The township was listed as the safest place in New Jersey[24] as well as the seventh safest municipality in the nation according to a 2022 crime statistic compilation from Safewise.com.[25]
Sparta was originally inhabited by LenapeNative Americans. In the 1750s, Dutch explorers discovered red ores in the area and attempted to mine copper. No permanent settlers arrived until 1778, when Robert Ogden and his wife built their home and constructed an iron forge on lands he had acquired and "called their house and farm Sparta."[26] The first public building in Sparta was the Presbyterian Church which was incorporated in 1786. Schools were established in Ogdensburg by 1806 and in Sparta by 1812.[27]
Iron, zinc, and limestone supported a mining industry for over 100 years, but today the mining operations have ceased and the township is now a residential community served by retail, professional, and service small businesses. According to the 2000 census, 65% of Sparta workers commute to jobs outside of the county. [citation needed]
Robert Ogden settled in 1778 near the present town of Ogdensburg and built an iron forge, utilizing local ore from his Ogden Mine on Sparta Mountain. The Horseshoe mine was opened in 1772 by the Englishmen Spargo and Harvey who shipped ore by horse and mule to the forges at Sparta and Hopewell. It wasn't until 1868 that the Ogden Mine Railroad began operations and made it economical to ship zinc and iron ore to Nolan's Point on Lake Hopatcong where the Morris Canal had a marine terminal that could ship ore to Newark. In 1872, the New Jersey Midland Railroad (later known as the New York, Susquehanna & Western) extended to Ogdensburg and captured the zinc ore traffic.
In 1836, Henry Decker, along with Nelson Hunt and Lewis Sherman, began the manufacture of anchors at their forges in Sparta. Their success led to a small industry of forging anchors in Sparta, but by the end of the Civil War the forge industry in Sparta had come to an end.
In 1889, Thomas Edison invested $3.5 million in his Edison Ore-Milling Company to build iron operations on 2,500 acres (10 km2) of Sparta Mountain. Edison hoped to concentrate the mountain's vast quantities of low-grade ore and supply East Coast mills with raw material. At its peak Edison's operation employed 500 people, but after a 10-year effort he abandoned his attempt to compete with more economical ores from Minnesota's Mesabi Iron Range. The availability of the cheap Minnesota ores put an end to iron mining in Sparta.[28]
In 1848 the New Jersey Zinc Company began operations at Sterling Hill. Earlier attempts to obtain iron from the mineral rich ore of the Sterling Hill failed because of manganese contamination, but zinc was recoverable and the ores at Sterling Hill were rich with it.[29]
In 1856 the Passaic Zinc Company started operations at the Sterling Hill Mine and constructed large ore crushers, shipping the ores to the company's plant in Jersey City.
By 1868, both iron and zinc operations were in progress at Sterling Hill, but the numerous companies and claims were embroiled in continuous legal battles, the largest of which was a 12-year dispute between the New Jersey Zinc Company and the Franklin Iron Company over rights to mixed ores, each company having purchased the right to mine zinc and iron, respectively. In 1880, the Franklin Iron Company acquired the New Jersey Zinc Company's operations at Sterling Hill mine, ending the dispute. Large scale operations began in 1897 when the claims were consolidated under the New Jersey Zinc Company and by 1900 its mill was processing 1,500 tons of ore daily.
Zinc operations continued until 1986 when the Sterling Hill mine ceased operation. The Sterling Hill mine site is currently occupied by the Sterling Hill Mining Museum and is open to the public for tours.[29]
After closing his iron operations, Thomas Edison recouped his losses by opening a quarry called Limecrest near Sparta in 1919. The lime quarry fed Edison's Portland cement operations, and was in continuous operation under various owners for more than 80 years until it closed in 2003. During the years of its operation the limestone quarry was an important source of employment and tax revenue for Sparta. Limestone is no longer mined, but a limited amount of granite continues to be quarried by a handful of employees.[30]
The former New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad station in Sparta, as viewed from a nearby business in November 2011. The station depot burned in an early morning fire on September 3, 2012.[31]
The New Jersey Midland Railroad opened to Ogdensburg in 1872 for zinc ore traffic, but in 1882 the line was extended to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania and a station was built at Sparta, giving tourists easy access to the many boarding houses that served summer residents from the cities. Passenger service ended in 1935, but by then Sparta was well established as a summer destination. In 1926, the Arthur D. Crane Company along with developer and designer Herbert L. Closs constructed a 600-foot (180 m) dam across the Wallkill River to form 300-acre (1.2 km2) Lake Mohawk in 1928.[32] The private resort community created by the Crane Company consisted primarily of summer homes, but the homes began to be winterized in the 1940s and the current membership of 2,600 families are largely year-round residents.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 38.80 square miles (100.50 km2), including 36.79 square miles (95.28 km2) of land and 2.02 square miles (5.22 km2) of water (5.20%).[1][2]
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Ackerson, Edison, Hopewell, Houses Corner, Lake Mohawk, Monroe, Sparta Junction, Sussex Mills, Upper Mohawk and Woodruffs Gap.[35]
Sparta is in the Highlands which is comprised of igneous and metamorphic rock. Folding and faulting occurred when a continent struck the North American Plate. This is what created the mountains through Sparta and northwards. The Wisconsin Glacier created all the lakes and streams. The Franklin Marble goes through the township from Lime Crest Quarry to the New York line.
