Frankford Township, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Frankford Township is a Township
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...

 in Sussex County, New Jersey
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...

, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 5,565.

The township was incorporated in 1797 out of part of the existing Newton Township, and was said to have been named after Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Frankford, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Frankford is a large and important neighborhood in the lower Northeast section of Philadelphia situated about six miles northeast of Center City. Although its borders are vaguely defined, the neighborhood is bounded roughly by the original course of Frankford Creek, now roughly Adams to Aramingo...

, after a visitor who hailed from that area came to help out at the rural school in the township. Lafayette Township
Lafayette Township, New Jersey
Lafayette 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....

 later separated in 1845 and then Branchville
Branchville, New Jersey
Branchville 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....

 (which is completely surrounded by the township) separated and became incorporated in 1898.

The township is the home of the Farm and Horse Show, which relocated from Branchville to the Plains Road in 1976 when it needed more area for expansion. Now called The New Jersey State Fair
New Jersey State Fair
The New Jersey State Fair is a non-profit agricultural fair held every August at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, New Jersey. The fair has been held in conjunction with the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show since 1999 and draws 220,000 residents annually. The Augusta-based event was...

 / Sussex County Farm & Horse Show, it is the site of numerous activities and events throughout the year. Another large recreation area is Skylands Park
Skylands 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 4,300-seat ballpark which hosts 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...

 of 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...

 starting with the 2006 baseball season.

A large outlet mall has been proposed for the intersection of 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...

, Route 15, and County Route 565
County Route 565 (New Jersey)
County Route 565, abbreviated CR 565, is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from U.S. Route 206 / Route 15 in Frankford Township to McAfee Glenwood Road in Vernon Township.-Route description:...

 in front of Skylands Park. This mall has met a large amount of local opposition, but has been approved and is awaiting approval by the State of New Jersey.

Geography

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 township has a total area of 35.4 square miles (91.7 km²), of which, 34.1 square miles (88.3 km²) of it is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) of it (3.70%) is water. Culver Lake and Lake Owassa
Lake Owassa
Lake Owassa is a lake in Sussex County, New Jersey, is fed by Bear Swamp, and feeds into Culver's Lake . It is at an elevation of...

, two natural lakes nestled below the Kittatinny Mountain, form the northern border. The township is located in the Kittatinny Valley
Kittatinny valley
The Kittatinny Valley lies east of the Kittatinny Mountain in western Sussex County, New Jersey. To the east of the valley is the Highlands in eastern Sussex County. The valley is part of the Great Appalachian Valley.-Geography:...

 which is a section of the 700 mile long Great Appalachian Valley
Great Appalachian Valley
The Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough — a chain of valley lowlands — and the central feature of the Appalachian Mountain system...

 that stretches from Canada to Alabama.

Elevation ranges from 450 feet above sea level to 1500 feet. Where the Paulinskill River is the elevation is 500 feet. There are several hills with elevations of 800 feet and one hill of 908 feet.

Geology and Paleo Indians

Most of Frankford Township is on the Ordovician Martinsburg Formation. This is a shale, slate, and limestone formation created four hundred fifty millions of years ago when a chain of volcanic islands collided with proto North America. The islands went over the North American plate, creating the Highlands of Sussex County. The Kittatinny Valley was uplifted. The sedment at the bottom of seas was uplifted and formed shale. Millions of years of erosion occurred and there was a second event. About four hundred million years ago small continent that was long and thin, collided with proto North America creating folding and faulting. The Silurian Shawnangunk conglomerate that was under a shallow sea, lifted due to pressure. The pressure created heat which melted the silica and bonded the quartz and conglomerate together. Thus the Kittatinny Mountain was born.

The Wisconsin Glacier covered all of the township from 21,000 BC to 13,000 BC. The glacier covered the top of Kittatinny Mountain. End moraines exist in Stokes State Forest as well as just off Route 565 north of the Skylands Park. Also about a mile south of Ross's Corner is an end moraine. An esker was created when the glacier retreated due to climate warming. Many ponds and lakes created. Culver Lake was created at this time, as the drainage became blocked. The township is drained by two river systems. The Paulinskill and the Wallkill. The Paulskill travels in a northwesterly direction throughout the township before turning southwest. Papakatkin Creek starts east of Branchville Reservoir and drains into the Wallkill River north of the town of Sussex. Another creek starts near the base of Sunrise Mountain and empties into the Papakatkin Creek near Pellettown. Dry Creek starts at the Branchville Reservoir, travels south and enters into Culver's Creek in Branchville; eventually empties into the Paulinskill. There is a chain of hills between Dry Creek and Papakatin Creek. These hills are what separate the two river drainage systems. The drainage divide is just north of Route 206 and the goes northwest toward Branchville Reservoir. Water near Route 206 or south of Route 206 drains into the Paulinskill. Water north of Route 206 drains into the Wallkill River.

