Rahway, New Jersey

Rahway is a city located in Union County, New Jersey. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 26,500. The City of Rahway is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.

The Mayor is James Kennedy (Democrat), who was first elected in 1990 and is serving his fourth term in office.

Contents

1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 History 4 Famous Rahway Residents 5 External links

Geography

Rahway is located at 40°36'26" North, 74°16'52" West (40.607103, -74.280998)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.5 km² (4.0 mi²). 10.3 km² (4.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.24% water.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 26,500 people, 10,028 households, and 6,728 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,564.3/km² (6,642.7/mi²). There are 10,381 housing units at an average density of 1,004.5/km² (2,602.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 60.19% White, 27.07% African American, 0.16% Native American, 3.58% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.62% from other races, and 3.33% from two or more races. 13.87% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 10,028 households out of which 30.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% are married couples living together, 15.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.9% are non-families. 28.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.63 and the average family size is 3.24.

In the city the population is spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 86.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $50,729, and the median income for a family is $61,931. Males have a median income of $41,047 versus $32,091 for females. The per capita income for the city is $22,481. 7.1% of the population and 5.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.3% of those under the age of 18 and 8.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

History

Rahway and the surrounding area were once the home of the Lenni Lenape Indians, and tradition states that the city was named after Rahwack, a local tribal chief. Formal European settlement began in 1664 with the purchase by the English from the Lenape of the Elizabethtown Tract, which encompassed lands from the mouth of the Raritan River and included all of present-day Union County as well as parts of Somerset, Middlesex, Morris and Essex counties.

Rahway saw limited action during the Revolutionary War because of its proximity to Staten Island, Elizabethtown and Perth Amboy. In January 1777, rebels were victorious against the British in the Battle of Spanktown, which resulted in the death of some 100 British troops. Abraham Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, is buried in the Rahway Cemetery.

Following the Revolution, Rahway became the home of the first national mint to create a coin bearing the inscription [E Pluribus Unum]. A United States Post Office established in Rahway was one of only six in the entire state in 1791.

Rahway grew due to its location along the major stagecoach and later, railroad lines between New York and Philadelphia. The navigable Rahway River, which flows through the city, also aided the city's commercial growth.

As immigrants from Britain, Ireland and Germany streamed into what was then Rahway Township in the 1850s, Rahway became incorporated as a city in 1858.

The city became home to dozens of major manufacturers, including the Regina Music Box Company, Wheatena, Mershon Bros. and, most importantly, Merck & Co., which was established in Rahway in 1903 when George Merck moved his small chemical company to Rahway from New York City.

The national decline in industry after World War II led to the closure of most of Rahway's major manufacturing facilities except for Merck and a general deterioration of the city's central business district. Beginning in the early 1990s and continuing through the present day, the City of Rahway has rebounded as its downtown began to see the construction of new restaurants, art galleries and market-rate housing, the old Rahway Theatre reopening as the Union County Arts Center and the construction of a new railroad station by NJ Transit in 1999. The city presently enjoys one of the lowest property tax rates in Union County, a diverse population and a wide variety of municipal services not available in other locales.

Famous Rahway Residents

Former U.S. Senator Clifford P. Case lived in Rahway.
Economist Milton Friedman is a Rahway native.
Astronomer Carl Sagan lived in Rahway and was a Rahway High School graduate.
U.S. Congressman Christopher H. Smith was born in Rahway.
Retired Merck & Co. CEO Dr. P. Roy Vagelos was a graduate of Rahway High School and lived in Rahway for many years.

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External links

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• Official municipal web site (http://www.cityofrahway.com)
  
• Rahway Public Schools (http://www.rahway.net)
  
• Rahway Center Partnership (http://www.rcpnj.org)
  
• Union County Arts Center (http://www.ucac.org)
  
• History of the Rahway Train Station (http://pc.smellycat.com/docs/passenger/rahway.html)