Wayne, New Jersey

Wayne is a township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,069.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 65.2 km² (25.2 mi²). 61.7 km² (23.8 mi²) of it is land and 3.5 km² (1.4 mi²) of it (5.44%) is water.

Wayne is home to several lakes. Some of the larger lakes are Pines Lake, Pompton Lake, Point View Reservoir, and Packanack Lake. The Passaic River also flows through a portion of Wayne and occasionally floods near Willowbrook Mall.

Neighborhoods/Lake Communities

Wayne has a number of lakes, with distinct communities and neighborhoods located around them. These include Pines Lake, Packanack Lake, Lions Head Lake, and Pompton Lake (half of which is in Wayne).

History

In 1694, Arent Schuyler, a young surveyor, miner and land speculator, was sent into north western New Jersey to investigate rumors that the French were trying to incite the local Lenni-Lenape Native American population to rebel against the English. Schuyler found no evidence of a rebellion, but discovered a rich fertile valley where the Lenni-Lenape grew a variety of crops. Schuyler reported his findings to the English and then convinced Major Anthony Brockholst, Samuel Bayard, Samuel Berry, Hendrick and David Mandeville, George Ryerson and John Mead to invest in the purchase of the land he referred to as the Pompton Valley. The seven chose Schuyler to be negotiator with the Lenape for the rights to the area. Samual Bayard, however, was chosen to negotiate with the East Jersey Company which maintained land rights over the area that is now Wayne. Approximately 5,000 acres were purchased on November 11, 1695. The area now known as Wayne Township then became part of New Barbadoes Township, Bergen County, New Jersey in Bergen County.

In 1710, this same area became part of Saddle River Township in Bergen County. By 1837, the residents of Wayne found themselves in Manchester Township in the newly named Passaic County. Finally, on April 12, 1847 the first Wayne Township organization meeting was held at the Henry Casey House on the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike. The first mayor, called the Chairman of the Township Committee until 1962, was William S. Hogencamp. The citizens voted to name the town after American Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne.

Throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries, Wayne Township remained a peaceful farming community. The Morris Canal ran through the southwestern part of Wayne, carrying produce to market and coal from Pennsylvania. The canal was replaced by the railroad at the end of the 19th Century. In the early 20th century, Wayne grew as a vacation retreat for wealthy New Yorkers. In the summer hordes of people from Manhattan and Brooklyn came to live in the summer bungalows and enjoy the beautiful rivers.

World War II maked the imputus for tremendous change in Wayne. Summer bungalows were converted to year round living residences to accommodate factory workers. Following the war, farmland was converted to residential living. The growth of Wayne resulted in a new form of government in the 1960's. A Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council-Administrator) form of government was instituted in 1962. Modern highways have made Wayne Township a virtual crossroad in North Jersey. Route 23, U.S. Route 46 and Interstate 80 and the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike have made Wayne easily accessed for business and homes. Several national firms have located here.

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 54,069 people, 18,755 households, and 14,366 families residing in the township. The population density was 876.4/km² (2,269.5/mi²). There were 19,218 housing units at an average density of 311.5/km² (806.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 90.05% White, 1.66% African American, 0.10% Native American, 5.67% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.17% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.09% of the population.

There were 18,755 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.4% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the township the population was spread out with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $83,651, and the median income for a family was $95,114. Males had a median income of $61,271 versus $39,835 for females. The per capita income for the township was $35,349. About 1.6% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Wayne Township is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government. A Mayor is elected by the voters in partisan elections to serve a four-year term. A nine-member council forms the legislative branch of the township government. Three council members are elected at large and one from each of six wards for a term of four years.

Wayne's Mayor is Scott Rumana. The Township Council members are:

Ward 1 Councilmember: Alan Purcell
Ward 2 Councilmember: Joseph DiDonato
Ward 3 Councilmember: Gerard Porter
Ward 4 Councilmember: Joseph Scuralli
Ward 5 Councilmember: Chris F. McIntyre
Ward 6 Councilmember: Paul V. Margiotta
Councilmember at Large: Joseph G. Schweighardt (Council President)
Councilmember at Large: Christopher P. Vergano
Councilmember at Large: Joan Waks

Federal, state and county representation

Wayne is part of New Jersey's 40th Legislative District and is in the Eighth Congressional District.

Education

Public School

The Wayne Public Schools operate 14 public schools in Wayne.

Elementary Schools

Middle Schools

High Schools

Wayne Hills High School (for students living north of Ratzer Road)
Wayne Valley High School (for students living south of Ratzer Road)

Private High Schools

DePaul Catholic High School (Catholic high school; accepts students from anywhere)

Other Schools

Passaic County Technical Institute
William Paterson University
Many other private elementary and high schools

Corporate residents

Wayne is home to Drake's, a company that is owned by the IBC.
Toys "Я" Us' and Valley National Bank have their corporate headquarters located in Wayne.
The GAF Materials Corporation also has its world headquarters in Wayne. Also, BAE Systems and Hankook Tires both have facilities in Wayne.
Online audio book website Audible.com is headquartered in Wayne.

Noteworthy residents

Alan Alda, television actor, writer, and director best known as Hawkeye Pierce in the tv series M*A*S*H.
Tom Cruise, Academy Award-nominated movie actor.
Cecil B. DeMille, film pioneer and director of The Ten Commandments.
Queen Latifah, rap musician and Academy Award-nominated movie and television actress.
LL Cool J, hip hop musician and movie actor.
Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, hip hop music pioneer and founding member of the group Run-D.M.C..
George Washington, Founding Father and the first President of the United States. He resided in Dey Mansion during the American Revolutionary War before the area was called Wayne.

Interesting facts

Wayne is home of the 1984 Girls AAU National Cross Country Championship Team (15-16 year old age group), coached by Bill Stearns, Eric Keil, and Joanne Mosley. Team members: Jen Van Horn, Missy Duchini, Jackie McDonagh, Jen Mizzone, Jodie Rubenstein, Liz Panos, Lesley Olsen, and Jen Syron.
Wayne is the home of the 1970 Little League World Series Champions. ^*
The Preakness Stakes, a race in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, was named after a race horse from Wayne's Preakness Stables, who won the Dinner-Stakes race at the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland, sponsored by the Maryland Jockey Club on October 25, 1870.
The indie rock band Fountains of Wayne took their name from a lawn ornament store located in the township on the westbound side of U.S. Route 46, though no members of the band are from the town.
In a Hans and Franz sketch from Saturday Night Live, the pair says they are opening up a gym in Wayne. ^*
Wayne's ZIP code (07470) is a palindrome. This fact was noted on an episode of the television series Full House.
The alternative rock band Dramarama formed in 1983 in Wayne and achieved moderate, yet critically enthusiastic success, particularly with the song, Anything, Anything (I’ll Give You). The band continues today featuring most of its original members, including frontman and singer/songwriter John Easdale, and guitarists Mark "Mr. E Boy" Englert and Peter Wood, all of whom graduated from Wayne Hills High School in 1979. Dramarama's first new album in more than ten years, "everybody dies", was released in 2005.
A 74-foot-tall Norway Spruce from Wayne was selected as the 2005 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The tree, which weighed in at nine tons and was 42 feet wide, was Rockefeller Center’s 73rd Christmas tree. The Rockefeller Center tree was lit on November 30, 2005, and Wayne's contribution to New York City's holiday tradition remained lit through January 6, 2006.

External links

Faulkner Act | New York metropolitan area | Passaic County, New Jersey | Townships in New Jersey

Wayne (New Jersey)

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