Woodbury is a City in Gloucester County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the United States 2000 Census,
10,307 residents were counted. Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County6.
Woodbury was originally formed as a Borough on March
27, 1854, within Deptford Township,
based on the results of a referendum held on March 22, 1854. On
January 2, 1871, Woodbury was reincorporated as a City, based on
the results of a referendum held that day.[1]
Geography
Woodbury is located at 39°50′15″N, 75°9′11″W (39.837363,
-75.153056)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²). 5.4 km² (2.1 mi²) of it is
land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (1.89%) is water. Woodbury has a few lakes that feed off of Woodbury Creek.
Woodbury borders Woodbury Heights, West Deptford Township, and Deptford
Township.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 10,307 people, 4,051 households, and 2,588 families residing
in the city. The population density was 1,913.2/km² (4,961.4/mi²). There were 4,310
housing units at an average density of 800.0/km² (2,074.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.45% White, 22.83% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.99% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 2.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.94% of the population.
There were 4,051 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.4% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were
non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from
45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,827, and the median income for a family was $53,630. Males had a median
income of $40,429 versus $30,570 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$21,592. About 11.2% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.
History
Woodbury was founded by Henry Wood, a Quaker from the North-West of
England, who had left Great Britain due to religious
persecution. Wood was incarcerated in Lancaster gaol for practicing as a Quaker
and left his home in the village of Tottington, near Bury, Lancashire, in a boat to set up a community in
the new world where he and his family could practice his religion freely. His surname and his home town went to make up the name
of the City he founded - Woodbury.
In 2000, the Borough of Bury, England, and the City of Woodbury were twinned as part of millennium celebrations in both
countries. The twinning ceremony was the culmination of a week where more than 300 school children and college students, local
dignitaries and local residents from Bury took part in sporting and cultural events held in and around Woodbury with local
people.
During the week there was a symbolic meeting and reconciliation of the Vicar of Henry Wood's
former church in Tottington and the Quaker's meeting house in Woodbury and an ecumenical service attended by many of the
residents and visitors.
Forerunner of recycling
A lesser known fact about Woodbury is that it was the first city in the entire United States to mandate
recycling, thus also making it the first city in New Jersey as well.[4] Led by Rose Rowan (currently the president of Rowan & Associates) in the early 1970s, the idea of
towing a “recycling” trailer behind a waste management vehicle to enable the collection of trash and recyclable material at the
same time emerged. Other towns and cities soon followed suit, and today nearly all cities in the country require recycling.
Government
Local government
The Mayor and Council of the City of Woodbury, acting as the local government, are the initiators and overseers of all local
law. They are also the formulators and guides to all of the departments and positions that have been established by local law.
Through a committee system, most in evidence at the regular Council Meetings, the Mayor and Council exercise their authority and
responsibilities through which all activities in local government are conducted.
Woodbury is represented by a Mayor elected directly by the voters. The City Council consists of nine members, with three
members elected from each of three wards to three-year terms of office, with one seat from each ward coming up for election each
year on a staggered basis.[5]
The Mayor of the City of Woodbury is Robert Curtis.
Members of the Woodbury City Council are:[6]
Federal, state and county representation
Woodbury is in the First Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 5th Legislative District.[7]
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
Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 5th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State
Senate by Wayne R. Bryant (D, Camden) and in the Assembly by Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D, Camden) and Joseph J. Roberts (D, Brooklawn). The Governor of New Jersey is
Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
Gloucester County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. As of 2007, Gloucester County's Freeholders are Freeholder
Director Stephen M. Sweeney, Deputy Freeholder Director Robert M.
Damminger (2009), Joseph A. Brigandi, Jr., Joe Chila (2009), Frank J. DiMarco, Helene M. Reed and
Dr. Warren S.
Wallace.[20]
Education
The Woodbury Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth
grade. Schools in the district are three K-5 elementary schools (Evergreen Avenue Elementary School, Walnut Street
Elementary School and West End Memorial Elementary School) and Woodbury Junior/Senior High School, which serves grades 6-12.
Notable residents
- Herb Baptiste, one of The Star-Ledger's top ten best high school
wrestlers in New Jersey during the 1940s.
- Arthur 'Ted' Browne, a baseball player in the Negro League on the Zulu Cannibal Giants team, sporting his "Zulu" name Lakola.
- Roscoe Lee Browne, a character actor and
former athlete, was born in Woodbury.[8]
- Van Bruner, world record holder of 65-yard indoor dirt track high hurdles; ran in
finals of 1952 Olympic Trials and also in first round of the 1965 Trials.
- Dave Budd, former NBA player for the New York
Knicks. Was one of the three centers for the Knicks to guard Wilt Chamberlain in
the game in which he scored 100 points vs. 13 points for Budd.[9]
- Joe
Colone, one-year player for the New York Knicks, was born in Woodbury.
- Oscar Fraley, co-author, with Eliot Ness, of
The Untouchables which sold 1.5 million copies, was raised in
Woodbury.[10]
- George Gill Green, a patent medicine entrepreneur (whose fortunes are now
equivalent to modern day millions) and Colonel in the American Civil War.