Sparta has been noted for the high number of pilots and their families who settle in the area. In his 1994 book The Airport: Terminal Nights and Runway Days at John F. Kennedy International, James Kaplan describes the home township of an interviewee as "thickly populated, for no particular reason, with pilots, many of whom do their flying out of Kennedy. The view out [the pilot's] picture window is of trees ... The lights and noise of Manhattan, fifty miles distant, attract flight attendants, single people mostly. Pilots like the woods."[52]
Of the 6,868 households, 41.8% had children under the age of 18; 69.6% were married couples living together; 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 20.6% were non-families. Of all households, 17.4% were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.27.[18]
28.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 32.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 96.6 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 95.1 males.[18]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $112,699 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,658) and the median family income was $127,669 (+/− $8,981). Males had a median income of $89,118 (+/− $5,949) versus $60,590 (+/− $5,416) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $50,115 (+/− $3,064). About 2.3% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.[53]
As of the 2000 United States census[15] there were 18,080 people, 6,225 households, and 5,029 families residing in the township. The population density was 483.5 inhabitants per square mile (186.7/km2). There were 6,590 housing units at an average density of 176.2 per square mile (68.0/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 96.7% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.4% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 1.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.54% of the population.[50][51]
There were 6,225 households, out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.9% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.28.[50][51]
In the township the population was spread out, with 30.6% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.[50][51]
The median income for a household in the township was $89,835, and the median income for a family was $100,658. Males had a median income of $74,293 versus $39,349 for females. The per capita income for the township was $36,910. About 1.0% of families and 1.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.[50][51]
Sparta is home to many small businesses. Lake Mohawk houses many boutiques and gift shops that cater to a wide variety of shoppers. As well as these smaller businesses, Sparta home to multiple family-owned pizzerias and delis.[citation needed]
Rockaway Townsquare is located about 15 minutes away from Sparta and allows residents to find a wider variety of shops.
Sparta is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Council-Manager (Plan B) form of municipal government, implemented based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission as of July 1, 1960.[54] The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form.[55] The governing body is comprised of a five-member Township Council whose members are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis for staggered four-year terms of office, with either two or three seats coming up for election in even-numbered years as part of the November general election.[6][56] The council chooses a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among themselves to serve one-year terms of office. The Township Council has the responsibility for all legislative matters.
The Council's responsibilities include enacting ordinances and resolutions, establishing policies, preparing the annual budget with the assistance of the Township Manager and the Treasurer, and levying taxes. Additionally, the Council makes appointments to both the policy and decision-making boards and various advisory committees in accordance with general law and Township ordinances and resolutions.
