Netcong is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough’s population was 3,232, reflecting an increase of 652 (+25.3%) from the 2,580 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 731 (-22.1%) from the 3,311 counted in the 1990 Census. Netcong lies on the shores of Lake Musconetcong.
Established as South Stanhope by workers employed as miners in Stanhope, the name “Netcong” was adopted for the community in 1889 when a post office used the name. Netcong was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 23, 1894, from portions of both Mount Olive Township and Roxbury Township, based on the results of a referendum held the previous day.
Netcong received its name from the Musconetcong River, named by the Lenape Native Americans and meaning “grass creek”, “swamp stream”, “rapid stream” or “clear stream place”. Along with the river, the proximity of the old Morris and Sussex Turnpike, which passed through the region shortly after 1801, and the coming of the Morris Canal, in 1831, made the site a favorable one for development.
Netcong derived much of its business from the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, which had its last stop in Morris County in the heart of the Borough. The DL&W’s Sussex Branch to Branchville also stopped at Netcong Station, with the Sussex Branch coming into the opposite side of the station from where NJ Transit’s line is today. The big railroad roundhouse in Port Morris also supplied many jobs for the town residents.
In 1968, AT&T announced that the company would be building a two-story building in the borough at the bottom of a hole 47 feet (14 m) underground. The facility, designed to connect a cable running between Boston and Miami, was designed to withstand a nuclear attack and continue 24-hour operations for as long as three weeks using supplies and generating capacity on the site.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.917 square miles (2.376 km2), including 0.844 square miles (2.187 km2) of land and 0.073 square miles (0.190 km2) of water (7.99%).
Netcong borders the municipalities of Mount Olive Township and Roxbury Township; and Stanhope in Sussex County.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 3,232 people, 1,381 households, and 810.6 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,828.4 per square mile (1,478.2/km2). There were 1,449 housing units at an average density of 1,716.4 per square mile (662.7/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 84.22% (2,722) White, 3.90% (126) Black or African American, 0.34% (11) Native American, 2.78% (90) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 6.71% (217) from other races, and 2.04% (66) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.70% (572) of the population.
Source: Wikipedia
