Chatham Borough, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Chatham is a borough
in Morris County
, New Jersey
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 8,962.
The village that now is Chatham first was settled by Europeans in 1710 in Morris Township
, within the Province of New Jersey
. It was settled because the site already was the location of an important crossing of the Passaic River
as well as being close to a gap in the Watchung Mountains
and on the path of a well-worn Native American trail. Changing its name to Chatham by 1773, it was an active community fighting in the American Revolutionary War
.
On February 12, 1806, "Chatham Township"
was formed, taking its name from this pre-revolutionary village it would include within the township boundary along with several other villages, and large areas of unsettled lands connecting or adjacent to them. On August 19, 1892, based on a referendum held ten days earlier, Chatham adopted a new village
form of government allowed within townships as the state governance regulations evolved. Determined to leave the large township that failed to represent it properly, however, Chatham later reincorporated for governance as an independent borough
by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on March 1, 1897, replacing its village form of government, and freeing it from inclusion in the township boundary.
Because Chatham covers less than 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), including a business district and railroad station within about a mile from its farthest boundary, it is a pedestrian-friendly
community.
In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Chatham ninth on its annual list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. New Jersey Monthly
magazine ranked Chatham Borough as its 25th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, Chatham has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all of it land.
Chatham is located twenty-five miles west of New York City
on the eastern edge of Morris County. Chatham's neighboring communities are Summit
, New Providence
, Berkeley Heights
, Long Hill Township
, Chatham Township
, Harding Township
, Madison
, Florham Park
, Morristown
, New Vernon
, Short Hills
, Millburn
, and Livingston
.
The Passaic River
, which rises in Mendham and defines the Great Swamp
, flows north along the eastern boundary of Chatham. A good crossing location, identified by Amerindian
s to early Europe
an settlers, figured significantly in the colonial history of the community. Fairmount Avenue ascends Long Hill perpendicularly from Main Street in the contemporary center of town to the highest elevation of the town among the Watchung Mountains
. From there one may see the lights of New York
beyond the crest of the ridge hills of Summit
and Short Hills
. Water from artesian well
s is stored at its crest to provide the drinking water for the community.
A portion of the Great Swamp
extends to the southern boundary of Chatham and other marsh
es surround the community to the north and northwest. The marshes and brooks in the area contain water draining from the plateau
of Morristown
and many points to the north and west. All are remnants of a massive lake that covered the area following the retreat of the Wisconsin glacier of the last Ice age
. Residents of Chatham were among those in the late 1950s who formed the Jersey Jet Site Association and instigated the preservation of the Great Swamp when the New York Port Authority
sought to turn it into a massive airport. They later were joined by the North American Wildlife Foundation that completed the acquisition of enough of the Great Swamp to protect the massive natural resource as a federal park.
The Great Swamp is a major watershed
and a significant resting point for migratory birds
. The core of the swamp was purchased with the help of Geraldine R. Dodge
and Marcellus Hartley Dodge, Sr.
. Several other members of the organization, including residents of Chatham, who were students at the nearby campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University
began to infiltrate the administration of Austin Joseph Tobin, the executive director of the port authority. They attended meetings scheduled quietly to garner the support of union workers—once inside the meetings they provided pamphlets in opposition to the project—infuriating the port authority administration. Eventually other organizations formed to join the opposition to the plans for the airport and finally, a majority of the swamp was assembled to be donated to the federal government to become a National Wildlife Refuge
. Stewart Udall
, Secretary of the Interior
under President
John F. Kennedy
, lent his support to the local efforts to save the swamp while he served as U.S. Representative
from Arizona
, making recommendations to the Dwight D. Eisenhower
administration to lend their support also, and on November 3, 1960, the legislation creating the refuge was passed by an act of the United States Congress
. Later issues regarding the use of the donated land were under his authority when Udall was the Secretary of State.
Being only 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) in area, Chatham was mostly built out well before World War II
, retaining its charming homes that sometimes display the dates of their construction during the colonial and revolutionary times.
and is slightly more variant (lows are colder, highs are warmer) than its neighbor twenty miles (32 km) east: New York City
.
of 2000, there were 8,460 people, 3,159 households, and 2,385 families. The population density
was 3,505.9 people per square mile (1,355.4/km2). There were 3,232 housing units at an average density of 1,339.4 per square mile (517.8/km2). The racial makeup of was 95.79% White, 0.14% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.81% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.64% of the population.
There were 3,159 households out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples
living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.14.
The population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household was $101,991, and the median income for a family was $119,635. Males had a median income of $81,543 versus $59,063 for females. The per capita income
was $53,027. About 1.7% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line
, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a mayor and a borough council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
, the mayor
of Chatham is V. Nelson Vaughan, III, and members of the borough council are James J. Collander, Victoria Fife , Bruce A. Harris, John Holman, James K. Lonergan, and Len Resto.
based on the results of the 2010 Census. The new district is in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.
