Watchung, New Jersey

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Watchung, New Jersey
settlement_type = Borough
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 07069
area_code = 908
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 34-77600GR|2 [ [http://mcdc2.missouri.edu/webrepts/commoncodes/ccc_nj.html A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey] , Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.]
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0885433GR|3
website = http://www.watchungnj.com
footnotes =

Watchung is a Borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,613.

Watchung was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1926, from portions of North Plainfield Township (now Green Brook Township) based on the results of a referendum held on April 20, 1926."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 225.]

Geography

Watchung is located at coor dms|40|38|21|N|74|26|37|W|city (40.639202, -74.443715)GR|1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²), of which, 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.33%) is water.

The name 'Watchung' comes from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans, meaning 'high hills'. It is from the first ridge of the Watchung Mountains that George Washington surveyed the British troops in Perth Amboy many miles SSE. The eastern reach of these ridges is to the Oranges in the direction of Newark.

It is roughy a 40 minute drive from New York City, and a 30 minute drive from Newark.

Demographics

USCensusPop
1930=906
1940=1158
1950=1818
1960=3312
1970=4750
1980=5290
1990=5110
2000=5613
estimate= 6508
estyear=2007
estref= [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&geo_id=06000US3403524900&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US34%7C05000US34035%7C06000US3403524900&_street=&_county=watchung&_cityTown=watchung&_state=04000US34&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= Census data for Watchung borough] , United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 9, 2007.]
footnote=Population 1930 - 1990. [ [http://www.wnjpin.net/OneStopCareerCenter/LaborMarketInformation/lmi01/poptrd6.htm Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990] , Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.] As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 5,613 people, 2,098 households, and 1,617 families residing in the borough. The population density was 933.0 people per square mile (360.0/km²). There were 2,155 housing units at an average density of 358.2/sq mi (138.2/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.30% White, 3.37% African American, 0.09% Native American, 9.85% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races, and 1.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.99% of the population.

There were 2,098 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.4% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the borough the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $101,944, and the median income for a family was $120,764. Males had a median income of $80,658 versus $54,167 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $58,653. About 0.5% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.

History

Watchung, from the 1900s was a semi-rural small community of about 3,200 people in comparison with the relatively much larger cities of Plainfield and Somerville. Even as late as the 1960s, it was common for residents to know one another by name, with few moving in or out of the town. The 1967 Plainfield riots, however, caused an exodus of the large upper-middle class population from the nearby cities to move to the Watchung Hills area to towns such as Watchung, Warren Township and Bridgewater Township. It was at this time that Watchung became a bedroom community and the average income and median house prices soared.

Government

Local government

The Mayor of Watchung Borough is Albert S. Ellis. Members of the Watchung Borough Council are Council President Thomas Franklin, Stephen L. Black, Debra Joren, Gerald M. Mobus, William Nehls and Stephen Pote. [ [http://www.watchungnj.com/mayor&council.htm Watchung Borough Mayor & Council] , Borough of Watchung. Accessed April 27, 2008.]

Federal, state and county representation

Watchung is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 21st Legislative District. [ [http://www.lwvnj.org/pubs/CG06.pdf 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government] , p. 65, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed August 30, 2006, incorrectly shows Congressional District 2 and that Watchung is in Camden County, likely due to missing information for Waterford Township, which is in Camden in Congressional District 2 and is omitted from the LWVNJ guide. The 2004 Legislative Data Book confirms that Watchung is in Congressional District 7.]

Education

Students in Kindergarten through eighth grade are educated by the Watchung Borough Schools. Schools in the district (with 2004-05 school enrollment data from the New Jersey Department of Education School Report Cards [ [http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc06/menu/35-5540.html 2006 New Jersey School Report Cards] , New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 11, 2007.] ) are [http://www.watchungschools.com/watchung/Bayberry/_top Bayberry Elementary School] with 403 students in grades K - 4, and [http://www.watchungschools.com/watchung/Valley%20View/_top Valley View School] with 286 students in grades 5 - 8.

Watchung's students in public school for grades 9-12 attend Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren Township together with students from the neighboring communities of Green Brook Township and Warren Township (in Somerset County) and Long Hill Township (in Morris County). [ [http://www.co.somerset.nj.us/schools/districts.htm Somerset County School Districts-Sending/Receiving/Regional] , Somerset County Superintendent of Schools. Accessed April 27, 2008.] As of the 2005-2006 school year, there were over 1,900 students attending.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Watchung include:
*Billy Ard (1959-), former New York Giants football player. [Kinkhabwala, Aditi. [http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2JmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk3MDY3Nzc1 "Top RU recruit is talking tough"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", January 29, 2007. Accessed July 11, 2007. "Ard went on to Green Bay for three years before coming home in 1991 to Watchung."]
*Carl Banks (1962-), former New York Giants football player. [Sturken, Barbara. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE0D81230F932A05750C0A967958260 "Off the Field, Giants Call New Jersey Home"] , "The New York Times", March 31, 1991. Accessed February 5, 2008.]
*Charles Aubrey Eaton (1868-1953), clergyman and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives, representing the ushr|New Jersey|4 from 1925-1933, and the ushr|New Jersey|5|5th district from 1933-1953. [ [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=E000023 Charles Aubrey Eaton] , "Biographical Directory of the United States Congress". Accessed September 9, 2007.]
*Laura Prepon (1980-), actress best known for playing the character of Donna Pinciotti on "That '70s Show". [Dransfeldt, Jeffrey. [http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2008/01/31/Pulse/On.The.road.Again-3179128.shtml "On the 'Road' again"] , "Oregon Daily Emerald", January 31, 2008. Accessed February 5, 2008. "Prepon grew up in a small town herself in Watchung, N.J. She finds enthusiasm with low-key activities in horseback riding and fly fishing. She also has an understanding of the intimate nature of small-town life."]
*Bobby Thomson (b. 1923), former professional baseball player, New York Giants, hit the famous ‘Shot Heard Round the World’ to win the 1951 NL Pennant. [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CEFD71130F930A35753C1A967958260 "BASEBALL; 40 Years Later, Here's the Pitch"] , "The New York Times", October 3, 1991, accessed April 6, 2008. " Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their historic showdown at the Polo Grounds by spending today together and earning more money than if they had won the World Series. They will have an early wake-up call, Thomson at his home in Watchung, N.J...."]
*Adella Wotherspoon (1903–2004), youngest and longest-lived survivor of the "General Slocum", a steamship that sank in the East River killing over 1,000 in 1904. [Martin, Douglas. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9904E1D6153BF937A35751C0A9629C8B63 "Adella Wotherspoon, Last Survivor of General Slocum Disaster, Is Dead at 100"] , "The New York Times", February 4, 2004. Accessed April 6, 2008. "After his death, Mrs. Liebenow and her daughter moved to Watchung, N.J., where Mrs. Wotherspoon made her home for the rest of her life."] Her ashes are buried beside her husband's at Wilson Memorial Union Church Cemetery in Watchung.

References

External links

* [http://www.watchungnj.com/ Watchung official web site]
* [http://www.watchungschools.com/watchung Watchung Borough Schools]
*NJReportCard|35|5540|0|Watchung Borough Schools
* [http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_list.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3417190 Data for the Watchung Borough Schools] , National Center for Education Statistics
* [http://www.whrhs.org Watchung Hills Regional High School website]