The council voted to shift its municipal elections from May to November, and voters approved a 2011 referendum that ended a requirement that a runoff election be held in June in the event that no candidate received a majority of votes in the May council election. The first election in which the candidates receiving the most votes won office was held in November 2012.[57]
As of 2024[update], members of the Sparta Township Council are Mayor Neill Clark (term on the council ends December 31, 2026; term as mayor ends 2024), Deputy Mayor Dean Blumetti (term on council ends 2026; term as deputy mayor ends 2024), Daniel Chiariello (2026), Josh Hertzberg (2024) and Christine Quinn (2024).[3][58][59][60]
In 2018, the township had an average property tax bill of $12,044, the highest in the county, compared to an average bill of $8,767 statewide.[61][62]
Sparta Township is located in the 7th Congressional District[63] and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.[64][65][66]
Prior to the 2010 Census, Sparta Township had been split between the 5th Congressional District and the 11th Congressional District, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.[67]
Sussex County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners whose five members are elected at-large in partisan elections on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Commissioner Director and Deputy Director from among its members, with day-to-day supervision of the operation of the county delegated to a County Administrator.[71] As of 2025[update], Sussex County's Commissioners are
Director Jill Space (R, Wantage Township, 2025),[72]
Deputy Director Chris Carney (R, Frankford Township, 2027),[73]
Jack DeGroot (R, Sussex, 2026),[74]
William Hayden (R, Branchville, 2025)[75] and
Alan Henderson (R, Lafayette Township, 2027).[76][77]
Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are
Clerk Jeffrey M. Parrott (R, Wantage Township, 2026),[78]
Sheriff Michael F. Strada (R, Hampton Township, 2025)[79] and
Surrogate Gary R. Chiusano (R, Frankford Township, 2028).[80]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 13,647 registered voters in Sparta Township, of which 2,393 (17.5% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 4,854 (35.6% vs. 39.3%) were registered as Republicans and 6,387 (46.8% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 13 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.[81] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 69.2% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 97.3% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide).[81][82]
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 6,370 votes (61.6% vs. 59.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,747 votes (36.3% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 188 votes (1.8% vs. 2.1%), among the 10,335 ballots cast by the township's 14,177 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.9% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County).[83] In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 6,462 votes (59.9% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 4,171 votes (38.7% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 103 votes (1.0% vs. 1.5%), among the 10,781 ballots cast by the township's 13,490 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.9% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County).[84] In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 6,622 votes (65.8% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 3,311 votes (32.9% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 102 votes (1.0% vs. 1.3%), among the 10,070 ballots cast by the township's 12,537 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.3% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county).[85]
United States presidential election results for Sparta 2024[86] 2020[87] 2016[88] 2012[89] 2008[90] 2004[91]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 72.8% of the vote (4,431 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 24.6% (1,496 votes), and other candidates with 2.6% (159 votes), among the 6,140 ballots cast by the township's 14,360 registered voters (54 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.8%.[92][93] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 4,694 votes (65.2% vs. 63.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,844 votes (25.6% vs. 25.7%), Independent Chris Daggett with 593 votes (8.2% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 37 votes (0.5% vs. 1.3%), among the 7,202 ballots cast by the township's 13,308 registered voters, yielding a 54.1% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).[94]
The Sparta Education Foundation was founded in 2006 to help with budgetary issues in the Sparta school district and to bring extra funds to the public school district from concerned private citizens and groups.[106] In 2009, the Foundation provided technology money for SMART boards and projectors in Alpine and Helen Morgan schools.[107] The Board of Education office is located in the Mohawk Avenue School. Matthew L. Beck is the Superintendent of Schools.[108]
Sussex Charter School for Technology serves grades 6-8, and is open to students from across the state, with preference given to application to students from Sparta.[110]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 132.81 miles (213.74 km) of roadways, of which 97.07 miles (156.22 km) were maintained by the municipality, 20.05 miles (32.27 km) by Sussex County and 15.69 miles (25.25 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[114]
Route 15 is the primary highway serving Sparta Township. Much of the original stretch of this highway within Sparta has been bypassed by a freeway, with the old route now designated Route 181. Route 94 and County Route 517 also pass through the township.
The Sparta Police Department is headquartered in the Municipal Building. The department is led by the Chief of Police Neil Spidaletto. The department has 10 Ford Explorers. Sparta Dispatch located in Sparta Police Headquarters is staffed 24/7 by trained Telecommunicators and Emergency Medical Dispatchers. Sparta Dispatch handles Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Dispatch for the towns of Sparta, Franklin, Ogdensburg and Stanhope.
The Sparta Ambulance Squad was founded on July 11, 1947, by the Sparta VFW post 7248. The squad is staffed by a combination of volunteers and paid EMTs. During weekdays, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., ambulances are staffed by two paid EMTs. From 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. and all day on weekends, Volunteer crews are on call to handle emergencies. If a crew is not found in Sparta, mutual aid agreements exist with area volunteer and hospital based EMS agencies. The squad and its more than 60 members operate three ambulances (4191, 4192, 4193), an off-road utility vehicle, and an Emergency Response Unit (4195). Sparta Ambulance Squad's headquarters is located at 14 Sparta Avenue. In 2013, the squad responded to 1,425 calls.[117]
The Sparta Fire Department serves the township, providing firefighting services along with vehicle extrication and HazMat services. The department's headquarters is located at 141 Woodport Road but it also has substations on Glen Road and Sparta Stanhope Road.
Charles Joseph Fletcher (1922–2011), inventor and the owner and chief executive of an aeronautical equipment company Technology General Corporation[125]
Kaplan, James (1994). The Airport: Terminal Nights and Runway Days at John F. Kennedy International. New York: William Morrow and Company.
McCabe, Wayne T.; Gordon, Kate (1996). A Penny A View...An Album of Postcard Views...Sparta, N.J. Newton, New Jersey: Historic Preservation Alternatives.
