Oaklyn, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oaklyn is a Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 4,188.
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[edit] Geography
Oaklyn is located at (39.902063, -75.080389)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 1.8 km² (0.7 mi²). 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (11.43%) is water.
[edit] History
The area now known as Oaklyn was once dense forest land which was inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans, until 1681 when a group of Quakers from Wickloe, Ireland sailed up the Delaware River and settled on Newton Creek. The leader of these Quakers, William Bates, purchased 250 acres on the south side of Newton Creek from the local Native Americans. This became known as the Newton Colony.
The Colony began to grow rapidly and the land was cleared for farming. Eventually two highways were laid out. One, from the Delaware River to Egg Harbor, followed an old Native American trail, which is today the Black Horse Pike. The other was known as the Long-a-coming trail, which extended from Atlantic City to Berlin and then from Berlin to Camden. This trail is now known as the White Horse Pike.
After the American Revolutionary War, a group of Virginia sportsmen built a racetrack on the east side of the White Horse Pike. President Ulysses S. Grant visited this track as a young man before it closed in 1846.
A Samuel Bettle bought the land which was formerly the racetrack and eventually, the land was deeded to Haddon Township.
As the years passed, the farms along Newton Creek were divided into lots and the development called "Oakland the Beautiful." The name was changed to Oaklyn in 1894 to avoid confusion with another Oakland in North Jersey. Finally, in 1905, Oaklyn broke away from Haddon Township and became an independent borough governed by a mayor and six councilmen.
Oaklyn borders Audubon, Audubon Park, Collingswood, and Haddon Township.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 4,188 people, 1,791 households, and 1,067 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,650.8/km² (6,824.2/mi²). There were 1,893 housing units at an average density of 1,198.2/km² (3,084.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 95.92% White, 1.15% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.84% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.32% of the population.
There were 1,791 households out of which 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the borough the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $44,364, and the median income for a family was $55,434. Males had a median income of $37,474 versus $30,243 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $24,157. About 5.2% of families and 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 8.2% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Oaklyn Borough's Mayor is Mike LaMaina.
Members of the Oaklyn Borough Council are[1]:
- Council President Jim Rafferty - Director of Public Works
- Councilman Robert Forbes - Director of Buildings & Grounds
- Councilman Michael Krusen - Director of Finance
- Councilman Victor Santucci - Director of Planning & Zoning
- Councilwoman Karen Simons - Director of Recreation
- Open - Director of Public Safety
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Oaklyn is in the First Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 6th Legislative District[2].
New Jersey's First Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Gloucester County, is represented by Rob Andrews (D, Haddon Heights). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 6th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by John H. Adler (D, Cherry Hill) and in the Assembly by Louis Greenwald (D, Voorhees) and Pamela Rosen Lampitt (D, Cherry Hill). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
Camden County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Camden County's Freeholders are: Louis Cappelli, Jr. (Freeholder Director), Edward McDonnell (Freeholder Deputy Director), Riletta L. Cream, Thomas J. Gurick, Jeffrey L. Nash, Joseph Ripa and Carmen Rodriguez.
[edit] Education
Oaklyn Public School consists of two separate schools within one building. Oaklyn Elementary School educates students from kindergarten through sixth grades. Oaklyn Junior High School educates students in grades seventh through ninth. Oaklyn Public School also educates students from the Borough of Hi-Nella in grades Kindergarten through eighth as part of sending/receiving relationships. The student population in grades Kindergarten through ninth grades averages 500 students, including Hi-Nella pupils.
Students in tenth through twelfth grades attend Collingswood High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship.
The relationships with Collingswood and Hi-Nella have been in place for over 40 years.
[edit] References
- ^ Oaklyn Mayor & Council, accessed September 28, 2006
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 62, accessed August 30, 2006
[edit] External links
- Oaklyn Borough municipal website
- Oaklyn Public School
- Oaklyn Public Schools's 2004-2005 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Oaklyn Public Schools
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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Municipalities of Camden County, New Jersey (County Seat: Camden) |
|---|---|
| Boroughs | Audubon | Audubon Park | Barrington | Bellmawr | Berlin | Brooklawn | Chesilhurst | Clementon | Collingswood | Gibbsboro | Haddon Heights | Haddonfield | Hi-Nella | Laurel Springs | Lawnside | Lindenwold | Magnolia | Merchantville | Mount Ephraim | Oaklyn | Pine Hill | Pine Valley | Runnemede | Somerdale | Stratford | Tavistock | Woodlynne |
| Cities | Camden | Gloucester |
| Townships | Berlin | Cherry Hill | Gloucester | Haddon | Pennsauken | Voorhees | Waterford | Winslow |
| CDPs and other Communities | Ashland | Barclay-Kingston | Blackwood | Cherry Hill Mall | Echelon | Erlton-Ellisburg | Glendora | Golden Triangle | Greentree | Sicklerville | Springdale |
