County Information
Somerset County is
located in the heart of the nation's largest metropolitan area. It contains
a balance of urban and suburban neighborhoods and rural country sides.
There are more than 7,300 acres of parkland.
The
county seat is Somerville, which Mr. Graham does not have planned on his
route. The most highly populated town is Middlesex
which has a population of 13,055 people and is estimated at 4,920 families.
The town lowest in population is Millstone
at 450 people and around 172 families.
According
to Lt. Thompson, there is not a county road map on the internet.
Nor is there a road construction map or blacktop accessible camp ground.
County History
One of America's oldest counties is Somerset County in New Jersey.
It was established on May 22, 1688. It has land conveyances dating
all the way back to 1651. In almost every town there are historic
sites, monuments, and buildings. They are being preserved for future
generations.
The
first inhabitants of Somerset County were the Leni Lenapi Indians.
None are living there at the time--that they are aware of any ways.
The Leni Lenapi Indians moved west and north.
The Dutch and English were the first European settlers along the Raritan
and Millstone Rivers. They originally came from England and Holland.
Some famous people that came from the area include Doris Duke, Paul Robeson,
Malcome, Steve, and Forbes, Fenwick, and Millicent. Of the seven,
Fenwick and Millicent are buried in the county. There have also been
a few political figures that have been born or died in Somerset County.
Check out political
graveyard and have a look.
Here's
a listing of historic
sites of Somerset County.
Geography
During the summer, it is usually sunny and hot. The average temperature
during the summer months is 78 degrees.
Since Somerest County is primarily flat, with the exception of a few hills.
Thus, the elevation of west to east stays the same.
There is not just one main economic foundation. AT&T is a very
strong corporation along with the Met Life World Headquarters. And, since
the businesses are so big, many people work for them. But, there
are also more companies moving in.
Because companies are moving in, there is more opportunity . This
is causing the county's population to grow. There is also some new
housing coming up, which in man cases, tends to be close to work.
In addition, there are great schools in the area.
It
is not very hard to find Jersey sweet corn. This is supposedly the
best food all of New Jersey is known for. It is so common that it
can be found in any grocery store.
Whitetail Deer is the most
common wild animal in Somerset County. However, the most dangerous
animal found in this county is the Black
Bear.
Geology
The
land in Somerset County got its shape many, many, many years ago, along
with the rest of the country. It was basically split up from larger
parcels of land.
Politics
In
general, taxes are the all-round biggest political issue. Locally,
property taxes are the problem. Finding open spaces is a local problem,
too. The biggest state problem that people care most about is auto insurance
and property taxes. And of course, the largest national dilemma that
strikes a concern are taxes.
To be more categorical about these types of taxes, Lt. Thompson went into
more detail. New Jersey pays the highest property taxes in the nation.
Towns and school districts are not making things any easier. New
Jersey has 386 municipalities with 538 school districts. They want
to be independent rather than combining services.
The problem with open spaces is that there is not much left. A fund
was set up with the tax payer's money. This bought out the open spaces
so buildings could not be put up anymore.
Sociology
Theft
is the most common crime in Somerset County. The worse crime ever
committed was murder and sacrifice to Ala in 1978.
There are a variety of things going on during the summer of '99.
As a matter of fact, there is a whole internet
listing.
According to a resident, Lt. Thompson, the best thing about living in this
county is the low crime rate. High property taxes are the worse things
about being a resident.
From 1778 to June of 1779, General Washington's headquarters were located
in Somerset County. These headquarters would be the one thing a tourist
would have to see.
Arts
Miscellaneous
There
are a numerous amount of non-chain restaurants. None are specified,
though. Ice cream shops are all over the place as well. It's
just a matter of finding the one that looks the best.
There has been one UFO sighting brought about many years ago. Lt.
Thompson has only heard bits and pieces of the story.
The Halls Mills mystery was a famous murder involving a minister and his
mistress. They were both found murdered together underneath a tree.
The brothers of the minister's wife were tried for the murder. They
were found not guilty.
There is one media outlet for Somerset County. It is called Courier
News.
Thank you
I would like to thank Lt. Thompson for answering the
majority of these questions. It was a great help.