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.

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.

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.

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.

[29] After closing his iron operations, Thomas Edison recouped his losses by opening a quarry called Limecrest near Sparta in 1919.

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 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.

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.

[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.

The lights and noise of Manhattan, fifty miles distant, attract flight attendants, single people mostly.

Lake Mohawk houses many boutiques and gift shops that cater to a wide variety of shoppers.

[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.

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.

[67] For the 119th United States Congress, New Jersey's 7th congressional district is represented by Thomas Kean Jr. (R, Westfield).

[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).

[106] In 2009, the Foundation provided technology money for SMART boards and projectors in Alpine and Helen Morgan schools.

[112] Veritas Christian Academy, a small private school, educates students in grades 9-12.

Sparta is served by the Skylands Connect bus, which provides service to Newton, Hamburg and Sussex.

[115] Lakeland Bus Lines provides commuter service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan from the Sparta police station and Blue Heron Road park and rides on the Route 80 route.

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).