Willingboro. 7.69-square-mile township in Burlington County. Willingboro was the ancestral home of the Lenape Indians, before the 1677 settlement of the area by English Quakers from West New Jersey. Willing borough, named by founder Thomas Ollive after his home in England, was established as a constabulary in 1688 and chartered as a township in 1798. Reaching from Rancocas Creek to the Delaware River, the township was divided into "plantations” according to the number of shares purchased. It was also the home of the last royal governor of New Jersey, William Franklin (son of Benjamin Franklin), deposed during the American Revolution. In 1858
Willingboro was separated from what was to become Beverly City, Delanco Township, and Edgewater Park Township. Willingboro retained its agricultural focus, with the population staying between 600 and 800 persons, until the mid-1950s when builder William J. Levitt, having acquired most of the land in the township, began construction of a planned community, named Levittown after himself. By the end of the decade the population of the township had grown to 10,000. The name Willingboro was restored by referendum in 1963. The reasonable cost of housing, combined with a welcoming attitude toward diversity created by community leaders, led to significant growth in the African American population. Carl Lewis, winner of nine Olympic gold medals, grew up in the township. With some light industry and retail, the township remains residential.
The 2000 population of 33,008 was 25 percent white and 67 percent black. The median household income was $60,869.
Willow wood Arboretum. Located in Chester Township, the 130-acre arboretum contains undisturbed forest, historic farmland, formal gardens, and informal paths. There are over 3,500 different species of native and exotic plants, with two formal gardens, the Cottage Garden and the Paris Garden, adjacent to the house. The house dates back to 1792 when the property was a working farm. In 1908 brothers Henry and Robert Tubbs purchased the property and began a collection of plants, adding approximately twenty thousand conifers to the site. It became a private arboretum in 1950, and the Morris County Parks Department assumed control in 1980.
Wilson, Alexander (b. July 6, 1766; d. Aug. 23, 1813). Ornithologist. Born in Paisley, Scotland, Alexander Wilson, at age thirteen, was apprenticed to a weaver. He found the work tedious and soon quit to work as a peddler of cloth throughout eastern Scotland. His experiences helped him develop as a writer of humorous dialect poems, one of which sold 100,000 copies and was praised by Robert Burns. Siding with weavers in a labor dispute, Wilson wrote scathing satires on a Paisley industrialist for which he was convicted of libel. Unable to pay his fine, and harassed with a series of jailings, he fled his homeland for America as a deck passenger. There, his interests in bird study and drawing were encouraged by the naturalist William Bartram.
Wilson taught school in Bloomfield, worked as a cloth merchant in northern New Jersey, and traveled widely in the state observing and painting birds. His careful documentation, the first serious effort to depict the birds of America, became a nine-volume work, the classic American Ornithology, published in 1808-1814. The work illustrated 268 species, including descriptions of 26 new species. Wilson made frequent trips to New Jersey’s southern shore, which was in the path of the Atlantic flyway. He often stayed at a tavern facing the sea where the Tuckahoe River flows into Barnegat Bay.
Wilson, Edmund, Jr. (b. May 8,1895; d. June 12, 1972). Writer and literary critic. Edmund Wilson was born in Red Bank, New Jersey. Though both of his parents, Edmund Sr. and Helen Mather Kimball, were born in New Jersey, their families had deep roots in New York, and Wilson always considered himself a New Yorker. His father was an attorney who became attorney general of New Jersey, and his mother was a descendant of Cotton Mather. Wilson was educated at the Shrewsbury Academy in New Jersey and attended Princeton University, graduating in 1916. After graduation, he moved to New York, and never lived in New Jersey again but made brief visits.
Following service in World War I, he began work as a literary journalist, often in straitened circumstances, but he soon became one of America’s most distinguished literary figures. His best work includes literary criticism—Axel’s Castle: A Study of the Imaginative Literature of 1870-1930 (1931), The Wound and the Bow (1941), and Patriotic Gore (i962)—history—To the Finland Station (1940)— and fiction—Memoirs of Hecate County (1948). He also produced poetry, drama, and many other works. His life, including literary friendships and rivalries, four marriages (and three children), and numerous affairs, is chronicled, with startling and almost clinical candor, in the five volumes, posthumously published, of his notebooks and diaries—The Twenties, The Thirties, The Forties, The Fifties, and The Sixties.
