Vineland is a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 60,724, reflecting an increase of 4,453 (+7.9%) from the 56,271 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,491 (+2.7%) from the 54,780 counted in the 1990 Census. Vineland, Millville and Bridgeton are the three principal New Jersey cities of the Vineland–Millville–Bridgeton Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses those three cities and all of Cumberland County for statistical purposes and had a population of 156,898 as of the 2010 Census.

Vineland was formed on July 1, 1952, through the merger of Landis Township and Vineland Borough, based on the results of a referendum held on February 5, 1952. Festivities on July 1, 1952, when the merger took effect, included a parade and speeches from such notables as Senator Estes Kefauver. The name is derived from the plans of its founder to use the land to grow grapes.

Charles K. Landis purchased 30,000 acres (121 km²) of land in 1861 and another 23,000 acres (93 km²) in 1874, near Millville, New Jersey, and along the West Jersey railroad line with service between Camden and Cape May, to create his own alcohol-free utopian society based on agriculture and progressive thinking. The first houses were built in 1862, and train service was established to Philadelphia and New York City, with the population reaching 5,500 by 1865 and 11,000 by 1875.

Established as a Temperance Town, where the sale of alcohol was prohibited, Landis required that purchasers of land in Vineland build a house on the purchased property within a year of purchase, that 2 ¹⁄₂ acres (10,000 m²) of the often heavily wooded land be cleared and farmed each year, and that adequate space be placed between houses and roads to allow for planting of flowers and shade trees along the routes through town. Landis Avenue was constructed as a 100-foot (30 m) wide and about 1-mile (2 km) long road running east-west through the center of the community, with other, narrower roads connecting at right angles to each other.

After determining that the Vineland soil was well-suited for growing grapes (hence the name), Landis started advertising to attract Italian grape growers to Vineland, offering 20 acres (81,000 m²) of land that had to be cleared and used to grow grapes. Thomas Bramwell Welch founded Welch’s Grape Juice, and purchased the locally grown grapes to make “unfermented wine” (or grape juice). The fertile ground also attracted the glass-making industry and was home to the Progresso soup company. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, most of the city was involved in the poultry industry, which led to the city being dubbed “The Egg Basket of America.”

Vineland Poultry Laboratories (operations were closed by Lohmann Animal Health in 2007) was started by Arthur Goldhaft. Dr. Goldhaft is credited with putting “a chicken in every pot” after developing the fowl pox chicken vaccine that saved millions of chickens from death. Dr. Goldhaft’s work at Vineland Poultry Laboratories in Vineland, helped protect the world’s chicken supply from the fowl pox disease.

Vineland had New Jersey’s first school for the intellectually disabled, the Vineland Developmental Center, which now has an east and west campus. These institutions housed mentally handicapped women in fully staffed cottages. Henry H. Goddard, an American psychologist, coined the term “Moron” while directing the Research Laboratory at the Training School for Backward and Feeble-minded Children in Vineland. This facility was so sufficiently well known that one American Prison Association pamphlet in 1955 heralded Vineland as “famous for its contributions to our knowledge of the feebleminded”.

The city of Vineland celebrated its 150th birthday in 2011. Mayor Robert Romano initially ordered a custom cake from Buddy Valastro of Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken; the business is featured in the TLC reality television series Cake Boss. After outcry from local business owners, the order was canceled and five Vineland bakeries were commissioned to create elaborate cakes for the event.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 69.029 square miles (178.785 km²), including 68.424 square miles (177.218 km²) of land and 0.605 square miles (1.568 km²) of water (0.88%). Of all the municipalities in New Jersey to hold the label of City, Vineland is the largest in total area. (Hamilton Township in Atlantic County is the largest municipality in New Jersey in terms of land area. Galloway Township, also in Atlantic County, is the largest municipality in total area, including open water within its borders.)

Vineland borders Deerfield Township, Millville, and Maurice River Township. Vineland also borders Salem County, Gloucester County, and Atlantic County. The city is approximately 38 miles (61 km) from the Atlantic Ocean.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the city include Clayville, Hances Bridge, Leamings Mill, Menantico, North Vineland, Parvins Branch, Pleasantville, South Vineland and Willow Grove.

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 60,724 people, 21,450 households, and 15,230 families residing in the city. The population density was 887.5 per square mile (342.7/km²). There were 22,661 housing units at an average density of 331.2 per square mile (127.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.03% (40,703) White, 14.16% (8,600) Black or African American, 0.67% (406) Native American, 1.71% (1,036) Asian, 0.04% (24) Pacific Islander, 12.91% (7,841) from other races, and 3.48% (2,114) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 38.03% (23,093) of the population.

Source: Wikipedia