South River is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 15,322.
What is now South River was originally formed as the town of Washington within East Brunswick Township on February 23, 1870. South River was incorporated as an independent borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 28, 1898, replacing Washington town.[1]
Geography
South River is located at 40°26′40″N 74°22′54″W / 40.44444°N 74.38167°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (40.444356, -74.381756)Template:GR. Elevation is 80 feet.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 7.6 km² (2.9 mi²). 7.3 km² (2.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (4.42%) is water.
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 10,759 | — | |
| 1940 | 10,714 | −0.4% | |
| 1950 | 11,308 | 5.5% | |
| 1960 | 13,397 | 18.5% | |
| 1970 | 15,428 | 15.2% | |
| 1980 | 14,361 | −6.9% | |
| 1990 | 13,692 | −4.7% | |
| 2000 | 15,322 | 11.9% | |
| 2005 (est.) | 16,060 | [2] | |
| Population 1930 - 1990.[3] | |||
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 15,322 people, 5,606 households, and 3,985 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,105.3/km² (5,444.7/mi²). There were 5,769 housing units at an average density of 792.7/km² (2,050.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 83.55% White, 9.66% Hispanic or Latino, 6.06% African American, 0.12% Native American, 3.54% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.83% from other races, and 2.85% from two or more races.
Ancestries of the population: Polish (18.9%), Italian (14.6%), Irish (13.0%), German (12.5%), Portuguese (9.3%), Russian (4.5%).[4]
There were 5,606 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the borough the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $52,324, and the median income for a family was $62,869. Males had a median income of $42,186 versus $31,098 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,684. About 3.7% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
The Mayor of South River is Robert P. Szegeti (term ends December 31, 2007). Members of the Borough Council are Council President David A. Sliker (term ends 2007), Joanne Dembinski (2007), Raymond Eppinger (2008), John M. Krenzel (2008), Anthony Razzano (2009) and John Trzeciak (2009).[5]
Federal, state and county representation
South River is in the Twelfth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 18th Legislative District.[6]
For the 118th United States Congress, New Jersey's 12th congressional district is represented by Bonnie Watson Coleman (D, Ewing Township).[7][8] New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker (Newark, term ends 2027)[9] and George Helmy (Mountain Lakes, term ends 2024).[10][11]
For the 2024-2025 session, the 18th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Patrick J. Diegnan (D, South Plainfield) and in the General Assembly by Robert Karabinchak (D, Edison) and Sterley Stanley (D, East Brunswick).[12] Template:NJ Governor
Education
The South River Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district are South River Primary School for grades K-2, South River Elementary School for grades 3-5, South River Middle School for grades 6-8 and South River High School for grades 9-12.
History of South River
South River was originally part of East Brunswick Township. Originally referred to as Washington, the community eventually split away as did Spotswood and Milltown.
Name changes
- 1683-1720: Commonly referred to as South River Landing (still part of East Brunswick Township).
- 1720-1784: Name changed to Willettstown after settler Samuel Willett (still part of East Brunswick Township).
- 1784-1870: Name changed to Washington and referred to as Washington Village, Washington Woods, and Little Washington (still part of East Brunswick Township). The current name was considered at the suggestion of Abraham Barkelew, one of the original settlers in the town.
- 1870-present: Village officially changed to South River after breaking away from East Brunswick Township.
- 1897: South River becomes borough.
Noted residents
- Radasłaŭ Astroŭski, Belarusian political leader, who died in the borough
- Joseph Csatari, Painter ([1])
- Janet Evanovich, Author.[13]
- John Gill, Musician, half of BIG STICK musical duo
- Troy Hill, Professional Football Player
- Kenny Jackson, Professional Football Player
- Jonathan Janson, Painter ([2])
- George Klimsak, Emmy Award Winner, CBS Cameraman
- Eugene A. McDowell, Actor-Manager
- Frank Mula, Emmy Winner, Writer for The Simpsons
- Drew Pearson, Professional Football Player
- Joe Theismann, Professional Football Player
- Edward Timko, worked on Manhattan Project (research in progress)
- Thomas Timko, Musician, played for many acts including Gloria Estefan
- Alex Wojciechowicz, Professional Football Player
References
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 174.
- ^ Census data for South River borough, United States Census Bureau, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ Jersey Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, accessed March 1, 2007
- ^ South River, New Jersey, City-Data.com, accessed March 18, 2007
- ^ Borough of South River - Mayor and Council, accessed February 22, 2007
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 64, accessed August 30, 2006
- ^ Directory of Representatives: New Jersey, United States House of Representatives. Accessed January 3, 2019.
- ^ Biography, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Watson Coleman and her husband William reside in Ewing Township and are blessed to have three sons; William, Troy, and Jared and three grandchildren; William, Kamryn and Ashanee."
- ^ U.S. Sen. Cory Booker cruises past Republican challenger Rik Mehta in New Jersey, PhillyVoice. Accessed April 30, 2021. "He now owns a home and lives in Newark's Central Ward community."
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/23/nyregion/george-helmy-bob-menendez-murphy.html
- ^ Tully, Tracey (August 23, 2024). "Menendez's Senate Replacement Has Been a Democrat for Just 5 Months". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ Legislative Roster for District 18, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed January 18, 2024.
- ^ Janet Evanovich author biography, accessed December 18, 2006
External links
- South River Borough
- South River Public Schools
- School Performance Reports for the South River Public Schools, New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the South River Public Schools
- South River Fire Department
- South River Rescue Squad
- Friends of South River Parks
- South River Historical Society