Sussex County, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
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. Sussex County is the 36th wealthiest county in the United States with its median household income being $65,266.
The county was founded on 8 June 1753 from portions of Morris County
. Morris County separated from Hunterdon County which separated from Burlington County in 1713. Originally the area of Sussex County was under the legal jurisdiction of Burlington County which went to the New York line. Warren County
was separated from Sussex County on November 20, 1824. The county seat
of Sussex County is the Town of Newton
.
(1689–1757) for Sussex
in England which was the ancestral seat of His Grace, Thomas Pelham-Holles, first Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and first Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
(1693–1768), who at the time was the Secretary of State for the Northern Department
, and later the Prime Minister
of the United Kingdom (1754–1756, 1757–1762). Pelham-Holles, whose office oversaw British affairs in North America
, was Governor Belcher's political superior. During his term as Governor of New Jersey (1747–1757), Belcher named many municipalities
in honor of important British political figures
, most of whom were superior to him in rank or precedence
. It is believed that he did so in order to curry political favor and regain a level of standing that was diminished from his scandal which precipitated his removal from the Governorship of Massachusetts
in 1741.
Sussex, in England, was notable historically as one of the seven kingdoms
of the Heptarchy
(A.D. 500–850), which were later unified under Egbert of Wessex
(c. 770–839) into the Kingdom of England
. The -sex suffix indicates the Saxon areas, of people from Saxony; Sus-sex for south Saxon, Es-sex for east Saxon, Wes-sex for west Saxon, and Middle-sex, as opposed to the Anglia names, for the areas of the Angles, Anglos, who came from Angle-land in what is now Denmark. Ironically, Sussex is the most northern county in New Jersey.
are in Stokes State Forest
, Augusta, Hampton Twp., and Andover Twp. After the Wisconsin Glacier melted due to a change in climate, plants and grasses slowly grew. The area was still cold, so the landscape was first Tundra and then changed to Taiga Biome/Boreal Forest. The Boreal forest was a coniferous forest in which spruce and other pine trees grew. Grasslands also grew, as the area had various flora communities. Water was still present from glacial melt. By 12,000 BC the glacier retreated to the Catskills and by 8000 BC the glacier was north of the St Lawrence River in Canada. Between 8000 BC and 6000 BC Boreal and deciduous forests were growing. This is the time period that the Mastodons became extinct.
Mastodons roamed the area. Mastodons were found at Highland Lakes dated 8940 BC ± 200 years, in Swartswoods Lake, in Liberty Twp. dated 9045 BC ± 750 years, and Orange County, New York dated 7910 BC ± 225 years and 8050 BC ± 160 years. Caribou bones were found at the Dutchess County Cave near Florida, New York. Paleo Indian sites have been found at the Zierdt site in Montague, the Plenge Site in Great Meadows and at the Harry's Farm Site in Paraquarry Twp, Warren County, in which charcoal has been dated to 5430 BC ± 120 years. Charcoal dated 8940 BC ± 50 years, has been found at the Paleo Indian camp on Broadhead Creek in Pennsylvania, near the Delaware River. This site is one of the earliest Paleo Indian sites in Eastern North America. The caribou bones found in a cave near Florida, New York, site dated 10,580 BC ± 370 years. This suggests that Paleo Indians lived in the Sussex County area as far back as 10,310 BC to 10,950 BC. Paleo Indians lived in small groups and followed game. They were hunter-gatherers who made fluted spear points of Jasper and black Chert. Their numbers were not large and this, along with the fact that their sites are several to many feet below the present ground level, is why Paleo Indian sites are hard to find.
The area warmed and deciduous forests began to grow around 8000 BC. Oaks, maples, birch, willows replaced the coniferous forests and big game became extinct. There are different reasons for this, such as over-hunting or lack of food. By 6000 BC the Coniferous forests were almost gone, except for hemlock trees. Different big game lived in that type of forest, such as deer, elk and moose.
Eventually, the Lenape
settled in the area, though the time of their arrival is unknown. Before the Lenape arrived in Sussex County, other native Americans occupied the area. The Lenape lived in river valleys, in flat flood plains. They were hunter-gatherers. With the advent of clay pottery around 1200 BC and the bow and arrow around 800 to 1000 AD, the Lenape were intensively gathering, Populations increased faster. Many types of nuts were available to them such as acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, beech nuts, chestnuts, and butternuts. Game was plentiful everywhere, such as deer, bear, elk, beaver and squirrels. Fish in the rivers were caught in nets or by hand and there was also shellfish.
The Lenape lived in long houses which were made of trees. These trees were cut down by fire. There was a small door at the end of the long house. In the roof there was a small hole to allow smoke to escape due to fires in the house.
By the time the Dutch and other Europeans arrived in the very late 17th century to early 18th century the region was settled by the Lenape. They were living in extended family camps which were near each other along the river valleys. These camps were fairly permanent although they may have migrated in search of food during different seasons. With the slow rise of agriculture around the year 1000, camps slowly became more stable. Population increased due to the ability to store food in pottery and procure game with the bow and arrow. The family clans were harmonious with each other. The Lenape had a trail that went from the Delaware River through Culvers Gap to Augusta, east of Newton, to Cranberry Lake and then to Stanhope. From there it probably went to Landing and to the Rockaway River near Rockaway. In Denville the trail may have divided, one going to Morristown and the other going to Parsippany (Philhower 1924). The Lenape trail is also shown on William Fadden's map.
The Little Ice Age may have also affected settlement of Sussex County. Beginning in the early 17th century, winters became longer and summers shorter. Frosts lasted longer into the growing season and started earlier in the autumn. This would affect the growing of crops by settlers. Several years of crop failure or low production may have sent settlers back to the warmer climate of the coastal areas. The Kittatinny Valley and the Flatbrook Valley would have definitely been affected by the temperature change, as these areas are among the coldest in the state. This cold would also have affected Lenape populations, particularly due to corn crop failures, caused by early frosts in August or late frosts in June and the inability to fish due to the freezing of the rivers or lakes for long periods. Various game went into a semi-hibernation during cold periods, which made hunting more difficult. Nut trees and nut crop production also would have been affected by the late frosts or freezes in May or June. All these factors would have resulted in starvation among the Native Americans. This Little Ice Age lasted until about 1850.
In 1664, the English gained control of New Netherland
and relations with the Native Americans became better. Land purchases in the early 18th century and the Walking Purchase of 1737, in which 3 men started walking north on September 19, 1737, from Neshaminy Creek, Pa., northward. With them were three native Americans to observe. After a day and a half, one man walked past Port Jervis, New York area, in which the Native Americans were forced to sell all of this land, which was hundreds of square miles. This was land of all of eastern Pennsylvania. The Native Americans moved to the Ohio Valley or Canada. Due to this, relations with the English became poor. When the French and Indian War
started in 1754, some Native Americans sided with the French.
By the 1750s, nearly all Native Americans were gone from Sussex County. This was due to the land purchases, starvation due to the Little Ice Age, or diseases that the Native Americans contacted from the Europeans. The Native Americans were separated from Asia and Europe for thousands of years and did not have immunities. Nearly half of Native Americans died from disease. During the 1750s the Native Americans moved to western Pennsylvania, the Ohio Valley and to Eastern Canada.
Governor Kieft's War
of 1643 to 1645, the Esopus War of 1655 to 1660, and the Peach War of 1655 to 1657 would have prevented colonization of New Netherlands, which today is called Sussex County. There were also hostile relations between the Dutch and Native Americans.
On August 27, 1664, three English ships approached Fort Amsterdam and the fort was surrendered to the English. The English now controlled New Amsterdam and Sussex County was now under control of the colony of New York. Relations with the Native Americans improved for a while.
The French and Indian War started in 1754 and lasted until August 1765. The French wanted North America for the fur trade. Native Americans who were cheated out of their land by the English and other Europeans. Native Americans, the Lenape and the Shawnee sided with the French who promised them that their lands would be returned. Even though a treaty was signed on February 10, 1763 the war continued until August 1765, as communication was poor at the time This war had an effect on colonists who lived in Sussex County. Small forts or fortified homes made a line from Phillipsburg to the Port Jervis area. Seven fortified homes stood along the Delaware River in the Sussex County area from Walpack Bend to Port Jervis. These eight forts are shown on the map drawn by Jonathon Hampton in 1758. Fort Reading was 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Easton, near Belvidere. The next was Col. Van Camps Fort, 18 miles (29 km) north of Fort Reading. Col. Van Camps Fort was just south of Walpack Bend. Fort Walpack was 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Van Camps Fort in the river bend at Walpack. Fort Shapnack, also called Head Quarters, was 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Fort Walpack. Fort Nominack was 8 mikes north near Nominack Island. Shipeconk Fort was 4 miles (6.4 km) north. Coles Fort was 8 miles (12.9 km) north of Shipeconk Fort. The most northern fort was Fort Gardner which was 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Fort Cole. Fort Gardner was near the NJ and NY state line. Later the line was drawn further south, so Fort Gardner is northeast of Port Jervis, New York. (NJCD and Kraft 1976). According to historians today there was sixteen forts or fortified homes. Indian raids took place on farms of colonists in western Sussex County, Pennsylvania and New York State along the Delaware River. Farm houses and barns were burned and people were killed. Due to this, settlement of Sussex County came to a halt as no colonists wanted to venture into the northwestern part of Sussex County during this war.