After the glacier melted, the area was cold and that of a Tundra Biome. As the area became warmer, the coniferous forests of spruce and pine began to grow. The area was then a Taiga Biome. This is when Paleo Indians came into the area around 10,500 BC. Culvers Gap was made by an ancient stream that was later diverted. The Gap bottom is 400 feet below the top of Kittatinny Mountain, which can be seen for many miles. Paleo Indians carried spears with fluted points made of black chert or jasper. They used Culver's Gap to travel from the Flatbrook Valley to the Kittatinny Valley. This route was later used by Native Americans. Paleo Indians made temporary camps and traveled often as they were hunter gatherers. It is difficult to locate their camps as they are located many feet below the present ground surface of today. One would have to search the Pleistocene gravels.

Mastodons, Musk Ox and Caribou roamed the area. The bones of Mastodons were found in Highland Lakes, Swartswood Lake, Great Meadows, and in Orange County, New York. As climate warmed they either traveled north or became extinct.

Climate warmed between 8000 BC to 6000 BC. At this time more deciduous trees such as oak, maple, birch, and willows began to grow. Other big game then slowly inhabited the area, such as deer, elk, bear, and moose.

By 3000 BC other deciduous trees grew such as hickory, cherry, walnut, beech, butternut, chestnut, ash and elm. Hunter gatherers populations slowly grew as now there was more food in the forests. The Paulinskill River is shallow which allowed for easy fishing. The valley has small hills which allowed for easy travel and setting up camps. Due to the diversity of the deciduous trees and plants growing in the grasslands, game was everywhere. Gathering became more intensive.

Around 1000 BC pottery was invented which allowed the storage of seeds, nuts and other food. The bow and arrow was also invented around this time. Hunter gatherer populations began to rise more due to the ability to store nuts in pottery and procure game through the bow and arrow. However camps were still temporary and traveling was still done often in search of game and plants. As populations grew, camps became more seasonal. These camps were along rivers. It was at this time that the Lenape Native Americans entered the area.

Lenape Native Americans

The Lenape settled this area around 1000 BC or slightly later. They settled their seasonal extended family camps along the river valleys as food was abundant there. They had a trade route that went through the township. The path started at Minisink Island on the Delaware and went to Raritan Bay. The path went from Minisink Island to Culver's Gap, and continued through Frankford Twp. where it crossed the Paulinskill River and went south, east of Newton.
Around the year 800 to 1000, triangular projectile points were developed. This was the beginning of the bow and arrow in North America. It was also at this time around the year 1000 that agriculture began to be developed. With potter, the bow and arrow and gardening, Native American populations grew even more. The Lenape were still hunter gatherers and supplemented their food intake with corn, beans and squash. They had gardens that were round or oval in fertile river valleys. The Paulinskill River and the surrounding valley offered excellent area for family camps of Native Americans. The Paulinskill River is shallow and narrow which allowed for easy fishing, bathing, and gathering of plants. Game also is attracted to the river valley such as deer, bear, waterfowl and other small game. Since the land is flat, this allowed for easy traveling, hunting and food gathering such as various nuts. Many trees were huge, which allowed for large nut crops each autumn. The Native American populations continued to grow even though they were living in a late stone age culture. Populations expanded until the Little Ice Age and European arrival.

The Little Ice Age and European Contact

The Little Ice Age began in the early 17th century and ended in the mid 19th century. In the late 17th century is when Europeans came into contact with the Lenape Native Americans in this area. The Little Ice Age had to have a drastic effect on Native American populations in this area. The area had late frosts in June and early frosts in August. This would have had not only an effect on corn crops, but on hunting game as well for the Native Americans. Corn took longer to grow than the corn farmers grow today. Trees bearing nuts such as Oak, Hickory, Beech, Walnut, Butternut, and Chestnut would had reduced nut crops by cold weather. Game animals tend to go into a semi hibernation during cold spells which would make game more difficult to find. Extreme cold weather and deep snow also made finding game difficult. Shallow rivers such as the Paulinskill and Wallkill froze quickly, thus reducing the ability to fish. Due to these factors many Native Americans starved in this area.

Native Americans had no immunity to European diseases because of separation from Europe and Asia for thousands of years made them vulnerable to European diseases. Because Native Americans traveled and traded with each other, getting small pox was not that difficult. Population of Native Americans perished because of this also. The Native populations decreased during the late 17th century and early 18th century in Frankford Township and the rest of New Jersey due to disease.

By 1750 nearly all the Native Americans were gone from this area. This was due to land purchases, disease, and starvation.

