| Union Township, Union County, New Jersey |
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Union is a Township in Union County , New Jersey , United States . As of the United States 2000 Census , the township had a total Population of 54,405. Union Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on November 23 , 1808 , from portions of Elizabeth Township , while the area was still part of Essex County . It became part of the newly-formed Union County on March 19 , 1857 . Portions of the township have been taken to form Clinton Township ( November 8 , 1809 ), Linden Township ( March 4 , 1861 ), Roselle Park , ( March 22 , 1901 ), Kenilworth ( May 13 , 1907 ) and Hillside ( April 3 , 1913 )."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 241. GEOGRAPHY The Township of Union is located on the northern-central edge of Union County and is bordered by eight municipalities: Hillside to the east, Elizabeth to the southeast, Roselle Park and Kenilworth to the south and Springfield Township to the west. Northwest of the township lies Millburn , to the north lies Maplewood and to the northeast lies Irvington , all in Essex County . According to the United States Census Bureau , the township has a total area of 23.6 Km&2 (9.1 Mi&2 ). 23.6 km&2 (9.1 mi&2) of it is land and none of the area is covered with Water . DEMOGRAPHICS
As of the Census &2 of 2000, there were 54,405 people, 19,534 households, and 14,162 families residing in the township. The Population Density was 2,303.3/km&2 (5,968.1/mi&2). There were 20,001 housing units at an average density of 846.8/km&2 (2,194.1/mi&2). The racial makeup of the township was 67.66% White , 19.76% African American , 0.15% Native American , 7.72% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 2.44% from Other Races , and 2.24% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.93% of the population. There were 19,534 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were Married Couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.25. In the township the population was spread out with 22.3% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.2 males. The median income for a household in the township was $59,173, and the median income for a family was $68,707. Males had a median income of $45,299 versus $35,604 for females. The Per Capita Income for the township was $24,768. About 3.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the Poverty Line , including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over. GOVERNMENT Local government Union operates under a Township form of government, consisting of five members of a Township Committee, elected at-large for staggered three-year terms. Elections are held annually. The Township Committee members also act as liaisons to the various departments of the municipal government. The Township Committee elects from its members the mayor for a one-year term. The Mayor, in addition to voting as a member of the Township Committee, presides over the meetings of the committee and carries out ceremonial duties. Members of the Union Township Committee are: TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE 2007 , Union Township. Accessed August 12 , 2007 .:
Federal, state and county representation Union Township is split between the Seventh and Tenth Congressional Districts and is part of New Jersey's 20th Legislative District. 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government , New Jersey League Of Women Voters , p. 65. Accessed August 30 , 2006 . EDUCATION The Union Public School District serves students in preschool through grade twelve. There are ten schools currently in operation: six K-4 elementary schools ( Battle Hill School , Connecticut Farms Elementary School , Franklin School , Hannah Caldwell School , Livingston School and Washington School ); one elementary school which houses all of the district's grade five students ( Central Five-Jefferson School ); two middle schools, grades six through eight ( Burnet Middle School and Kawameeh Middle School ); and one comprehensive high school — Union High School — serving grades nine through twelve. The annual operating budget for the district is approximately ninety-one million dollars. The district employs six hundred and thirty five professional staff and three hundred and eighty support personnel. The current enrollment of students in the district is 8,006. Union was threatened with being the first town north of the Mason-Dixon Line to suffer from penalties as a result of school segregation. The area of Vauxhall was primarily black and Jefferson Elementary School was disproportionately black compared to the rest of the town. Union avoided problems by converting Jefferson Elementary into a sixth-grade only school called Central 6 and bused the Jefferson students to nearby Franklin Elementary. Central 6 is still used as a one-year school, but it's used for fifth graders now. Union is also home to . HISTORY Union Township was the site of the Battle Of Connecticut Farms , one of the last battles between British and American forces during the American Revolutionary War . On June 6 , 1780 , British troops, led by Hessian General Wilhelm Von Knyphausen , boarded boats on Staten Island bound for Elizabeth, New Jersey . At midnight, 5,000 troops started to land. They expected the Continental Army to give little resistance, believing that they were tired of the war and were poorly fed and paid. They also expected the citizens of New Jersey to welcome them. They were wrong on both counts and were unable to make their way to and through the Hobart Gap . TRANSPORTATION Union is traversed by a network of local and regional roadways including the Garden State Parkway , Interstate 78 , U.S. Route 22 , and Route 82 (Morris Avenue). Union has an NJ Transit rail station on the Raritan Valley Line , formerly the mainline of the Lehigh Valley Railroad . NJ Transit also provides bus service to New York City and New Jersey points. Former Rahway Valley Railroad freight line, now abandoned, crosses through Union. This line, presently licensed to Morristown & Erie railroad, is in the process of revitalization after which it will link NJ Transit's Morris & Essex lines at Summit to Staten Island. Newark Liberty International Airport is approximately six miles east of Union. TRIVIA
NOTABLE RESIDENTS Notable current and former residents of Union Township include:
REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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