The first known settler was a blacksmith who purchased land from the Lenape near Port Jervis in 1698. He purchased land in New Jersey that later became part of New York State when the state border changed in 1769 to a place further south than what it was originally. The Lenape sold him the land as his skills as a blacksmith were highly valued, since he could make iron pots, axes, and knives that no Native American could make. After this, settlement probably occurred along the Delaware in Montague around 1705 to 1710. Settlement probably occurred in 1714 in Walpack and a church was built there in 1716.
Permanent farms started to appear in the flat areas of the county where the land was fertile and near streams for water. Some land was previously cleared by Native Americans, while other areas were natural fields due to natural fires or flora selection. Game was still plentiful, as were fish and waterfowl. Houses were built of stone or tree logs.
A map by William Fadden in 1778 shows several roads going through western Sussex County. The map does not show the Paraquarry Mine or a road that leads to the Paraquarry area. Instead the map shows a road that goes from the Port Jervis area south along the eastern side of the Delaware River to Minisink Island. At Minisink Island the road forks three ways. One road goes through Culver's Gap. The second road goes south to the village of Walpack, where it turns west and crosses the Delaware River at Walpack Bend, continues along the western side of the Delaware River, and proceeds south. The third road crosses the Delaware at Minisink Island and goes along the western side of the Delaware River in a southward direction.
that consists of five members elected at-large to serve three-year terms. Seats are elected on a staggered basis over three years, with two seats available in the first year, two seats the following, and then one seat. All terms of office begin on January 1 and end on December 31. The Board of Chosen Freeholders is the center of legislative and administrative responsibility for the County of Sussex. It is responsible for writing and adopting a budget and overseeing the spending of funds appropriated by that budget.
Many county services do overlap those provided by municipalities within the county, however, the Board of Chosen Freeholders is responsible for the following tasks:
, members of the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders
are Freeholder Director Jeffrey M. Parrott (R
, term ends December 31, 2010; Wantage Township
), Deputy Director Phillip R. Crabb (R, 2011; Franklin Borough), Richard A. Zeoli (R, 2012; Byram Township
), Parker Space (R, 2010; Wantage Township
) and Susan M. Zellman (R, 2012; Stanhope
).
.
The office of County Clerk, a position which is selected for a term of five years, is currently occupied by Erma Gormley (R). The office of County Surrogate, elected also for at term of five years, is currently occupied by Nancy Fitzgibbons (R). The County Sheriff
, a position which has a term of three years, is currently Michael F. Strada (R).
outpace those of the Democratic Party
by a ratio of three to one. All five members of the county board of Chosen Freeholders, all three county-wide constitutional officers, and all except a few of the 108 municipal offices among the county's 24 municipalities are held by Republicans. In the 2004 U.S. Presidential election
, George W. Bush
carried the county by a 29.6% margin over John Kerry
, the largest margin for Bush in any county in New Jersey, with Kerry carrying the state by 6.7% over Bush. In 2008
, John McCain
carried Sussex County by a 20.6% margin over Barack Obama
, McCain's best showing in New Jersey, with Obama winning statewide by 15.5% over McCain. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election
, Republican Chris Christie received 63% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine
, who received around 26%. Also, Sussex County is the home county of Scott Garrett
, who is by far the most conservative congressman from New Jersey. He represents almost all of Sussex County along with Warren County, northern Passaic County, and northern Bergen County. The southeast corner of Sussex County is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen
.
, the county has a total area of 536 square miles (1,388.2 km²), of which, 521 square miles (1,349.4 km²) of it is land and 15 square miles (38.8 km²) of it (2.75%) is water. High Point in this county is also the highest natural elevation in the state at 1,803 feet (549.5 m) above sea level. Sunrise Mountain in Stokes State Forest has an elevation of 1653 feet (503.8 m). The county's lowest elevation is approximately 300 feet (90 m) above sea level along the Delaware River
near Flatbrookville.
There was a shallow sea that was located where the Delaware River is located, the Flatbrook Valley and the Kittatinny Mountain. Quartz pebbles and other conglomerate was transported to the sea and formed a long band. Then around four hundred million B.C., a small continent that was long and thin, collided with proto North. America. This collision created compression, which caused heat. The quartz conglomerate folded and faulted. The heat allowed the quartz to bend, thus the Kittatinny Mountain was born.
Sussex County has two Geophysical provinces. The first is the Ridge and Valley Province which occupies about two thirds of the county, the west and central section. The second is the Highlands Province which is the eastern third of the county.
The Kittatinny Mountain traverses the western section of the county and goes in a northeast-southwest axis. This is the first major ridge of the Ridge and Valley province. Walpack Ridge runs from Walpack Bend and follows the Delaware River to Port Jervis. These two ridges are the only two mountains in the ridge and valley province. Between Walpack Ridge and the Kittatinny Mountain is the Flatbrook Valley which is drained by the Little and Big Flatbrook streams.
To the east of Kittatinny Mountain is the Kittatinny Valley which is made of Ordovician Martinsburg Formation composed of shale, and slate, which make up most of the valley. A section of Kittatinny formation goes though Balesville. The rest is composed of Ordovician Jacksonburg formation which is limestone. There is also an ancient volcano at Rutan Hill, north of Beemerville. Kittatinny Valley is part of the Great Appalachian Valley which goes from Canada to Alabama. North of this valley is the Hudson Valley and to the south is the Lehigh Valley.
The Walkill River drains the northern part of the Kittatinny Valley and the Paulinskill River drains the central and southern section of the Kittatinny Valley.
To the east of the Kittatinny Valley is the Highland province. A narrow fault of Hardyston Quartzite separates the Kittatinny Valley from the Highlands. Igneous and metamorphic rock from the Late Precambrian and Early Paleozoic era, make up the Highlands. Kittatinny and Franklin formation, along with Hardyston Quartzite are in the Highlands. The New Jersey Highlands geology is complicated due to complex patterns of folds, faults and intrusions.
The Highland Province has the Wawayanda Mountains which has an elevation of 1448 at two peaks; Sparta Mountain, elevation 1232: Pochuck Mountain, elevation 1194, north of Lake Pochung; Hamburg Mountain, elevation 1495 east of Lake Wildwood.
Sussex County has five river drainages. The first is the Walkill River which starts at Mohawk Lake in Sparta and travels north into New York and empties into the Hudson River. The second is the Paulinskill which starts near Newton, travels north to Lafayette, then heads west. The River flows through Augusta and the turns southwest where it flows though Blairstown and drains into the Delaware River south of Columbia, New Jersey. The third is the Pequest River, which starts in Andover Twp. travels south to Great Meadows where it turns west and flows to Belvidere, where it drains into the Delaware River. The fourth is the Big Flatbrook, which starts in Stokes State Forest at Steam Mill and travels in a southwesterly direction, west of the Kittatinny Mountain and drains into the Delaware River near Flatbrookville. The fifth is the Pequannock River which starts west of Vernon in a valley between Hamburg Mountain and Waywayanda Mountain. The river flows south and then turns east were it flows south of Waywayanda mountain and leaves the county. All of these rivers are well known trout streams, which are stocked every year by NJ Fish and Game.
Much of the county is hilly, as the Ridge and Valley Province is considered to be within the Appalachian Mountains
. The Great Valley of the Appalachians, allows for land to be more amenable to agriculture
. Corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, apples, peaches are grown.
, iron mining, shifting during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to focus on several factories and the mining
of zinc
. Today, Sussex County features a mix of rural
farmland, forests and suburban development. Though agriculture (chiefly dairy farming
) is on the decline and because the county hosts little industry, Sussex County is considered a "bedroom community" as most residents commute to neighboring counties (Bergen
, Essex
and Morris Counties
) or to New York City for work.
and New York
. Interstate 80
passes through the extreme southern tip of Sussex County solely in Byram. Interstate 84
passes just yards north of Sussex County, but never enters New Jersey.
New Jersey's Route 15, Route 23, Route 94, Route 181, Route 183
, and Route 284 pass through the County, as does U.S. Route 206
Commuter Rail available from Netcong, New Jersey
on the Morris & Essex Lines
of New Jersey Transit
. New Jersey Transit also aims to open up the Lackawanna Cutoff, which passes through Andover and Green Townships to commuter traffic, connecting Scranton, Pennsylvania with Hoboken, New Jersey and New York City.
Sussex County has four public-use airports, all privately owned and catering to recreational pilots. They are Sussex Airport
, in Wantage Township, which has a runway of 3500 feet (1,066.8 m), Newton Airport in Andover Township, Andover Aeroflex Airport also in Andover Township, and Trinca Airport in Green Township, which has a 1900 feet (579.1 m) grass runway.
Stations from The Hudson Valley Also can be heard:
92.7 WRRV-FM
- Middletown. Format: Alternative
104.7 WSPK-FM
- Poughkeepsie. Format: Top 40
Stations from Scranton-East Stroudsburg Area also can be heard:
107.9 WKRF-FM- Tobyhanna. Format: Top 40
Stations from The Lehigh Valley Area can also be heard:
104.1 WAEB-FM
- Allentown. Format: Top 40
FST Broadcasting Corp. owns WTBQ, just north of Vernon, New Jersey.