.
, founded in 1872, serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
.
, this land was overseen by clans of the Lenni-Lenape
, who farmed, fished, and hunted upon it. They were organized into a matrilineal
agricultural and mobile hunting society sustained with fixed, but not permanent, settlements in their clan territories. Villages were established and relocated as the clans farmed new sections of the land when soil fertility lessened and moved among their fishing and hunting grounds.
In 1498, John Cabot
explored this portion of the New World
. The area was claimed as a part of the Dutch New Netherland
province, where active trading in furs took advantage of the natural pass west, but, the Lenape prevented permanent settlement beyond what is now Jersey City. Although rapid exhaustion of the local beaver
population soon turned the Dutch interests much farther north, contention existed between the Dutch and the British over the rights to this land and battles ensued. Passing to the rule of the British in 1664 as the Province of New Jersey
, and becoming one of its original thirteen colonies
, marks the beginning of permanent European settlements on this land.
Having been part of the New Netherland
territory, dating from 1614, New Jersey became a British colony at the fall of New Amsterdam
in 1664. The land that would become Chatham was part of the Province of East Jersey
; the Indian rights to Chatham were purchased in 1680 from members of the Minsi
and Lenni Lenape
tribes. They spoke an Algonquian
language. They hunted and fished in the area and farmed on the lands of their settlements. The area was well connected with established paths among their settlements, to and from bountiful resources, and to neighboring settlements. Safe passageways through the valleys, marshes, swamps, and mountains of this portion of the Watchung Mountains
connected the area which would become Chatham with other settlements in the area. Except for highways built since the 1970s and a shunpike
built to avoid tolls on the roads connecting the colonial settlements of Chatham and Bottle Hill, the roads of the area follow those time proven, long trodden trails made by the Indians. Main Street rises from a shallow crossing of the Passaic River
and, after traveling through what became the settlements of Chatham and Bottle Hill (which became Madison
), the road follows a westward path that leads to the top of the plateau on which Morristown
was founded.
In 1680, the British first purchased this Lenape land upon which John Day made the first European settlement in 1710. He chose to settle upon the western bank of the Fishawack Crossing (of the Passaic River
) on the traditional Lenape Minisink Trail
. Chatham was in the area delineated as Morris Township by the English. The landing at that location was the best place to ford the river and always had been used by the Lenape on their route to the Hudson River and south from their hunting grounds in what is now Sussex County. That traditional part of the Great Trail
would become Route 24, leading to Madison
, Morristown
, Mendham, and Chester, it became known as Main Street in Chatham.
Before long, the village became known as John Day's Bridge because of a bridge he built across the river at the shallow landing. By 1750, the village had a blacksmith
shop as well as a flour
mill
, a grist
mill, and a lumber
mill
.
In 1773, the village was renamed to "Chatham" to honor a member of the British Parliament, William Pitt
, the first
Earl of Chatham
, who was an outspoken advocate of the rights of the colonists in America.
The citizens of Chatham were active participants in the American Revolutionary War
and nearby Morristown
became the military center of the revolution. Washington
twice established his winter headquarters in Morristown and revolutionary troops were active regularly in the entire area. The Lenape assisted the colonists, supplying the revolutionary army with warriors and scouts in exchange for food supplies and the promise of a role at the head of a future native American state. The Treaty of Easton
signed by the Lenape and the British in 1766 had required that the Lenape move to Pennsylvania. Wanting to recoup rights lost thereby to the British, the Lenape were the first tribe to enter into a treaty with the emerging government of the United States.
The Watchung mountain range
was a strategic asset in the war, acting as a natural barrier to the British troops and providing a vantage point for Washington to monitor their troop movements. The Minisink Trail and the village bridge provided a route for essential supplies across the river and through the mountain range.
A graphic presentation of the importance of this pass from a site about Morristown, where arrows are pointing from Morristown and New York City
to demonstrate how vital the Hobart Gap
was as the only pass through the Watchung Mountains, is displayed to the right.
Seventeen letters were written by Washington while he stayed at a homestead in Chatham and the village was the site of several skirmishes, as residents and the rebel army held off British advances, preventing them from attacking Washington's supplies at Morristown.
A printing press
was established in the village of Chatham during the war by Shepard Kollock
. From his workshop he published book
s, pamphlet
s, and the New Jersey Journal (the second newspaper
published in New Jersey) conducting lively debates about the efforts for independence and boosting the morale of the troops and their families with information derived directly from Washington's headquarters in nearby Morristown. Kollock's paper was published until 1992 as the Elizabeth Daily Journal (having moved to there) and was the fourth oldest newspaper published continuously in the United States.
