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Sparta, New Jersey

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Sparta Township, New Jersey
Township
Map of Sparta Township in Sussex County. Inset: Location of Sussex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Map of Sparta Township in Sussex County. Inset: Location of Sussex County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Sparta Township, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Sparta Township, New Jersey
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountySussex
IncorporatedApril 14, 1845
Government
[2]
 • TypeFaulkner Act (Council-Manager)
 • MayorBrian L. Brady
 • ManagerHenry M. Underhill[1]
Area
 • Total39.2 sq mi (101.6 km2)
 • Land37.4 sq mi (96.9 km2)
 • Water1.8 sq mi (4.7 km2)
Elevation
[3]
984 ft (300 m)
Population
 (2007)[4]
 • Total19,198
 • Density483.5/sq mi (186.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
07871
Area code973
FIPS code34-69690Template:GR[5]
GNIS feature ID0882265Template:GR
Websitehttp://www.spartanj.org

Sparta Township is a bohick Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 18,080. The township includes the communities of Ackerson, Edison, Hopewell, Houses Corner, Monroe, Sparta, Sparta Junction, Sussex Mills, Upper Mohawk, and Woodruffs Gap.

Sparta was organized as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 14, 1845 from portions of Byram Township, Frankford Township, Hardyston Township and (the now-defunct) Newton Township.[6] The township was named after the existing community of Sparta, which had been settled and named years before.[7], the name likely coming from Sparta, Greece. Ogdensburg Borough was incorporated on February 26, 1914, when it separated from Sparta Township.[6]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 39.2 square miles (101.6 km²), of which, 37.4 square miles (96.8 km²) of it is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it (4.67%) is water.

Lake Mohawk is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located in parts of both Byram Township and Sparta Township.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19301,316—
19401,72931.4%
19503,02174.7%
19606,717122.3%
197010,81961.1%
198013,33323.2%
199015,15713.7%
200018,08019.3%
2007 (est.)19,198[4]
Population 1930 - 1990.[8]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2005, there were 18,080 people, 6,225 households, and 5,029 families residing in the township. The population density was 483.5 people per square mile (186.7/km²). There were 6,590 housing units at an average density of 176.2/sq mi (68.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.7% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population.

There were 6,225 households out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.9% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the township the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $89,835, and the median income for a family was $100,658. Males had a median income of $74,293 versus $39,349 for females. The per capita income for the township was $36,910. About 1.0% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over. U.S. Census Bureau

Sparta has been anecdotally noted for the high number of pilots and their families who settle in the area. In his 1994 book The Airport: Terminal Nights and Runway Days at John F. Kennedy International, James Kaplan describes the home township of an interviewee as "thickly populated, for no particular reason, with pilots, many of whom do their flying out of Kennedy. The view out [the pilot's] picture window is of trees ... The lights and noise of Manhattan, fifty miles distant, attract flight attendants, single people mostly. Pilots like the woods."

Government

Local government

Sparta Township is governed by a nonpartisan form of government known as Council-Manager Plan B of the Faulkner Act. The five-member Council is elected at large for four-year terms of office on a staggered basis with two or three seats coming up for election every other year. [2] The council chooses a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among themselves to serve one-year terms of office. The Township Council has the responsibility for all legislative matters. Municipal Elections are held on the second Tuesday in May of even-numbered years.

The Council’s responsibilities include enacting ordinances and resolutions, establishing policies, preparing the annual budget with the assistance of the Township Manager and the Treasurer, and levying taxes. Additionally, the Council makes appointments to both the policy and decision-making boards and various advisory committees in accordance with general law and Township ordinances and resolutions.

Members of the Sparta Township Council are Mayor Brian L. Brady, Deputy Mayor Scott K. Seelagy, Manny Goldberg, Gerard J. Murphy and Michael Spekhardt.[9]

Mayor Brian L. Brady received a notice of recall on Friday, March 7, 2008. The signers of the note were Alan J. Simkatis, Janine R. Lid, Eugene N. Prebola, Thomas E. Cavanaugh III and Deborah Pitney. No reason for recall was provided, which is permitted under the law.[10] The recall was not able to generate enough signatures, however, and efforts were ceased. The group had 160 days from the date of certification of the petition form to generate 3,125 signatures.[11]

Federal, state and county representation

Sparta Township is split between the Fifth and Eleventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 24th Legislative District.[12]

For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 5th congressional district is represented by Josh Gottheimer (D, Wyckoff).[13][14] For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 11th congressional district is represented by Mikie Sherrill (D, Montclair).[15] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027)[16] and George Helmy (Mountain Lakes, term ends 2024).[17][18]

For the 2024-2025 session, the 24th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Parker Space (R, Wantage Township) and in the General Assembly by Dawn Fantasia (R, Franklin) and Mike Inganamort (R, Chester Township).[19] Template:NJ Governor

Template:NJ Sussex County Freeholders

Education

Sparta is home to a public school system, a parochial Catholic school system, the Sussex County Technical High School and two independent schools.

