Sparta

Divorce and Family Law Attorneys in Sparta, New Jersey

Divorce can take an emotional, physical, monetary, legal, psychological and spiritual toll on you and your family. During this difficult and traumatic time, you need a New Jersey law firm who will work tirelessly for you and your children while tackling the pertinent issues of divorce such as custody, spousal support, child support and division of property. If you are considering a divorce or family law matter in Morris County, please call Helfand & Associates at (973) 428 0800 for a free consultation with one of our lawyers. We have extensive experience practicing family and matrimonial law in Sussex County, New Jersey.

Law Practice Concentrating on Divorce and Family Law

Whether you are involved in an amicable divorce, an uncontested divorce or a complex, high net worth contested divorce that requires extensive litigation, the Sussex County, New Jersey divorce and family law attorneys at Helfand & Associates will be there for you throughout the process. Our attorneys are highly skilled at settling matters through creative negotiations, mediation or alternative dispute resolution. However, if necessary, we stand ready to litigate on your behalf and we will be prepared and ready to fervently advocate for your rights and best interests in the Sussex County, New Jersey Family Law Court system. We recognize that you and your spouse may be co-parenting your children for years to come and we take this into account while advocating in your behalf.

Your Matter is Unique and Requires Specialized Attention

We begin each case by first assessing your current situation and then we also take the time to understand your specific wants, needs and desires. Our communication with you is critical for us to be able to find creative and workable solutions that are right for you and your family. We take the time to listen to you and understand your values and goals. Extensive fact gathering is conducted because each detail is critical in order for our divorce and matrimonial attorneys to make thoughtful and proper recommendations regarding your matters. Our Sussex County, New Jersey divorce and family law attorneys will stand by you throughout the entire case.

A Higher Level of Representation

If you are considering a divorce in the Sussex County, New Jersey Family Court, the attorneys at Helfand & Associates have extensive experience practicing family and matrimonial law. Our law firm is on Route 10, only a few minutes from Routes 287 and 46 and less than ten minutes from the Livingston Circle. Contact us for your FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION and learn why our clients refer their most beloved friends and family members to our Sussex County, New Jersey divorce and family law firm so we can help them with their legal family issues.

For Divorce, Family, Small Business and Legal Separation Concerns:

Divorce and Family Law

Bankruptcy/Debt

Criminal/Traffic/DWI

Workers Compensation

Guardianships/Probate Litigation

History

Sparta Township is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 19,722. The township includes the communities of Ackerson, Edison, Hopewell, Houses Corner, Monroe, Sparta, Sparta Junction, Sussex Mills, Upper Mohawk, and Woodruffs Gap.

Sparta was organized as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 14, 1845 from portions of Byram Township, Frankford Township, Hardyston Township and (the now-defunct) Newton Township.8 The township was named after the existing community of Sparta, which had been settled and named years before,9 the name likely coming from Sparta, Greece. Ogdensburg Borough was incorporated on February 26, 1914, when it separated from Sparta Township.

Overview

The Lenni Lenape Native Americans occupied the land at the time of its discovery by European colonists. Early Dutch explorers and traders discovered red ores in the area and attempted to mine them as early as 1750, but were unsuccessful in their mistaken attempts to extract copper from the ores. No permanent settlers arrived until 1778, when Robert Ogden built his home and constructed an iron forge on lands he had acquired. The first public building in Sparta was the Presbyterian Church which was incorporated in 1786. Schools were established in Ogdensburg by 1806 and in Sparta by 1812.

Iron, zinc, and limestone supported a mining industry for over 100 years, but today the mining operations have ceased and the township is now a residential community served by retail, professional, and service small businesses. According to the 2000 census, 65% of Sparta Township workers commute to jobs outside of the county.

Mining industry

Iron
Robert Ogden settled in 1778 near the present town of Ogdensburg and built an iron forge utilizing local ore from his Ogden Mine on Sparta Mountain. The Horseshoe mine was opened in 1772 by the Englishmen Spargo and Harvey who shipped ore by horse and mule to the forges at Sparta and Hopewell. It wasn’t until 1868 that the Ogden Mine Railroad began operations and made it economical to ship zinc and iron ore to Nolan’s Point on Lake Hopatcong where the Morris Canal had a marine terminal that could ship ore to Newark. In 1872 the New Jersey Midland Railroad (later known as the New York, Susquehanna & Western) extended to Ogdensburg and captured the zinc ore traffic.

