Located among the beautiful rolling hills of Sussex County, the rural farmland of Wantage Township has been providing fruits of nature since before the Revolutionary War. The town of Sussex (formerly Deckertown) was a significant milk-shipping center that has long provided fresh agricultural products to the nearby cities. Set between the Kittatinny Ridge and the Hamburg Mountains, Wantage was settled in the early 1700s and incorporated as a township in May 1754. The township contained many hamlets, including Beemerville, Libertyville, Mount Salem, Colesville, and, until October 14, 1891, the village of Deckertown, which officially became Sussex Borough on March 2, 1902. As the area grew and developed busy main streets with stores and railroad stations, agriculture and livestock farms thrived--even producing famed horse Goldsmith Maid, known as the "Queen of the Trotters." Family roots have always run deep in these communities, and some notable family names include Decker, Kilpatrick, Cortwright, Beemer, Von Bunschooten, and Kanouse. Today, Sussex and Wantage continue to boast the rural traditions that have attracted families for decades.
In rare photographs, the book reveals the history of the people and places in the communities of Franklin, Hamburg, Ogdensburg, and Hardyston. Franklin, Hamburg, Ogdensburg, and Hardyston chronicles the settlement and life of the Wallkill Valley area of northern New Jersey. Beginning entirely as Hardyston Township, the area developed into four communities, each with distinctive qualities. Franklin is the "Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World," as declared by the U.S. Congress, and with its zinc mines, is known as the "Model Mining Town of America." Hamburg from early times was a crossroads and business district. Ogdensburg possessed several mines and Thomas Edison interests. Hardyston, with its lakes for summer visitors and still-thriving farmland, retains the beauty of its natural surroundings.
Located among the beautiful rolling hills of Sussex County, the rural farmland of Wantage Township has been providing fruits of nature since before the Revolutionary War. The town of Sussex (formerly Deckertown) was a significant milk-shipping center that has long provided fresh agricultural products to the nearby cities. Set between the Kittatinny Ridge and the Hamburg Mountains, Wantage was settled in the early 1700s and incorporated as a township in May 1754. The township contained many hamlets, including Beemerville, Libertyville, Mount Salem, Colesville, and, until October 14, 1891, the village of Deckertown, which officially became Sussex Borough on March 2, 1902. As the area grew and developed busy main streets with stores and railroad stations, agriculture and livestock farms thrived--even producing famed horse Goldsmith Maid, known as the "Queen of the Trotters." Family roots have always run deep in these communities, and some notable family names include Decker, Kilpatrick, Cortwright, Beemer, Von Bunschooten, and Kanouse. Today, Sussex and Wantage continue to boast the rural traditions that have attracted families for decades.
In rare photographs, the book reveals the history of the people and places in the communities of Franklin, Hamburg, Ogdensburg, and Hardyston. Franklin, Hamburg, Ogdensburg, and Hardyston chronicles the settlement and life of the Wallkill Valley area of northern New Jersey. Beginning entirely as Hardyston Township, the area developed into four communities, each with distinctive qualities. Franklin is the "Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World," as declared by the U.S. Congress, and with its zinc mines, is known as the "Model Mining Town of America." Hamburg from early times was a crossroads and business district. Ogdensburg possessed several mines and Thomas Edison interests. Hardyston, with its lakes for summer visitors and still-thriving farmland, retains the beauty of its natural surroundings.
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