Woodbury, New Jersey
Woodbury is a city in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, 10,307 residents were counted. Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County.[6]
Woodbury was originally formed as a Borough on March 27, 1854, within Deptford Township, based on the results of a referendum held on March 22, 1854. On January 2, 1871, Woodbury was reincorporated as a city, based on the results of a referendum held that day.[7]
It is home to the Woodbury Country Club, Underwood-Memorial Hospital and the Gloucester County Times daily newspaper headquarters, which is distributed throughout the county for primarily local news.
History
As recounted by the historian William McMahon, the native Americans called the place where the city of Woodbury was to be founded, "Piscozackasing", or, 'place of the black burrs'.[8]
Woodbury was founded in 1683 by Henry Wood, a Quaker from the North-West of England, who had left Great Britain due to religious persecution. Wood was incarcerated in Lancaster gaol for practicing as a Quaker and left his home in the village of Tottington, near Bury, Lancashire, in a boat to set up a community in the new world where he and his family could practice his religion freely. His surname and his home town went to make up the name of the city he founded - Woodbury.
In 2000, the Borough of Bury, England, and the City of Woodbury were twinned as part of millennium celebrations in both countries. The twinning ceremony was the culmination of a week where more than 300 school children and college students, local dignitaries and local residents from Bury took part in sporting and cultural events held in and around Woodbury with local people.
During the week there was a symbolic meeting and reconciliation of the Vicar of Henry Wood's former church in Tottington and the Quaker's meeting house in Woodbury and an ecumenical service attended by many of the residents and visitors.
Demographics
| Historical populations |
| Census |
Pop. |
|
%± |
| 1930 |
8,172 |
|
—
|
| 1940 |
8,306 |
|
1.6% |
| 1950 |
10,931 |
|
31.6% |
| 1960 |
12,453 |
|
13.9% |
| 1970 |
12,408 |
|
−0.4% |
| 1980 |
10,353 |
|
−16.6% |
| 1990 |
10,904 |
|
5.3% |
| 2000 |
10,307 |
|
−5.5% |
| Est. 2009 |
10,446 |
[2] |
1.3% |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[9] |
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 10,307 people, 4,051 households, and 2,588 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,961.4 people per square mile (1,913.2/km2). There were 4,310 housing units at an average density of 2,074.7 per square mile (800.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 72.45% White, 22.83% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.94% of the population.
There were 4,051 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,827, and the median income for a family was $53,630. Males had a median income of $40,429 versus $30,570 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,592. About 11.2% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.
Geography
Woodbury is located at .[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2), of which, 2.1 square miles (5.4 km2) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of it (1.89%) is water. Woodbury has a few lakes that feed off of Woodbury Creek.
Woodbury borders Woodbury Heights, West Deptford Township, and Deptford Township.
Climate
Woodbury has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) typical of New Jersey with warm summers and cold winters.
| Climate data for Woodbury |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
| Average high °F (°C) |
41
(5) |
45
(7) |
54
(12) |
65
(18) |
74
(23) |
82
(28) |
87
(31) |
85
(29) |
78
(26) |
67
(19) |
57
(14) |
46
(8) |
65
(18) |
| Average low °F (°C) |
24
(−4) |
26
(−3) |
33
(1) |
42
(6) |
52
(11) |
61
(16) |
67
(19) |
65
(18) |
58
(14) |
46
(8) |
38
(3) |
29
(−2) |
45
(7) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) |
3.71
(94.2) |
2.76
(70.1) |
4.08
(103.6) |
3.95
(100.3) |
4.38
(111.3) |
3.81
(96.8) |
4.52
(114.8) |
4.37
(111) |
4.11
(104.4) |
3.26
(82.8) |
3.51
(89.2) |
3.49
(88.6) |
45.95
(1,167.1) |
| Source: [11] |
Government
Local government
Woodbury is governed under the City form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a City Council comprising nine council members. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters. The City Council consists of nine members, three from each of three wards, elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one seat from each ward coming up for election each year.[12][13]
As of 2011[update], the Mayor of the City of Woodbury is Harry R. Riskie.[14] Members of the Woodbury City Council are:[15]
- First Ward: Danielle Carter (2013), Francis I. Connor (2011) and Patrick Pottillo (2011)
- Second Ward: Gwendolyn J. Brown (2011), William H. Fleming (2012) and C. Barry Sloane (2013)
- Third Ward: Thomas B. Louis (2012), Heather S. Tierney] (2013) and Harry Trout (2011)
Federal, state and county representation
Woodbury is in the 1st Congressional district. New Jersey's First Congressional District is represented by Rob Andrews (D, Haddon Heights). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
Woodbury is in the 5th district of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Donald Norcross (D, Camden) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Angel Fuentes (D, Camden) and Gilbert "Whip" Wilson (D, Camden).[16]
Gloucester County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders, whose seven members are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year. Each year, the Board selects a Freeholder Director and Deputy Director from among its members. As of 2011, Gloucester County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger (D, West Deptford Township, 2012), Deputy Freeholder Director Dr. Warren S. Wallace (D, Washington Township, 2011), Giuseppe "Joe" Chila (D, Woolwich Township, 2012), Frank J. DiMarco (D, Deptford Township, 2011), Vincent H. Nestore, Jr. (R, Deptford Township, 2013), Heather Simmons (D, Glassboro Borough, 2011), Larry Wallace (R, Woolwich Township, 2013).[17]
Education
The Woodbury 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[18]) are three K-5 elementary schools — (Evergreen Avenue Elementary School (298 students), Walnut Street Elementary School (111) and West End Memorial Elementary School (350) — and Woodbury Junior-Senior High School (752) for grades 6-12.
