Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey
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 Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey
Location in Morris County, New Jersey
Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Morris |
| Township | Parsippany-Troy Hills |
| Elevation | 253 ft (77 m) |
| ZIP code |
07034
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| GNIS feature ID | 0877634 |
Lake Hiawatha is an unincorporated community located within Parsippany-Troy Hills in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service as ZIP code 07034. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 07034 was 9,360.
Lake Hiawatha was named after Hiawatha, a 16th-century First Nations leader and peacemaker, as evident by plaques on the gazebo on Beverwyck Road, the name of its park, and in the name and emblem of its fire department. However, its name was likely inspired by the popularity of The Song of Hiawatha, an 1855 poem by Longfellow which has little to no correlation with the historical figure of Hiawatha.
The name may be considered a misnomer because there is no longer a lake in the community.
Geology
The area was created when a chain of volcanic islands collided with the North American plate. The islands went over the North American plate and created the highlands of New Jersey. Then around 450 million years ago, a small continent collided with proto North America and created folding and faulting in western New Jersey and the southern Appalachians. When the African plate separated from North America, this created an aborted rift system or half-graben. The land lowered between the Ramapo fault in western Parsippany and the fault that was west of Paterson. The Wisconsin Glacier covered area from 21,000 to 13,000 BC. When the glacier melted due to climate change, Lake Passaic was formed, covering all of what is now Lake Hiawatha. Lake Passaic slowly drained and much of the area is swamps or low-lying meadows such as Troy Meadows. The Rockaway River flows over the Ramapo fault in Boonton and then flows along the northwestern edge of Lake Hiawatha. In this area, there are swamps near the river or in the area.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Lake Hiawatha include:
- Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (1929 - 2016), United States Marine awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic service at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War.
- Bobby Darin (1936–1973), singer, who owned a house in Lake Hiawatha, purchased with income from his 1959 rock and roll single "Dream Lover."
- Garrett Reisman (born 1968), physics professor, former NASA astronaut, author and former SpaceX executive who was an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, spent a combined 107 days in space and performed three space walks.