After the revolutionary war was over, New Jersey became a state and governmental reforms were instituted throughout the new nation. In 1806, the village of Chatham became part of a township form of government that took the village's name as part of its name, but included several other area communities and a large amount of unsettled land. "In 1892 Chatham Village found itself at odds with the rest of the township. Although village residents paid 40 percent of the township taxes, they got only 7 percent of the receipts in services. The village had to raise its own money to install kerosene street lamps and its roads were in poor repair. As a result, the village voted on August 9, 1892, to secede from governance by the township."
Ten days later, on August 19, 1892, the citizens of Chatham reincorporated as another type of village government. With the introduction of yet another new local government form in New Jersey, five years later, the village reincorporated as a borough on March 1, 1897.
In 1910, Chatham also acquired a slice of Florham Park to enlarge farther. The local form of government and the boundaries of Chatham have remained the same since that acquisition, making it about 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²).
New Jersey Transit
stops at the Chatham
station to provide commuter service on the Morristown Line
, with train
s heading to the Hoboken Terminal
and to Penn Station
in Midtown Manhattan
.
NJ Transit local bus service is provided on the MCM3
and MCM8
routes.
Bus lines also connect Chatham with the other towns along Route 24 from Newark
to Morristown
, mostly running parallel to the train lines. Nowadays, buses transport people along the line, but stagecoach
es and trolley
s were mass transit
methods once used along the route that followed Main Street. That section of the old route now is labeled Route 124 because of the opening of a new Route 24, a modern highway. The destruction of the historic downtown by a proposed widening of the historic route was opposed and after much debate, an alternate route was chosen to preserve the historic downtowns of Chatham and Madison. The last rails for the trolley system were removed from the area roads in the 1950s.
A referendum was placed on the November 1974 ballot regarding jointure, providing that the Chatham Library would serve Chatham Township residents also, and the measure passed. The library was renamed as the Library of The Chathams, which now is administered by six trustees, who are appointed jointly through the two governments via the mayors of Chatham and Chatham Township or their representatives, as well as a representative from the newly created joint School District of the Chathams.
The Library of The Chathams joined the Morris Automated Information Network (MAIN), an electronic database linking together all the public libraries in Morris County, in 1985. Recently, an expansion costing nearly $4,000,000 was completed (with the governments of Chatham and Chatham Township contributing a combined $2,000,000). The project was completed and the new addition dedicated on January 11, 2004.
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
in Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 8,962.
The village that now is Chatham first was settled by Europeans in 1710 in Morris Township
Morris Township, New Jersey
Morris Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, USA. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 21,796. It is known as the "doughnut" around Morristown since it completely encapsulates it, and has at least five times the area...
, within the Province of New Jersey
Province of New Jersey
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland, but came under English rule after the surrender of Fort Amsterdam in 1664, becoming a...
. It was settled because the site already was the location of an important crossing of the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
as well as being close to a gap in the Watchung Mountains
Watchung Mountains
The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 ft. and 500 ft. high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States...
and on the path of a well-worn Native American trail. Changing its name to Chatham by 1773, it was an active community fighting in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
On February 12, 1806, "Chatham Township"
Chatham Township, New Jersey
Chatham Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 10,452.Chatham Township was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 12, 1806, from portions of Hanover Township and Morris Township, based on...
was formed, taking its name from this pre-revolutionary village it would include within the township boundary along with several other villages, and large areas of unsettled lands connecting or adjacent to them. On August 19, 1892, based on a referendum held ten days earlier, Chatham adopted a new village
Village (New Jersey)
A Village in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government.The Village Act of 1891 defined the form of government to consist of a five-member board of trustees to be elected to three-year staggered terms. One member serves...
form of government allowed within townships as the state governance regulations evolved. Determined to leave the large township that failed to represent it properly, however, Chatham later reincorporated for governance as an independent borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on March 1, 1897, replacing its village form of government, and freeing it from inclusion in the township boundary.
Because Chatham covers less than 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²), including a business district and railroad station within about a mile from its farthest boundary, it is a pedestrian-friendly
Walkability
Walkability is a measure of how friendly an area is to walking. Walkability has many health, environmental, and economic benefits. Factors influencing walkability include the presence or absence and quality of footpaths, sidewalks or other pedestrian right-of-ways, traffic and road conditions,...
community.
In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Chatham ninth on its annual list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly
New Jersey Monthly is a monthly glossy publication featuring issues of possible interest to residents of the United States state of New Jersey...
magazine ranked Chatham Borough as its 25th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
Geography
Chatham is located at 40.740400°N 74.385480°W (40.740400, -74.385480).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, Chatham has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²), all of it land.