Wilson, Woodrow (b. Dec. 28,1856; d. Feb. 3,1924). College president, governor, and president of the United States. Although widely known for his New Jersey connections (professor and president, Princeton University, governor, and longtime summer resident) Woodrow Wilson, in fact, was born and raised in the South—living and growing up in Virginia, Georgia, and South Carolina. Indeed, he often proclaimed his love for that region, and consistently reflected its mores and prejudices. "The only place in the world,” he noted, "where nothing has to be explained to me is the South.” Moreover, as with many in his time he believed African Americans were inferior, and that immigration of non-British populations had diminished and degraded the quality of American democracy.
After graduating from Princeton, Wilson went on to attend law school at the University of Virginia. For two years (1882-1883) he undertook an unsuccessful, unsatisfying, and ultimately brief career as a lawyer. In i883 he enrolled in the graduate program at Johns Hopkins University, and two years later published his doctoral dissertation as Congressional Government.
Woodrow Wilson dressed for graduation ceremonies while president of Princeton University.
Armed with his new degree, happily married and with an adoring family, Wilson taught history, jurisprudence, and American politics at the college level for the next seventeen years. Along the way, he published five books, as well as a multivolume History of the American People. While reasonably popular in its day, Wilson’s scholarly output was "often shallow or derivative.” It reflected the outlook typical of a white, Gilded Age conservative. A lifelong Democrat, nevertheless, Wilson denounced three-time presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan as "the most charming and lovable of men personally, but foolish and dangerous in his theoretical beliefs.” The "fine quality” of President William McKinley, on the other hand, "was evident to all who approached him: his sense of duty, his devotion to the principles of right action.”
Wilson took up his final professorial post at his old alma mater, Princeton University, in 1890. Although somewhat cold and reserved in manner, in the classroom and before large audiences he could be inspiring. He was always more successful at persuading groups of people, rather than individuals. Emphasis on the past, he maintained, especially the work of English-speaking societies, might contribute toward a revitalization of college education as a moral force. His writings attracted national attention, and a number of college presidencies had been offered Wilson by i900. In 1902 Princeton followed suit. Wilson accepted immediately. Indeed, his travel to the White House may be said to have started with his move into the Princeton president’s mansion.
Wilson transformed Princeton University and laid the foundation for its future greatness. He proposed new courses and reshaped the modern curriculum—focusing on general education followed by a narrower field of concentration. Drawing upon his experience at Johns Hopkins, he introduced the tutorial system, bringing in younger scholars to serve as "companions, coaches, and guides” for the students; a practice so successful that it was soon copied by both Harvard and Yale. Wilson inspired professors and trustees alike with his energy, vision, and imaginative innovations. But he also demonstrated, especially after i906, defects in leadership that would later be repeated at the national level.
Between 1906 and 1910, Wilson faltered as Princeton’s president. He demonstrated a tendency to turn differences over issues into bitter personal quarrels, exacerbated by a proud if not arrogant demeanor. Moreover, although he had long studied politics, the professor-turned-president found it very difficult to compromise, to work with the "opposition ”to-ward a common goal. By i9i0 his leadership at Princeton had become so contentious that the trustees could only have breathed a collective sigh of relief when Wilson resigned to accept the New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Along with the rest of the state, they, too, would learn that Wilson’s personal convictions were never as fixed as his political ambitions.
Wilson was offered the nomination by conservative, urban "boss” elements that controlled the New Jersey Democratic party, who perceived Wilson as one who had become a national figure, but whose views remained compatible with those of the status quo. They were disconcerted, and with good cause, when Wilson accepted the nomination proclaiming "I did not seek this nomination … and shall enter office with absolutely no pledges of any kind to prevent me from serving the people.” Elected with the hearty support of reform elements in both the Democratic and Republican parties, Wilson repudiated those who had orchestrated his nomination, and from 1910 to 1912 presided over the most progressive political reforms thus far experienced in New Jersey’s history.
