Augusta, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Augusta, New Jersey
|
|
|---|---|
 Augusta, New Jersey
Location in Sussex County, New Jersey
Augusta, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Augusta, New Jersey
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Sussex |
| Township | Frankford |
| Elevation | 495 ft (151 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 887 |
| ZIP code |
07822
|
| GNIS feature ID | 0874424 |
Augusta is a small community located in Frankford Township, within Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. It's called an "unincorporated community" because it doesn't have its own separate local government like a town or city. Instead, it's part of a larger township. In 2010, about 887 people lived in the area covered by Augusta's ZIP code.
Augusta is famous for hosting the New Jersey State Fair and the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show. These big events bring many visitors to the area each year.
Augusta is also home to Skylands Park, a baseball stadium with 4,300 seats. It used to be the home field for teams like the New Jersey Cardinals and the Sussex Skyhawks. Today, it's where the Sussex County Miners play. They are part of the Frontier League and started playing there in 2015.
Where is Augusta?
Augusta is located at 41°8'42" North and 74°41'5" West. This means it's in the northern part of New Jersey.
The community sits in the Kittatinny Valley. This valley is part of a much larger area called the Great Appalachian Valley. To the west of Augusta, you can see the Kittatinny Mountains. To the east, you'll find the New Jersey Highlands.
How Augusta Was Formed
Augusta's land was created a very long time ago, around 450 million years ago! This happened during a period called the Ordovician time. A chain of volcanic islands crashed into the ancient North American plate. The islands slid over the North American plate, which helped form the valley we see today.
For a long time, the valley was covered by a shallow sea. Later, strong geological forces pushed the shale rock upwards. This created the land that Augusta now sits on.
The Ice Age and Rivers
About 21,000 to 13,000 years ago, a huge sheet of ice called the Wisconsin Glacier covered the valley. Augusta was buried under about 300 meters (almost 1,000 feet) of ice!
When this giant glacier slowly melted, it created two important waterways. These are the Paulinskill River and Papakatkin Creek.
The Paulinskill River starts near Newton. It flows west through Augusta and eventually empties into the Delaware River. The Paulinskill is known as one of the best fishing spots in New Jersey. Every year, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife adds thousands of trout to the river for people to catch.
Papakatkin Creek flows north from Augusta. It drains into the Wallkill River. The land just north of Route 206 in Augusta acts as a "drainage divide." This means water on one side flows into the Paulinskill, and water on the other side flows into Papakatkin Creek.
Famous People from Augusta
Some people who have lived in or are connected to Augusta include:
- Russ Van Atta (1906–1986): He was a professional baseball pitcher. He played for famous teams like the New York Yankees. After his baseball career, he became the Sheriff of Sussex County.