Historical ties
Recycling forerunner
A lesser known fact about Woodbury is that it was the first city in the entire United States to mandate recycling This effort was led by then-councilman and later mayor Donald P. Sanderson in the 1970s, and an ordinance was finally passed in December 1980. The idea of towing a "recycling" trailer behind a trash collection vehicle to enable the collection of trash and recyclable material at the same time emerged. Mr. Sanderson was asked to speak in municipalities throughout the country. Other towns and cities soon followed suit, and today many cities in the country require recycling.
Paleontological discovery
In 1787, a fossil bone recovered in Woodbury from local Cretaceous strata was discussed by the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.[19] The remains were only retrospectively identified as dinosaurian,[19] as dinosaurs would not be scientifically recognized as a distinct group of reptiles until Sir Richard Owen presented his treatise on British fossil reptiles to the British Association in August of 1841.[20]
Notable residents
- Ken Albers (1924–2007), singer, was born in Woodbury.
- Don Amendolia (born 1945), actor.[21]
- John Boyd Avis (1875–1944), a United States federal judge whose private practice was set up in Woodbury.
- Eli Ayers (1778–1822), a physician and the first colonial agent of the American Colonization Society in what would later become Liberia, practiced medicine in Woodbury.
- Herb Baptiste, one of The Star-Ledger's top ten best high school wrestlers in New Jersey during the 1940s.[22]
- George Benjamin, Jr. (1919–1944), a United States Army soldier and a posthumous recipient of the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during the Philippines campaign of World War II.[23]
- John Hancock Bradway (1821–1904), a member of the New Jersey State House of Assembly in 1857;[24] listed in the American Amateur Photographer magazine in 1889, along with other journals, for contributing important images of Woodbury.[25]
- Carroll William "Boardwalk" Brown (1889–1977), a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, was born in Woodbury.
- Arthur 'Ted' Browne (1915–2002), baseball player in the Negro League on the Zulu Cannibal Giants team, sporting his "Zulu" name Lakola.[26]
- Roscoe Lee Browne (1925–2007), character actor and former athlete, was born in Woodbury.[27]
- Van Bruner, world record holder in the 65-yard indoor dirt track high hurdles; ran in finals of 1952 Olympic Trials and also in first round of the 1965 Trials.[28]
- Dave Budd (born 1938), former NBA player for the New York Knicks who was one of the three centers for the Knicks to guard Wilt Chamberlain in the game in which he scored 100 points vs. 13 points for Budd.[29]
- Dr. Dirk Ronald Budd (1935–2008), college professor and administrator, author, playwright, director; born in Camden but raised in Woodbury.
- Dave Calloway (born 1968), former head men's basketball coach at Monmouth University, was born in Woodbury.
- Kyle Cassidy (born 1966), professional photographer, was born in Woodbury.
- Joe Colone (1926–2009), one-year player for the New York Knicks, moved to Woodbury and taught in the school system for over 30 years.[30][31]
- Franklin Davenport (1755–1832), Benjamin Franklin's nephew and a Federalist Party US Senator.[32]
- Donald J. Farish (born 19??), former president of Rowan University in Glassboro.[33]
- Joe Fields (born 1953), former professional American football center and guard in the National Football League, was born in Woodbury.
- Henry Clay Foote (1820–1912), was born in Wallingford, Connecticut but resettled in Woodbury. While a resident, he was the inventor of a "crimping machine" in 1889.[34]
- Oscar Fraley (1914–1994), co-author, with Eliot Ness, of The Untouchables which sold 1.5 million copies, was raised in Woodbury.[35]
- George Gill Green (1842–1925), a patent medicine entrepreneur (whose fortunes are now equivalent to modern day millions) and Colonel in the American Civil War.
