Rahway, New Jersey: Difference between revisions

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* [[Abraham Clark]] (1725-1794), Signer of the [[Declaration of Independence (United States)|Declaration of Independence]], is buried at the Rahway Cemetery.
* [[Abraham Clark]] (1725-1794), Signer of the [[Declaration of Independence (United States)|Declaration of Independence]], is buried at the Rahway Cemetery.
* [[Paul Dembling]], the Federal attorney responsible for forming NASA as a government agency in July 1958, was born and raised in Rahway.{{Fact|date=November 2008}}
* [[Paul Dembling]], the Federal attorney responsible for forming NASA as a government agency in July 1958, was born and raised in Rahway.{{Fact|date=November 2008}}
* [[Milton Friedman]] (1912-2006), Economist and Noble Prize winner, was born in New York City but raised in Rahway.<ref>[http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/la-111606friedman,1,5214109.story?coll=chi-news-hed Nobel winner Milton Friedman dies at 94], ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', [[November 16]], [[2006]].</ref>
* [[Milton Friedman]] (1912-2006), Economist and Nobel Prize winner, was born in New York City but raised in Rahway.<ref>[http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/la-111606friedman,1,5214109.story?coll=chi-news-hed Nobel winner Milton Friedman dies at 94], ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', [[November 16]], [[2006]].</ref>
* [[Antonio Garay]] (born 1979), Defensive Tackle for the [[Chicago Bears]].<ref>[http://www.chicagobears.com/team/player26.html Antonio Garay], [[Chicago Bears]]. Accessed [[May 17]], [[2007]]. "Earned Prep Star All-American and All-New Jersey Group III honors as a senior at Rahway H.S. in Rahway, N.J. after totaling 141 tackles and 10 sacks in his final season... Outstanding wrestler who was tabbed the 275-pound national champion by the National High School Coaches' Association"</ref>
* [[Antonio Garay]] (born 1979), Defensive Tackle for the [[Chicago Bears]].<ref>[http://www.chicagobears.com/team/player26.html Antonio Garay], [[Chicago Bears]]. Accessed [[May 17]], [[2007]]. "Earned Prep Star All-American and All-New Jersey Group III honors as a senior at Rahway H.S. in Rahway, N.J. after totaling 141 tackles and 10 sacks in his final season... Outstanding wrestler who was tabbed the 275-pound national champion by the National High School Coaches' Association"</ref>
* [[Wayne Gilchrest]] (born 1946), U.S. Congressman, was born in Rahway.<ref>[http://gilchrest.house.gov/bio.asp About Wayne], Congressman Wayne Gilchrest. Accessed [[May 17]], [[2007]]. "Born in Rahway, New Jersey, he was the fourth of Elizabeth and Arthur Gilchrest's six boys."</ref>
* [[Wayne Gilchrest]] (born 1946), U.S. Congressman, was born in Rahway.<ref>[http://gilchrest.house.gov/bio.asp About Wayne], Congressman Wayne Gilchrest. Accessed [[May 17]], [[2007]]. "Born in Rahway, New Jersey, he was the fourth of Elizabeth and Arthur Gilchrest's six boys."</ref>

Revision as of 15:31, 12 April 2009

For the river called Rahway, see Rahway River.
Rahway, New Jersey
City
Rahway highlighted in Union County. Inset; Location of Union County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Rahway highlighted in Union County. Inset; Location of Union County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Rahway, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Rahway, New Jersey
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountyUnion
IncorporatedApril 19, 1858
Government
 • TypeFaulkner Act (Mayor-Council)
 • MayorJames J. Kennedy
 • AdministratorPeter H. Pelissier[1]
Area
 • Total4.1 sq mi (6.4 km2)
 • Land3.6 sq mi (5.6 km2)
 • Water0.5 sq mi (0.8 km2)
Elevation
[2]
20 ft (6 m)
Population
 (2007)[3]
 • Total28,189
 • Density6,642.7/sq mi (2,321/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
07065
Area code732
FIPS code34-61530Template:GR[4]
GNIS feature ID0879585Template:GR
Websitehttp://www.cityofrahway.com

Rahway (Template:PronEng) is a city in southern Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the New York metropolitan area, being fifteen miles southwest of Manhattan and five miles west of Staten Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the city population was 26,500.

