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Boonton, New Jersey

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See also: Boonton Township, New Jersey
Boonton, New Jersey
Town
Motto(s): 
A Great Place to Live and Work"
Boonton highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Boonton highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
Census Bureau map of Boonton, New Jersey
Census Bureau map of Boonton, New Jersey
CountryUnited States
StateNew Jersey
CountyMorris
IncorporatedMarch 16, 1866
Government
 • TypeTown (New Jersey)
 • MayorCy Wekilsky (term ends 2011)[1]
 • AdministratorTerry McCue[2]
Area
 • Total
2.5 sq mi (6.4 km2)
 • Land2.3 sq mi (6.1 km2)
 • Water0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2)
Elevation
[3]
397 ft (121 m)
Population
 (2010 Census)[4]
 • Total
8,347
 • Density3,300/sq mi (1,300/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
07005
Area code(s)973, 862
FIPS code34-06610Template:GR[5]
GNIS feature ID0885164Template:GR
Websitehttp://www.boonton.org

Boonton is a Town in Morris County, New Jersey that was chartered in 1867. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 8,347.[4] The town was originally called "Boone-Towne" in 1761 in honor of the Colonial Governor Thomas Boone.

Boonton was originally formed on March 16, 1866, within portions of Hanover Township and Pequannock Township. The town was reincorporated and became independent on March 18, 1867.[6]

Today's Boonton began in about 1829, as a result of the construction of the Morris Canal and the development of the New Jersey Iron Company. The original location of the town is now largely under the Jersey City Reservoir, completed in 1904. In 1908, the waters from this reservoir were the first municipal water supply in the United States to be chlorinated.[7] The decision to build the chlorination system was made by John L. Leal[8] and the facility was designed by George W. Fuller.[9]

Geography

Gazebo in Grace Lord Park

Boonton is located at 40°54′19″N 74°24′34″W / 40.905148°N 74.409466°W / 40.905148; -74.409466 (40.905148, -74.409466).Template:GR

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.5 square miles (6.5 km2), of which, 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) of it (4.86%) is water. The Rockaway River flows through the downtown section and forms a spectacular short gorge with impressive whitewater rapids including a high waterfall.

Part of The Tourne county park is in Boonton.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19306,866—
19406,739−1.8%
19507,1636.3%
19607,98111.4%
19709,26116.0%
19808,620−6.9%
19908,343−3.2%
20008,4961.8%
20108,347−1.8%
Population sources:
1930 - 1990[10] 2000[11] 2010[4]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 8,496 people, 3,272 households, and 2,159 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,619.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,395.9/km2). There were 3,352 housing units at an average density of 1,428.1 per square mile (550.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 83.00% White, 4.00% African American, 0.21% Native American, 7.8% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.20% from other races, and 2.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.9% of the population.[11]

Boonton had the highest percentage of Pakistani ancestry people at 3.53%, of any place in the United States with 1,000 or more residents.[12]

There were 3,272 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.11.[11]

In the town the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 35.4% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.[11]

The median income for a household in the town was $65,322, and the median income for a family was $75,147. Males had a median income of $60,518 versus $40,634 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,919. About 6.7% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.[11]

History

During the 18th century, the village of Boonetown (Booneton, Boonton) was established on the Rockaway River, about a mile and a half downstream from the current site of the town. As early as 1747, Obadiah Baldwin operated an iron refining forge at that place, where water power was in ample supply, and raw materials, such as iron ore and wood for charcoal, were not too far away. The ironworks was enlarged, and a village of workmen and their families emerged. This village was named "Boone-Towne" in honor of the Colonial Governor, Thomas Boone, in the year 1761.[13] The present town bears only small resemblance to the village of Booneton Falls, and still less to the village of Old Boonton, whose site has been covered by the Jersey City reservoir since 1903.

