Union Township, Union County, New Jersey
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Union, New Jersey | |
Map of Union Township in Union County | |
Coordinates: | |
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Country | United States |
State | New Jersey |
County | Union |
Incorporated | November 23, 1808 |
Government | |
- Type | Township (New Jersey) |
- Mayor | Clifton People, Jr. |
- Administrator | Frank Bradley[1] |
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 [2] | 121 ft (37 m) |
Population (2006)[3] | |
- Total | 55,039 |
- 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[4] |
GNIS feature ID | 0882212[5] |
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).[6]
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 | |||
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Census | Pop. | %± | |
1930 | 16,472 |
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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. 2006 | 55,039 | [3] | 1.2% |
Population 1930 - 1990.[7] |
As of the census[4] 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. 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 operates under a Township form of government, consisting of five members of a Township Committee, elected at-large for staggered three-year terms. Elections are held annually. The Township Committee members also act as liaisons to the various departments of the municipal government. The Township Committee elects from its members the mayor for a one-year term. 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 2008, members of the Union Township Committee are Mayor Clifton People, Jr., Deputy Mayor Anthony Terrezza, Peter A. Capodice, Joseph Florio and Brenda C. Restivo.[8]
[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.[9]
New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, covering portions of Hunterdon County, Middlesex County, Somerset County and Union County, is represented by Mike Ferguson (R). 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 Neil M. Cohen (D, Roselle) and Joseph Cryan (D, Union).[10] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[11]
Union County is governed by a nine-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis. As of the January 2008 reorganization, Union County's Freeholders are Freeholder Chairman Angel G. Estrada (Elizabeth), Freeholder Vice Chairman Alexander Mirabella (Roselle Park), Chester Holmes (Rahway), Bette Jane Kowalski (Cranford), Rick Proctor (Rahway), Deborah P. Scanlon (Union), Daniel P. Sullivan (Elizabeth), Rayland Van Blake (Plainfield) and Nancy Ward (Linden).[12]
[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[13] 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 7 and 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 a private special education school, The Deron School.
[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. 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] Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- Union is home to the tallest watersphere (a type of water tower) in the world[14] (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.
- 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].
[edit] Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Union Township include:
- David G. Burnet (1788-1870), president of the interim government of the Republic of Texas during 1836
- Freddie 'Red' Cochrane (1915-1993), professional boxer in the welterweight (147lb) division who became World Champion in 1941 in that class.[15]
- Joe Collins (1922-1989), first baseman for the New York Yankees from 1948 to 1957.[16] A park on Liberty Avenue is named after him.
- Steve Covino, "el Covino": National Radio Host - Sirius Satellite Radio Octane 20 & Maxim Radio's Covino & Rich Show.[citation needed]
- Joseph Cryan (1961-) represents the 20th legislative district in the New Jersey General Assembly.[17]
- Mildred Barry Hughes (1902-1995), the first woman elected to the New Jersey Senate, in 1965.[18]
- Amalya Lyle Kearse (1937-), a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.[19]
- Larry Kubin (1959-), linebacker who played with the Washington Redskins from 1981 to 1984.[20]
- Kelly Kulick, professional bowler who made history in 2006 by becoming the first female professional bowler to earn a Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour exemption.[21]
- Artie Lange (1967-), comedian, actor, and Howard Stern Show sidekick since 2001
- Ray Liotta (1954-), actor.[22]
- Elliott Maddox (1947-), professional baseball player with both the New York Yankees 1974-76 and the New York Mets 1978-80.[16]
- Matthew John Rinaldo (1931-), represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives for twenty years, in the 12th congressional district (1973–1983) and in the 7th congressional district (1983–1993).[23]
- Robert Wuhl (1951-), actor.[24]
[edit] References
- ^ Contacts, Township of Union. Accessed December 20, 2007.
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of Union, Geographic Names Information System, accessed December 20, 2007.
- ^ a b Census data for Union township, Union County, United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 10, 2007.
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 241.
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE in 2008, Union Township. Accessed April 14, 2008.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 65. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ About the Governor, New Jersey. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ Board of Chosen Freeholders, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed February 20, 2008.
- ^ Data for the Union Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 14, 2008.
- ^ Lost in New Jersey: The Union Watersphere, accessed January 16, 2006.
- ^ "Freddie (Red) Cochrane, Boxer, 77", The New York Times, January 19, 1993. Accessed December 5, 2007.
- ^ 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."
- ^ Assembly Member Joseph P. Cryan, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 12, 2007.
- ^ "Mildred Hughes, 92, New Jersey Senator", New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-05-22. "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"
- ^ Goldstein, Tom. "Amalya Lyle Kearse; Woman in the News", The New York Times, June 25, 1979.
- ^ Larry Kubin profile, database Football. Accessed June 6, 2007.
- ^ 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."
- ^ Biography of Ray Liotta, The New York Times, accessed December 6, 2006.
- ^ Matthew John Rinaldo, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed September 5, 2007.
- ^ Biography of Robert Wuhl, The New York Times, accessed December 6, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Union Township website
- Union Public School District
- Union Public School District's 2006-07 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- Data for the Union Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics
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