Chatham is located twenty-five miles west of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on the eastern edge of Morris County. Chatham's neighboring communities are Summit
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
, New Providence
New Providence, New Jersey
New Providence is a borough on the northwestern edge of Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is located on the Passaic River, which forms the county boundary with Morris County...
, Berkeley Heights
Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
Berkeley Heights is a township in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 13,183....
, Long Hill Township
Long Hill Township, New Jersey
-Local government:Long Hill Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for...
, Chatham Township
Chatham Township, New Jersey
Chatham Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 10,452.Chatham Township was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 12, 1806, from portions of Hanover Township and Morris Township, based on...
, Harding Township
Harding Township, New Jersey
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 3,180 people, 1,180 households, and 940 families residing in the township. The population density was 155.6 people per square mile . There were 1,243 housing units at an average density of 60.8 per square mile...
, Madison
Madison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as "The Rose City".-Geography:Madison is located at ....
, Florham Park
Florham Park, New Jersey
Florham Park is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,857, which had grown to 12,389 as of the Bureau's 2008 estimate....
, Morristown
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
, New Vernon
New Vernon, New Jersey
New Vernon is an unincorporated area located in Harding Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The village is within the boundaries of Harding Township along with a portion of Green Village. It is the location of the governmental offices for Harding Township...
, Short Hills
Short Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills is an unincorporated area located within the township of Millburn, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City...
, Millburn
Millburn, New Jersey
Millburn is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 20,149.Millburn Township was created as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1857, from portions of Springfield Township.Millburn also...
, and Livingston
Livingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
.
The Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
, which rises in Mendham and defines the Great Swamp
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is located in Morris County, New Jersey. Established in 1960, it is one of more than 550 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System.The refuge was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1966...
, flows north along the eastern boundary of Chatham. A good crossing location, identified by Amerindian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s to early Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an settlers, figured significantly in the colonial history of the community. Fairmount Avenue ascends Long Hill perpendicularly from Main Street in the contemporary center of town to the highest elevation of the town among the Watchung Mountains
Watchung Mountains
The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 ft. and 500 ft. high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States...
. From there one may see the lights of New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
beyond the crest of the ridge hills of Summit
Summit, New Jersey
Summit is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 21,457. Summit had the 16th-highest per capita income in the state as of the 2000 Census....
and Short Hills
Short Hills, New Jersey
Short Hills is an unincorporated area located within the township of Millburn, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. It is a popular commuter town for residents who work in New York City...
. Water from artesian well
Artesian aquifer
An artesian aquifer is a confined aquifer containing groundwater under positive pressure. This causes the water level in a well to rise to a point where hydrostatic equilibrium has been reached. This type of well is called an artesian well...
s is stored at its crest to provide the drinking water for the community.
A portion of the Great Swamp
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is located in Morris County, New Jersey. Established in 1960, it is one of more than 550 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System.The refuge was declared a National Natural Landmark in May 1966...
extends to the southern boundary of Chatham and other marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es surround the community to the north and northwest. The marshes and brooks in the area contain water draining from the plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
of Morristown
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
and many points to the north and west. All are remnants of a massive lake that covered the area following the retreat of the Wisconsin glacier of the last Ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. Residents of Chatham were among those in the late 1950s who formed the Jersey Jet Site Association and instigated the preservation of the Great Swamp when the New York Port Authority
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
sought to turn it into a massive airport. They later were joined by the North American Wildlife Foundation that completed the acquisition of enough of the Great Swamp to protect the massive natural resource as a federal park.
The Great Swamp is a major watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
and a significant resting point for migratory birds
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
. The core of the swamp was purchased with the help of Geraldine R. Dodge
Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge
Ethel Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge was the youngest child of Almira Geraldine Goodsell and William Avery Rockefeller, Jr., the Standard Oil tycoon. Giralda Farms was the name given to her New Jersey country estate, stables, and kennels. Her residence was a revival of Medieval Spanish Gothic...
and Marcellus Hartley Dodge, Sr.
Marcellus Hartley Dodge, Sr.
Marcellus Hartley Dodge, Sr. was the chairman of the board of Remington Arms Company and a member of the family associated with the Phelps Dodge Corporation. He also was president of the Y.M.C.A.-Biography:...
. Several other members of the organization, including residents of Chatham, who were students at the nearby campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
began to infiltrate the administration of Austin Joseph Tobin, the executive director of the port authority. They attended meetings scheduled quietly to garner the support of union workers—once inside the meetings they provided pamphlets in opposition to the project—infuriating the port authority administration. Eventually other organizations formed to join the opposition to the plans for the airport and finally, a majority of the swamp was assembled to be donated to the federal government to become a National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
. Stewart Udall
Stewart Udall
Stewart Lee Udall was an American politician. After serving three terms as a congressman from Arizona, he served as Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969, under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B...
