Watchung, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Watchung is a Borough
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....

 in Somerset County
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....

, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,801.

Watchung was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...

 on May 23, 1826, from portions of North Plainfield Township (now Green Brook Township
Green Brook Township, New Jersey
Green Brook Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 7,203....

) based on the results of a referendum held on April 20, 1826.

Geography

Watchung is located at 40.639202°N 74.443715°W (40.639202, -74.443715).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the borough has a total area of 6 square miles (15.5 km²), of which, 6 square miles (15.5 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.33%) is water.

The name 'Watchung' comes from the Lenni Lenape Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

, meaning 'high hills'. It is from the first ridge of the Watchung Mountains
Watchung Mountains
The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 ft. and 500 ft. high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States...

 that George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

 surveyed the British troops in Perth Amboy
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...

 many miles SSE. The eastern reach of these ridges is to the Oranges
The Oranges
The Oranges are a group of four municipalities in Essex County, New Jersey, all of which have the word Orange in their name. All of these communities were named for the ruler of England, William III of England, also known as William of Orange...

 in the direction of Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...

.

The Stony Brook
Stony Brook (Green Brook)
Stony Brook is a tributary of Green Brook in central New Jersey in the United States.-Course:The Stony Brook starts at , near the intersection of Hillcrest Road and I-78. It flows southeast, crossing Stirling Road, before turning southwest. It then turns northeast and flows into Watchung Lake...

 flows through Watchung borough. Making its way from Warren Township to the Watchung Lake, then through the gorge in the first Watchung mountain and over the Wetumpka Falls, on its way to the Green Brook.

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

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 5,613 people, 2,098 households, and 1,617 families residing in the borough. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 933.0 people per square mile (360.0/km2). There were 2,155 housing units at an average density of 358.2 per square mile (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
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 1.59% 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
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 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
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the borough was $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
Plainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....

 and Somerville
Somerville, New Jersey
Somerville is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,098. It is the county seat of Somerset County....

. The first mayor of the town was Henry Baldwin Macdonald (1926–28). 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
1967 Plainfield riots
The Plainfield Riots were a series of racially-charged violent disturbances that occurred in Plainfield, New Jersey during the summer of 1967, which mirrored the 1967 Newark riots in nearby Newark, New Jersey.-Background:...

, 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
Warren Township, New Jersey
Warren Township is a Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 15,311....

 and Bridgewater Township
Bridgewater Township, New Jersey
Bridgewater Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. , the township population was 44,464.Bridgewater Township was originally created by Royal Charter on April 4, 1749, from portions of the Northern precinct, and was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial group of...

. It was at this time that Watchung became a bedroom community and the average income and median house prices soared.
In public fear which ensued after the 1938 radio broadcast of H.G. Wells' The War Of The Worlds, National Guard Troops were stationed around the hills in Watchung, as told on the vinyl record recording of news reports of the day.

Sports in the town of Watchung lays out a wide history of high talented athletes. Watchung has produced extremely high set of athletes in the past years. Between Bobby Thomson
Bobby Thomson
Robert Brown "Bobby" Thomson was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "The Staten Island Scot", he was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants , Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles .His season-ending three-run...

, Billy Ard
Billy Ard
William Donovan "Billy" Ard is a former American football guard in the National Football League for the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers...

, Tom Glassic , Brendan Ard, Keith Sims, and Carl Banks
Carl Banks
Carl E. Banks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1984 to 1995 for the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns. He made the Pro Bowl in 1987, had 39.5 career quarterback sacks, and was a member of the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team...

.

Government

Local government

Watchung is governed under the Borough
Borough (New Jersey)
A borough in the context of New Jersey local government refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government....

 form of New Jersey municipal government. The government consists of a Mayor and a Borough Council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at large. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office and only votes to break a tie. The Borough Council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.

The Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of Watchung Borough is Gerald M. 'Gerry' Mobus. Members of the Watchung Borough Council are Council President Thomas Franklin, Stephen L. Black, Debra Joren, Karen Cassidy, William Nehls and Stephen Pote.

Federal, state and county representation

Watchung is in the 7th Congressional district.

Watchung is in the

Politics

Watchung leans toward the Republican Party
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...

 on the national and state levels. In the 2008 Presidential Election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...

, Republican John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

 received 55% of the vote, defeating Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

, who received around 43%. 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 61% 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 31%.