To be sure, Wilson’s somewhat sudden adoption of progressive causes was opportunistic, but once committed to these goals, the sincerity with which he pursued them was beyond debate. Using his new language of idealism and reform, while accepting old tactics of patronage, in 1911 Wilson’s administration had won legislative approval for a reform of the state’s election practices, a corrupt practices act, expanded authority of the state Public Service Commission to set rates, a workmen’s compensation law, and finally, local options for use of the referendum, initiative, and recall as well as a commission form of local government.
His incredible success nurtured Wilson’s already well established desire for the presidency. Indeed, by 1912 his extended quest for national office forced him to abandon his hands-on leadership style that had been so effective during his first year as governor. Wilson’s election to the presidency resulted not only from his own talents but from the split in the Republican party, torn between the incumbent William Howard Taft and his predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt. In 1910 a defeated and somewhat disillusioned Wilson had resigned the presidency of Princeton. Two years later he would be elected president of the United States. And, as had been the case both in Princeton and Trenton, in the first part of his term Wilson demonstrated effective and inspiring leadership. But echoing once again his earlier disappointments as university president and governor, so during his last year as president he could not sustain his effectiveness as spokesman for the nation. As the country emerged from World War I, his presidency foundered, and in the end Wilson’s lifelong tendency to confuse "belief with truth,” joined with his talent for "substituting words for facts,” resulted not in presidential triumph but in heartrending personal tragedy.
Winberry v. Salisbury. This landmark 1950 New Jersey Supreme Court decision resolved a conflict in the 1947 state constitution between the legislature’s power to pass laws concerning procedure in the courts and the supreme court’s power to make rules of "practice and procedure” for the courts. This is a matter of separation or distribution of powers within state government. A state statute provided a lengthy period during which parties could decide whether to appeal an adverse court decision. A directly conflicting rule of the supreme court, adopted under the new authority contained in the 1947 constitution, provided for a much shorter period. The supreme court resolved this direct conflict in favor of its own rule-making authority, invalidating the statute. To reach this result, the court virtually had to ignore the article 6, section 2, paragraph 3 limitation on its rule-making power, expressed as "subject to the law.” The judgment established the state supreme court as the final authority on matters of judicial procedure, and as the final arbiter of conflicts that arise in this area between the legislature and the court. This decision has formed the basis of a number of later decisions displacing state statutes that purport to regulate judicial procedure.
Wineries. New Jersey wines began winning awards over two hundred years ago when New Jerseyans first cultivated vineyards for the British Empire in the mid-i700s. In 1767, London’s Royal Society of Arts recognized two New Jersey vintners for their success in producing the first bottles of quality wine in the New World, made from the native American varieties of grapes that were found growing wild throughout the thirteen colonies. These grapes produced a less refined wine, often called "foxy” today. The earliest attempts to introduce European vines to this continent met with failure, Thomas Jefferson being one of the most notable farmers to experiment. Today, due to modern science and advanced wine-making techniques, wine is produced from European as well as native American grapes, and crosses of the two called French Hybrids.
Renault Winery is the oldest in New Jersey and one of the nation’s oldest continuously operating wineries. It was established in 1864 and was able to survive Prohibition by producing sacramental and medicinal wines. Renault Wine Tonic was sold in almost every pharmacy in the country and was fortified with 22 percent alcohol. During Prohibition, laws were put on the books that restricted the number of wineries in New Jersey to i per i million inhabitants. This law limited the number to 7 until the Farm Winery Act was passed in i98i. This piece of legislation, which was championed by members of the wine industry, marked the beginning of the renaissance of grape growing and wine making in New Jersey. The number of wineries now has grown to nineteen with another half a dozen in the planning stages.
New Jersey wineries are located in two distinctly different climatic areas. The viticul-tural areas in the southern part of the state date back to the i800s when a thriving wine and grape juice industry was concentrated in Vineland. These vineyards are characterized by a maritime climate with flat or low hills and sandy soils. The northern viticultural regions have developed over the past two decades. This area is typified by hilly terrain and hillside vineyards with limestone or shaley soils. Both areas rely on the climate-moderating influences of local waters such as the Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean.