History

Rahway and the surrounding area were once the home of the Lenni Lenape Native Americans, and tradition states that the city was named after Rahwack, a local tribal chief.[5] Formal European settlement began in 1664 with the purchase by the English from the Lenape of the Elizabethtown Tract, which encompassed lands from the mouth of the Raritan River and included all of present-day Union County as well as parts of Somerset, Middlesex, Morris and Essex counties.

Elm Ave. looking west, Early 1900s

Rahway saw limited action during the American Revolutionary War because of its proximity to Staten Island, Elizabethtown and Perth Amboy. In January 1777, rebels were victorious against the British in the Battle of Spanktown, which resulted in the death of some 100 British troops. The battle was named this after Rahway's original name given to it by the first settlers, Spanktown.[5]

The Merchants and Drovers Tavern resides at the corner of St. Georges and Westfield Avenues. The earliest buildings at the site date to 1795 and the property remains one of Rahway's most prominent historical landmarks.[6] George Washington visited Rahway during his travel to New York City prior to his presidential inauguration in 1789. A marker across the street from the tavern reads:

Here, on April 23, 1789, on his way to New York City, Washington
was received by troops from Elizabethtown and Newark. He was
entertained at the inn kept by Samuel Smith by gentlemen of the town.

Following the Revolution, Rahway became the home of the first national mint to create a coin bearing the inscription E pluribus unum. A United States Post Office established in Rahway was one of only six in the entire state in 1791.

Rahway grew due to its location along the major stagecoach and later, railroad lines between New York City and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The navigable Rahway River, which flows through the city, also aided the city's commercial growth.

As immigrants from Britain, Ireland and Germany streamed into what was then Rahway Township in the 1850s, Rahway became incorporated as a city by an act of the State Legislature on April 19, 1858 from portions of Rahway Township in Union and Woodbridge Township, in Middlesex County. In 1860, the portion of Rahway that had been part of Middlesex County was transferred to Union. On March 13, 1861, the remainder of Rahway Township became part of Rahway City.[7]

The first municipal elections for the Mayor and Council were conducted on April 19, 1858, and the Council held its first meeting on May 3, 1858.

The city became home to dozens of major manufacturers, including the Regina Music Box Company, Wheatena, Mershon Bros. and, most importantly, Merck & Co., which was established in Rahway in 1903, when George Merck moved his small chemical company to Rahway from New York City. The company remained in Rahway through the presidency of George W. Merck and after.

The national decline in industry after World War II led to the closure of most of Rahway's major manufacturing facilities except for Merck and a general deterioration of the city's central business district.

Geography

Rahway is located at 40°36′26″N 74°16′52″W / 40.60722°N 74.28111°W / 40.60722; -74.28111Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (40.607103, -74.280998)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.0 square miles (10.5 km²), of which, 4.0 square miles (10.3 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (1.24%) is water.

Rahway is bordered to the Northwest by Clark, to the Northeast by Linden and to the South by Woodbridge in Middlesex County.

The city is home to about ten parks. The best-known park is Rahway River Park, which is maintained by Union County, and is also partially located in Clark. The park hosts a number of baseball fields, picnic areas, a lake and a public pool.

Rahway River and water tower

The Rahway River travels through Rahway, entering from Clark at Rahway River Park. The river receives the waters of Robinsons Branch at Elizabeth Avenue between West Grand Avenue and West Main Street, and then receives the waters of the South Branch at East Hazlewood Avenue and Leesville Ave. Finally the river leaves Rahway to enter the city limits of Linden and Carteret before flowing into the Arthur Kill.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
193016,011—
194017,4989.3%
195021,29021.7%
196027,69930.1%
197029,1145.1%
198026,723−8.2%
199025,325−5.2%
200026,5004.6%
2007 (est.)28,189[3]
Population 1930 - 1990.[8]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 26,500 people, 10,028 households, and 6,728 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,642.7 people per square mile (2,564.3/km²). There were 10,381 housing units at an average density of 2,602.2/sq mi (1,004.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.19% White, 27.07% African American, 0.16% Native American, 3.58% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.62% from other races, and 3.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.87% of the population.