Ironworks

Main article: Boonton Iron Works

The Boonton Iron Works were founded about 1770 by Samuel Ogden who, with others in his family, purchased a 6-acre (24,000 m2) tract along the Rockaway River. Throughout the American Revolutionary War the Booneton Iron Works was busily engaged in supplying numerous miscellaneous iron products for the military. After the war, operations at Boonton were continued under John Jacob Faesch and his two sons, and, later, by William Scott, who vainly sought to instill new life in the declining business. In 1824, Scott's interest in rejuvenating the antiquated ironworks faded when he learned that the Morris Canal was soon to be constructed, and that it would be of little service to the Village of Booneton a mile or more away.

The nearness of the canal to Booneton Falls made that site ideal for a large factory. A group of business men in New York City incorporated themselves in 1830 as the New Jersey Iron Company, with a capitalization of $283,000. Machinery and ironworkers were imported from England, and with the erection of the mills, a new town, called Booneton Falls, began to appear on the rugged hillside overlooking the river.

The town's Main Street is unique in that it is pitched against a cliff overlooking the 'Hollow' of the Rockaway River. This was said to follow an old Native American Trail, which followed the original deer path.

The new Iron Company flourished for nearly fifty years. The new village of Booneton Falls - like the older Booneton downstream - was essentially a one-industry town. After the Company closed down its operations in 1876, the town was on the verge of collapse.

Although several attempts - one by the eminent Joseph Wharton - were made to re-establish iron works on a smaller scale, none endured for any great length of time. Only vestiges of foundations and structures remain in the "Hollow", between Plane Street and the river, to remind Boonton of its own Iron Age.

Other industries

One of the first of the new industries secured for the town was a silk factory, which, as Pelgram & Meyer, and, later as Van Raalte, Inc., contributed materially to the town's prosperity. Others that followed were a knife factory, a paper mill (at the old village, by then called Old Boonton), a nail factory, a brass and iron foundry, and a carriage factory. The Morris Canal, although going into a rapid decline, still employed a number of men; the Lackawanna Railroad, which had completed its Boonton-Paterson branch in 1875, gave employment to a number of Boonton people and provided commuter service to a number of Boonton residents who worked in New York City. There were, of course, many individually-owned businesses, such as blacksmith shops, machine shops, bakeries and a miscellany of stores, all of which began to prosper as the nation emerged from the depression of the 1870s.

In 1891, the Loanda Hard Rubber Company was founded by Edwin A. Scribner, and began the manufacture of molded hard rubber products. Seven years later, Mr. Scribner died, and the management of the firm fell to his son-in-law Richard W. Seabury. In 1906, was Richard W. Seabury, who, casting about for new materials, learned of experiments with synthetic resins made by Dr. Leo Baekeland, for whom the well-known material, Bakelite, was later to be named. Originally intended by Dr. Baekeland for a synthetic varnish, the new material was used by Seabury in making the world's first molding of organic plastics in 1907. Boontonware, a molded plastic dinnerware, was sold nationwide. George Scribner, son of Loanda founder Edwin Scribner, opted to continue the business of plastics molding and established Boonton Molding. The company went on to produce the famous Boontonware dinnerware, molded plastic plates, bowls, and cups manufactured in the 1950s and 1960s. The company also operated a factory outlet store in Boonton for many years. George Scribner was eventually inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame for being a pioneer in developing molding techniques and applications at Boonton Molding Co. from 1920, and preeminent contributor to the development of the industry through his services as president and board chairman of the SPI during the period 1943-1947. His older brother Charles E. Scribner intended to join the family business but it was discovered that he was color blind, he then attended Princeton University and later Harvard Law. He served as Margaret Sanger's lawyer and then as the first Chairman of the Board of Planned Parenthood. He was instrumental in orchestrating Sanger's trip to Japan through correspondence with General McArthur.

