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.[25]
Hackettstown was named after Samuel Hackett, an early settler and large landowner.[26][27] 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."[28][29]
Tillie Smith murder case
In 1886, Tillie Smith, a 19-year-old kitchen worker from a poverty-stricken family, was raped, murdered and left lying in an open field near the campus of the
Centenary Collegiate Institute, where she worked.[30][31] James Titus, a janitor at the school, was tried and convicted of the rape and murder, based on
circumstantial evidence and public opinion shaped by
yellow journalism. Titus was sentenced to hang, but he signed a confession to avoid the death penalty and served 19 years of hard labor. He lived from 1904 to 1952 in Hackettstown among many of the same residents who championed his conviction, the validity of which remains controversial.[32][33][34] The killing remains a popular local legend, inspiring several books,
Weird NJ magazine articles,[35] theatrical performances and
dark tourism ghost tours.[36][37]
20th century
The Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery, a popular tourist destination, was established in 1912.[38][39]
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, Illinois. 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.[40][41][42]
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.[43]
In 1977, a
mass shooting occurred in the town when a 20-year-old graduate of
Hackettstown High School and former
U.S. Marine, Emil Pierre Benoist, 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.[44][45][46]
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.[47] Two Pagans were killed and three other bikers were injured.[48]
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.[49]
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%).[1][2] The town is located in a valley along the banks of the
Musconetcong River.
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]
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.[20]
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.[65]
2000 census
As of the
2000 United States Census[16] there were 10,403 people, 4,134 households, and 2,530 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,809.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,084.8/km2). There were 4,347 housing units at an average density of 1,174.0 per square mile (453.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 90.25%
White, 2.18%
African American, 0.12%
Native American, 2.91%
Asian, 0.06%
Pacific Islander, 2.00% from
other races, and 2.47% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 8.01% of the population.[22][64]
There were 4,134 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were
married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.8% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.10.[22][64]
In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.[22][64]
The median income for a household in the town was $51,955, and the median income for a family was $64,383. Males had a median income of $44,420 versus $31,110 for females. The
per capita income for the town was $24,742. About 2.3% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.[22][64]
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.[69][70]
Hackettstown operates under a
mayor-council form of government that was created by a
special charter adopted by the
New Jersey Legislature and approved by the voters in 1970.[75] The town is one of 11 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that operate under a special charter.[76] The town's governing body is comprised of a strong mayor who serves a three-year term of office and six councilpersons who are elected at large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two seats up for election each year.[6][77] The mayor is the town's chief executive officer, overseeing its day-to-day operation and presenting an annual budget. The council is the town's legislative body. The mayor attends town council meetings, but may only vote in the event of a tie. The mayor may veto ordinances passed by the council, which can be overridden with the votes of four council members.[78]
As of 2022[update], the
mayor of Hackettstown is
Republican Gerald DiMaio Jr. whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Town Council are Jody Becker (R, 2024), Matthew Engelau (R, 2022), Leonard Kunz (R, 2023), James Lambo (R, 2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Scott Sheldon (R, 2024) and Eric Tynan (R, 2023).[3][79][80][81][82]
James Lambo was selected from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill a vacant seat. The seat, which expired in December 2018, was vacated by William Conforti in August 2016, after his announcement that he was moving out of the municipality. Lambo served on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election during which he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.[83][84]
Warren County is governed by a three-member
Board of County Commissioners, who are chosen
at-large on a staggered basis in partisan elections with one seat coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects one of its members to serve as Commissioner Director and other as Deputy Director.[94] As of 2024[update], Warren County's Commissioners are:
In the November 2020 election, there were 6,697 voters in Hackettstown. Of those voters, 2,473 (50.31%) voted for Republican Donald J. Trump and 2,280 (46.38%) voted for Democrat Joseph R. Biden, the eventual victor.[106]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,410 registered voters in Hackettstown, of which 1,169 (21.6% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as
Democrats, 1,764 (32.6% vs. 35.3%) were registered as
Republicans and 2,468 (45.6% vs. 43.1%) were registered as
Unaffiliated. There were 9 voters registered as
Libertarians or
