Raccoon Island (New Jersey)

Last updated May 04, 2019

Raccoon Island is an island on Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey,^[1] comprising about 50 acres (20 ha) with mixed private homes and lots.^[2] It is part of Jefferson Township, in Morris County, New Jersey.

Lake Hopatcong the largest freshwater body in New Jersey

Lake Hopatcong is the largest freshwater body in New Jersey, United States, about 4 square miles (10 km²) in area. Located 30 miles from the Delaware River and 40 miles from Manhattan, New York City, the lake forms part of the border between Sussex and Morris counties in the state's northern highlands region. Lake Hopatcong was produced by damming and flooding of two ponds, known as the Great Pond and Little Pond, and the Musconetcong River, its natural outlet. Historically known as a resort lake for vacationing New Yorkers, it is now a mostly suburban residential lake.

New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is located on a peninsula, bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, particularly along the extent of the length of New York City on its western edge; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware River and Pennsylvania; and on the southwest by the Delaware Bay and Delaware. New Jersey is the fourth-smallest state by area but the 11th-most populous, with 9 million residents as of 2017, and the most densely populated of the 50 U.S. states; its biggest city is Newark. New Jersey lies completely within the combined statistical areas of New York City and Philadelphia. New Jersey was the second-wealthiest U.S. state by median household income as of 2017.

Jefferson Township is the northernmost township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 21,314, having increased by 1,597 (+8.1%) from the 19,717 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,892 (+10.6%) from the 17,825 counted in the 1990 Census.

Seasonal (April–October), limited schedule ferry service provides access to the island by car or light truck. With this limited accessibility, few people live year-round on the island, but during the summer months many families from the surrounding area temporarily "relocate" and commute to their work from there. The homes range from small cottages that were built from the 1880s onwards,^[2] to more contemporary and remodeled homes with sizable lots. There is no public land on the island.

In the late 19th century paddle-wheel boats used to provide transportation links from mainland railway stations to resort hotels and campsites on the island. It was a summer tourist destination for New York City residents (45 miles (72 km) east) before expanded auto and air transportation made more exotic travel feasible.

Bridge and Ferry History

In the past Lake Hopatcong was two separate lakes known as Big Pond and Little Pond.^[2] After development began in the 1880s a bridge was built serving the island to the mainland. The Chincopee Bridge was opened in 1891 but collapsed in 1899.^[2] A new bridge was planned and approved in 1928, but the great depression halted that project. In 1932 a ferry service was started to serve the island from Chincopee Road, continuing to today.

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References

↑ "History of Jefferson Township". www.nynjctbotany.org. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
1 2 3 4 Kane, Marty. "Then and Now: Hollywood on Raccoon Island". www.lakehopatcongnews.com. Retrieved 5 September 2012.

Coordinates: 40°57′45″N74°38′12″W / 40.96250°N 74.63667°W / 40.96250; -74.63667

Geographic coordinate system Coordinate system

A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.

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[nyn-1] "History of Jefferson Township". www.nynjctbotany.org. Retrieved 5 September 2012.

[marty-2] 1 2 3 4 Kane, Marty. "Then and Now: Hollywood on Raccoon Island". www.lakehopatcongnews.com. Retrieved 5 September 2012.