The molded plastics industry was to some extent responsible for bringing the radio and electronics industries to the Boonton area. In the 1920s, the burgeoning radio industry created a large demand for molded parts, and, thereby, attracted the attention of Richard W. Seabury, who organized Radio Frequency Laboratories to exploit that new field. Spawned by that original company, more than a half dozen radio and electronics firms were later formed, and recognized internationally for the excellence of their products. A well-known example among radio engineers was the Boonton Radio Co., located in nearby Rockaway, which manufactured a high-quality test instrument known as a Q meter, still used by hobbyists today. Most of those companies are now divisions of larger corporations and have relocated elsewhere, having undergone name changes in many cases. The Boonton Radio Co., for instance, was purchased by Hewlett-Packard. RFL Industries, Aircraft Radio Corporation, Measurements Corporation (founded by Jerry Burnett Minter and two partners and later sold to the Edison Company after World War II), and Ballantine Laboratories are among those that contributed materially to the prosperity of the area.

The largest industry in the town of Boonton during the 20th century began in 1917, when E.A. Stevenson & Company established the "Butter Works" on the site of the old Knox Hat factory, and started processing coconut and other vegetable oils and making margarine. Under later operation by E.F. Drew & Company, the Boonton plant grew to be one of the largest edible oils processors in the country. The plant closed in the early 1990s, and the site is now a Walmart.

Government

Local government

Boonton was incorporated as a Town under a charter granted by the New Jersey Legislature in March 1867. Under the charter, the new town was governed by a seven-person Board of Trustees, but, by an amendment to the charter in 1872, authority was vested in the Mayor and Common Council. Boonton operates using the town form of government and is governed by a Mayor and Board of Aldermen. The mayor is elected at large. The Board of Aldermen consists of eight members, with two Aldermen elected from each of four wards on a staggered basis, with one seat from each of the four wards coming up for election each year.[14]

As of 2011, the Mayor of Boonton is Cyril Wekilsky, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2011.[15] Members of the Board of Aldermen are:[16][17]

  • Ward 1: Michael Eoga (2011) and Daniel Carey (2012)
  • Ward 2: Dr. Clifford Keezer (2011) and Paul Nevadomski (2012)
  • Ward 3: Robert Looker (2011) and Terry Dunn (2012)
  • Ward 4: Patricia Bujtas (2011) and Anthony Scozzafava (2012)

Federal, state and county representation

Boonton is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district.[18] The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[4]

For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 11th congressional district is represented by Mikie Sherrill (D, Montclair).[19] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027)[20] and George Helmy (Mountain Lakes, term ends 2024).[21][22]

For the 2024-2025 session, the 25th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Anthony M. Bucco (R, Boonton Township) and in the General Assembly by Christian Barranco (R, Jefferson Township) and Aura K. Dunn (R, Mendham Borough).[23] Template:NJ Governor

Template:NJ Morris County Freeholders

Education

The Boonton Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics[24]) are School Street School (grades K-3; 296 students), John Hill School (4-6; 207), Boonton Middle School (7&8; 145) and Boonton High School (9-12; 582 students).

The district's high school serves students from Boonton and also those from Lincoln Park, who attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Lincoln Park Public Schools, with Lincoln Park students accounting for a majority of students at the high school. The two districts have sought to sever the more than 50-year old relationship, citing cost savings that could be achieved by both districts and complaints by Lincoln Park that it is granted only one seat on the Boonton Public Schools' Board of Education. In April 2006, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Education rejected the request.[25]

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School is a Catholic school operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson.[26]

Transportation

The Boonton train station provides service on the New Jersey Transit Montclair-Boonton Line, with service to Hoboken Terminal.

New Jersey Transit bus service is provided on the 873 local route.[27] Lakeland Bus Lines provides express bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

Interstate 287 and U.S. Route 202 run through the center of town.

Places of interest

Footbridge in Grace Lord Park

Boonton Holmes Public Library

The Boonton Holmes Public Library has been in operation since 1894. The building in which it resides willed to the Town of Boonton by James Holmes for use as a public library. James Holmes was born March 7, 1815 in Massachusetts. He moved around most of his early life, going from nail factory to nail factory, a business in which he made his fortune. He moved to Boonton in 1850 to take charge of the Taylor & Lord Nail Factory. Since he had spent much of his early life moving from place to place and from job to job when he was able to lay down roots in Boonton he developed a strong loyalty to the town and committed himself to its development. He became very involved in local politics and used his fortune to help develop municipal organizations and community projects. Holmes held several political posts in his life such as serving as Mayor of Boonton, on the State Board of Education, and on the Boonton Board of Education. Holmes also used his wealth to improve the town, one example was when he donated the land and purchased the equipment to begin the firehouse in South Boonton. He served as a volunteer fire fighter in Boonton from the time he arrived until his death. Holmes also started the first Boonton National Bank and served as its president. Mr. Holmes died on February 26, 1893.