Greens.[107] Among the town's 2010 Census population, 55.6% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 69.8% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 81.5% countywide).[107][108]
In the
2012 presidential election, Republican
Mitt Romney received 1,973 votes (52.2% vs. 56.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Barack Obama with 1,661 votes (44.0% vs. 40.8%) and other candidates with 77 votes (2.0% vs. 1.7%), among the 3,777 ballots cast by the town's 5,516 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.5% (vs. 66.7% in Warren County).[109][110] In the
2008 presidential election, Republican
John McCain received 2,090 votes (52.7% vs. 55.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Barack Obama with 1,724 votes (43.4% vs. 41.4%) and other candidates with 64 votes (1.6% vs. 1.6%), among the 3,969 ballots cast by the town's 5,437 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.0% (vs. 73.4% in Warren County).[111] In the
2004 presidential election, Republican
George W. Bush received 2,368 votes (60.3% vs. 61.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat
John Kerry with 1,492 votes (38.0% vs. 37.2%) and other candidates with 48 votes (1.2% vs. 1.3%), among the 3,928 ballots cast by the town's 5,241 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.9% (vs. 76.3% in the whole county).[112]
In the
2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie received 72.5% of the vote (1,543 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono with 25.6% (545 votes), and other candidates with 1.9% (41 votes), among the 2,166 ballots cast by the town's 5,608 registered voters (37 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.6%.[113][114] In the
2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,547 votes (61.1% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Jon Corzine with 662 votes (26.1% vs. 25.7%), Independent
Chris Daggett with 250 votes (9.9% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 30 votes (1.2% vs. 1.5%), among the 2,533 ballots cast by the town's 5,321 registered voters, yielding a 47.6% turnout (vs. 49.6% in the county).[115]
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.[133]
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.[134]
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.[135]
Transportation
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.[136]
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.[138][139]
Hackettstown Airport, a small general aviation airport with the official database designation of (
FAALID: N05) is located in adjoining
Mansfield Township, only a few hundred yards from the municipal border with Hackettstown proper.
Points of interest
Hackettstown Historical Society Museum, 106 Church Street[140]
^Mars Wrigley Confectionery to base U.S. Headquarters in Hackettstown,
Archived December 8, 2017, at the
Wayback MachineMars, Incorporated, December 5, 2017. Accessed April 27, 2023. "Mars Wrigley Confectionery U.S., part of the world’s leading manufacturer of chocolate, chewing gum, mints, and fruity confections, announced today its intent to base its U.S. headquarters in New Jersey, utilizing existing offices in Hackettstown, NJ, as well as a new location in Newark, NJ. Mars Wrigley Confectionery’s global headquarters will continue to be based in Chicago while its U.S. headquarters will transition to New Jersey by July 2020."
^Historic Main Street, Hackettstown, NJ, Frank, Leonard and Raymond Lemasters, Harmony Press, Inc, Easton, PA, 2006, pp. 77-78
^via the Trenton Monitor.
"Origin of Geographical Names in New Jersey", Camden Democrat, August 12, 1865. Accessed July 6, 2012. "Hackettstown - After Samuel Hackett, an early settler."
^Northwestern New Jersey–-A History of Somerset, Morris, Hunterdon, Warren, and Sussex Counties, Vol. 2. (A. Van Doren Honeyman, ed. in chief, Lewis Historical Publishing Co., New York, 1927) p. 689.
^HistoryArchived 2013-02-20 at the
Wayback Machine, Borough of Washington. Accessed June 5, 2013. "Upper Pohatcong Mountain extends northeast of Washington approximately 6 mi (10 km) to the vicinity of Hackettstown."
^Loigu, Andy.
"Sports Chatter: New Jersey Express call Centenary home this winter", Warren Reporter, February 16, 2013. Accessed June 5, 2013. "The New Jersey Express has been in the circuit that brought the red, white and blue ball and three-point shot into the sport 45 years ago, since 2005, but is in its first season of calling the Reeves Gymnasium and Hackettstown its home."
^Charter and General Code Ordinance, p .420. Updated through December 31, 2018. Accessed September 1, 2020. "On September 23, 1970, an Act to provide a special charter for the Town of Hackettstown was adopted by the Legislature. This act was approved by the voters on November 3, 1970, and became effective at that time."
^Novak, Steve.
"Another Warren County town dealing with elected officials' resignations", The Express-Times, October 4, 2016. Accessed February 2, 2018. "Councilman William Conforti resigned from the municipal government Aug. 5 because he was moving out of town.... Council appointed James Lambo to fill the slot. His name is to be put on November ballot to fill the remainder of the term, which expires at the end of 2018, town Clerk/Administrator William Kuster said."
^Biography of Bob Menendez,
United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
^Governmental Structure, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed February 22, 2022. "Warren County operates under the County Commissioner form of county government. The Board of County Commissioners consists of three Commissioners each elected at large for staggered terms of three years. The Commissioner Director is chosen by the full board at the board's annual reorganization meeting in January. The Commissioners supervise, direct and administer all county services and functions through the various departments, autonomous boards, agencies, and commissions. Reporting to the Board of County Commissioners is an appointed County Administrator."