Today, wineries in the state produce approximately 190,000 gallons of wine every year. New Jersey ranks among the top fifteen wine-producing states in the nation. Due to the use of American, French Hybrid, and vinifera grapes as well as numerous fruits, New Jersey produces over forty different varieties of wines ranging from dry to semi-dry table wines to sparkling, fruit, and dessert wines. In recent years, the desire to produce superior wine from vinifera grapes has led to vineyards being identified and established on sites that have the potential to produce the finest grapes New Jersey has ever seen. Located in the southernmost part of the state, these sites experience extremely mild winter temperatures and have the longest growing season. These characteristics will result in the vineyards’ ability to grow and ripen varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and other varieties that flourish in California. Once these vineyards are in production, the last essential ingredient to the wine-growing renaissance in New Jersey will be in place.
Winfield. 0.47-square-mile township and wartime housing development in Union County. Originally known as the Winfield Park Defense Housing Project, the development was constructed for Kearny Shipyard workers and their families. In 1941 the New Jersey state legislature was petitioned to set aside the development as a separate township, taking land from Linden and Clark. Over the governor’s veto, the township was incorporated on August 6, 1941. The development was named for the Winfield Scott Hotel, where shipyard union officials and the government negotiated the project. The first fifty families moved into unfinished homes on November 29,1941. The poor condition of the homes led to a Senate inquiry to establish responsibility for the inept planning, construction, and supervision of the 700-home project. The contractor was indicted for fraud, and repairs were eventually made. The Winfield Mutual Housing Corporation leased the property from the Federal Housing Authority in 1945, and purchased it for $1.3 million in 1950. Through this unusual ownership arrangement, residents do not own their homes, but rather, own a stake in the corporation.
In 2000 the population of 1,514 was 97 percent white. The median household income was $37,000.
Blue Anchor, Ancora, Williamstown Junction, New Freedom, Tansboro, Cedar Brook, and Braddock. The name Winslow was taken from the most important settlement in the area, a thriving glassmaking village founded by William Coffin, Sr., and continued by Andrew K. Hay. The glass business developed as a result of abundant natural resources in the area: timber, potter’s clay, and sand. The glass industry was abandoned in 1899, and Winslow was deserted, but later had a renaissance because of its proximity to the railroad. Sawmills and taverns also thrived. In 1919 an ambitious project was proposed to clear 4,000 acres of timber and lay out 400 model ten-acre farms in order to create a community center and farm colony for returning World War I veterans; the project never came to fruition. Winslow’s peak growth period was the 1980s. Today, although three major arteries cross the township, it still contains many rural stretches.
The year 2000 population of 34,611 was 66 percent white and 29 percent black. The median household income was $55,990.
Wine bottle made for Richard Wistar, Wistarburgh Glassworks, near Alloway, c. 1745-1755. Transparent light green glass, applied seal impressed "R.W.,” h. c. 9 in.
Winser, Beatrice (b. Mar. u, 1869; d. Sept. 14,1947). Librarian and museum curator. Born in Newark, Beatrice Winser was the daughter of Henry and Edith (Cox) Winser. She was privately tutored and attended Columbia Library School. Hired by Newark Public Library in 1889, she worked collaboratively with the founder, John Cotton Dana, and at his death in 1929 was appointed director, serving until 1942. She also directed the Newark Museum from 1929 until 1947. Appointed to the Newark Board of Education in 1915, she was the first woman in Newark to serve on a governing board. Active in professional groups and widely respected, Winser died in Newark.
Winslow. 58-square-mile township in lower Camden County, the largest municipality in the county. Boundaries have changed since Winslow’s separation from Gloucester Township and its incorporation on March 6, 1845, but it continues to be made up of a collection of villages, including Sicklerville,
Wisconsin Terminal Moraine.Within the past 2.5-3.0 million years, New Jersey has been glaciated several times. The last glacial advance (called the Wisconsin or Wisconsinan) started melting back from its maximum extent about eighteen thousand years ago. A terminal moraine contains the deposits of sand, clay, and boulders that were left behind as the glacier receded. The terminal moraine in New Jersey goes in a curved line from Perth Amboy through the areas near Edison, Morristown, Dover, and Hackettstown and crosses the Delaware River near Belvidere in Warren County. Most of the land north of this moraine is covered with glacial deposits, and contains almost all of the natural lakes in the state.