The building itself dates much further back to when Eliza A. Scott purchased the corner lot in 1849 from the New Jersey Iron Company. Miss Scott built the first structure on the site in that same year. In 1850, the Iron Company engaged James Holmes to serve as superintendent of the nail factory which had just been constructed. James Holmes bought the property and 2 lots for $5,000 in 1856. He resided at his mansion house until his death in February 1893. Mr. Holmes bequeathed his house and lot to the Boonton Library Association which had incorporated in 1890. On July 1, 1893, the Association disbanded and reorganized itself as the Holmes Library which had been established in May under the terms of Mr. Holmes’ will. The gift included the mansion house, $5,000 for endowment purposes only, $2,000 for refitting the house as a library, and $1,000 for the purchase of books. The will stipulated that the Library be governed by a Board of Trustees composed of three lifetime members appointed by him, one member from each of the existing churches at the time, and one member from the Board of Education. The Library officially opened in 1894. Since its opening the library itself has only been on the first floor, and in later years the basement. The upper two floors have been used, at various times, as business space, a Masonic Hall, and most recently as three apartments. The basement also has been used commercially and has at one time housed the printing press for the Boonton Times newspaper. In 1895, Charles Grubb rented rooms in the Holmes Library and installed presses in the basement where on Oct. 4, 1895 he published the first issue of The Boonton Times newspaper. In 1911, he moved to the corner of Main and Cornelia Streets. The Boonton Holmes Library has recently gained control of the entire building and is currently beginning renovations to the structure so that the upper floors can be used by the public. The Boonton Holmes Public Library was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, on November 30, 1972. References: Splinters from the Past: Discovering History in Old Houses by Alex D. Fowler (1984) Profile of Boonton, An Architectural and Historical Perspective, by Lawrence Korinda (1975) Boonton was an Iron Town, by Peter C. Wendt, Jr. (1976)

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Boonton include:

