[citation needed]

Union was threatened with being the first town north of the Mason-Dixon Line to suffer from penalties as a result of school segregation. The area of Vauxhall was primarily black and Jefferson Elementary School was disproportionately black compared to the rest of the town. Union avoided problems by converting Jefferson Elementary into a sixth-grade only school called Central 6 and bused the Jefferson students to nearby Franklin Elementary. Central 6 is still used as a one-year school, but it's used for fifth graders now.

Union is also home to Kean University, several private nursery schools, two Roman Catholic elementary schools: St. Michael's and Holy Spirit, and The Deron School, a private school for learning disabled students ages 5–13.[19]

[edit] History

Union Township was the site of the Battle of Connecticut Farms, one of the last battles between British and American forces during the American Revolutionary War. On June 6, 1780, British troops, led by Hessian General Wilhelm von Knyphausen, boarded boats on Staten Island bound for Elizabeth, New Jersey. At midnight, 5,000 troops started to land. They expected the Continental Army to give little resistance, believing that they were tired of the war and were poorly fed and paid. They also expected the citizens of New Jersey to welcome them. They were wrong on both counts and were unable to make their way to and through the Hobart Gap.

[edit] Transportation

Union is traversed by a network of local and regional roadways including the Garden State Parkway, Interstate 78, U.S. Route 22, and Route 82 (Morris Avenue).

Union has an NJ Transit rail station on the Raritan Valley Line, (formerly the mainline of the Lehigh Valley Railroad) which opened in 2003. NJ Transit also provides bus service to New York City and New Jersey points.

Former Rahway Valley Railroad freight line, now abandoned, crosses through Union. This line, presently licensed to Morristown & Erie Railroad, is in the process of revitalization after which it will link NJ Transit's Morris & Essex lines at Summit to Staten Island.

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately six miles east of Union.

[edit] Parts and Sections of Union

  • Five Points, Area around the junction of Galloping Hill Rd, Chestnut St, Salem Rd, Delaware Ave, Walton Ave, and Tucker Ave.
  • Brookside Heights (Curreyville), Area west of Vauxhall Road, past Tiffany's Bar & Restaurant
  • Vauxhall, Area of Union north of 1-78 and west of Stuyvesant Avenue. Aspirant to become own town, only getting as far as getting its own zip code 07088.
  • Union Center, Area around the intersection of Morris and Stuyvesant Avenues.
  • Putnam Manor, a wealthy section between Colonial Ave and Salem Road.
  • Orchard Park
  • Parkside Manor, a three road section off of Union Terrace, feature in the movie She Devil with Roseanne Barr.
  • Larchmont, area behind a church on Morris Avenue by Spruce Street.
  • Green Lane, new community between Kean University and Union Station.
  • Fairway Drive, community bordering the Galloping Hill Golf Course

[edit] Trivia

 Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (January 2008)
  • Union is home to the tallest watersphere (a type of water tower) in the world[20] (Another recently built tower in Edmund, Oklahoma is taller and holds more water, but is officially a "water spheroid", not a "water sphere"). The Union Watersphere, a local landmark and icon that has its own fan website [1], stands 212 feet tall, holds 250,000 gallons of drinking water and is now also used as a cell phone tower.
  • Union is also home to several houses constructed totally of poured concrete, an experiment of Thomas Edison. The homes on Ingersoll Terrace include poured concrete interior walls with formed concrete plumbing.
  • Prior to World War II, Union was home to many supporters of Nazi Germany, who were organized enough to meet occasionally at a German bar. At least one home in Union, on Crawford Terrace, was confiscated from supposed German spies[citation needed].
  • The area that is now Union was in the 18th Century called Connecticut Farms. The small farming village was the site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Connecticut Farms that took place on June 7, 1780.
  • Was home to the Four Seasons Bowling Alley, which gained fame after a then unknown pop quartet were rejected for a gig there. They would later name themselves The Four Seasons after the bowling alley.
  • Union was the original home to the New York office and studios of Shadow Traffic.
  • Union is home to the Galloping Hill Inn, located at Five Points, whose renowned hot dogs and other "road food" has been featured on Food Network.
  • Union is home to a building in the shape of a ship at 2262 US Route 22. Originally restaurant and night club, it has changed ownership over the years, becoming a furniture store known as "The Flagship" and later The Wiz Home Electronics. It is currently a P. C. Richard & Son store [2].
  • Union High School was used to shoot locker room scenes in Howard Stern's movie, Private Parts,[citation needed]
  • In the August 2008 issue of Money magazine, Union was voted 75th best place to live in its list of America's Best Small Cities.[21]