The radio station WNTI, 91.9 FM, is broadcast from Centenary College in Hackettstown (Warren County). It is a commercial free, public station playing progressive music. It can be heard throughout most of Sussex County. Calvary Chapel of Howell, New Jersey broadcasts WRDR The Bridge FM with towers in Northern New Jersey and Southern New York.
Public radio (NJN – New Jersey Public Radio); primarily NPR but also an American Public Media outlet:
The State Police are located on Route 206 in Augusta and most townships have local police departments. There is also N.J. Park police in Stokes State Forest and other state parks.
of 2000, there were 144,166 people, 50,831 households, and 38,784 families residing in the county. The population density
was 277 people per square mile (107/km²). There were 56,528 housing units at an average density of 108 per square mile (42/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.70% White
, 1.0% Black
or African American
, 0.11% Native American
, 1.20% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 0.74% from other races
, and 1.14% from two or more races. 3.30% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 20.4% were of Italian
, 18.1% Irish
, 16.0% German, 7.2% English, 5.9% Polish and 5.2% American ancestry according to Census 2000.
By 2006, 90.3% of the county population was non-Hispanic whites. The percentage of African-Americans was up to 1.7%. Asians were now 1.9% of the population. 5.3% of the population was Latino.
In 2000 There were 50,831 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.0% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $67,266, and the median income for a family was $73,335 (these figures had risen to $79,434 and $89,302 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,395 versus $33,750 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $26,992. About 2.8% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
The Sussex County Interscholastic League
, or SCIL, is the high school athletic league for most high schools in the county.
, a minor league baseball
stadium, home of the Sussex Skyhawks
. The Skyhawks play in the Can-Am League
. Skylands Park was the former home of the New Jersey Cardinals
(from 1994–2005), but the Cardinals moved to State College, Pennsylvania
making room for the Skyhawks.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County. Sussex County is the 36th wealthiest county in the United States with its median household income being $65,266.
The county was founded on 8 June 1753 from portions of 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....
. Morris County separated from Hunterdon County which separated from Burlington County in 1713. Originally the area of Sussex County was under the legal jurisdiction of Burlington County which went to the New York line. Warren County
Warren County, New Jersey
Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere...
was separated from Sussex County on November 20, 1824. The county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Sussex County is the Town of Newton
Newton, New Jersey
Newton is a town in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 8,244. It is the county seat of Sussex County....
.
Origin of the county's name
Sussex County was named by Royal Governor Jonathan BelcherJonathan Belcher
Jonathan Belcher was colonial governor of the British provinces of Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.-Early life:Jonathan Belcher was born in Cambridge, Province of Massachusetts Bay, in 1682...
(1689–1757) for Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
in England which was the ancestral seat of His Grace, Thomas Pelham-Holles, first Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and first Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, KG, PC was a British Whig statesman, whose official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century. He is commonly known as the Duke of Newcastle.A protégé of Sir Robert Walpole, he served...
(1693–1768), who at the time was the Secretary of State for the Northern Department
Secretary of State for the Northern Department
The Secretary of State for the Northern Department was a position in the Cabinet of the government of Great Britain up to 1782. Before the Act of Union, 1707, the Secretary of State's responsibilities were in relation to the English government, not the British. Even after the Union, there was...
, and later the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of the United Kingdom (1754–1756, 1757–1762). Pelham-Holles, whose office oversaw British affairs in North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
, was Governor Belcher's political superior. During his term as Governor of New Jersey (1747–1757), Belcher named many municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in honor of important British political figures
Politics of the United Kingdom
The politics of the United Kingdom takes place within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is the head of state and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government...
, most of whom were superior to him in rank or precedence
Precedence
Precedence may refer to:* Message precedence of military communications traffic* Order of precedence, the ceremonial hierarchy within a nation or state* Order of operations, in mathematics and computer programming...
. It is believed that he did so in order to curry political favor and regain a level of standing that was diminished from his scandal which precipitated his removal from the Governorship of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
in 1741.
Sussex, in England, was notable historically as one of the seven kingdoms
Kingdom of Sussex
The Kingdom of Sussex or Kingdom of the South Saxons was a Saxon colony and later independent kingdom of the Saxons, on the south coast of England. Its boundaries coincided in general with those of the earlier kingdom of the Regnenses and the later county of Sussex. A large part of its territory...
of the Heptarchy
Heptarchy
The Heptarchy is a collective name applied to the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of south, east, and central Great Britain during late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, conventionally identified as seven: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex and Wessex...
(A.D. 500–850), which were later unified under Egbert of Wessex
Egbert of Wessex
Egbert was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent...
(c. 770–839) into the Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
. The -sex suffix indicates the Saxon areas, of people from Saxony; Sus-sex for south Saxon, Es-sex for east Saxon, Wes-sex for west Saxon, and Middle-sex, as opposed to the Anglia names, for the areas of the Angles, Anglos, who came from Angle-land in what is now Denmark. Ironically, Sussex is the most northern county in New Jersey.
Paleo Indians, and Native Americans
Sussex County was under the Wisconsin Glacier which lasted from 21,000 B.C to 13,000 B.C. The glacier covered all of Sussex County. This glacier covered the top of Kittatinny Mountain. End morainesTerminal moraine
A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a moraine that forms at the end of the glacier called the snout.Terminal moraines mark the maximum advance of the glacier. An end moraine is at the present boundary of the glacier....
are in Stokes State Forest
Stokes State Forest
Stokes State Forest is a state park located in Sandyston Township, Montague and Frankford Twp. in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. Stokes comprises of mountainous woods...
, Augusta, Hampton Twp., and Andover Twp. After the Wisconsin Glacier melted due to a change in climate, plants and grasses slowly grew. The area was still cold, so the landscape was first Tundra and then changed to Taiga Biome/Boreal Forest. The Boreal forest was a coniferous forest in which spruce and other pine trees grew. Grasslands also grew, as the area had various flora communities. Water was still present from glacial melt. By 12,000 BC the glacier retreated to the Catskills and by 8000 BC the glacier was north of the St Lawrence River in Canada. Between 8000 BC and 6000 BC Boreal and deciduous forests were growing. This is the time period that the Mastodons became extinct.
Mastodons roamed the area. Mastodons were found at Highland Lakes dated 8940 BC ± 200 years, in Swartswoods Lake, in Liberty Twp. dated 9045 BC ± 750 years, and Orange County, New York dated 7910 BC ± 225 years and 8050 BC ± 160 years. Caribou bones were found at the Dutchess County Cave near Florida, New York. Paleo Indian sites have been found at the Zierdt site in Montague, the Plenge Site in Great Meadows and at the Harry's Farm Site in Paraquarry Twp, Warren County, in which charcoal has been dated to 5430 BC ± 120 years. Charcoal dated 8940 BC ± 50 years, has been found at the Paleo Indian camp on Broadhead Creek in Pennsylvania, near the Delaware River. This site is one of the earliest Paleo Indian sites in Eastern North America. The caribou bones found in a cave near Florida, New York, site dated 10,580 BC ± 370 years. This suggests that Paleo Indians lived in the Sussex County area as far back as 10,310 BC to 10,950 BC. Paleo Indians lived in small groups and followed game. They were hunter-gatherers who made fluted spear points of Jasper and black Chert. Their numbers were not large and this, along with the fact that their sites are several to many feet below the present ground level, is why Paleo Indian sites are hard to find.
The area warmed and deciduous forests began to grow around 8000 BC. Oaks, maples, birch, willows replaced the coniferous forests and big game became extinct. There are different reasons for this, such as over-hunting or lack of food. By 6000 BC the Coniferous forests were almost gone, except for hemlock trees. Different big game lived in that type of forest, such as deer, elk and moose.
Eventually, the 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...
settled in the area, though the time of their arrival is unknown. Before the Lenape arrived in Sussex County, other native Americans occupied the area. The Lenape lived in river valleys, in flat flood plains. They were hunter-gatherers. With the advent of clay pottery around 1200 BC and the bow and arrow around 800 to 1000 AD, the Lenape were intensively gathering, Populations increased faster. Many types of nuts were available to them such as acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, beech nuts, chestnuts, and butternuts. Game was plentiful everywhere, such as deer, bear, elk, beaver and squirrels. Fish in the rivers were caught in nets or by hand and there was also shellfish.
The Lenape lived in long houses which were made of trees. These trees were cut down by fire. There was a small door at the end of the long house. In the roof there was a small hole to allow smoke to escape due to fires in the house.
By the time the Dutch and other Europeans arrived in the very late 17th century to early 18th century the region was settled by the Lenape. They were living in extended family camps which were near each other along the river valleys. These camps were fairly permanent although they may have migrated in search of food during different seasons. With the slow rise of agriculture around the year 1000, camps slowly became more stable. Population increased due to the ability to store food in pottery and procure game with the bow and arrow. The family clans were harmonious with each other. The Lenape had a trail that went from the Delaware River through Culvers Gap to Augusta, east of Newton, to Cranberry Lake and then to Stanhope. From there it probably went to Landing and to the Rockaway River near Rockaway. In Denville the trail may have divided, one going to Morristown and the other going to Parsippany (Philhower 1924). The Lenape trail is also shown on William Fadden's map.
