Franklin, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Franklin is a Borough
in Sussex County
, New Jersey
, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,045.
Franklin, known as the "Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World," is located over a rich ore body containing more than 150 minerals, many of them fluorescent and 25 of which are found nowhere else on earth. Settled in the 17th century, the village known as Franklin Furnace
after Benjamin Franklin
, developed near iron mines and iron smelting operations located along the Wallkill River
. In the early 19th century, zinc deposits in the area began to be developed commercially. For most of the century many small companies mined zinc and iron in the Franklin area. In 1897 all zinc mining efforts merged into the New Jersey Zinc Company
The Zinc company was a major controlling factor in the development of Franklin. Immigrants from Russia, Britain, Hungary and Poland joined the work force at the mine. The population, 500 in 1897, had swelled to 3,000 by 1913. On March 18, 1913, the Borough of Franklin was incorporated from portions of Hardyston Township
, based on the results of a referendum held on April 23, 1913.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the borough has a total area of 4.6 square miles (11.9 km²), of which, 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.32%) is water.
See also Franklin Furnace
regarding the complex mineralogy of the area.
of 2000, there were 5,160 people, 1,898 households, and 1,324 families residing in the borough. The population density
was 1,150.2 people per square mile (443.7/km2). There were 1,997 housing units at an average density of 445.1 per square mile (171.7/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.10% White, 0.62% African American, 0.35% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 1.22% from other races
, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.42% of the population.
There were 1,898 households out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples
living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the borough the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $44,985, and the median income for a family was $52,682. Males had a median income of $41,080 versus $26,201 for females. The per capita income
for the borough was $19,386. About 5.6% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 9.9% 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 Franklin Borough is Paul B. Crowley (term ends December 31, 2011). Members of the Borough Council are Council President Donna Miller (2011), Susan Gardell (2013), Nicholas Giordano (2013), Thomas Kulsar (2012), Gilbert Snyder (2012) and Mark Zschack (2011)
Franklin is in the
, 1,302 (42.4% vs. 39.3% countywide) were registered as Republicans
and 1,296 (42.2% vs. 44.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared
. There were four voters registered to other parties (two Greens
and two Libertarians
).
On the national level, Franklin leans toward the Republican Party. In the 2004 presidential election
, Republican George W. Bush
received 63% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry
, who received 35%. In the 2008 presidential election
, Republican John McCain
received 57% of the vote here, defeating Democrat Barack Obama
, who received 40%. This gives Franklin a Cook PVI of R+13.
, which served 516 students in the 2008-09 school year.
For grades 9 - 12, public school students attend Wallkill Valley Regional High School
which is composed of students from Franklin Borough, Hardyston Township
, Hamburg Borough
and Ogdensburg Borough
, and is part of the Wallkill Valley Regional High School District.
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 Sussex County
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
, 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 borough population was 5,045.
Franklin, known as the "Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World," is located over a rich ore body containing more than 150 minerals, many of them fluorescent and 25 of which are found nowhere else on earth. Settled in the 17th century, the village known as Franklin Furnace
Franklin Furnace
Franklin Furnace, also known as the Franklin Mine, is a famous mineral location for rare zinc, iron, manganese minerals in old mines in Franklin, New Jersey, USA. This locale produced more species of minerals and more different fluorescent minerals than any other location...
after Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
, developed near iron mines and iron smelting operations located along the Wallkill River
Wallkill River
The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly to Rondout Creek in New York, near Rosendale, with the combined flows reaching the Hudson at Kingston....
. In the early 19th century, zinc deposits in the area began to be developed commercially. For most of the century many small companies mined zinc and iron in the Franklin area. In 1897 all zinc mining efforts merged into the New Jersey Zinc Company
New Jersey Zinc Company
The Horsehead Corporation , formerly the New Jersey Zinc Company, is an American producer of zinc and related materials.The New Jersey Zinc Company was for many years the largest producer of zinc and zinc products in the United States. The company thrived in the period from 1897 to 1966, at which...
The Zinc company was a major controlling factor in the development of Franklin. Immigrants from Russia, Britain, Hungary and Poland joined the work force at the mine. The population, 500 in 1897, had swelled to 3,000 by 1913. On March 18, 1913, the Borough of Franklin was incorporated from portions of Hardyston Township
Hardyston Township, New Jersey
Hardyston Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 6,171.-Geography:...