The Sparta Township Public School District operates a K-12 educational program for over 4,100 students. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[20]) are organized into two K-4 elementary schools, Alpine School with 827 students and Helen Morgan School with 694 students; one elementary school (grade 5), Mohawk Avenue School with 306 students; one middle school (grades 6-8), Sparta Middle School with 1,028 students; and one senior high school (grades 9-12), Sparta High School with 1,220 students. The high school is currently undergoing a 71 Million dollar reconstruction, this is the largest in the State of New Jersey for a school. The Board of Education Offices are located in the Mohawk Avenue School Building.

Sparta is also home to Sussex County Technical School, a county-wide technical high school.[21]

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson is responsible for Rev. George A. Brown Elementary and Pope John XXIII High School.[22]

Sparta is home of Hilltop Country Day School, a private school for grades K-8.[23] Veritas Christian Academy currently grades 9 - 11.[24]

History

Overview

The Lenni Lenape Native Americans occupied the land at the time of its discovery by European colonists. Early Dutch explorers and traders discovered red ores in the area and attempted to mine them as early as 1750, but were unsuccessful in their mistaken attempts to extract copper from the ores. No permanent settlers arrived until 1778, when Robert Ogden built his home and constructed an iron forge on lands he had acquired. The first public building in Sparta was the Presbyterian Church which was incorporated in 1786. Schools were established in Ogdensburg by 1806 and in Sparta by 1812.

Iron, zinc, and limestone supported a mining industry for over 100 years, but today the mining operations have ceased and the township is now a residential community served by retail, professional, and service small businesses. According to the 2000 census, 65% of Sparta Township workers commute to jobs outside of the county.

Mining industry

Iron

Robert Ogden settled in 1778 near the present town of Ogdensburg and built an iron forge utilizing local ore from his Ogden Mine on Sparta Mountain. The Horseshoe mine was opened in 1772 by the Englishmen Spargo and Harvey who shipped ore by horse and mule to the forges at Sparta and Hopewell. It wasn't until 1868 that the Ogden Mine Railroad began operations and made it economical to ship zinc and iron ore to Nolan's Point on Lake Hopatcong where the Morris Canal had a marine terminal that could ship ore to Newark. In 1872 the New Jersey Midland Railroad (later known as the New York, Susquehanna & Western) extended to Ogdensburg and captured the zinc ore traffic.

In 1836, Henry Decker, along with Nelson Hunt and Lewis Sherman, began the manufacture of anchors at their forges in Sparta. Their success led to a small industry of forging anchors in Sparta, but by the end of the Civil War the forge industry in Sparta had come to an end.

In 1889, Thomas Edison invested $3.5 million in iron operations on 2500 acres (10 km²) of Sparta Mountain. Edison hoped to concentrate the mountain's vast quanties of low-grade ore and supply East Coast mills with raw material. At its peak Edison's operation employed 500 people, but after a 10 year effort he abandoned his attempt to compete with more economical ores from Minnesota's Mesabi Iron Range. The availability of the cheap Minnesota ores put an end to iron mining in Sparta.

Zinc

In 1848 the New Jersey Zinc Company began operations at Sterling Hill. Earlier attempts to obtain iron from the mineral rich ore of the Sterling Hill failed because of manganese contamination, but zinc was recoverable and the ores at Sterling Hill were rich with it.

In 1856 the Passaic Zinc Company started operations at Sterling Hill and constructed large ore crushers, shipping the ores to the company's plant in Jersey City.

By 1868 both iron and zinc operations were in progress at Sterling Hill, but the numerous companies and claims were embroiled in continuous legal battles, the largest of which was a 12-year dispute between the New Jersey Zinc Company and the Franklin Iron Company over rights to mixed ores, each company having purchased the right to mine zinc and iron, respectively. In 1880 the Franklin Iron Company acquired the New Jersey Zinc Company's operations at Sterling Hill mine, ending the dispute. Large scale operations began in 1897 when the claims were consolidated under the New Jersey Zinc Company and by 1900 its mill was processing 1500 tons of ore daily.