There were 10,028 households out of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $50,729, and the median income for a family was $61,931. Males had a median income of $41,047 versus $32,091 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,481. About 5.4% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Rahway City Hall

Local government

The City of Rahway is governed under a Mayor-Council system of municipal government under the Faulkner Act.[9]

Under the City of Rahway's form of government, all executive and administrative authority is vested in the office of the Mayor who appoints the Business Administrator and department directors. The Mayor of Rahway is James J. Kennedy (Democrat), who was first elected in 1990 and is serving his fifth term in office.[10]

The Business Administrator is responsible for development of the Mayor’s annual budget, the administration of the city’s personnel system and the supervision of the management of the city’s departments. This form of government gives citizens a centralized line of authority for the efficient management of the city’s business.[1]

The Municipal Council is made up of nine members elected by the citizens of Rahway. There are six wards in the City of Rahway and a Councilmember is elected for a four-year term by the citizens from each respective ward. There are three Councilmembers-at-large who represent the entire City and run with the Mayor for four-year terms.[11]

Members of the Municipal Council are[12]:

  • First Ward - Bobby Akbar
  • Second Ward - Michael Cox
  • Third Ward - Jerry Scaturo
  • Fourth Ward - David Brown
  • Fifth Ward - Jennifer Wenson Maier
  • Sixth Ward - Samson Steinman, Council Vice President
  • At Large - James Baker, Council President
  • At Large - Salvatore Mione
  • At Large - Nancy Saliga

Federal, state and county representation

Rahway is in the Tenth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 22nd Legislative District.[13]

For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 10th congressional district is represented by Donald Payne Jr. (D, Newark).[14][15] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027)[16] and Bob Menendez (Englewood Cliffs, term ends 2025).[17][18]

For the 2024-2025 session, the 22nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Nicholas Scutari (D, Linden) and in the General Assembly by Linda S. Carter (D, Plainfield) and James J. Kennedy (D, Rahway).[19] Template:NJ Governor

Template:NJ Union County Freeholders

Education

The Rahway Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[20]) are four K-5 elementary schools, one 6-8 Middle School and one 9-12 High School.

Transportation

Highways

Rahway is served by U.S. Route 1/9, and Route 27. The city is sandwiched in between the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike, which are each located about two miles outside of the city limits.

Public Transportation

Local public transportation is provided by New Jersey Transit with bus service to Elizabeth, Perth Amboy and Newark via the 62 bus.

New Jersey Transit bus 115 provides local service and interstate service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

Rahway Train Station serves New Jersey Transit's North Jersey Coast Line and Northeast Corridor Line. The City of Rahway and New Jersey Transit helped fund a US$16 million renovation for the station in 1999 and a public plaza in front of the station was completed in 2001. The station has spurred cleanup and revitalization downtown. A new US$11.2 million 524-space parking deck opened across the street from the station in January 2005, helping train commuters and allowing the city to transform old parking lot space into new buildings and residences.

Airport

Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately 20 minutes away.

Downtown revitalization

Rahway Public Library, 2006

Beginning in the early 1990s and continuing through the present day, the City of Rahway has rebounded as its downtown began to see the construction of new restaurants, art galleries, market-rate housing and the old Rahway Theatre reopening as the Union County Arts Center. The theater underwent a $6.2-million renovation and expansion project, completed in 2007. As part of the expansion, the facility was purchased by the County of Union for $1.3 million and leased back for $1 a year. It also was officially renamed as the Union County Performing Arts Center.

In September 1999, remnants of Hurricane Floyd swept across New Jersey and caused severe damage. The Rahway Public Library was on a flood plain and suffered over US$1 million in flood damage. The building was demolished in October 2001. A new library along a less flood-prone area of the Rahway River was constructed and opened on March 22, 2004, behind the city's municipal building. The area where the former Rahway Public Library now contains tennis courts and a small playground.