, Secretary of the Interior
United States Secretary of the Interior
The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior.The US Department of the Interior should not be confused with the concept of Ministries of the Interior as used in other countries...
under President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, lent his support to the local efforts to save the swamp while he served as U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, making recommendations to the Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
administration to lend their support also, and on November 3, 1960, the legislation creating the refuge was passed by an act of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. Later issues regarding the use of the donated land were under his authority when Udall was the Secretary of State.
Being only 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) in area, Chatham was mostly built out well before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, retaining its charming homes that sometimes display the dates of their construction during the colonial and revolutionary times.
Weather
Chatham Borough has a humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
and is slightly more variant (lows are colder, highs are warmer) than its neighbor twenty miles (32 km) east: New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 8,460 people, 3,159 households, and 2,385 families. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,505.9 people per square mile (1,355.4/km2). There were 3,232 housing units at an average density of 1,339.4 per square mile (517.8/km2). The racial makeup of was 95.79% White, 0.14% African American, 0.06% Native American, 2.81% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.64% of the population.
There were 3,159 households out of which 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 21.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.14.
The population was spread out with 28.3% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.0 males.
The median income for a household was $101,991, and the median income for a family was $119,635. Males had a median income of $81,543 versus $59,063 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
was $53,027. About 1.7% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line
Poverty threshold
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country...
, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Chatham is governed under the boroughBorough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....
form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a mayor and a borough council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
, the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Chatham is V. Nelson Vaughan, III, and members of the borough council are James J. Collander, Victoria Fife , Bruce A. Harris, John Holman, James K. Lonergan, and Len Resto.
Federal, state, and county representation
Chatham is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 26th state legislative district. It was relocated to the 21st state legislative district by the New Jersey Apportionment CommissionNew Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...
based on the results of the 2010 Census. The new district is in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.
Public schools
Chatham and Chatham Township held elections in November 1986 to consider joining their separate school systems into a joint district. This proposal was supported by the voters and since then, the two municipalities have shared a regionalized school district, the School District of the ChathamsSchool District of the Chathams
The School District of the Chathams is a regional public school district serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade from Chatham Borough and Chatham Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States....
.
Private schools
Saint Patrick SchoolSaint Patrick School (New Jersey)
Saint Patrick School is a Catholic school founded in 1872 that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in the parishes of St. Patrick and Corpus Christi Roman Catholic churches located in Chatham, New Jersey. The school is operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese...
, founded in 1872, serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson
The Diocese of Paterson is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, which includes three counties in northern New Jersey: Passaic, Morris, and Sussex. The city of Paterson, third-largest in the state of New Jersey, was chosen as the episcopal see, even though...
.
History
Occupied for ten thousand years by Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, this land was overseen by clans of the Lenni-Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
, who farmed, fished, and hunted upon it. They were organized into a matrilineal
Matrilineality
Matrilineality is a system in which descent is traced through the mother and maternal ancestors. Matrilineality is also a societal system in which one belongs to one's matriline or mother's lineage, which can involve the inheritance of property and/or titles.A matriline is a line of descent from a...
agricultural and mobile hunting society sustained with fixed, but not permanent, settlements in their clan territories. Villages were established and relocated as the clans farmed new sections of the land when soil fertility lessened and moved among their fishing and hunting grounds.
In 1498, John Cabot
John Cabot
John Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer whose 1497 discovery of parts of North America is commonly held to have been the first European encounter with the continent of North America since the Norse Vikings in the eleventh century...
explored this portion of the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
. The area was claimed as a part of the Dutch New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
province, where active trading in furs took advantage of the natural pass west, but, the Lenape prevented permanent settlement beyond what is now Jersey City. Although rapid exhaustion of the local beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
population soon turned the Dutch interests much farther north, contention existed between the Dutch and the British over the rights to this land and battles ensued. Passing to the rule of the British in 1664 as the Province of New Jersey
Province of New Jersey
The Province of New Jersey was one of the Middle Colonies of Colonial America and became the U.S. state of New Jersey in 1776. The province had originally been settled by Europeans as part of New Netherland, but came under English rule after the surrender of Fort Amsterdam in 1664, becoming a...
, and becoming one of its original thirteen colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
, marks the beginning of permanent European settlements on this land.
Having been part of the New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
territory, dating from 1614, New Jersey became a British colony at the fall of New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam was a 17th-century Dutch colonial settlement that served as the capital of New Netherland. It later became New York City....
in 1664. The land that would become Chatham was part of the Province of East Jersey
East Jersey
The Province of East Jersey and the Province of West Jersey were two distinct, separately governed parts of the Province of New Jersey that existed as separate provinces for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. East Jersey's capital was located at Perth Amboy...