^Jason J. Sarnoski, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed February 22, 2022.
^Lori Ciesla, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed February 22, 2022.
^James R. Kern III, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed February 22, 2022.
^Hackettstown Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Hackettstown School District. Accessed November 9, 2023. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelve in the Hackettstown School District. Composition: The Hackettstown School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Hackettstown and middle and high school pupils from Allamuchy and Great Meadows."
^F.A.Q., Ridge and Valley Charter School. Accessed July 17, 2017. "Enrollment is open, on a space available basis, to all K-8 students residing in N.J. with priority given to students residing in the districts of Blairstown, Hardwick, Knowlton, Frelinghuysen, and North Warren Regional School."
^History and Traditions,
Centenary University. Accessed March 31, 2020. "Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary University has evolved from a coeducational preparatory school into a modern, independent, four-year baccalaureate and master-level institution of higher learning."
^Blumenthal, Jeff.
"WXPN expands reach by acquiring North Jersey radio station", Philadelphia Business Journal, October 12, 2015. Accessed March 20, 2023. "The ownership of WNTI (91.9 FM), the public radio station owned by Centenary College of Hackettstown, N.J., was transferred to WXPN, which will begin broadcasting its music programming on its new property beginning on Thursday at 12 p.m. FCC approval of the transaction is expected to take 60 to 90 days after the filing."
^Warren County Transportation (WCT) Shuttles and Demand Response, Warren County, New Jersey. Accessed July 11, 2022. "The Washington - Hackettstown Shuttle runs Monday - Friday starting at 8:00 a.m. with the last run beginning at 4:30 p.m. Shuttles operate on a schedule with stops every 60 minutes at key locations along the route."
^Vachon, Duane.
"John D. Bulkeley Vice Admiral USN – A Gitmo Hero, Hawaii Reporter, March 21, 2014. accessed January 17, 2019. "John Duncan Bulkeley was born on August 19, 1911 at New York City. He grew up on a farm in Hackettstown, New Jersey and graduated from Hackettstown High School."
^MacFarland, James M.
"No Headline", The New York Times, October 16, 1983. Accessed July 6, 2012. "If memory serves me correctly, Miss Cooper then lived in Hackettstown, where her parents lived. She confounded the Atlantic City pageant officials by not returning for the after-contest festivities. Later, she attended Centenary College in Hackettstown."
^"Katrina Courter, Taylor Whitman", The New York Times, September 10, 2006. Accessed September 20, 2007. "Katrina Janis Courter, a daughter of Carmen and former Representative Jim Courter of Hackettstown, N.J., and Taylor Prentice Whitman, the son of former Gov. Christie Todd Whitman and John Russell Whitman of Oldwick, N.J., were married yesterday at Watch Hill Chapel in Rhode Island."
^Wertheim, Stanley. (1997). A Stephen Crane encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.
ISBN0-313-00812-4.
OCLC52242909.
^Ken Kelsch, Mandy.com. Accessed December 27, 2023. "Location: Hackettstown, New Jersey, USA"
^Morrow, Geoff.
"Commentary: Cole Kimball provides the Harrisburg Senators serious attitude", The Patriot-News, August 15, 2010. Accessed May 30, 2013. "Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Kimball lived in the New York City borough until he was 7. Then his family, including two sisters and a brother, moved to Hackettstown, N.J.... After college stints at St. John's University and Division III Centenary College, the latter just down the street from his Hackettstown home, Kimball was selected in the 12th round by the Washington Nationals in the 2006 amateur draft."
^Havsy, Jane.
"Olympic Dreams Come True", Daily Record, September 14, 2000. Accessed May 10, 2011. "Gymnast Kristen Maloney was born in Hackettstown though she attended Pen Argyl, Pa High School and trains with the Parkettes in Pennsylvania."
^via
Associated Press.
"He's baaack — 'Naked Cowboy' belts out tunes in Times Square", Deseret News, July 29, 2001. Accessed January 25, 2020. "So why give up the excitement of the rest of America to settle down in Hackettstown, N.J., and commute to Times Square every day? 'I get paid tons of money, but that's not important,' said Burck, who claims to make nearly $600 a day by charging a dollar to let people take his picture."
^Sommers, Michael W.
"TV play gives audiences a prime time", The Star-Ledger, December 3, 2007. Accessed May 10, 2011. "A rumpled, dreamy-eyed Farnsworth is portrayed by Jimmi Simpson (a Hackettstown native) with mild manners and a deep sense of purpose."