The Little Ice Age may have also affected settlement of Sussex County. Beginning in the early 17th century, winters became longer and summers shorter. Frosts lasted longer into the growing season and started earlier in the autumn. This would affect the growing of crops by settlers. Several years of crop failure or low production may have sent settlers back to the warmer climate of the coastal areas. The Kittatinny Valley and the Flatbrook Valley would have definitely been affected by the temperature change, as these areas are among the coldest in the state. This cold would also have affected Lenape populations, particularly due to corn crop failures, caused by early frosts in August or late frosts in June and the inability to fish due to the freezing of the rivers or lakes for long periods. Various game went into a semi-hibernation during cold periods, which made hunting more difficult. Nut trees and nut crop production also would have been affected by the late frosts or freezes in May or June. All these factors would have resulted in starvation among the Native Americans. This Little Ice Age lasted until about 1850.
In 1664, the English gained control of 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...
and relations with the Native Americans became better. Land purchases in the early 18th century and the Walking Purchase of 1737, in which 3 men started walking north on September 19, 1737, from Neshaminy Creek, Pa., northward. With them were three native Americans to observe. After a day and a half, one man walked past Port Jervis, New York area, in which the Native Americans were forced to sell all of this land, which was hundreds of square miles. This was land of all of eastern Pennsylvania. The Native Americans moved to the Ohio Valley or Canada. Due to this, relations with the English became poor. When the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
started in 1754, some Native Americans sided with the French.
By the 1750s, nearly all Native Americans were gone from Sussex County. This was due to the land purchases, starvation due to the Little Ice Age, or diseases that the Native Americans contacted from the Europeans. The Native Americans were separated from Asia and Europe for thousands of years and did not have immunities. Nearly half of Native Americans died from disease. During the 1750s the Native Americans moved to western Pennsylvania, the Ohio Valley and to Eastern Canada.
European settlement
Between 1611 and 1614, three Dutchmen, A. Block, H. Christiaensen and C. Mey surveyed land between the 40th and 45th parallels along the Atlantic coast and named the area they surveyed New Netherlands. In 1614, a Dutch fort was established on Castle Island on the Hudson River near Albany, New York. This fort was called Fort Nassau. In 1615, three Dutchmen left Fort Nassau and traveled southwest to the Delaware River and followed the river downstream. In 1616 they were captured by Native Americans near the confluence of the Schuykill River and Delaware River, south of Easton, Pennsylvania. The route the three men traveled is unknown, but they may have traveled through Sussex County or Pennsylvania. This is the earliest record of Europeans traveling in or near Sussex County. In 1625, a Dutch fort was built on the southern end of Manhattan Island and named Fort Amsterdam.Governor Kieft's War
Kieft's War
Kieft's War, also known as the Wappinger War, was a conflict between settlers of the nascent colony of New Netherland and the native Lenape population in what would later become the New York metropolitan area of the United States...
of 1643 to 1645, the Esopus War of 1655 to 1660, and the Peach War of 1655 to 1657 would have prevented colonization of New Netherlands, which today is called Sussex County. There were also hostile relations between the Dutch and Native Americans.
On August 27, 1664, three English ships approached Fort Amsterdam and the fort was surrendered to the English. The English now controlled New Amsterdam and Sussex County was now under control of the colony of New York. Relations with the Native Americans improved for a while.
The French and Indian War started in 1754 and lasted until August 1765. The French wanted North America for the fur trade. Native Americans who were cheated out of their land by the English and other Europeans. Native Americans, the Lenape and the Shawnee sided with the French who promised them that their lands would be returned. Even though a treaty was signed on February 10, 1763 the war continued until August 1765, as communication was poor at the time This war had an effect on colonists who lived in Sussex County. Small forts or fortified homes made a line from Phillipsburg to the Port Jervis area. Seven fortified homes stood along the Delaware River in the Sussex County area from Walpack Bend to Port Jervis. These eight forts are shown on the map drawn by Jonathon Hampton in 1758. Fort Reading was 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Easton, near Belvidere. The next was Col. Van Camps Fort, 18 miles (29 km) north of Fort Reading. Col. Van Camps Fort was just south of Walpack Bend. Fort Walpack was 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Van Camps Fort in the river bend at Walpack. Fort Shapnack, also called Head Quarters, was 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Fort Walpack. Fort Nominack was 8 mikes north near Nominack Island. Shipeconk Fort was 4 miles (6.4 km) north. Coles Fort was 8 miles (12.9 km) north of Shipeconk Fort. The most northern fort was Fort Gardner which was 12 miles (19.3 km) north of Fort Cole. Fort Gardner was near the NJ and NY state line. Later the line was drawn further south, so Fort Gardner is northeast of Port Jervis, New York. (NJCD and Kraft 1976). According to historians today there was sixteen forts or fortified homes. Indian raids took place on farms of colonists in western Sussex County, Pennsylvania and New York State along the Delaware River. Farm houses and barns were burned and people were killed. Due to this, settlement of Sussex County came to a halt as no colonists wanted to venture into the northwestern part of Sussex County during this war.
The first known settler was a blacksmith who purchased land from the Lenape near Port Jervis in 1698. He purchased land in New Jersey that later became part of New York State when the state border changed in 1769 to a place further south than what it was originally. The Lenape sold him the land as his skills as a blacksmith were highly valued, since he could make iron pots, axes, and knives that no Native American could make. After this, settlement probably occurred along the Delaware in Montague around 1705 to 1710. Settlement probably occurred in 1714 in Walpack and a church was built there in 1716.
Permanent farms started to appear in the flat areas of the county where the land was fertile and near streams for water. Some land was previously cleared by Native Americans, while other areas were natural fields due to natural fires or flora selection. Game was still plentiful, as were fish and waterfowl. Houses were built of stone or tree logs.
A map by William Fadden in 1778 shows several roads going through western Sussex County. The map does not show the Paraquarry Mine or a road that leads to the Paraquarry area. Instead the map shows a road that goes from the Port Jervis area south along the eastern side of the Delaware River to Minisink Island. At Minisink Island the road forks three ways. One road goes through Culver's Gap. The second road goes south to the village of Walpack, where it turns west and crosses the Delaware River at Walpack Bend, continues along the western side of the Delaware River, and proceeds south. The third road crosses the Delaware at Minisink Island and goes along the western side of the Delaware River in a southward direction.
Civil War
During the Civil War, approximately 2000 residents entered Union service, per "Sons of Sussex", a 2010 listing by Lisa E. Heuslein and John C. Rights available at the Sussex County Library in Frankford.Board of Chosen Freeholders
The County of Sussex is governed by a Board of Chosen FreeholdersBoard of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...
that consists of five members elected at-large to serve three-year terms. Seats are elected on a staggered basis over three years, with two seats available in the first year, two seats the following, and then one seat. All terms of office begin on January 1 and end on December 31. The Board of Chosen Freeholders is the center of legislative and administrative responsibility for the County of Sussex. It is responsible for writing and adopting a budget and overseeing the spending of funds appropriated by that budget.
Many county services do overlap those provided by municipalities within the county, however, the Board of Chosen Freeholders is responsible for the following tasks:
- "Public Safety and Emergency Management, Community College and Technical School, the County Library System, Social Services, Youth Services, Community Service, Mental Health, Division of Senior Services, [The County] Nursing Home [formerly the Alms House], Environmental and Public Health Services, Mosquito Control, the Medical Examiner's Office, the County Jail and Detention Center, Farmland and Open Space Preservation, Economic Development, Road and Bridge Maintenance and Repair, the Para Transit System and Transportation Planning, Solid Waste Planning, the County Master Plan, including Water Resource Planning."
, members of the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...
are Freeholder Director Jeffrey M. Parrott (R
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...
, term ends December 31, 2010; Wantage Township
Wantage Township, New Jersey
Wantage Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 10,387.-Geography:...
), Deputy Director Phillip R. Crabb (R, 2011; Franklin Borough), Richard A. Zeoli (R, 2012; Byram Township
Byram Township, New Jersey
Byram Township — "The Township of Lakes" — is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 8,350...
), Parker Space (R, 2010; Wantage Township
Wantage Township, New Jersey
Wantage Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 10,387.-Geography:...
) and Susan M. Zellman (R, 2012; Stanhope
Stanhope, New Jersey
-Transportation:Route 183 is the main access road that serves the borough. U.S. Route 206 also passes through in the western section and is partially a limited access road which connects to I-80 in neighboring Mount Olive.-Demographics:...
).
Constitutional officers
As with each county in New Jersey, three elected positions, known as "constitutional officers" are required by the New Jersey State ConstitutionNew Jersey State Constitution
The Constitution of the State of New Jersey is the basic governing document of the State of New Jersey. In addition to three British Royal Charters issued for East Jersey, West Jersey and united New Jersey while they were still colonies, the state has been governed by three constitutions...
.
The office of County Clerk, a position which is selected for a term of five years, is currently occupied by Erma Gormley (R). The office of County Surrogate, elected also for at term of five years, is currently occupied by Nancy Fitzgibbons (R). The County Sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
, a position which has a term of three years, is currently Michael F. Strada (R).
Municipalities
The following are Sussex County's 24 incorporated municipalities:- Andover TownshipAndover Township, New JerseyAndover Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 6,319....
(township) - AndoverAndover, New JerseyAndover is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 606.Andover was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 25, 1904, from portions of Andover Township.-Geography:Andover is located at ...
(borough) - BranchvilleBranchville, New JerseyBranchville is a borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 841. The borough is located in the northernmost region of Sussex County....
(borough) - Byram TownshipByram Township, New JerseyByram Township — "The Township of Lakes" — is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 8,350...