Early European settlement

The first permanent settlement of European settlers in the township probably happened around the 1740s. The land was flat with fresh water from the Paulinskill, Dry Creek or Papakatkin Creek. Soil was fertile for farming. Huge trees in virgin forests were everywhere. Game, fish and waterfowl were abundant. The land was cleared for farming. The forests were slowly cut down with axes. Fire was used to clear land. The area was still cold due to the Little Ice Age so farming progressed slowly. The area was controlled by England and part of Morris County at this time.

Settlers came from New York State by way of the Wallkill River drainage or by route through Culver's Gap. The Highlands to the east were difficult to cross.

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 5,420 people, 1,839 households, and 1,473 families residing in the township. 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 158.9 people per square mile (61.4/km2). There were 2,295 housing units at an average density of 67.3 per square mile (26.0/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 98.15% White, 0.39% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 0.50% 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 0.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.77% of the population.

There were 1,839 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.4% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. 16.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the township the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $64,444, and the median income for a family was $69,449. Males had a median income of $49,781 versus $31,383 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 township was $25,051. About 3.5% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Frankford Township is governed under the Township
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...

 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 each year. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.

, members of the Frankford Township Committee are Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 William Hahn, Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...

 Gary Larson and Dr. Sam Castimore.

Constitutional Officers are: Clerk - Patricia Bussow, Chief Financial Officer
Chief financial officer
The chief financial officer or Chief financial and operating officer is a corporate officer primarily responsible for managing the financial risks of the corporation. This officer is also responsible for financial planning and record-keeping, as well as financial reporting to higher management...

 - Gail Magura, Tax Collector
Tax collector
A tax collector is a person who collects unpaid taxes from other people or corporations. Tax collectors are often portrayed in fiction as being evil, and in the modern world share a somewhat similar stereotype to that of lawyers....

 - Stephen Lance, and Tax Assessor - John Dyksen.

Federal, state and county representation

Frankford Township is in the 5th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district. The legislative district was kept unchanged by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission
New Jersey Apportionment Commission
The New Jersey Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections...

 based on the results of the 2010 Census.




Politics

As of March 23, 2011, out of a 2010 Census population of 5,565 in Frankford, there were 4,054 registered voters (72.8% of the population, vs. 65.8% in all of Sussex County). Of registered voters, 510 (12.6% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats
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...

, 2,349 (57.9% vs. 39.3% countywide) were registered as Republicans
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 and 1,192 (29.4% vs. 44.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared
Undeclared (New Jersey)
Unaffiliated is a status for registered voters in New Jersey. Those voters who do not specify a political party affiliation when they register to vote are listed as unaffiliated....

. There were three voters registered to other parties (one Green
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...

 and two Libertarians
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...

).

In recent years, on the national level, Frankford is a stronghold for the Republican Party. In the 2004 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...

, Republican George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 received 70% of the vote here, defeating Democrat John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...

, who received 28%. 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 65% of the vote here, defeating Democrat Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

, who received 32%. This gives Frankford Township a Cook PVI of R+20.

Education

Students in public school for Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Frankford Township School District
Frankford Township School District
The Frankford Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade from Frankford Township, in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States...

, located in Branchville, which served 625 students as of the 2009-10 school year. Students from Branchville
Branchville, New Jersey
Branchville 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....

 attend the district's school as part of a sending/receiving relationship
Sending/receiving relationship
A sending/receiving relationship is one in which a public school district sends some or all of its students to attend the schools of another district. This is often done to achieve costs savings in smaller districts or continues after districts have grown as part of a historical relationship...

.

For grades 9 - 12, public school students attend High Point Regional High School
High Point Regional High School
High Point Regional High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school and school district, which serves students from five municipalities in Sussex County, New Jersey, serving students from the five municipalities of Branchville Borough, Frankford Township, Lafayette Township, Sussex...

, located in Wantage Township. Attending the school are students from Branchville
Branchville, New Jersey
Branchville 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....

, Frankford Township, Lafayette Township
Lafayette Township, New Jersey
Lafayette 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....

, Sussex Borough
Sussex, New Jersey
Sussex 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...

 and from 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:...

.

Transportation

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...

, Route 15 and County Route 565
County Route 565 (New Jersey)
County Route 565, abbreviated CR 565, is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from U.S. Route 206 / Route 15 in Frankford Township to McAfee Glenwood Road in Vernon Township.-Route description:...

 all pass through the township.

Notable residents

notable current and former residents of Frankford Township include:
  • Gary R. Chiusano
    Gary R. Chiusano
    Gary R. Chiusano is an American Republican Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since January 8, 2008, where he represents the 24th Legislative District....

     (born 1951), member of the New Jersey General Assembly
    New Jersey General Assembly
    The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...

     and former mayor.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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