; the Indian rights to Chatham were purchased in 1680 from members of the Minsi
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
and Lenni Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
tribes. They spoke an Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
language. They hunted and fished in the area and farmed on the lands of their settlements. The area was well connected with established paths among their settlements, to and from bountiful resources, and to neighboring settlements. Safe passageways through the valleys, marshes, swamps, and mountains of this portion of the Watchung Mountains
Watchung Mountains
The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 ft. and 500 ft. high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States...
connected the area which would become Chatham with other settlements in the area. Except for highways built since the 1970s and a shunpike
Shunpiking
The term shunpiking comes from the word shun, meaning "to avoid", and pike, a term referring to turnpikes, which are roads that require payment of a toll to travel on them...
built to avoid tolls on the roads connecting the colonial settlements of Chatham and Bottle Hill, the roads of the area follow those time proven, long trodden trails made by the Indians. Main Street rises from a shallow crossing of the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
and, after traveling through what became the settlements of Chatham and Bottle Hill (which became Madison
Madison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as "The Rose City".-Geography:Madison is located at ....
), the road follows a westward path that leads to the top of the plateau on which Morristown
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
was founded.
In 1680, the British first purchased this Lenape land upon which John Day made the first European settlement in 1710. He chose to settle upon the western bank of the Fishawack Crossing (of the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
) on the traditional Lenape Minisink Trail
Great Trail
The Great Trail was a network of footpaths created by Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking peoples prior to the arrival of European colonists in North America. It connected the Great Lakes region of Canada to New England and the mid-Atlantic...
. Chatham was in the area delineated as Morris Township by the English. The landing at that location was the best place to ford the river and always had been used by the Lenape on their route to the Hudson River and south from their hunting grounds in what is now Sussex County. That traditional part of the Great Trail
Great Trail
The Great Trail was a network of footpaths created by Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking peoples prior to the arrival of European colonists in North America. It connected the Great Lakes region of Canada to New England and the mid-Atlantic...
would become Route 24, leading to Madison
Madison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as "The Rose City".-Geography:Madison is located at ....
, Morristown
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
, Mendham, and Chester, it became known as Main Street in Chatham.
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop as well as a flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
mill
Mill (grinding)
A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...
, a grist
Grist
Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding. It can also mean grain that has been ground at a grist mill. Its etymology derives from the verb grind....
mill, and a lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
mill
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
.
In 1773, the village was renamed to "Chatham" to honor a member of the British Parliament, William Pitt
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
, the first
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
Earl of Chatham
Earl of Chatham
Earl of Chatham, in the County of Kent, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1766 for William Pitt the Elder on his appointment as Lord Privy Seal, along with the subsidiary title Viscount Pitt, of Burton Pynsent in the County of Somerset, also in the Peerage of Great...
, who was an outspoken advocate of the rights of the colonists in America.
The citizens of Chatham were active participants in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and nearby Morristown
Morristown National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park consists of three sites, the Ford Mansion, Fort Nonsense, and Jockey Hollow that were important during the American Revolutionary War, which began in 1775 and was ended in 1783 by the Treaty of Paris...
became the military center of the revolution. Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
twice established his winter headquarters in Morristown and revolutionary troops were active regularly in the entire area. The Lenape assisted the colonists, supplying the revolutionary army with warriors and scouts in exchange for food supplies and the promise of a role at the head of a future native American state. The Treaty of Easton
Treaty of Easton
The Treaty of Easton was a colonial agreement in North America signed in October 1758 during the French and Indian War . Briefly, chiefs of 13 Native American nations, representing tribes of the Iroquois, Lenape-Delaware, Shawnee and others, agreed to be allies of the British colonies during the...
signed by the Lenape and the British in 1766 had required that the Lenape move to Pennsylvania. Wanting to recoup rights lost thereby to the British, the Lenape were the first tribe to enter into a treaty with the emerging government of the United States.
The Watchung mountain range
Watchung Mountains
The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 ft. and 500 ft. high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States...
was a strategic asset in the war, acting as a natural barrier to the British troops and providing a vantage point for Washington to monitor their troop movements. The Minisink Trail and the village bridge provided a route for essential supplies across the river and through the mountain range.
A graphic presentation of the importance of this pass from a site about Morristown, where arrows are pointing from Morristown and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to demonstrate how vital the Hobart Gap
Hobart Gap
The Hobart Gap is a strategic pass and road through the Watchung Mountains in Northern New Jersey. The confluence of the two branches of the Rahway River is located here...
was as the only pass through the Watchung Mountains, is displayed to the right.
Seventeen letters were written by Washington while he stayed at a homestead in Chatham and the village was the site of several skirmishes, as residents and the rebel army held off British advances, preventing them from attacking Washington's supplies at Morristown.
A printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
was established in the village of Chatham during the war by Shepard Kollock
Shepard Kollock
Shepard Kollock was an editor and printer who was active in colonial New Jersey during the period of the American Revolutionary War. His New Jersey Journal became the second newspaper published in New Jersey. It was established by Kollock at his press during 1779 in Chatham, New Jersey. This...
. From his workshop he published book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s, pamphlet
Pamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
s, and the New Jersey Journal (the second newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published in New Jersey) conducting lively debates about the efforts for independence and boosting the morale of the troops and their families with information derived directly from Washington's headquarters in nearby Morristown. Kollock's paper was published until 1992 as the Elizabeth Daily Journal (having moved to there) and was the fourth oldest newspaper published continuously in the United States.
After the revolutionary war was over, New Jersey became a state and governmental reforms were instituted throughout the new nation. In 1806, the village of Chatham became part of a township form of government that took the village's name as part of its name, but included several other area communities and a large amount of unsettled land. "In 1892 Chatham Village found itself at odds with the rest of the township. Although village residents paid 40 percent of the township taxes, they got only 7 percent of the receipts in services. The village had to raise its own money to install kerosene street lamps and its roads were in poor repair. As a result, the village voted on August 9, 1892, to secede from governance by the township."
Ten days later, on August 19, 1892, the citizens of Chatham reincorporated as another type of village government. With the introduction of yet another new local government form in New Jersey, five years later, the village reincorporated as a borough on March 1, 1897.
In 1910, Chatham also acquired a slice of Florham Park to enlarge farther. The local form of government and the boundaries of Chatham have remained the same since that acquisition, making it about 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²).
Transportation
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
stops at the Chatham
Chatham (NJT station)
Chatham is a railway station in Chatham, New Jersey. A commuter rail station, Chatham receives rail service from statewide provider New Jersey Transit on its Morristown Line, a branch of the Morris & Essex Lines...
station to provide commuter service on the Morristown Line
Morristown Line
The Morristown Line is one of New Jersey Transit's commuter lines and is one of two branches that run along the Morris and Essex Lines. Out of 60 inbound and 58 outbound daily weekday trains, 28 inbound and 26 outbound trains use the Kearny Connection to Secaucus Junction and New York Penn...
, with train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s heading to the Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
and to Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
.
NJ Transit local bus service is provided on the MCM3
PABCO Transit, Inc
PABCO Transit, Inc., doing business under the Morris County Metro brand, is a public transport company based in Dover, New Jersey operating local bus service in Morris County for New Jersey Transit. The company was originally called Passaic - Athena Bus Lines which operated service in Passaic and...
and MCM8
PABCO Transit, Inc
PABCO Transit, Inc., doing business under the Morris County Metro brand, is a public transport company based in Dover, New Jersey operating local bus service in Morris County for New Jersey Transit. The company was originally called Passaic - Athena Bus Lines which operated service in Passaic and...
routes.
Bus lines also connect Chatham with the other towns along Route 24 from Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
to Morristown
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
, mostly running parallel to the train lines. Nowadays, buses transport people along the line, but stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
es and trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
s were mass transit
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
methods once used along the route that followed Main Street. That section of the old route now is labeled Route 124 because of the opening of a new Route 24, a modern highway. The destruction of the historic downtown by a proposed widening of the historic route was opposed and after much debate, an alternate route was chosen to preserve the historic downtowns of Chatham and Madison. The last rails for the trolley system were removed from the area roads in the 1950s.
Library
Chatham Library was founded in 1908 in downtown Chatham after decades of discussion and planning. Growth of the collection brought about expansion and movement to progressively larger facilities until the current building was built on Main Street. The new site was chosen after the Fairview Hotel, which had been on the site, burned down. The hotel land was bought in the early 1920s by Charles L. Lum, after whose family Lum Avenue is named, and a brick building was constructed to house the library. The new Chatham Library was dedicated and opened to the public in 1924.A referendum was placed on the November 1974 ballot regarding jointure, providing that the Chatham Library would serve Chatham Township residents also, and the measure passed. The library was renamed as the Library of The Chathams, which now is administered by six trustees, who are appointed jointly through the two governments via the mayors of Chatham and Chatham Township or their representatives, as well as a representative from the newly created joint School District of the Chathams.
The Library of The Chathams joined the Morris Automated Information Network (MAIN), an electronic database linking together all the public libraries in Morris County, in 1985. Recently, an expansion costing nearly $4,000,000 was completed (with the governments of Chatham and Chatham Township contributing a combined $2,000,000). The project was completed and the new addition dedicated on January 11, 2004.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Chatham include:- Ben BaileyBen BaileyBenjamin Ray "Ben" Bailey is an American comedian, licensed taxi cab driver, and game show host and executive producer for Discovery Channel's Cash Cab in New York City.-Early life:...