- Robert C. Hendrickson (1898–1964), United States Senator from New Jersey from 1949 to 1955.[36]
- Donald Holmes (1910–1980), inventor.[37]
- John E. Hunt (1908–1989), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1967 to 1975, died in Woodbury.
- Ralph Ipri, National High School Tennis Coach of the Year (coaching Cherry Hill East in 1979) and all-time winningest high school boy's tennis coach, graduated from Woodbury High School.[38][39][40]
- John Joseph Kitchen (1911–1973), a United States federal judge whose private practice was set up in Woodbury.
- George Knapp (born 1952), investigative journalist, was born in Woodbury.
- Jonathan V. Last, columnist for The Weekly Standard.[41]
- James Lawrence (1781–1813), who coined the phrase "Don't give up the ship" during the War of 1812.[42]
- Mike McBath (born 1946), a defensive end for the Buffalo Bills from 1968–1973 and part-owner of the Orlando Predators.
- Bryant McKinnie (born 1979), professional football player for the Baltimore Ravens at the offensive tackle position.[43]
- Dan Meyer (born 1981), pitcher for the Florida Marlins, was born in Woodbury.[44]
- J. Hampton Moore (1864–1950), former Republican Congressman and Mayor of Philadelphia (1920–24; 1932–36), was born in Woodbury.[45]
- Tim O'Shea (born 1962), head men's basketball coach of the Ohio Bobcats, was born in Woodbury
- Paul Owens (1924–2003), manager of the 1983 National League Pennant-winning Philadelphia Phillies, lived and died in Woodbury.[46]
- Francis F. Patterson, Jr. (1867–1935), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1920 to 1927.[47]
- Jack Pierce (born 1962), Olympic bronze medalist in the high jump at the 1992 Olympic Games.[48]
- Milt Plum (born 1935), quarterback and two-time Pro Bowler for the Cleveland Browns attended Woodbury High School.[49]
- Chris Pressley (born 1986), fullback for the Cincinnati Bengals.[50]
- H. Browning Ross (1924–1998), an Olympian in long-distance running (1948) and gold medal winner in the 1,500-meter at the 1951 Pan-Am Games.[51]
- Patti Smith (born 1946), singer-songwriter, was raised in Woodbury.[52]
- Heather Spytek (born 1977), Playboy Magazine's Playmate of the Month in June 2001.[53]
- Howie Staeger, track & field coach during the 1960s and 70s for the WHS track dynasties; also founder of the Woodbury Relays.[54]
- Al Szolack (born c. 1950), a member of the Washington Generals traveling basketball team during the 1974–75 season.[55] The Generals always play (and lose) to the Harlem Globetrotters. Szolack averaged approximately 15 points per game as a small forward/shooting guard under player-coach Red Klotz.[55]
- D. K. Ulrich (born 1944), NASCAR driver and owner.
- David Ogden Watkins (1862–1938), the acting Governor of New Jersey from 1898 to 1899 and former mayor of Woodbury from 1886 to 1890.
- Ann Cooper Whitall (1716–1797), a prominent Quaker woman in early America, was born in Woodbury.
- John M. Whitall (1800–1877), a prominent U.S. sea captain, businessman and philanthropist, was born in Woodbury.
References
- ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: City of Woodbury, Geographic Names Information System. Accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ a b Census data for Woodbury city, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 24, 2010.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 141.
- ^ Mickle, Isaac, Esq. (1845) (PDF). Reminiscences of old Gloucester: Or, Incidents in the History of the Counties of Gloucester, Atlantic and Camden, New Jersey. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Townsend Ward. pp. 89. http://books.google.com/books?id=nI0vAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA89&dq=Piscozackasing&pg=PA89#v=onepage&q=Piscozackasing&f=false.
- ^ New Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Average weather for Woodbury, New Jersey". Weather.com. http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/08096?from=36hr_bottomnav_undeclared. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
- ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 28.
- ^ City Government, City of Woodbury. Accessed January 15, 2007.
- ^ Harry R. Riskie, Mayor, City of Woodbury. Accessed March 15, 2011.
- ^ City Council Members, City of Woodbury. Accessed May 10, 2009. Still shows 2009 term-end dates as of date accessed.
- ^ "Legislative Roster: 2010-2011 Session". New Jersey Legislature. http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/roster.asp. Retrieved 2010-02-08.
- ^ Gloucester County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed May 27, 2011.