Zinc operations continued until 1986 when the Sterling Hill mine ceased operation. The Sterling Hill mine site is currently occupied by the Sterling Hill Mining Museum and is open to the public for tours.

Limestone

After closing his iron operations, Thomas Edison recouped his losses by opening a lime quarry near Sparta in 1919. The quarry fed Edison's Portland cement operations, and was in continuous operation under various owners for nearly 100 years until closed in 2003. During the years of its operation the limestone quarry was an important source of employment and tax revenue for Sparta. Limestone is no longer mined, but a limited amount of granite continues to be quarried by a handful of employees.

Tourism

The New Jersey Midland Railroad opened to Ogdensburg in 1872 for zinc ore traffic, but in 1882 the line was extended to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and a station was built at Sparta, giving tourists easy access to the many boarding houses that served summer residents from the cities. Passenger service ended in 1935, but by then Sparta was well established as a summer destination. In 1926, the Arthur D. Crane Company constructed a 600-foot dam across the Wallkill River to form 300-acre (1.2 km2) Lake Mohawk in 1928. The private resort community created by the Crane Company consisted primarily of summer homes, but the homes began to be winterized in the 1940s and the current membership of 2,600 families are largely year-round residents.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Sparta Township include:

Sources

  • Kaplan, James. The Airport: Terminal Nights and Runway Days at John F. Kennedy International, (New York: William Morrow and Company, 1994).
  • McCabe, Wayne T. and Kate Gordon. A Penny A View...An Album of Postcard Views...Sparta, N.J. (Newton, NJ: Historic Preservation Alternatives, 1996).
  • Pierson, Duane. Images of Sparta, (Newton, NJ: Minisink Press, 1981).
  • Snell, James P. History of Sussex & Warren Counties, New Jersey with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, (Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck, 1881).
  • Truran, William R. Sparta, NJ: Head of the Wallkill, (Sparta, NJ: Trupower Press, 2005).

References

  1. ^ Township Manager, Sparta Township. Accessed June 30, 2008.
  2. ^ a b 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 110.
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sparta Township, Geographic Names Information System, accessed October 22, 2007.
  4. ^ a b Census data for Sparta township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed October 4, 2008.
  5. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
  6. ^ a b "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 232.
  7. ^ Snell, James P. (1881) History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. (Centennial ed., Harmony, NJ: Harmony Press, 1981, p. 407)
  8. ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  9. ^ Township Council, Sparta Township. Accessed July 18, 2008
  10. ^ Deputy Mayor Brady gets recall notice, Sparta Independent. Published March 13, 2008
  11. ^ Sparta recall petition is short on signatures - Petitioners unable to hit deadline, Sparta Independent. Published August 14, 2008
  12. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 64. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  13. ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
  14. ^ Biography, Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Josh now lives in Wyckoff, New Jersey with Marla, his wife who was a federal prosecutor, and their two young children, Ellie and Ben."
  15. ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
  16. ^ U.S. Sen. Cory Booker cruises past Republican challenger Rik Mehta in New Jersey, PhillyVoice. Accessed April 30, 2021. "He now owns a home and lives in Newark's Central Ward community."
  17. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/23/nyregion/george-helmy-bob-menendez-murphy.html
  18. ^ Tully, Tracey (August 23, 2024). "Menendez's Senate Replacement Has Been a Democrat for Just 5 Months". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  19. ^ Legislative Roster for District 24, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 18, 2024.
  20. ^ Data for the Sparta Township Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed June 30, 2008.
  21. ^ Welcome to Sussex Tech!, Sussex County Technical School. Accessed June 30, 2008.
  22. ^ Sussex County Schools, Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. Accessed June 30, 2008.
  23. ^ Hilltop Country Day School. Accessed July 18, 2008.
  24. ^ Veritas Christian Academy. Accessed July 18, 2008.
  25. ^ http://www.nba.com/coachfile/chris_jent/index.html
  26. ^ Brown, Clifton. "COLLEGE BASKETBALL; The Irish Pound Rutgers To Win Eighth in a Row", The New York Times, February 15, 2001. Accessed October 4, 2008. "It was a happy homecoming for Notre Dame's star junior forward, Troy Murphy (18 points, 5 rebounds), a native of Sparta, N.J."
  27. ^ http://www.celebritywonder.com/html/bradpitt_trivia1.html
  28. ^ http://www.ufc.com/JimMiller
  29. ^ http://www.ufc.com/DanMiller
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