(born 1970), host of Discovery ChannelDiscovery ChannelDiscovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
's Cash CabCash CabCash Cab is a TV game show devised by Adam Wood that originated in the United Kingdom and has been licensed to television networks in numerous other countries...
, was born in Chatham - Leanna BrownLeanna BrownLeanna Brown is an American Republican Party politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature, where she represented the 26th Legislative District. She was the first Republican woman elected to the New Jersey Senate....
(born 1935), politician. - Shepard KollockShepard KollockShepard Kollock was an editor and printer who was active in colonial New Jersey during the period of the American Revolutionary War. His New Jersey Journal became the second newspaper published in New Jersey. It was established by Kollock at his press during 1779 in Chatham, New Jersey. This...
, American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
-era editor and printer of the New Jersey Journal, who published it as the first newspaper in Chatham in 1779 - Ann McLaughlin KorologosAnn McLaughlin KorologosAnn McLaughlin Korologos , formerly known as Ann Dore McLaughlin, , was the United States Secretary of Labor from 1987 to 1989....
(born 1941), United States Secretary of LaborUnited States Secretary of LaborThe United States Secretary of Labor is the head of the Department of Labor who exercises control over the department and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies....
in the Reagan Administration. - Nick MangoldNick Mangold-New York Jets:Replacing Kevin Mawae at center, Mangold had a good rookie season, allowing only 0.5 sacks, committed only 3 penalties and made all the line calls. Mangold was considered to be the best prospect at center in the last 15 years according to NFL draft expert Mike Mayock...
(born 1984), American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
centerCenter (American football)Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
for the New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. - Bob Papa announcer for The Giants
- David K. ShiplerDavid K. ShiplerDavid K. Shipler is an American author who won the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction in 1987 for Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land...
(born 1942), author, Winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-FictionPulitzer Prize for General Non-FictionThe Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction has been awarded since 1962 for a distinguished book of non-fiction by an American author that is not eligible for consideration in another category.-1960s:...
for Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised LandArab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised LandArab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land, written by David K. Shipler and published by Times Books in 1986, won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction....
. - Walter Scott StoryWalter Scott StoryWalter Scott Story was an author of children's books and over 140 pulp magazine stories and novelettes.He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of Benjamin Franklin Story, a printer from Lyndon, Vermont and Rebecca Jennie Turner of St. Joseph, Michigan...
(1879–1955), author. - Aaron Montgomery WardAaron Montgomery WardAaron Montgomery Ward was an American businessman notable for the invention of mail order.The mail-order industry was started by Aaron Montgomery Ward in 1872 in Chicago...
(1844–1913), inventor of mail orderMail orderMail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer... - Alice WatersAlice WatersAlice Louise Waters is an American chef, restaurateur, activist, and author. She is the owner of Chez Panisse, a Berkeley, California restaurant famous for its organic, locally-grown ingredients and for pioneering California cuisine.Waters opened the restaurant in 1971. It has consistently ranked...
(born 1944), chef and mother of local, organic food movement in the USA; graduated from Chatham High School in 1963.
Historical research resources
- Anderson, John R. Shepard Kollock: Editor for Freedom. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Historical Society, 1975.
- Cunningham, John T. Chatham: At the Crossing of the Fishawack. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Historical Society, 1967.
- Philhower, Charles A., Brief History of Chatham, Morris County, New Jersey. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1914.
- Thayer, Theodore. Colonial and Revolutionary Morris County. The Morris County Heritage Commission. (government publication)
- Vanderpoel, Ambrose Ely. History of Chatham, New Jersey. New York: Charles Francis Press, 1921. Reprint. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Historical Society, 1959.
- White, Donald Wallace. A Village at War: Chatham and the American Revolution. Rutherford, New Jersey: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1979.
- _________________. Chatham. Dover, New Hampshire: Arcadia Publishing, 1997.
- ______________. "Historic Minisink Trail". Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. 8, (January–October, 1923): 199-205.
- ______________. "Indians of the Morris County Area". Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. 54 (October 1936): 248-267.
- Design Guidelines Manual For Rehabilitation and Construction in the Main Street Historic District. Chatham, New Jersey: Chatham Borough Historic Preservation Commission, 1994. (government publication)
External links
- Borough of Chatham official website
- School District of the Chathams website
- School District of the Chathams, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Chatham, New Jersey city data
- Chatham, New Jersey Overview
- Borough of Chatham municipal court
- Chatham, New Jersey hometown locator data
- The Daily Record, a regional newspaper
- New York Times article - "If You're Thinking of Living in Chatham" – published April 17, 1994
- New York Times article - quoting the Chatham Press about speed bumps originating in Chatham, New Jersey one hundred years ago - published April 19, 2006