FRANKLIN, NEW JERSEY

:''see also: Franklin Township, New Jersey, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey''
'Franklin' is a Borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 5,160.
Franklin, known as the "Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World,"[1] is located over a rich ore body containing more than 150 minerals, many of them fluorescent and 25 of which are found no where else on earth. Settled in the 1600s, the village known as Franklin Furnace developed near iron mines and iron smelting operations located along the Wallkill River. In the early 1800s, zinc deposits in the area began to be developed commercially. For most of the century many small companies mined zinc and iron in the Franklin area. In 1897 all zinc mining efforts merged into the New Jersey Zinc Company The Zinc company was a major controlling factor in the development of Franklin. Immigrants from Russia, Britain, Hungary and Poland joined the work force at the mine. The population, 500 in 1897, had swelled to 3,000 by 1913. On March 18, 1913, the Borough of Franklin was incorporated from portions of Hardyston Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 23, 1913."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 230.
Map of Franklin in Sussex County


Contents
Geography
Demographics
Government
Local government
Federal, state and county representation
Education
Media
Notable residents
References
External links

Geography


Franklin is located at (41.117157, -74.582868).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 11.8 km² (4.6 mi²). 11.6 km² (4.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (1.32%) is water.
See also Franklin Furnace regarding the complex mineralogy of the area.

Demographics


As of the census of 2000, there were 5,160 people, 1,898 households, and 1,324 families residing in the borough. The population density was 443.7/km² (1,150.2/mi²). There were 1,997 housing units at an average density of 171.7/km² (445.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.10% White, 0.62% African American, 0.35% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 1.22% from other races, and 1.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.42% of the population.
There were 1,898 households out of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the borough the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $44,985, and the median income for a family was $52,682. Males had a median income of $41,080 versus $26,201 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $19,386. About 5.6% of families and 7.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government


Local government

Franklin is governed under the Borough form of government. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to serve a four-year term of office. There are six members of the Borough Council, elected to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year.
The Mayor of Franklin Borough is Douglas Kistle (term ends December 31, 2007). Members of the Borough Council are Council President Gilbert Snyder (2009), Patrick Barton (2009), Dayne W. Hill (2008), John Sowden IV (2007), Jack O. Stoll (2007) and Jim Williams (2008).[2]

★ Council President Dayne W. Hill (2008), Chairman - Public Safety & Administrative Ordinance Committee

★ Steve V. Oroho (2006), Chairman - Budget Committee

★ Gilbert Snyder (2006), Liaison - Recreation Commission

★ John Sowden IV (2007), Chairman - Administrative Finance & Personnel

★ Jack O. Stoll (2007), Liaison - Board of Public Works

★ Jim Williams (2008), Liaison - Planning Board
Federal, state and county representation

Franklin Borough is in the Fifth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 24th Legislative District.[3]

Education


Students in public school for grades K - 8 attend the Franklin Borough School, which serves 557 students. In September 1982, Wallkill Valley Regional High School opened its doors, and Franklin High School closed theirs, making the class of 1981 the final class to graduate from Franklin High School. Franklin School K-12 then became Franklin Elementary School K-8.
For grades 9 - 12, public school students attend Wallkill Valley Regional High School which is composed of students from Franklin Borough, Hardyston Township, Hamburg Borough and Ogdensburg Borough, and is part of the Wallkill Valley Regional High School District.

Media



WSUS-FM is a Class A radio station serving the Sussex County area on 102.3 FM, owned by Clear Channel Communications. The station plays an adult contemporary music format. They are known as the "Best Variety Of Soft Rock 102.3 WSUS".

Notable residents


Notable current and former residents of Franklin include:

Charles J. Fletcher, inventor, whose best-known creation is the hovercraft

References


1. Fluorescent Minerals, accessed October 20, 2006
2. Franklin Borough Mayor and Council, Franklin Borough. Accessed August 21, 2007.
3. 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 57. Accessed August 30, 2006.

External links



Franklin Borough website

Franklin Borough School



National Center for Education Statistics data for the Franklin Borough School

Wallkill Valley Regional High School

Abandoned Mines of Franklin, New Jersey

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