References

  1. ^ 2011 New Jersey Mayors Directory, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Accessed July 19, 2011.
  2. ^ Town Hall Staff & Numbers, Town of Boonton. Accessed March 29, 2011.
  3. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Town of Boonton, Geographic Names Information System, accessed January 4, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d 2011 Apportionment Redistricting: Municipalities sorted alphabetically, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed June 5, 2011.
  5. ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
  6. ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 191.
  7. ^ "A Public Health Giant Step: Chlorination of U.S. Drinking Water", Water Quality and Health Council. Accessed October 28, 2008.
  8. ^ Leal, John L. (1909). “The Sterilization Plant of the Jersey City Water Supply Company at Boonton, N.J.” Proceedings American Water Works Association. pp. 100-9.
  9. ^ Fuller, George W. (1909). “Description of the Process and Plant of the Jersey City Water Supply Company for the Sterilization of the Water of the Boonton Reservoir.” Proceedings American Water Works Association. 110-34.
  10. ^ 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 19, 2011.
  11. ^ a b c d e Census 2000 Demographic Profile Highlights: Boonton town, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed July 19, 2011.
  12. ^ Pakistani Communities, EPodunk. Accessed July 19, 2011.
  13. ^ History, Boonton Town. Accessed November 22, 2008.
  14. ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 116.
  15. ^ Office of the Mayor, Town of Boonton. Accessed March 29, 2011.
  16. ^ Aldermen, Town of Boonton. Accessed March 29, 2011. Note website lists 2010 term-end dates for half of aldermen.
  17. ^ General Election 2010 Official Results: Boonton Town, Morris County, New Jersey Clerk's office. Accessed March 29, 2011.
  18. ^ 2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 54. Accessed June 6, 2011.
  19. ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
  20. ^ 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."
  21. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/23/nyregion/george-helmy-bob-menendez-murphy.html
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ Legislative Roster for District 25, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 18, 2024.
  24. ^ Data for the Boonton Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed July 19, 2011.
  25. ^ Commissioner of Education Decision, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 29, 2011.
  26. ^ Morris County Elementary / Secondary Schools, Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. Accessed July 26, 2008.
  27. ^ Morris County Bus/Rail connections, New Jersey Transit, backed up by the Internet Archive as of May 22, 2009. Accessed July 19, 2011.
  28. ^ LaGorce, Tammy. "BY THE WAY; Father Built Bridges", The New York Times, November 2, 2003. Accessed December 29, 2011. "With the opening of Boonton's Master Bridge Builder: Othmar Ammann last month at the Boonton Historical Society and Museum, climbing inside the mind of the eminent Swiss-born engineer became less complicated."
  29. ^ a b Ragonese, Lawrence. "A new Trenton team: The Buccos", The Star-Ledger, November 7, 2009. Accessed July 19, 2011. "Father and son. Senator and assemblyman-elect. Anthony Bucco and Anthony Bucco Jr. The Buccos will serve together in the Legislature after the younger Bucco takes the oath of office Jan. 12, the result of his win Tuesday in Morris County’s 25th District. The Republican duo will join the small club of parent-child legislators who have served together in New Jersey.... Tony Sr., now 71, was first running for alderman in Boonton when his son was getting elected class president at Boonton High School."
  30. ^ Andrikanich, Ryan. "Honoring a legend", Daily Record (Morristown), December 9, 2006. Accessed July 19, 2011. "On this day 50 years ago, one of the worst commercial aviation disasters in Canadian history took the life of a promising young American football player who began his career as an offensive lineman for Boonton High School.... Mario DeMarco was born and raised in Boonton and played football for four years as a starting offensive lineman."
  31. ^ Staff. "Don Edwards", The Dallas Morning News, December 2, 2001. Accessed July 19, 2011. "Date and place of birth: March 20, 1939, in Boonton, N.J."
  32. ^ Helen Gahagan Douglas, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed July 19, 2011.
  33. ^ John Hill, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed September 3, 2007.
  34. ^ Paik, Eugene "Boonton Museum Honors Accomplished Alumni", The Star-Ledger, June 19, 2009. Accessed July 19, 2011. "To Lewis, a former writer for The Jim Henson Company, Boonton's school on Lathrop Avenue appears to have a special knack for churning out fame-bound graduates."
  35. ^ O'Brien, Walter. "Television show films episode in Clinton Township, gives restaurant a 'reality' check", Courier News, May 26, 2009. Accessed July 19, 2011. "Chelsea's Restaurant and Pub, 1051 Route 22 E., was the location Friday for the new television program Bailout, featuring host and entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz of Boonton, author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, and producer Wil Surratt, former executive producer of CNBC's The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch."
  36. ^ Robertson, Nan. "Heard but Unseen, Seven Actors Share 'Talk Radio' Roles", The New York Times, July 30, 1987. Accessed July 19, 2011. "My coach at Boonton High School in New Jersey used to say of me, 'One hundred seventy-two pounds of blue twisted steel, tempered to perfection', Mr. Onorati recalled with a laugh..."
  37. ^ A Million Words And Counting
  38. ^ No Free Will In Tomatoes
  39. ^ Peter Payack: Cambridge's first Poet Populist!
  40. ^ Joshua S. Salmon, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 11, 2007.
  41. ^ Seglin, Jeffrey L. "THE RIGHT THING; My Principles, or the Milk and Cookies?", The New York Times, January 18, 2004. Accessed December 29, 2011. "GROWING up in Boonton, N.J., I routinely stopped at the supermarket on my way to the local bowling alley to pick up a package of Archway ginger cookies, my favorite snack at the time."
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