Hackettstown, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hackettstown, New Jersey
Town
Centenary University, Warren County’s only four year post secondary institution
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Hackettstown, New Jersey Location in Warren County, New Jersey Show map of Warren County, New Jersey Hackettstown, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Hackettstown, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Warren
Incorporated	March 9, 1853
Named for	Samuel Hackett
Government
• Type	Special charter
• Body	Town Council
Area
• Total	3.71 sq mi (9.61 km2)
• Land	3.61 sq mi (9.35 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2)  2.67%
Area rank	307th of 565 in state 18th of 22 in county
Elevation	554 ft (169 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	10,248
• Estimate  (2023)	10,125
• Rank	239th of 565 in state 2nd of 22 in county
• Density	2,837.2/sq mi (1,095.4/km2)
• Density rank	230th of 565 in state 3rd of 22 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07840
Area code(s)	908
FIPS code	3404128710
GNIS feature ID	0885237

Hackettstown is a town in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is perhaps best known as the home to the US headquarters of Mars, Inc.. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 10,248, an increase of 524 (+5.4%) from the 2010 census count of 9,724, which in turn reflected a decline of 679 (−6.5%) from the 10,403 counted in the 2000 census.

Hackettstown was incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 9, 1853, from portions of Independence Township. Portions of territory were exchanged with Mansfield Township in 1857, 1860, 1872 and 1875.

History

Founding

William Johnson (1817–1891) was a prime contributor to the incorporation of the town in 1853. He and his brother George (1815–1889) were successful merchants in the town beginning in 1839 when they began operating the W.L. & G.W Johnson dry good store. The two men were very active in community affairs. George was a member of First Presbyterian Church, a director of the Hackettstown National Bank, and a member of the Hackettstown Water Board. Both men were involved in the establishment of the Union Cemetery.

Hackettstown was named after Samuel Hackett, an early settler and large landowner. Hackett is said to have "contributed liberally to the liquid refreshments on the christening of a new hotel, in order to secure the name which, before this, had been Helms' Mills or Musconetcong."

20th century

The Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery, a popular tourist destination, was established in 1912.

In 1925, a train wreck just outside of town killed about 50 people and injured about 50 others en route to Hoboken, New Jersey, from Chicago. The derailment involved a Lackawanna Railroad train and occurred at the Hazen Road grade crossing near Rockport Road at approximately 3:30 am, as a result of debris washed downhill by a storm fouling the road crossing. The event made national headlines and stands as the deadliest event in Warren County history.

Fund-raising campaigns for a new hospital started as early as 1945, supported and organized by local civic and business groups including Kiwanis, Unico International, PTA and others, a large donation by the Seventh Day Adventists and a grant from the United States Public Health Service, the 106-bed Hackettstown Community Hospital was established in 1973.

In 1977, a mass shooting occurred in the town when Emil Pierre Benoist, a 20-year-old graduate of Hackettstown High School and former U.S. Marine, took random shots at passing cars over the course of about four hours and shot and killed six people before turning his sniper rifle on himself.

In 1994, a charity BBQ picnic organized by the "Tri-County Motorcycle Club" at the Elk's Lodge in Hackettstown was crashed by rival members of the outlaw Pagan's Motorcycle Club. "An altercation started that escalated into knives and guns being used", according to the Warren County Prosecutor. Two Pagans were killed and three other bikers were injured.

21st century

Hackettstown was named #72 of the top 100 towns in the United States to Live and Work In by Money Magazine in 2005; it has not been included since.

In 2011, the town council proclaimed a sister city relationship with Hacketstown, Ireland.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 3.71 square miles (9.61 km²), including 3.61 square miles (9.35 km²) of land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km²) of water (2.67%). The town is located in a valley along the banks of the Musconetcong River.

Upper Pohatcong Mountain extends northeast of Washington approximately 6 mi (9.7 km).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the town include Warren Furnace.

Hackettstown borders the townships of Washington (Morris County) to the southeast, Mansfield to the southwest, Allamuchy to the north, Mount Olive to the northeast, and Independence to the west.

Hackettstown is 49.6 miles (79.8 km) northeast of Allentown and 55.3 miles (89.0 km) northwest of New York City.

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

The 2010 United States census counted 9,724 people, 3,575 households, and 2,256 families in the town. The population density was 2,696.1 per square mile (1,041.0/km²). There were 3,755 housing units at an average density of 1,041.1 per square mile (402.0/km²). The racial makeup was 85.08% (8,273) White, 2.46% (239) Black or African American, 0.24% (23) Native American, 4.97% (483) Asian, 0.05% (5) Pacific Islander, 5.19% (505) from other races, and 2.02% (196) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.16% (1,474) of the population.

Of the 3,575 households, 29.4% had children under the age of 18; 49.5% were married couples living together; 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 36.9% were non-families. Of all households, 30.0% were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.09.

20.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 14.5% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 91.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $62,215 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,907) and the median family income was $82,216 (+/− $10,611). Males had a median income of $51,489 (+/− $5,850) versus $41,822 (+/− $5,248) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,433 (+/− $2,122). About 4.4% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Mars Wrigley US Headquarters, 800 High Street

Hackettstown houses the US headquarters of Mars Wrigley Confectionery, a business segment of Mars, Incorporated, makers of Milky Way, Mars, M&M's, Twix and Snickers.

Arts and culture

Musical groups from Hackettstown include The Semonski Sisters, a family musical act that appeared on television's The Lawrence Welk Show from 1975 to 1977.

Sports

• The Skyland Rollergirls were a roller derby team founded in 2008 that bouted out of Excel Roller Skating Center in Hackettstown until it closed in late 2011.
• The Jersey Express, a team in the American Basketball Association moved to Hackettstown in late 2012 and played in the gym at Centenary College.
• Hackettstown High School sports teams are known as the Tigers and compete as part of the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference.
• The Centenary University sports teams are known as the Cyclones.
• The Hackettstown Harleys ice hockey team was founded in 2008.