- ^ Data for the Woodbury Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed June 21, 2008>
- ^ a b Dodson, Peter (1997). "American Dinosaurs." Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs. Edited by Phillip J. Currie and Kevin Padian. Academic Press. p. 10-13.
- ^ Farlow, James O.; M. K. Brett-Surmann (1999). The Complete Dinosaur. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. pp. 9. ISBN 0-253-21313-4.
- ^ IMDB.com - Don Amendolia. Accessed July 13, 2008.
- ^ NJ.com: The Top 10 Wrestlers of each decade. Accessed April 14, 2008.
- ^ Ben Franklin's nephew was a 'famous' county resident. Shryock, Bob. February 7, 2010. Accessed May 31, 2010.
- ^ The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians. Accessed June 13, 2009.
- ^ The American Amateur Photographer (page 111). Accessed June 13, 2009.
- ^ Negro League Players Association obituary (2 February 2002). Accessed April 14, 2008.
- ^ Biography of Roscoe Lee Browne, The New York Times, accessed December 12, 2006.
- ^ Gloucester County Hall of Fame - 1984 class. Accessed April 14, 2008.
- ^ Box score: Wilt's 100-point game, Sporting News, accessed December 16, 2006.
- ^ Bob Shryock: One of Woodbury's finest leaves lasting legacy. "Colone, 85, one of many educators from the Berwick, Pa., area who migrated to Woodbury to take teaching positions a half-century ago, died July 1 after many years of courageously fighting various illnesses." Accessed July 7, 2009.
- ^ Database Basketball: Joe Colone. Accessed April 14, 2008.
- ^ Franklin Davenport, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. "...moved to Woodbury, New Jersey in 1781 and continued the practice of law...died in Woodbury, Gloucester County, N.J." Accessed July 16, 2008.
- ^ Donald J. Farish biography. Accessed May 15, 2009.
- ^ Machine For Crimping The Ends of Paper Tubes (Hill, R.K., and Foote, H.C.]. Accessed June 14, 2009.
- ^ "Oscar Fraley, 79, 'Untouchables' Author", The New York Times, January 9, 1994. Accessed June 24, 2007. "Born in Philadelphia and reared in Woodbury, N.J., Mr. Fraley worked for U.P.I. from 1940 to 1965."
- ^ Robert Clymer Hendrickson, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 11, 2007.
- ^ Donald Holmes, Inventor's Hall of Fame. Accessed July 16, 2008.
- ^ Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame. "Class of 1991...Ralph Ipri (Woodbury)." Accessed April 13, 2008.
- ^ USTA Middle States Coach of the Year. Accessed April 13, 2008. Archived June 3, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Tennis coach Ipri wins No. 900", Courier-Post, April 13, 2008. Accessed April 13, 2008. "The nation's winningest boys' tennis coach reached yet another plateau Saturday."
- ^ Staff. "Great leap rightward? Nah, just finding balance", The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 15, 2006. Accessed March 2, 2011. "Folks meet Jonathan V. Last. He was born in Camden 31 years ago grew up in Woodbury and Moorestown and now works as online editor for the Weekly Standard."
- ^ Historic Roadsides of New Jersey: Gloucester County, accessed December 12, 2006.
- ^ NFL 2002 Draft profile of Bryant McKinnie, accessed December 12, 2006. Archived November 30, 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Dan Meyer player profile, The Baseball Cube. Accessed July 17, 2007.
- ^ Joseph Hampton Moore biography, United States Congress. Accessed July 23, 2007.
- ^ "Paul Owens, 79; Shaped Champion Phillies" from New York Times obituary (28 December 2003). Accessed October 14, 2008.
- ^ Francis Ford Patterson, Jr., Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed August 26, 2007.
- ^ South Jersey track & field HOF paragraph, accessed June 11, 2007. Archived September 28, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Milt Plum statistics, databasefootball.com. Accessed June 11, 2007.
- ^ Bengals.com. "Was this the same son that came home at 3 in the morning after mopping floors at Wendy's and woke three hours later to finish off his 4.0 run at Woodbury High School and help keep the family afloat?" Accessed June 5, 2009.
- ^ Browning Ross, Runners Mecca. Accessed September 16, 2007.
- ^ "Patti Smith – Biography. "Three chord rock merged with the power of the word"". Arista Records. 1996. Archived from the original on 2008-02-17. http://web.archive.org/web/20080217121710/http://www.aristarec.com/psmith/smithbio.html. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
- ^ IMDB.com - Heather Spytek. Accessed July 13, 2008.
- ^ South Jersey Track Hall of Fame (Archive). Accessed April 14, 2008.
- ^ a b Shryock, Bob (March 15, 2011), "Lovable Loser Receives Honor", Gloucester County Times: A-6
External links