Pierson, Duane (1981). Images of Sparta. Newton, New Jersey: Minisink Press.
Snell, James P. (1881). History of Sussex & Warren Counties, New Jersey with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck.
Truran, William R. (2005). Sparta, NJ: Head of the Wallkill. Sparta, New Jersey: Trupower Press.
^ abTownship Council, Sparta Township. Accessed May 20, 2024. "Sparta Township is governed by a nonpartisan form of government known as Council-Manager Plan B of the Faulkner Act. The five-member Council is elected at large for four-year terms of office on a staggered basis with two or three seats coming up for election every other year. The council chooses a Mayor and Deputy Mayor from among themselves to serve one-year terms of office."
^Snell, James P. (1881) History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey, With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Prominent Men and Pioneers. (Centennial ed., Harmony, NJ: Harmony Press, 1981, p. 407)
^ abStaff. "Zinc Mine Showcases a Disappearing World", The New York Times, October 8, 1992. Accessed October 8, 2015. "In 1848, the process to extract zinc from ore was developed there.The mine was owned by the New Jersey Zinc Company, a subsidiary of Horshead Industries of New York City, until it shut for financial reasons in 1986."
^Staff. "Limecrest Quarry changes hands", The Sparta Independent, September 26, 2012. Accessed October 8, 2015. "The quarry known as Limecrest, started by Thomas Edison more than 100 years ago, and subsequently operated by several different companies is now being run by the Braen Family."
^Benko, Dawn. "Simple times at boardwalk", Daily Record, September 5, 2002. Accessed November 6, 2013. "On March 17, 1928, the valley filled and water ran over a spillway that had been built beneath the boardwalk."
^Hardy, Fran. "Five candidates submit petitions for council seats; Both municipal and board of ed candidates will share November ballot", The Sparta Independent, September 5, 2012. Accessed February 25, 2013. "Sparta's last municipal election was in May of 2010, and subsequently the council joined the majority of Faulkner Act municipalities by voting to change their election date to November. Another change in this year's municipal vote is the elimination of the run-off election, which factored heavily in deciding the two previous council elections. In a special question which was included on the November 2011 ballot, Sparta voters opted to do away the run-off, which was held if no candidate received 50 percent plus one vote."
^Marcus, Samantha. "These are the towns with the highest property taxes in each of N.J.’s 21 counties", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, April 22, 2019. Accessed November 5, 2019. "The average property tax bill in New Jersey was $8,767 last year. But there can be big swings from town to town and county to county.... The average property tax bill in Sparta Township was $12,044 in 2018, the highest in Sussex County."
^About County Government, Sussex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2024. "Sussex County is governed by five (5) Commissioners who are elected by the voters of Sussex County. Each serves on the county’s Board of County Commissioners for a term of three (3) years, after which time they can seek re‐election or retire.... The Commissioners are elected at‐large to serve three‐year staggered terms. The five Commissioners elect a director from among themselves to run their meetings and to serve as a spokesperson for the board."
^Sparta Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Sparta Township Public School District. Accessed November 1, 2023. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-K through 12 in the Sparta Township School District. Composition: The Sparta Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Sparta Township."
^Coach Mike BudnikArchived 2011-12-19 at the Wayback Machine, Triton Fight Academy. Accessed June 28, 2011. "Mike was a pro skater for 11 years, played some low-level pro golf, and now is fighting as a pro-MMA fighter. He grew up in the northeast, Brooklyn, and Sparta, and still misses it to death."
^Strauss, Robert. "Starbucks' Newest Flavor Has New Jersey Musicians", The New York Times, May 29, 2005. Accessed October 25, 2018. "'He's always looking for new and exciting things to do, so he had us play for the Starbucks people a stripped-down, acoustic version of our act,' said Cassidy, who grew up in Sparta and who now lives in rural Morris County."
^Dunleavy, Bryan. "Emmy winner: From 'bleak' time to primetime", Daily Record, September 23, 2003. Accessed December 4, 2024, via Newspapers.com. "Caltabiano, a former Sparta resident and graduate of County College of Morris, is a writer and co-executive producer for the hit CBS sitcom, Everybody Loves Raymond."
^Sacharow, Fredda. "Class of 2018: Diverse, Accomplished and Largest Ever; Members of the incoming class come from 40 states and more than 60 countries", Rutgers Today, September 2, 2014. Accessed October 8, 2015. "Frank Dolce of Sussex County, who is enrolling in the bachelor of fine arts program at the Mason Gross School of the Arts in New Brunswick, played the role of Michael in Billy Elliot the Musical, co-written by Elton John... The experience allowed the Sparta resident to acquire friends from Poland, France, Austria, Finland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, and Korea, he says."