Education

Students in Kindergarten through eighth grade are educated by the Watchung Borough Schools
Watchung Borough Schools
The Watchung Borough Schools are a comprehensive community public school district, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade from Watchung, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States....

. Schools in the district (with 2004-05 school enrollment data from the New Jersey Department of Education
New Jersey Department of Education
The New Jersey Department of Education administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered in Trenton.The Department is responsible for ensuring that...

 School Report Card
New Jersey School Report Card
The New Jersey School Report Card is an annual report produced each year by the New Jersey Department of Education for all school districts and schools in the U.S. state of New Jersey...

s) are Bayberry Elementary School with 365 students in grades K - 4, and Valley View School with 322 students in grades 5 - 8.

Watchung's students in public school for grades 9-12 attend Watchung Hills Regional High School
Watchung Hills Regional High School
Watchung Hills Regional High School is a regional public high school and school district serving students in portions of Somerset and Morris Counties in New Jersey, United States. The high school is located next to Woodland School, in Warren Township...

 in Warren Township
Warren Township, New Jersey
Warren Township is a Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 15,311....

 together with students from the neighboring communities of Green Brook Township
Green Brook Township, New Jersey
Green Brook Township is a township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 7,203....

 and Warren Township (in Somerset County
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....

) and Long Hill Township
Long Hill Township, New Jersey
-Local government:Long Hill Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for...

 (in Morris County
Morris County, New Jersey
Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown....

). 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
    Billy Ard
    William Donovan "Billy" Ard is a former American football guard in the National Football League for the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers...

     (born 1959), former New York Giants
    New York Giants
    The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     football player.
  • Carl Banks
    Carl Banks
    Carl E. Banks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1984 to 1995 for the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Browns. He made the Pro Bowl in 1987, had 39.5 career quarterback sacks, and was a member of the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team...

     (born 1962), former New York Giants
    New York Giants
    The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     football player.
  • James Maxime DuPont
    James Maxime DuPont
    James Maxime DuPont was a renowned American collector of meteors.His father was Jean Rene Claudius Dupont, Analytical chemist....

     (1912–91), collector of meteorites.
  • Charles Aubrey Eaton
    Charles Aubrey Eaton
    Charles Aubrey Eaton was a Canadian-born clergyman and politician who rose to lead prominent congregations at Natick, Massachusetts, 1893–1895; Bloor Street, Toronto, 1895–1901; Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, 1901–1909; and at Madison Avenue, New York City, 1909-1919...

     (1868–1953), clergyman and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives
    United States House of Representatives
    The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

    , representing the from 1925–1933, and the from 1933-1953.
  • Laura Prepon
    Laura Prepon
    Laura Prepon is an American actress, best known for her role as Donna Pinciotti in the long-running Fox situation comedy That '70s Show, for all eight seasons. She is also known for the role of Hannah Daniels on the ABC drama October Road...

     (born 1980), actress best known for playing the character of Donna Pinciotti
    Donna Pinciotti
    Donna Marie Pinciotti is a fictional character and one of the two female leads in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show, appearing in all eight seasons...

     on That '70s Show
    That '70s Show
    That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...

    and resides there when not working.
  • Bobby Thomson
    Bobby Thomson
    Robert Brown "Bobby" Thomson was a Scottish-born American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "The Staten Island Scot", he was an outfielder and right-handed batter for the New York Giants , Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles .His season-ending three-run...

     (born 1923), former professional baseball player, New York Giants, hit the famous ‘Shot Heard Round the World’ to win the 1951 NL Pennant.
  • Katt Williams
    Katt Williams
    Micah S. Katt Williams is a U.S. comedian, rapper, and actor. He is best known for his role as Money Mike in Friday After Next...

     (born 1973), comedian, rapper, and actor who is known for his short stint on Nick Cannon's Wild 'n' Out.
  • Adella Wotherspoon
    Adella Wotherspoon
    Adella Liebenow Wotherspoon was the youngest and last living survivor of the General Slocum ship disaster of June 15, 1904.-Birth and siblings:...

     (1903–2004), youngest and longest-lived survivor of the General Slocum
    General Slocum
    The PS General Slocum was a passenger steamboat built at Brooklyn, New York, in 1891. The General Slocum was named for Civil War officer and New York Congressman Henry Warner Slocum. She operated in the New York City area as an excursion steamer for the next thirteen years under the same ownership...

    , a steamship that sank in the East River killing over 1,000 in 1904. Her ashes are buried beside her husband's at Wilson Memorial Union Church Cemetery in Watchung.

External links

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