(township) - Frankford TownshipFrankford Township, New JerseyFrankford Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 5,565....
(township)- Augusta, New JerseyAugusta, New JerseyAugusta is an unincorporated area located within Frankford Township, Sussex County, New Jersey.Augusta is the home of the New Jersey State Fair and the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show....
- Augusta, New Jersey
- FranklinFranklin, New JerseyFranklin 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...
(borough) - Fredon TownshipFredon Township, New JerseyFredon Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 2,860....
(township) - Green TownshipGreen Township, New Jersey- History :On November 20, 1824, the southern portion of Sussex County was set off to create Warren County. The northern portions of both Hardwick and Independence Townships, remained in Sussex County and were incorporated as Green Township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on December 27,...
(township) - HamburgHamburg, New JerseyHamburg 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...
(borough) - Hampton TownshipHampton Township, New JerseyHampton Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 4,943....
(township) - Hardyston TownshipHardyston Township, New JerseyHardyston 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:...
(township) - HopatcongHopatcong, New JerseyHopatcong is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 15,147.The area had been called "Brookland" in the 19th century and the lake that was expanded to become Lake Hopatcong had been known as "Great Pond" or "Brookland...
(borough) - Lafayette TownshipLafayette Township, New JerseyLafayette Township is a Township located in the Skylands Region of Sussex County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 2,300....
(township) - Montague TownshipMontague Township, New Jersey-Transportation:One U.S., state, and county route traverse the township. U.S. Route 206 passes through in the western part and crosses the Delaware River at the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge. Route 23 passes through the eastern part and serves as the entrance road to High Point State Park and ends...
(township) - NewtonNewton, New JerseyNewton is a town in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 8,244. It is the county seat of Sussex County....
(town) - OgdensburgOgdensburg, New JerseyOgdensburg 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...
(borough) - Sandyston TownshipSandyston Township, New Jersey- Local government :Sandyston Township is governed under the Township form of government with a three-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 seat coming up for...
(township) - Sparta TownshipSparta Township, New JerseySparta Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 19,722...
(township) - StanhopeStanhope, New Jersey-Transportation:Route 183 is the main access road that serves the borough. U.S. Route 206 also passes through in the western section and is partially a limited access road which connects to I-80 in neighboring Mount Olive.-Demographics:...
(borough) - Stillwater TownshipStillwater Township, New Jersey- History timeline :*1741, Casper Shafer built the Stillwater gristmill about half a mile from the present mill site.*1764, the Stillwater gristmill was moved to its present location and commercially operated there until 1955...
(township) - SussexSussex, New JerseySussex is a borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 2,130.Sussex was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 14, 1891, as Deckertown, from portions of Wantage...
(borough) - Vernon TownshipVernon Township, New Jersey-Communities and neighborhoods:Communities and neighborhoods in Vernon Township include the following sections:*Vernon Village "Town Center"*Vernon Valley a.k.a...
(township)- Highland Lakes, New Jersey
- Walpack TownshipWalpack Township, New Jersey-Local government:Walpack Township is governed under the Township form of government with a three-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 seat coming up for election...
(township) - Wantage TownshipWantage Township, New JerseyWantage Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 10,387.-Geography:...
(township)
Politics
Sussex County is a predominantly Republican area, as among registered voters, affiliations with the Republican PartyRepublican 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...
outpace those of the Democratic Party
Democratic 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...
by a ratio of three to one. All five members of the county board of Chosen Freeholders, all three county-wide constitutional officers, and all except a few of the 108 municipal offices among the county's 24 municipalities are held by Republicans. In the 2004 U.S. 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...
, 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....
carried the county by a 29.6% margin over 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...
, the largest margin for Bush in any county in New Jersey, with Kerry carrying the state by 6.7% over Bush. In 2008
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...
, 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....
carried Sussex County by a 20.6% margin over 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...
, McCain's best showing in New Jersey, with Obama winning statewide by 15.5% over McCain. In the 2009 Gubernatorial Election
New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009
The New Jersey gubernatorial election of 2009 took place on November 3, 2009. Democratic Governor Jon Corzine was running for a second term and was being challenged by Republican Chris Christie, Independent Christopher Daggett and nine others, in addition to several write-in candidates...
, Republican Chris Christie received 63% of the vote, defeating Democrat Jon Corzine
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine is the former CEO of Goldman Sachs and of MF Global, and a one time American politician, who served as the 54th Governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. A Democrat, Corzine served five years of a six-year U.S. Senate term representing New Jersey before being elected Governor...
, who received around 26%. Also, Sussex County is the home county of Scott Garrett
Scott Garrett
Ernest Scott Garrett is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes much of the northwestern portion of the state...
, who is by far the most conservative congressman from New Jersey. He represents almost all of Sussex County along with Warren County, northern Passaic County, and northern Bergen County. The southeast corner of Sussex County is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen
Rodney Frelinghuysen
Rodney P. Frelinghuysen is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
.
Physical geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited 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 county has a total area of 536 square miles (1,388.2 km²), of which, 521 square miles (1,349.4 km²) of it is land and 15 square miles (38.8 km²) of it (2.75%) is water. High Point in this county is also the highest natural elevation in the state at 1,803 feet (549.5 m) above sea level. Sunrise Mountain in Stokes State Forest has an elevation of 1653 feet (503.8 m). The county's lowest elevation is approximately 300 feet (90 m) above sea level along the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
near Flatbrookville.
Geology
Around five hundred million B.C. a chain of volcanic islands shaped like an arch collided with proto North America and rode over the top of the North American plate. This created the highlands of Sussex County.There was a shallow sea that was located where the Delaware River is located, the Flatbrook Valley and the Kittatinny Mountain. Quartz pebbles and other conglomerate was transported to the sea and formed a long band. Then around four hundred million B.C., a small continent that was long and thin, collided with proto North. America. This collision created compression, which caused heat. The quartz conglomerate folded and faulted. The heat allowed the quartz to bend, thus the Kittatinny Mountain was born.
Sussex County has two Geophysical provinces. The first is the Ridge and Valley Province which occupies about two thirds of the county, the west and central section. The second is the Highlands Province which is the eastern third of the county.
The Kittatinny Mountain traverses the western section of the county and goes in a northeast-southwest axis. This is the first major ridge of the Ridge and Valley province. Walpack Ridge runs from Walpack Bend and follows the Delaware River to Port Jervis. These two ridges are the only two mountains in the ridge and valley province. Between Walpack Ridge and the Kittatinny Mountain is the Flatbrook Valley which is drained by the Little and Big Flatbrook streams.
To the east of Kittatinny Mountain is the Kittatinny Valley which is made of Ordovician Martinsburg Formation composed of shale, and slate, which make up most of the valley. A section of Kittatinny formation goes though Balesville. The rest is composed of Ordovician Jacksonburg formation which is limestone. There is also an ancient volcano at Rutan Hill, north of Beemerville. Kittatinny Valley is part of the Great Appalachian Valley which goes from Canada to Alabama. North of this valley is the Hudson Valley and to the south is the Lehigh Valley.
The Walkill River drains the northern part of the Kittatinny Valley and the Paulinskill River drains the central and southern section of the Kittatinny Valley.
To the east of the Kittatinny Valley is the Highland province. A narrow fault of Hardyston Quartzite separates the Kittatinny Valley from the Highlands. Igneous and metamorphic rock from the Late Precambrian and Early Paleozoic era, make up the Highlands. Kittatinny and Franklin formation, along with Hardyston Quartzite are in the Highlands. The New Jersey Highlands geology is complicated due to complex patterns of folds, faults and intrusions.
The Highland Province has the Wawayanda Mountains which has an elevation of 1448 at two peaks; Sparta Mountain, elevation 1232: Pochuck Mountain, elevation 1194, north of Lake Pochung; Hamburg Mountain, elevation 1495 east of Lake Wildwood.
Sussex County has five river drainages. The first is the Walkill River which starts at Mohawk Lake in Sparta and travels north into New York and empties into the Hudson River. The second is the Paulinskill which starts near Newton, travels north to Lafayette, then heads west. The River flows through Augusta and the turns southwest where it flows though Blairstown and drains into the Delaware River south of Columbia, New Jersey. The third is the Pequest River, which starts in Andover Twp. travels south to Great Meadows where it turns west and flows to Belvidere, where it drains into the Delaware River. The fourth is the Big Flatbrook, which starts in Stokes State Forest at Steam Mill and travels in a southwesterly direction, west of the Kittatinny Mountain and drains into the Delaware River near Flatbrookville. The fifth is the Pequannock River which starts west of Vernon in a valley between Hamburg Mountain and Waywayanda Mountain. The river flows south and then turns east were it flows south of Waywayanda mountain and leaves the county. All of these rivers are well known trout streams, which are stocked every year by NJ Fish and Game.
Much of the county is hilly, as the Ridge and Valley Province is considered to be within the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
. The Great Valley of the Appalachians, allows for land to be more amenable to agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, apples, peaches are grown.
Adjacent counties
Given Sussex County's location at the top of the state, it is bordered by counties in New Jersey as well as in neighboring New York and Pennsylvania. This region is often collectively known as the Tri-State Area. The following counties are adjacent and contiguous to Sussex County (in order starting with the northernmost and rotating clockwise):- Orange County, New YorkOrange County, New YorkOrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
– northeast - Passaic County, New JerseyPassaic County, New JerseyPassaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson...