- Robert C. Hendrickson (1898-1964), United States Senator from New Jersey from 1949 to 1955.[11]
- Donald Fletcher Holmes,
inventor.
- Ralph Ipri, National High School Tennis Coach of the Year (coaching Cherry Hill East in 1979) resided in Woodbury.
- James Lawrence, who coined the phrase "Don't give up the ship" during the
War of 1812.[12]
- Mike
McBath, a defensive end for the Buffalo Bills
from 1968-1973.
- Bryant McKinnie, professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings at the offensive tackle position.[13]
- Dan Meyer, pitcher for the Oakland
Athletics, was born in Woodbury.[14]
- J. Hampton Moore, former Republican Congressman and Mayor of
Philadelphia (1920-24; 1932-36), was born in Woodbury.[15]
- Tim O'Shea, head men's basketball coach of the Ohio
Bobcats, was born in Woodbury
- Francis F. Patterson, Jr. (1867-1935), represented New Jersey's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1920 to 1927.[16]
- Jack Pierce, Olympic bronze
medalist in the high jump at the 1992 Olympic
Games.[17]
- Milt Plum, quarterback and two-time Pro Bowler for the Cleveland Browns attended Woodbury High
School.[18]
- Greg Rizzo, Honorable Mention All-American wrestler during his senior season in high school (1980-81).
- H. Browning Ross, an Olympian in long-distance running (1948) and gold medal winner
in the 1,500-meter at the 1951 Pan-Am Games.[19]
- Howie Staeger,
track & field coach during the 1960s and 70s for the WHS track
dynasties; also founder of the Woodbury Relays.
- D. K. Ulrich, NASCAR driver and owner.
- Ann Cooper Whitall, a prominent Quaker woman in early America, was born in Woodbury.
Points of interest
- Friends Meeting House built 1717, with addition erected 1783. Used during the Revolutionary War as a place for care of wounded soldiers. Diary of Job Whitall records
finding the house filled with sick soldiers.
- Friends Burial Ground. Graves of James Whitall and Ann Cooper Whitall who occupied Whitall Mansion during the battle. Also
John Cooper, member of Continental Congress in
1776.
- 90 South Broad Street. Headquarters of Gloucester County Historical Society, once owned by John Lawrence, brother of Captain
James Lawrence of "Don't give up the ship" fame, who resided with him and attended the Academy School in Woodbury.
- 130 South Broad Street. Residence of Dr. Duncan Campbell, built and occupied by John Cooper, member of the Continental
Congress, the Committee on Correspondence and Council of Safety. He was also judge of the County Court. The house was used by
Lord Cornwallis as headquarters during the three days he was
in Woodbury.
- Opposite to 130 South Broad Street, bronze Soldiers' Memorial to commemorate the dead of Gloucester County who fell in the World War I. Designed by
R. Tait McKenzie.
- Laboratory of Colonel G.G. Green, which includes a cannon dredged from the Delaware
River bearing the Coat of Arms of George III from the British ship "Augusta."
References
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P.
Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 141.
- ^ Census data for Woodbury city, United
States Census Bureau. Accessed August 11, 2007.
- ^ Jersey
Resident Population by Municipality: 1930 - 1990, Workforce New Jersey Public Information Network. Accessed March 1, 2007.
- ^ Rowan & Associates Go Green: 7/18/2007 Press Release - NJBiz.com. Accessed
July 22, 2007.
- ^ City Government, City of Woodbury. Accessed January 15, 2007.
- ^ City Council Members, City of Woodbury. Accessed March 14, 2007.
- ^ 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women
Voters, p. 66. Accessed August 30, 2006.
- ^ Biography of Roscoe Lee Browne, The New York
Times, accessed December 12, 2006.
- ^ Box score: Wilt's 100-point game, Sporting News,
accessed December 16, 2006.
- ^ "Oscar
Fraley, 79, 'Untouchables' Author", The New York Times, January 9, 1994. Accessed June 24,
2007. "Born in Philadelphia and reared in Woodbury, N.J., Mr. Fraley worked for U.P.I. from 1940 to
1965."
- ^ Robert Clymer Hendrickson biography, United
States Congress. Accessed August 11, 2007.
- ^ Historic Roadsides of New Jersey: Gloucester County, accessed December 12, 2006.
- ^ NFL 2002 Draft profile of Bryant McKinnie, accessed December 12, 2006.
- ^ Dan Meyer player profile, The Baseball Cube. Accessed July
17, 2007.
- ^ Joseph Hampton Moore
biography, United States Congress. Accessed July
23, 2007.
- ^ Francis Ford Patterson,
Jr., Biographical Directory of the United States
Congress. Accessed August 26, 2007.
- ^ South Jersey track & field HOF paragraph, accessed June
11, 2007.
- ^ Milt Plum
statistics, databasefootball.com. Accessed June 11, 2007.
- ^ Browning Ross, Runners Mecca. Accessed September 16, 2007.
- ^ Gloucester County
Elected Officials, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed
June 20, 2007.
External links
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Coordinates:
39.837363° N 75.153056°
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