^"Charles J. Fletcher Obituary", New Jersey Herald, April 22, 2011. Accessed October 8, 2015. "Charles J. Fletcher, 88, died Wednesday, April 20, 2011, at Saint Clare's Hospital, in Sussex... He had resided in Sparta for 37 years before moving to Fredon 13 years ago. "
^Jennings, Rob. "Lincoln’s image presides almost unnoticed in Sparta", New Jersey Herald, February 15, 2015. Accessed December 27, 2021. "The sculptor, Jock Manton, lived in Sparta.... Manton, whose birth name was Archimedes Giacomantonio, had the Lincoln statue among many sculptures built in his home."
^"Obituary of Francis Xavier Herbert", Norman Dean Home. Accessed November 24, 2019. "Herbert, Francis X., 'Frank', 87, of Randolph formerly of Rockaway, Sparta, and Waldwick, where he and his wife Eleanor raised their family with love and devotion."
^Chris Jent, National Basketball Association. Accessed June 28, 2011. "Jent, a native of Sparta, N.J., graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in communications."
^Parker, Charles Whatley; and Greene, Barnet M. "F. Ross Johnson", Who's who in Canada: an illustrated biographical record of men and women of the time, Volume 73, p. 421, International Press Limited., 1982. ISBN0-919339-02-6. Accessed June 28, 2011. "Residence: 210 East Mountain Road, Sparta, New Jersey 07871."
^Sparta New Jersey Musician Embarks on World Tour, Bill Wright's Guitar Studio, November 20, 2011. Accessed December 19, 2012. "20-year-old multi-instrumentalist Jordan Lawlor from Sparta, NJ, a former student of Bill Wright's Guitar Studio, has just embarked on a major world tour as guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and vocalist with the band M83 in support of their latest album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming which debuted at number 21 on the Billboard charts."
^Lanni, Patrick. "Jameis Winston suspended: Sean Maguire, former Seton Hall Prep QB, to start for Florida State", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 17, 2014. Accessed November 7, 2017. "Former Seton Hall Prep quarterback Sean Maguire, now a redshirt sophomore at reigning national champion and top-ranked Florida State, will start Saturday's game against No. 22 Clemson in place of Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, who was suspended for the first half by FSU coach Jimbo Fisher after making an obscene comment on campus. Seton Hall Prep coach John Finnegan said Maguire, a Sparta native, is prepared."
^Falkenstein, Michelle. "Jersey Footlights", The New York Times, July 4, 2004. Accessed June 28, 2011. "Wendy Mass, a writer who lives in Sparta, said she was in a library a few years ago when a book literally fell off the shelves and landed at her feet."
^ abMcCullough, Andy. "Ex-Sparta High wrestlers Jim and Dan Miller make UFC a family affair", The Star-Ledger, March 26, 2010, updated April 1, 2019. Accessed September 14, 2021. "Day after day, Mike Miller heard his boys brawling. His two 20-something sons worked construction with him, on the job at 7 a.m., out in the sun during the summer. When work slowed, Jim and Dan tussled in basements and dumpsters, 'beating the crap out of each other,' Jim said. So Mike waited. He understood. The boys missed competition. Both had wrestled at Sparta High School."
^Weber, Bruce. "Judge Sylvia Pressler, Who Opened Little League to Girls, Dies at 75", The New York Times, February 17, 2010. Accessed November 6, 2013. "Sylvia B. Pressler, whose 1973 ruling as a hearings officer with the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights opened the door for girls to play Little League baseball, and who later rose to be the presiding administrative judge of the state's Appellate Division, died Monday at a family cottage in Sparta, N.J."
^"March 29-30, 2008 – Tim Sweeney Talks", Atlantic League Baseball News, March 29, 2008. Accessed November 6, 2013. "2008: Born in Denville, New Jersey and now living in Sparta — where he gives lessons at Dream Field — the former roommate of Bobby Brownlie and Val Majewski couldn't be happier to be playing close to home. 'I'm extremely, extremely excited to be a part of the Bears organization,' Sweeney told me."
^Barbati, Carl via New Jersey Herald. "Barbati Column: VanAtta was a real local hero"Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, WKOW, June 21, 2015. Accessed October 8, 2015. "But this is about Russ Van Atta, whose birthday is today and who's being honored at the ballpark before today's Sussex County Miners game... He was living in a house in Sparta at the time, and there was a fire... In the process, he badly injured his hand and wrist, and he would never be the same pitcher again."