– east - Morris County, New JerseyMorris County, New JerseyMorris 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....
– south - Warren County, New JerseyWarren County, New JerseyWarren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere...
– southwest - Monroe County, PennsylvaniaMonroe County, Pennsylvania-National protected areas:* Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area * Middle Delaware National Scenic River -Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there are 176,567 people, 49,454 households, and 36,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 228 people per square mile...
– west - Pike County, PennsylvaniaPike County, Pennsylvania-National protected areas:* Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area * Middle Delaware National Scenic River * Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...
– northwest
National protected areas
- Delaware Water Gap National Recreation AreaDelaware Water Gap National Recreation AreaDelaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service, preserves almost of land along the Delaware River's New Jersey and Pennsylvania shores, stretching from the Delaware Water Gap northward almost to the New York state line...
(part) - Middle Delaware National Scenic River (part)
- Wallkill River National Wildlife RefugeWallkill River National Wildlife RefugeWallkill River National Wildlife Refuge is part of the National Wildlife Refuge system.Established in 1990 by Public Law 101-593, the refuge straddles of the Wallkill River at and just south of the New York-New Jersey border. Most of the refuge is in Sussex County, New Jersey, with the remainder...
(part)
Economy and other factors
Early industry and commerce chiefly centered on agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, iron mining, shifting during the late 19th and early 20th centuries to focus on several factories and the mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
of zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
. Today, Sussex County features a mix of rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
farmland, forests and suburban development. Though agriculture (chiefly dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
) is on the decline and because the county hosts little industry, Sussex County is considered a "bedroom community" as most residents commute to neighboring counties (Bergen
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
, Essex
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
and Morris Counties
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....
) or to New York City for work.
Taxes
Property taxes in Sussex County have always been historically lower than its neighboring counties. Taxes on an acre of land, depending on the condition and size of the house, could be as low as $1500 a year. Typical property taxes in the county are in the $3000–$6000 a year range. This is due to low local spending, regional schools, modest police departments, and all municipalities having a volunteer Fire Department.Transportation
Sussex County is served by a number of roads connecting it to the rest of the state and to both PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Interstate 80
Interstate 80 in New Jersey
Interstate 80 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States, running from the New York City Metropolitan Area westward to San Francisco, California...
passes through the extreme southern tip of Sussex County solely in Byram. Interstate 84
Interstate 84 (east)
Interstate 84 is an Interstate Highway extending from Dunmore, Pennsylvania at an interchange with Interstate 81 to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, at an interchange with the Massachusetts Turnpike . I-84 has mile-log junction numbering in Pennsylvania; otherwise, exit numbers are roughly sequential...
passes just yards north of Sussex County, but never enters New Jersey.
New Jersey's Route 15, Route 23, Route 94, Route 181, Route 183
New Jersey Route 183
Route 183 is a long state highway in the northern regions of New Jersey. The southern end of NJ 183 is at an interchange with Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 206 near Netcong, while the northern end is at an interchange with US 206 in Stanhope. The route heads northward through downtown Netcong and...
, and Route 284 pass through the County, as does U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
Commuter Rail available from Netcong, New Jersey
Netcong, New Jersey
Netcong is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 2,580. Its estimated population in 2006 was 3,292...
on the Morris & Essex Lines
Morris & Essex Lines
The Morris & Essex Lines are a group of former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad railroad lines in New Jersey now owned and operated by New Jersey Transit...
of New Jersey Transit
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...
. New Jersey Transit also aims to open up the Lackawanna Cutoff, which passes through Andover and Green Townships to commuter traffic, connecting Scranton, Pennsylvania with Hoboken, New Jersey and New York City.
Sussex County has four public-use airports, all privately owned and catering to recreational pilots. They are Sussex Airport
Sussex Airport (New Jersey)
Sussex Airport is a small general aviation airport located one nautical mile southwest of Sussex in Wantage Township, Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. It is just outside of Sussex Borough...
, in Wantage Township, which has a runway of 3500 feet (1,066.8 m), Newton Airport in Andover Township, Andover Aeroflex Airport also in Andover Township, and Trinca Airport in Green Township, which has a 1900 feet (579.1 m) grass runway.
Television and radio broadcasting
Clear Channel Radio owns a cluster of four stations in the area.- 102.3 WSUS-FM – Franklin. Format: Adult Contemporary
- 103.7 WNNJWNNJWNNJ is a Class B FM radio station licensed to Newton, New Jersey broadcasting on 103.7 FM. They serve the Sussex County, New Jersey radio market while also reaching northeastern Pennsylvania and Orange County, New York. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. WNNJ offers a Rock...
– Newton. Format: Classic Rock - 1360 WTOCWTOC (AM)WTOC was a radio station licensed to Newton, New Jersey. They offered an oldies music format with songs from the 1960s and 1970s along with a small amount oldies from 1955 to 1964 and a small amount of hits from the 1980's. They were a full-time affiliate of Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel...
– Newton. Format: Oldies - 106.3 WHCY-FMWHCYWHCY, known as Max 106.3, is a hot adult contemporary class A FM radio station broadcasting on 106.3 FM. The format is now satellite programming along with some syndicated shows. The station is licensed to Blairstown, New Jersey and serves Sussex County and Warren County in western New Jersey, and...
– Franklin. Format: Hot Adult Contemporary
Stations from The Hudson Valley Also can be heard:
92.7 WRRV-FM
WRRV
WRRV is a modern rock radio station licensed to Middletown, New York and serving the mid Hudson Valley and Catskills of New York state plus nearby areas in New Jersey and Pennsylvania...
- Middletown. Format: Alternative
104.7 WSPK-FM
WSPK
WSPK is a CHR radio station licensed to Poughkeepsie, New York and broadcasting from studios in Fishkill. It is owned by Pamal Broadcasting and broadcasts on 104.7 MHz at an ERP of 7.4 kilowatts from a tower at the top of Mount Beacon in Fishkill.WSPK's main coverage area is centered on the...
- Poughkeepsie. Format: Top 40
Stations from Scranton-East Stroudsburg Area also can be heard:
107.9 WKRF-FM- Tobyhanna. Format: Top 40
Stations from The Lehigh Valley Area can also be heard:
104.1 WAEB-FM
WAEB-FM
WAEB-FM, commonly known as "B104", is a CHR/Pop radio station located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States and owned by Clear Channel Communications. WAEB-FM broadcasts at 104.1 MHz FM.-History:...
- Allentown. Format: Top 40
FST Broadcasting Corp. owns WTBQ, just north of Vernon, New Jersey.
- 1110 WTBQWTBQWTBQ is an independent radio station broadcasting from Warwick, New York, featuring oldies, local talk shows and specialty programming. The last locally-owned radio station left in Orange County, New York , WTBQ broadcasts on 1110 AM and 93.5 FM, throughout Orange County and northern New...
– Warwick, New York (can be heard throughout Northern Sussex County). Format: NewsTalk and Sports
The radio station WNTI, 91.9 FM, is broadcast from Centenary College in Hackettstown (Warren County). It is a commercial free, public station playing progressive music. It can be heard throughout most of Sussex County. Calvary Chapel of Howell, New Jersey broadcasts WRDR The Bridge FM with towers in Northern New Jersey and Southern New York.
- 103.1 WJGK-FM
- 99.7 WJUX-FMWJUXWJUX is a radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format. Licensed to Monticello, New York, USA. The station is currently owned by Bridgelight, LLC....
Sullivan and Orange Counties, New York. Format: Religious - 94.3 WJUX-FMWJUXWJUX is a radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format. Licensed to Monticello, New York, USA. The station is currently owned by Bridgelight, LLC....
Pamona, New York and parts of Rockland County, New York. Format: Religious
Public radio (NJN – New Jersey Public Radio); primarily NPR but also an American Public Media outlet:
- 88.5 WNJPWNJPWNJP is a radio station licensed to Sussex, New Jersey. The station is owned by New York Public Radio , and is an affiliate of their New Jersey Public Radio network....
– Sussex, New Jersey - 89.3 WNJYWNJYWNJY is a radio station licensed to Netcong, New Jersey. The station is owned by New York Public Radio , and is an affiliate of their New Jersey Public Radio network....
– Netcong, New Jersey
Crime and law enforcement
Heroin use has been on the rise and shows no signs of improvement despite efforts of law enforcement and community groups working to fight the problem. This is due to the inexpensive cost of heroin and its highly addictive nature. Yet for the most part, crime is fairly low in Sussex County. Law Enforcements are well organized and the sheriff is elected by the people of Sussex County. This is the only law enforcement position that is elected in the county. The Sheriff's office is located on 39 High Street, in Newton. The current sheriff of Sussex County is Michael Strada.The State Police are located on Route 206 in Augusta and most townships have local police departments. There is also N.J. Park police in Stokes State Forest and other state parks.
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 144,166 people, 50,831 households, and 38,784 families residing in the county. 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 277 people per square mile (107/km²). There were 56,528 housing units at an average density of 108 per square mile (42/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.70% White
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...
, 1.0% Black
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...
or African American
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...
, 0.11% Native American
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...
, 1.20% Asian
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...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
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...
, 0.74% 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 1.14% from two or more races. 3.30% of the population were Hispanic
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...
or Latino
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...
of any race. 20.4% were of Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, 18.1% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, 16.0% German, 7.2% English, 5.9% Polish and 5.2% American ancestry according to Census 2000.