, based on the results of a referendum held on April 23, 1913.
Geography
Franklin is located at 41.117157°N 74.582868°W (41.117157, -74.582868).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...
, the borough has a total area of 4.6 square miles (11.9 km²), of which, 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (1.32%) is water.
See also Franklin Furnace
Franklin Furnace
Franklin Furnace, also known as the Franklin Mine, is a famous mineral location for rare zinc, iron, manganese minerals in old mines in Franklin, New Jersey, USA. This locale produced more species of minerals and more different fluorescent minerals than any other location...
regarding the complex mineralogy of the area.
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 5,160 people, 1,898 households, and 1,324 families residing in the borough. 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 1,150.2 people per square mile (443.7/km2). There were 1,997 housing units at an average density of 445.1 per square mile (171.7/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.10% White, 0.62% African American, 0.35% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 1.22% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.42% of the population.
There were 1,898 households out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% 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, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the borough the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $44,985, and the median income for a family was $52,682. Males had a median income of $41,080 versus $26,201 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...
for the borough was $19,386. About 5.6% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Franklin 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 Franklin Borough is Paul B. Crowley (term ends December 31, 2011). Members of the Borough Council are Council President Donna Miller (2011), Susan Gardell (2013), Nicholas Giordano (2013), Thomas Kulsar (2012), Gilbert Snyder (2012) and Mark Zschack (2011)
Federal, state and county representation
Franklin Borough is in the 5th Congressional district.Franklin is in the
Politics
As of March 23, 2011, out of a 2010 Census population of 5,045 in Franklin, there were 3,071 registered voters (60.9% of the population, vs. 65.8% in all of Sussex County). Of registered voters, 469 (15.3% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as DemocratsDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, 1,302 (42.4% vs. 39.3% countywide) were registered as Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and 1,296 (42.2% vs. 44.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared
Undeclared (New Jersey)
Unaffiliated is a status for registered voters in New Jersey. Those voters who do not specify a political party affiliation when they register to vote are listed as unaffiliated....
. There were four voters registered to other parties (two Greens
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
and two Libertarians
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
).
On the national level, Franklin leans toward the Republican Party. In the 2004 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Republican George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
received 63% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
, who received 35%. In the 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
received 57% of the vote here, defeating Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, who received 40%. This gives Franklin a Cook PVI of R+13.
Education
Students in public school for grades K - 8 attend the Franklin Borough School DistrictFranklin Borough School District
The Franklin Borough School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade from Franklin, in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States....
, which served 516 students in the 2008-09 school year.
For grades 9 - 12, public school students attend Wallkill Valley Regional High School
Wallkill Valley Regional High School
Wallkill Valley Regional High School is a four-year public high school and regional school district in New Jersey serving students in grades 9-12 from four municipalities in Sussex County, approximately forty miles northwest of New York City...
which is composed of students from Franklin Borough, Hardyston Township
Hardyston Township, New Jersey
Hardyston Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 6,171.-Geography:...
, Hamburg Borough
Hamburg, New Jersey
Hamburg is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 3,277.In 1753, when Sussex County was formed, Hamburg was part of New Town; on February 25, 1762, it became part of the newly established Hardyston Township...
and Ogdensburg Borough
Ogdensburg, New Jersey
Ogdensburg is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 2,638.The borough was formed based on an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 26, 1914, from part of Sparta Township, based on the results of a referendum...
, and is part of the Wallkill Valley Regional High School District.
Media
- WSUS-FM is a Class A radio station serving the Sussex County area on 102.3 FM, owned by Clear Channel CommunicationsClear Channel CommunicationsClear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
and licensed to Franklin. The station plays an adult contemporary music format. They are known as the "Best Variety Of Soft Rock 102.3 WSUS". In the evening, a syndicated broadcast airs with Delilah ReneDelilah ReneDelilah Rene Luke , almost always known mononymously as Delilah, is an American radio personality, author, and songwriter, best known as the host of a nationally syndicated nightly U.S...
.
External links
- Franklin Borough website
- Franklin Borough School District
- Data for the Franklin Borough School District, 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...
- The Advertiser-News, community newspaper
- Abandoned Mines of Franklin, New Jersey