In 1836, Henry Decker, along with Nelson Hunt and Lewis Sherman, began the manufacture of anchors at their forges in Sparta. Their success led to a small industry of forging anchors in Sparta, but by the end of the Civil War the forge industry in Sparta had come to an end.

In 1889, Thomas Edison invested $3.5 million in his Edison Ore-Milling Company to build iron operations on 2,500 acres (10 km2) of Sparta Mountain. Edison hoped to concentrate the mountain’s vast quantities of low-grade ore and supply East Coast mills with raw material. At its peak Edison’s operation employed 500 people, but after a 10 year effort he abandoned his attempt to compete with more economical ores from Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range. The availability of the cheap Minnesota ores put an end to iron mining in Sparta.

Zinc
In 1848 the New Jersey Zinc Company began operations at Sterling Hill. Earlier attempts to obtain iron from the mineral rich ore of the Sterling Hill failed because of manganese contamination, but zinc was recoverable and the ores at Sterling Hill were rich with it.

In 1856 the Passaic Zinc Company started operations at Sterling Hill Mine and constructed large ore crushers, shipping the ores to the company’s plant in Jersey City.

By 1868 both iron and zinc operations were in progress at Sterling Hill, but the numerous companies and claims were embroiled in continuous legal battles, the largest of which was a 12-year dispute between the New Jersey Zinc Company and the Franklin Iron Company over rights to mixed ores, each company having purchased the right to mine zinc and iron, respectively. In 1880 the Franklin Iron Company acquired the New Jersey Zinc Company’s operations at Sterling Hill mine, ending the dispute. Large scale operations began in 1897 when the claims were consolidated under the New Jersey Zinc Company and by 1900 its mill was processing 1500 tons of ore daily.

Zinc operations continued until 1986 when the Sterling Hill mine ceased operation. The Sterling Hill mine site is currently occupied by the Sterling Hill Mining Museum and is open to the public for tours.

Limestone
After closing his iron operations, Thomas Edison recouped his losses by opening a lime quarry near Sparta in 1919. The quarry fed Edison’s Portland cement operations, and was in continuous operation under various owners for nearly 100 years until closed in 2003. During the years of its operation the limestone quarry was an important source of employment and tax revenue for Sparta. Limestone is no longer mined, but a limited amount of granite continues to be quarried by a handful of employees.

Tourism

The former New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad station in Sparta, as viewed from a nearby business in November 2011.

The New Jersey Midland Railroad opened to Ogdensburg in 1872 for zinc ore traffic, but in 1882 the line was extended to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and a station was built at Sparta, giving tourists easy access to the many boarding houses that served summer residents from the cities. Passenger service ended in 1935, but by then Sparta was well established as a summer destination. In 1926, the Arthur D. Crane Company along with developer and designer Herbert L. Closs constructed a 600-foot dam across the Wallkill River to form 300-acre (1.2 km2) Lake Mohawk in 1928. The private resort community created by the Crane Company consisted primarily of summer homes, but the homes began to be winterized in the 1940s and the current membership of 2,600 families are largely year-round residents.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 39.2 square miles (102 km2), of which, 37.4 square miles (97 km2) of it is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) of it (4.67%) is water.

Lake Mohawk is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located in parts of both Byram Township and Sparta Township.

Demographics

As of the census5 of 2005, there were 18,080 people, 6,225 households, and 5,029 families residing in the township. The population density was 483.5 people per square mile (186.7/km²). There were 6,590 housing units at an average density of 176.2 per square mile (68.1/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.7% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population.

There were 6,225 households out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.9% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the township the population was spread out with 30.6% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $89,835, and the median income for a family was $100,658. Males had a median income of $74,293 versus $39,349 for females. The per capita income for the township was $36,910. About 1.0% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.

U.S. Census Bureau parta has been anecdotally noted for the high number of pilots and their families who settle in the area. In his 1994 book The Airport: Terminal Nights and Runway Days at John F. Kennedy International, James Kaplan describes the home township of an interviewee as “thickly populated, for no particular reason, with pilots, many of whom do their flying out of Kennedy. The view out [the pilot’s] picture window is of trees … The lights and noise of Manhattan, fifty miles distant, attract flight attendants, single people mostly. Pilots like the woods.”