By 2006, 90.3% of the county population was non-Hispanic whites. The percentage of African-Americans was up to 1.7%. Asians were now 1.9% of the population. 5.3% of the population was Latino.
In 2000 There were 50,831 households out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.0% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $67,266, and the median income for a family was $73,335 (these figures had risen to $79,434 and $89,302 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,395 versus $33,750 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 county was $26,992. About 2.8% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.
Education
- Sussex County Community CollegeSussex County Community CollegeSussex County Community College is an accredited, co-educational, two-year, public, community college located in Sussex County, New Jersey. The school's main campus is located at the intersection of County Route 519 and Plots Road in Newton...
is a two-year community college located at the intersection of County Route 519County Route 519 (New Jersey)County Route 519 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Daniel Bray Highway in Delaware Township to the New York state line in Wantage Township...
and Plotts Road in NewtonNewton, New JerseyNewton is a town in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 8,244. It is the county seat of Sussex County....
. Founded in 1981, SCCC currently offers 37 associate degrees and 11 certificate programs. - Sussex County Technical SchoolSussex County Technical SchoolSussex County Technical School is a county-wide technical public high school in Sussex County, New Jersey, as part of the Sussex County Vocational School District and is located in Sparta Township. It is the home of the McNeice Auditorium and the Fighting Mustangs...
is a county-wide technical high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Sparta Township, New JerseySparta Township, New JerseySparta Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 19,722...
. It is the home of the McNeice Auditorium and the Fighting Mustangs. The school's official colors are hunter green and gold.
The Sussex County Interscholastic League
Sussex County Interscholastic League
The Sussex County Interscholastic League was a high school athletic conference located in Sussex County and Morris County, New Jersey. The league was formed in 1976 when a number of new high schools opened up in the previous year. The formation of the league was to promote athletics and to cut...
, or SCIL, is the high school athletic league for most high schools in the county.
Tourism and recreation
There are nine Wildlife management areas located in Sussex County for hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. This is over fifteen thousand acres. There is also state forests and state parks which are listed below.State and federal parks
- Stokes State ForestStokes State ForestStokes State Forest is a state park located in Sandyston Township, Montague and Frankford Twp. in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. Stokes comprises of mountainous woods...
- High Point State Park
- Swartswood State ParkSwartswood State ParkSwartswood State Park, established in 1914, was the first State Park established by the state of New Jersey. In the center of the park are the Little Swartswood Lake and Swartswood Lake. Both have been the focus of water-quality improvement efforts by the state, including invasive aquatic-weed...
- Wawayanda State ParkWawayanda State ParkWawayanda State Park is a 34,350 acre state park in Sussex County and Passaic County in northern New Jersey. The park is in Vernon Township on the Sussex side, and West Milford on the Passaic side. There are 60 miles of hiking trails in the park, including a 20-mile stretch of the Appalachian...
- Kittatinny Valley State ParkKittatinny Valley State ParkKittatinny Valley State Park is located near Andover, New Jersey. Glacial lakes, limestone outcroppings, former railroads, and a small airport are just some of the features of the park. Lake Aeroflex and Gardner's Pond form part of the headwaters of the Pequest River and are excellent for fishing...
- Delaware Water Gap National Recreation AreaDelaware Water Gap National Recreation AreaDelaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service, preserves almost of land along the Delaware River's New Jersey and Pennsylvania shores, stretching from the Delaware Water Gap northward almost to the New York state line...
- Allamuchy Mountain State ParkAllamuchy Mountain State ParkAllamuchy Mountain State Park is located in Byram Township, New Jersey, United States. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry. There are more than of unmarked trails in the northern section of Allamuchy, and of marked multi-use trails.The park is in...
Sports franchises
Augusta is the site of Skylands ParkSkylands Park
CenturyLink Field at Skylands Park is a baseball stadium located in Augusta, New Jersey. Skylands Park opened in 1994 and was built for the New Jersey Cardinals, the New York-Penn League affiliate for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals called the park home until 2005, after which the team was...
, a minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
stadium, home of the Sussex Skyhawks
Sussex Skyhawks
The Sussex Skyhawks were a professional baseball team that played at Skylands Park in Augusta, New Jersey. The team was part of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, an independent minor baseball league also referred to as the Can-Am League, from their inaugural season in 2006...
. The Skyhawks play in the Can-Am League
Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a professional, independent baseball league located in the Northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is...
. Skylands Park was the former home of the New Jersey Cardinals
New Jersey Cardinals
The New Jersey Cardinals were a Short-Season A minor league baseball team affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals. They were a member of the New York - Penn League and played at Skylands Park in Augusta, New Jersey from 1994-2005.-History:...
(from 1994–2005), but the Cardinals moved to State College, Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
making room for the Skyhawks.
Politics, military and public service
- Thomas Oakley AndersonThomas Oakley AndersonThomas Oakley Anderson was an American naval officer, involved in the raiding party, led by Stephen Decatur on 16 February 1804, to destroy the U.S...
— United States Navy officer during the Barbary Wars (1803–1805). - E. Scott Garrett —, politician, New Jersey General Assembly, U.S. House of Representatives.
- John W. GriggsJohn W. GriggsJohn William Griggs was an American Republican Party politician, who served as the 29th Governor of New Jersey, from 1896 to 1898, stepping down to assume the position as the United States Attorney General from 1898 to 1901....
— Governor of New Jersey. - Daniel HainesDaniel HainesDaniel Haines was an American jurist who served as the 14th Governor of New Jersey.Daniel Haines was born in New York City, the nephew of Governor Aaron Ogden. He graduated from The College of New Jersey in 1820, and went on to practice law in Newton and Hamburg...
— Governor of New Jersey. - Hugh Judson KilpatrickHugh Judson KilpatrickHugh Judson Kilpatrick was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of brevet major general. He was later the United States Minister to Chile, and a failed political candidate for the U.S...
— Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
general, diplomat. - Ardolph Loges KlineArdolph Loges KlineArdolph Loges Kline , was a senior officer of the New York National Guard and a Republican politician who became acting Mayor of New York City on September 10, 1913 upon the death of Mayor William Jay Gaynor, serving for the rest of the year...
— Mayor of New York City. - Robert LittellRobert Littell (politician)Robert Eugene Littell is an American Republican Party politician, who served as a member of the New Jersey State Senate from 1990 to 2008, where he represented the 15th Legislative District until 1982 and the 24th Legislative District thereafter...
— New Jersey State Senator. - Benjamin LundyBenjamin LundyBenjamin Lundy was an American Quaker abolitionist from Ohio who established several anti-slavery newspapers and worked for many others...
— abolitionist and writer. - Robert McDowell — State Fish and Game Commissioner.
- Alison Littell McHoseAlison Littell McHoseAlison Littell McHose is an American Republican Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2003, where she represents the 24th Legislative District....
— New Jersey General Assembly. - Nathaniel PettitNathaniel PettitNathaniel Pettit was a political figure in Upper Canada.Pettit was born in Sussex County, New Jersey in 1724. In 1766, he was appointed judge in the county's Court of Common Pleas and he was elected to the legislature in 1768. He opposed taxation without representation and joined a committee...
— Canadian politician. - Rodman M. PriceRodman M. PriceRodman McCamley Price was an American Democratic Party politician, who represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1851–1853, and served as the 17th Governor of New Jersey, from 1854 to 1857.-Biography:...
— Governor of New Jersey. - John RutherfurdJohn RutherfurdJohn Rutherfurd was an American politician and land surveyor.John Rutherfurd was born in New York City. His parents were Walter and Mary Rutherfurd. Walter was a veteran of the British Army, and was a hostage of Patriots during the Revolutionary War while John was a teenager. Walter died in 1804...
— United States Senator (1791–1799). - John Cleves SymmesJohn Cleves SymmesJohn Cleves Symmes was a delegate to the Continental Congress from New Jersey, and later a pioneer in the Northwest Territory. He was also the father-in-law of President William Henry Harrison .-Early biography:He was the son of the Rev...
— Revolutionary War officer and politician. - Andrew NapolitanoAndrew NapolitanoAndrew Paolo Napolitano is a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge and now a political and legal analyst for Fox News Channel. Napolitano started on the channel in 1998, and currently serves as the network's senior judicial analyst, commenting on legal news and trials...
— former NJ Superior Court Judge and libertarian Fox News Judicial Analyst.
Arts, letters, and entertainment
- Lou DobbsLou DobbsLouis Carl "Lou" Dobbs is an American journalist, radio host, television host on the Fox Business Network, and author. He anchored CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight until November 2009 when he announced on the air that he would leave the 24-hour cable news television network.He was born in Texas and lived...
— television and radio news commentator. - Rob FreemanRob FreemanRobert Andrew Freeman is the former guitarist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter for the pop punk/post-hardcore group Hidden in Plain View...
— musician. - Nicolas de Gunzburg — fashion critic, magazine editor (Vogue, Harpers), actor.
- Janeane GarofaloJaneane GarofaloJaneane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
— actress, activist. - John GibsonJohn Gibson (media host)John David Gibson is an American radio talk show host. As of September 2008, he hosts the syndicated radio program The John Gibson Show on Fox News Radio. Gibson was formerly the co-host of the weekday edition of The Big Story on the Fox News television channel.-Early career:Gibson earned a BA...