Education

Old Main, Edward Seay Administration Building, Centenary University

The Hackettstown School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district serves students in four schools: two elementary schools (covering K-4), a middle school (5–8), and a four-year high school (9–12). As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 2,003 students and 172.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.6:1. Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Hatchery Hill School with 275 students in grades PreK-1, Willow Grove School with 368 students in grades 2–4, Hackettstown Middle School with 475 students in grades 5-8 and Hackettstown High School with 869 students in grades 9–12. Students from the townships of Allamuchy, Independence, and Liberty, attend the district's high school as part of sending/receiving relationships. For the 2001–2002 school year, Hackettstown Middle School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.

Students from the town and from all of Warren County are eligible to attend Ridge and Valley Charter School in Frelinghuysen Township (for grades K–8) or Warren County Technical School in Washington borough (for 9–12), with special education services provided by local districts supplemented throughout the county by the Warren County Special Services School District in Oxford Township (for Pre-K–12).

Centenary University, a private college affiliated with the United Methodist Church, was founded in 1867 and received approval in 1995 to grant master's degrees.

Media

• WRNJ at 1510 AM and simulcast on FM Translators 92.7 FM 104.7 FM and 105.7 FM, is licensed to Hackettstown and locally owned and operated.
• WXPJ at 91.9 FM – Originally Centenary University radio, the station was sold in 2015 and is owned and operated by the University of Pennsylvania.
• Two regional Advance Digital publications serve the town, The Star-Ledger of Newark, and The Express-Times of Easton, Pa. The company formerly kept a newsroom for the free weekly newspaper The Warren Reporter on East Moore Street, which has since been closed and folded into its digital products.

Transportation

U.S. Route 46 in Hackettstown

Roads and highways

As of May 2010^[update], the town had a total of 34.47 miles (55.47 km) of roadways, of which 28.83 miles (46.40 km) were maintained by the municipality, 2.96 miles (4.76 km) by Warren County and 2.68 miles (4.31 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Passing through Hackettstown are U.S. Route 46, Route 57, and County Route 517. Route 182 exists completely within the boundaries of Hackettstown. Interstate 80 runs to the north of the town.

Public transportation

Hackettstown station

The Hackettstown station is the western terminus of the NJ Transit Morristown Line and the Montclair-Boonton Line, which both provide service to Hoboken Terminal with connections to Pennsylvania Station in Midtown Manhattan via Midtown Direct trains. New Jersey Transit bus service used to be provided on the MCM5 and 973 local routes before they were discontinued.

Warren County operates a shuttle along Route 57 to Washington Township that operates on an hourly loop on weekdays, with connections available to a shuttle to Phillipsburg.

Airports

Hackettstown is located 49.3 miles (79.3 km) from Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark / Elizabeth. Lehigh Valley International Airport, near Allentown, Pennsylvania, is 39.0 miles (62.8 km) away.

Hackettstown Airport, a small general aviation airport with the official database designation of (FAA LID: N05) is located in adjoining Mansfield Township, only a few hundred yards from the municipal border with Hackettstown proper.

Points of interest

• Union Cemetery, Mountain Avenue
• Mars Wrigley US Headquarters

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  Historical Society Museum

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  Jacob C. Allen House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places

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  First Presbyterian Church

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  Old Presbyterian Burial Ground

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  Hackettstown Free Public Library

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  Hackettstown Community Center

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  400 West Moore Street

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  Hackettstown Medical Center

Notable people

Lt. Bulkeley receiving the Medal of Honor c. 1942

Izetta Jewel c. 1903

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Hackettstown include:

• Abraham H. Albertson (1872–1964), one of Seattle's most prominent architects of the first half of the 20th century
• John D. Bulkeley (1911–1996), Vice Admiral in the United States Navy, Medal of Honor winner, PT boat skipper who evacuated General Douglas MacArthur from Corregidor
• Bette Cooper (1920–2017), Miss America 1937
• Jim Courter (born 1941), former Member of Congress
• Jonathan Townley Crane (1819–1880), clergyman, author, abolitionist, father of author Stephen Crane, founder of Centenary Collegiate Institute
• Christina Desiderio (born 2000), artistic gymnast
• John DiMaio (born 1955), member of the New Jersey General Assembly who served as mayor of Hackettstown from 1991 to 1999
• Brian Fallon (born 1980), lead singer for The Gaslight Anthem / The Horrible Crowes
• John Clifford Heed (1862–1908), composer and musician, best known for composing over 60 marches
• Kenneth Hopper (1926–2019), engineer
• Izetta Jewel (1883–1978), born Izetta Jewel Kenney, actress and women's rights activist
• Ken Kelsch (1947–2023), cinematographer of films including Bad Lieutenant and Big Night
• Cole Kimball (born 1985), pitcher who has played for the Washington Nationals
• William Logan (1914–2002), cyclist who competed in the tandem and team pursuit events at the 1936 Summer Olympics
• Kristen Maloney (born 1981), former gymnastics Olympian
• Louis F. Post (1849–1928), journalist, lawyer, author, former US Attorney, former Assistant United States Secretary of Labor during the Wilson administration
• Jimmi Simpson (born 1975), Emmy nominated film and television actor
• Joe Stanowicz (1921–1999), football player who attended the United States Military Academy where he played at the guard position for the Army Black Knights football team
• Anthony Veneziano (born 1997), Major League Baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals
• George Theodore Werts (1846–1910), Governor of New Jersey (1893–1896)

See also

In Spanish: Hackettstown para niños