[edit] Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Union Township include:

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 90.
  2. ^ Contacts, Township of Union. Accessed December 20, 2007.
  3. ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Union, Geographic Names Information System, accessed December 20, 2007.
  4. ^ a b Census data for Union township, Union County, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 10, 2007.
  5. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  6. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
  7. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  8. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 241.
  9. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  10. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=06000US3403974480&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US34%7C05000US34021%7C06000US3402122185&_street=&_county=union&_cityTown=union&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
  11. ^ TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE in 2008, Union Township. Accessed April 14, 2008.
  12. ^ 2008 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 65. Accessed September 30, 2009.
  13. ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
  14. ^ Young, Elise. "Cohen resigns following porn discovery", The Record (Bergen County), July 28, 2008. Accessed July 28, 2008.
  15. ^ "In Brief: Lawyer chosen to replace disgraced Union lawmaker", Daily Record (Morristown), August 21, 2008. Accessed August 21, 2008.
  16. ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved 6 June 2008. 
  17. ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed February 20, 2008.
  18. ^ Data for the Union Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 14, 2008.
  19. ^ Home page, The Deron School of New Jersey. Accessed August 13, 2008.
  20. ^ Lost in New Jersey: The Union Watersphere, accessed January 16, 2006.
  21. ^ Staff. [http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/PL3474510.html "Best Places to Live 2008: 75. Union, NJ", Money (magazine). Accessed November 15, 2008.
  22. ^ "Freddie (Red) Cochrane, Boxer, 77", The New York Times, January 19, 1993. Accessed December 5, 2007.
  23. ^ a b Union County Baseball Hall of Fame Will Induct Three New Members, Feb. 11, Union County, New Jersey press release dated December 27, 2006. Accessed July 3, 2007. "Over the years, the awards dinner has honored many local and national baseball luminaries – including Joe Collins of Union, Phil Rizzuto of Hillside, Don Newcombe of Elizabeth, Jeff Torborg of Mountainside, Willie Wilson of Summit, Jake Wood of Elizabeth, and Elliott Maddox of Union."
  24. ^ Assembly Member Joseph P. Cryan, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 12, 2007.
  25. ^ "Mildred Hughes, 92, New Jersey Senator". New York Times. "Mildred Barry Hughes, who in 1965 was the first woman elected a state senator in New Jersey, died on Jan. 11 at the Cranford, New Jersey Health and Extended Care Center. She was 92 and had lived for many years in Union, New Jersey" 
  26. ^ Goldstein, Tom. "Amalya Lyle Kearse; Woman in the News", The New York Times, June 25, 1979.
  27. ^ Larry Kubin profile, database Football. Accessed June 6, 2007.
  28. ^ Steady as she goes: Kelly Kulick's pro debut wasn't flashy, but her solid play made her our hands-down choice as the top rookie - Women's Pro Rookie of the Year - bowling, Bowling Digest, April 2002. "Kulick, who calls Union, N.J., home in the offseason, surprised practically no one who knows her with her 2001 performance."
  29. ^ Biography of Ray Liotta, The New York Times, accessed December 6, 2006.
  30. ^ Matthew John Rinaldo, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed September 5, 2007.
  31. ^ Biography of Robert Wuhl, The New York Times, accessed December 6, 2006.

[edit] External links

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Coordinates: 40°42′36″N 74°16′07″W / 40.710052°N 74.268608°W / 40.710052; -74.268608

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