Hackettstown

History

William Johnson (1817–1891) was a prime contributor to the incorporation of the town in 1853. He and his brother George (1815–1889) were successful merchants in the town beginning in 1839 when they began operating the W.L. & G.W Johnson dry good store. The two men were very active in community affairs. George was a member of First Presbyterian Church, a director of the Hackettstown National Bank, and a member of the Hackettstown Water Board. Both men were involved in the establishment of the Union Cemetery. Hackettstown was named after Samuel Hackett, an early settler and large landowner. Hackett is said to have "contributed liberally to the liquid refreshments on the christening of a new hotel, in order to secure the name which, before this, had been Helms' Mills or Musconetcong." In 1886, Tillie Smith, a 19-year-old kitchen worker from a poverty-stricken family, was raped, murdered and left lying in an open field near the campus of the Centenary Collegiate Institute, where she worked. James Titus, a janitor at the school, was tried and convicted of the rape and murder, based on circumstantial evidence and public opinion shaped by yellow journalism. Titus was sentenced to hang, but he signed a confession to avoid the death penalty and served 19 years of hard labor. He lived from 1904 to 1952 in Hackettstown among many of the same residents who championed his conviction, the validity of which remains controversial. The killing is a perennial urban legend in town, inspiring multiple books, Weird NJ magazine articles, theatrical performances and dark tourism ghost tours. The Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery, a popular tourist destination, was established in 1912. In 1925, a train wreck just outside of town killed about 50 people and injured about 50 others en route…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 3.71 square miles (9.61 km2), including 3.61 square miles (9.35 km2) of land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km2) of water (2.67%) as of 2019. Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the town include Warren Furnace. Hackettstown borders the townships of Washington (Morris County) to the southeast, Mansfield to the southwest, Allamuchy to the north, Mount Olive to the northeast, and Independence to the west. Hackettstown is northeast of Allentown and northwest of New York City.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Warren Hills Regional High School
  High · WASHINGTON · 1,068 students · 11:1 ratio
• Hackettstown High School
  High · HACKETTSTOWN · 926 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• Mansfield Township Elementary
  Elementary · PORT MURRAY · 543 students · 8.9:1 ratio
• Hackettstown Middle School
  Middle · HACKETTSTOWN · 475 students · 11:1 ratio
• Willow Grove Elementary School
  Elementary · HACKETTSTOWN · 369 students · 10.5:1 ratio
• Great Meadows Regional Middle School
  Middle · GREAT MEADOWS · 346 students · 12.4:1 ratio
• Central Elementary School
  Elementary · GREAT MEADOWS · 296 students · 12.9:1 ratio
• Hatchery Hill Elementary School
  Elementary · Hackettstown · 278 students · 9.6:1 ratio