In 2003, an indoor soccer/flag football complex opened just south of the Rahway Public Library. It is the only one of its kind in Northern New Jersey.

Rahway Rising, a community blog written by a local resident, has covered redevelopment issues since late 2007.

Rahway State Prison

East Jersey State Prison, formerly (and popularly) known as Rahway State Prison, is actually located in Woodbridge Township at the border with Rahway. The prison's mailing address is in Rahway, leading many to believe the facility resides there. The prison's official name was changed to East Jersey State Prison as of November 30, 1988, at the request of the citizens of Rahway.[21]

Noted residents

See also: Category:Rahway High School alumni

References

  1. ^ a b Mayor and Administration, City of Rahway. Accessed April 14, 2008.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: City of Rahway, Geographic Names Information System, accessed October 8, 2007.
  3. ^ a b Census data for Rahway city, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 10, 2007.
  4. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
  5. ^ a b "Rahway" from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition of 1911, accessed January 3, 2007.
  6. ^ The Merchants and Drovers Tavern: Historical background, accessed June 7, 2006.
  7. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 194.
  8. ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
  9. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 98.
  10. ^ The Honorable James J. Kennedy, city of Rahway. Accessed April 14, 2008.
  11. ^ Municipal Council, City of Rahway. Accessed September 8, 2006.
  12. ^ Municipal Council Members, City of Rahway. Accessed March 23, 2009.
  13. ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 63. Accessed August 30, 2006.
  14. ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
  15. ^ Biography, Congressman Donald M. Payne Jr. Accessed January 3, 2019. "U.S. Representative Donald M. Payne, Jr. is a lifelong resident of Newark, New Jersey."
  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. ^ Biography of Bob Menendez, United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
  18. ^ Home, sweet home: Bob Menendez back in Hudson County. nj.com. Accessed April 30, 2021. "Booker, Cory A. - (D - NJ) Class II; Menendez, Robert - (D - NJ) Class I"
  19. ^ Legislative Roster for District 22, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 12, 2024.
  20. ^ Data for the Rahway Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 14, 2008.
  21. ^ What's in a name? Plenty if we're talking prison, Home News Tribune, February 15, 2001.
  22. ^ Nobel winner Milton Friedman dies at 94, Chicago Tribune, November 16, 2006.
  23. ^ Antonio Garay, Chicago Bears. Accessed May 17, 2007. "Earned Prep Star All-American and All-New Jersey Group III honors as a senior at Rahway H.S. in Rahway, N.J. after totaling 141 tackles and 10 sacks in his final season... Outstanding wrestler who was tabbed the 275-pound national champion by the National High School Coaches' Association"
  24. ^ About Wayne, Congressman Wayne Gilchrest. Accessed May 17, 2007. "Born in Rahway, New Jersey, he was the fourth of Elizabeth and Arthur Gilchrest's six boys."
  25. ^ Freddie Russo, New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame. Accessed December 28, 2008.
  26. ^ Oral history interview with Carl Sagan, 1991 August 27., accessed November 28, 2006.
  27. ^ Chris Smith profile, United States Congress. Accessed June 5, 2007.
  28. ^ Cheney, Margaret. "Tesla: Man Out of Time". Accessed June 5, 2007. "The Tesla Electric Light Company was formed, with headquarters at Rahway, New Jersey, and a branch office in New York.
  29. ^ Johnson, Robert. "Looking Back Is Not an Option", The New York Times, November 28, 2004. Accessed October 19, 2007. "He is also promoting his new book "Medicine, Science and Merck" (Cambridge University Press), written with Louis Galambos, describing his path from son of a luncheonette owner in Rahway, N.J., to leader of a pharmaceutical giant."
  30. ^ "CAROLYN WELLS, NOVELIST, DEAD; Noted for Mystery Stories and Nonsense Verse, Also for Children's Works BEGAN WRITING IN RAHWAY Wrote 170 Books by 1937 and 70 Were Mysteries -- Widow of Publisher's Son", The New York Times, March 27, 1942.

External links

Template:Geolinks-US-cityscale

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