— television news host on FoxNews. - Barbara Haggerty — Historian, author of Culvers history.
- Aline Murray KilmerAline Murray KilmerAline Murray Kilmer , was an American poet, children's book author, and essayist, and the wife and widow of poet and journalist Joyce Kilmer .- Biography :...
— poet, wife of Joyce KilmerJoyce KilmerAlfred Joyce Kilmer was an American journalist, poet, literary critic, lecturer, and editor. Though a prolific poet whose works celebrated the common beauty of the natural world as well as his religious faith, Kilmer is remembered most for a short poem entitled "Trees" , which was published in...
. - Homer R. Mensch — classical double bassist, New York Philharmonic.
- Andrew NapolitanoAndrew NapolitanoAndrew Paolo Napolitano is a former New Jersey Superior Court Judge and now a political and legal analyst for Fox News Channel. Napolitano started on the channel in 1998, and currently serves as the network's senior judicial analyst, commenting on legal news and trials...
— television news commentator on FoxNews. - William PiersonWilliam PiersonWilliam Pierson was an American television, motion picture and stage actor, best known for his raspy voice and his role as Marko the Mailman in the film Stalag 17.-Biographical Sketch:...
— actor. - J. Allyn RosserJ. Allyn RosserJill Allyn Rosser , who published under J. Allyn Rosser, is a contemporary American poet.-Life:She grew up in Sparta, New Jersey....
— poet, academic. - The Misfits — musicians
- Railroad EarthRailroad EarthRailroad Earth is a roots and Americana-based newgrass band from Stillwater, New Jersey. Their name was borrowed from the Jack Kerouac short story "October in the Railroad Earth," to which the band also has a song by the same name...
— musicians - Jordan Lawlor - musician, current member of M83 (band)M83 (band)M83 is a musical act by French musician Anthony Gonzalez. It is named after a spiral galaxy, Messier 83. The band was founded in 2001 by Gonzalez and former member Nicolas Fromageau in Antibes, France...
- "Delicate" Steve Marion — musician
Science, technology and medicine
- Charles J. FletcherCharles J. FletcherCharles Joseph Fletcher, of Franklin, New Jersey, is an American inventor and businessman, and holder of over seventy patents.-Biography:He is the president of Technology General Corporation, a small manufacturer of drawn metal products, spray coating systems, power mixers, and commercial ice...
— possible inventor of the HovercraftHovercraftA hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
. - Hudson MaximHudson MaximHudson Maxim , was a U.S. inventor and chemist who invented a variety of explosives, including smokeless gunpowder. He was the brother of Hiram Stevens Maxim, inventor of the Maxim gun and uncle of Hiram Percy Maxim, inventor of the Maxim Silencer.Maxim was a man of many talents...
— inventor, scientist, munitions manufacturer. - Ross WinansRoss WinansRoss Winans was an American inventor, mechanic, and builder of locomotives and railroad machinery. He is also noted for design of pioneering cigar-hulled ships. Winans, one of the United States' first multi-millionaires, was involved in politics and was a vehement states' rights advocate...
— inventor, entrepreneur.
Sports
- Lou BenfattiLou BenfattiLewis Vincent Benfatti is a former professional American football player. The 6' 4", 278 lb., defensive tackle was the third round pick of the New York Jets in the 1994 NFL Draft. He played three seasons with the Jets...
— NFL and college football player. - Mike BudnikMike BudnikMichael Allan Budnik is an American mixed martial artist and former professional in-line skater. He competed in the first ten X-Games.Budnik has been a resident of Sparta Township, New Jersey.-MMA career:...
— former professional inline skater, and professional mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter - Danny KassDanny KassDaniel "Danny" Kass is an American professional snowboarder.He was born in Vernon Valley, NJ.Danny grew up in New Jersey where he began his climb into snowboarding history at the age of twelve...
— Olympic and champion snowboarder. - Jim MillerJim Miller (fighter)James Andrew Miller is an American mixed martial artist. He has held the Cage Fury Fighting Championships Lightweight Championship and Reality Fighting Featherweight Championship. He currently fights for the UFC's lightweight division. He is the younger brother of fellow MMA fighter Dan Miller...
— UFC Contender, CFFC Lightweight Champion, Reality Fighting Featherweight Champion - Dan MillerDan Miller (fighter)Daniel James Miller is an American Middleweight mixed martial artist signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the older brother of fellow MMA fighter Jim Miller.-Martial arts background:...
— UFC Contender, CFFC Middleweight Champion, IFL Middleweight Champion - Troy MurphyTroy MurphyTroy Brandon Murphy is an American professional basketball power forward who last played with the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association. Murphy was born in Morristown, New Jersey but grew up in Sparta Township located in northwest New Jersey...
— NBA and college basketball player. - Russ Van AttaRuss Van AttaRussell "Sheriff" Van Atta is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was born on June 21, 1906 in Augusta, New Jersey. As a 6', 184 pound left-hander, Van Atta chose to attend Penn State University.-Rookie season:...
— Major League Baseball player. - Dave YovanovitsDave YovanovitsDave Yovanovits is a former American football offensive lineman in the NFL most recently of the New Orleans Saints. He played in every snap of 40 of 45 games for Temple University. He was drafted in the 2003 NFL Draft by the New York Jets, whom he played for in 2003 and 2004...
— NFL and college football player. - Chris JentChris JentChris Jent is a retired American professional basketball player and former coach in the NBA. He is currently an assistant coach at his alma mater, Ohio State.Jent was born in Orange, California and grew up in Sparta, New Jersey...
— NBA Player and Coach. - Adam RiggsAdam RiggsAdam David Riggs is a former professional baseball first baseman. He played parts of four years in Major League Baseball, but is better known for the four seasons he spent with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of the Japanese Central League.He is an alumnus of the University of South Carolina Aiken and...
— Major League Baseball player
Miscellaneous
- Ira CondictIra CondictReverend Ira Condict was the third President of Queen's College serving in a pro tempore capacity from 1795 to 1810.-Biography:...
— minister, third president of Rutgers UniversityRutgers UniversityRutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
. - Zip the PinheadZip the PinheadZip the Pinhead, born William Henry Johnson , was an American freak show performer famous for his oddly tapered head.- Early life :...
— circus sideshow with P.T. Barnum.
Books and printed materials
- Armstrong, William C. Pioneer Families of Northwestern New Jersey (Lambertville, New Jersey: Hunterdon House, 1979).
- Cawley, James S. and Cawley, Margaret. Exploring the Little Rivers of New Jersey (New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1942, 1961, 1971, 1993). ISBN 0813506840
- Chambers, Theodore Frelinghuysen. The Early Germans of New Jersey: Their History, Churches, and Genealogies (Dover, New Jersey, Dover Printing Company, 1895), passim.
- Cummings, Warren D. Sussex County: A History (Newton, New Jersey: Newton Rotary Club, 1964). NO ISBN
- Cunningham, John T. Railroad Wonder: The Lackawanna Cut-Off (Newark, New Jersey: Newark Sunday News, 1961). NO ISBN
- Documents Relating to the Colonial, Revolutionary and Post-Revolutionary History of the State of New Jersey [Title Varies]. Archives of the State of New Jersey, 1st–2nd series. 47 volumes. (Newark, New Jersey: 1880–1949). NO ISBN
- Honeyman, A. Van Doren (ed.). Northwestern New Jersey—A History of Somerset, Morris, Hunterdon, Warren, and Sussex Counties Volume 1. (Lewis Historical Publishing Co., New York, 1927).
- McCabe, Wayne T. Sussex County (Images of America) (Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2003).
- Schaeffer, Casper M.D. (and Johnson, William M.). Memoirs and Reminiscences: Together with Sketches of the Early History of Sussex County, New Jersey. (Hackensack, New Jersey: Privately Printed, 1907). NO ISBN
- Schrabisch, Max. Indian habitations in Sussex County, New Jersey Geological Survey of New Jersey, Bulletin No. 13. (Union Hill, New Jersey: Dispatch Printing Company, 1915). NO ISBN
- Schrabisch, Max. Archaeology of Warren and Hunterdon counties Geological Survey of New Jersey, Bulletin No. 18. (Trenton, N.J., MacCrellish and Quigley co., state printers, 1917). NO ISBN
- Snell, James P. History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers. (Philadelphia: Everts & Peck, 1881). NO ISBN
- Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries 1606–1968 (Trenton, New Jersey: Bureau of Geology and Topography, 1969). No ISBN
- Stickney, Charles E. Old Sussex County families of the Minisink Region from articles in the Wantage Recorder (compiled by Virginia Alleman Brown) (Washington, New Jersey: Genealogical Researchers, 1988)
Maps and atlases
- Map of Jonathan Hampton (1758) in the collection of the New Jersey Historical Society, Newark, New Jersey.
- Hopkins, Griffith Morgan. Map of Sussex County, New Jersey. (1860) [Reprinted by the Sussex County Historical Society: Netcong, New Jersey: Esposito (Jostens), 2004.]
- Beers, Frederick W. County Atlas of Warren, New Jersey: From actual surveys by and under the direction of F. W. Beers (New York: F.W. Beers & Co. 1874). [Reprinted by Warren County Historical Society: Harmony, New Jersey: Harmony Press, 1994].
- Hagstrom Morris/Sussex/Warren counties atlas (Maspeth, New York: Hagstrom Map Company, Inc. 2004).
External links
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