Humans have dwelt in this area for thousands of years, including clans of the Lenni Lenape. During the 1600s Dutch explorers arrived to search for copper. Fearing a British invasion, the Ogden and VanKirk families came in the late 1700s. Phoebe Ogden named their home after the Creek city/state “Sparta” in hopes of inspiring her sons. The discovery of iron in 1772 led to mining. Thomas Edison operated an innovative iron mine from 1889-1899 with an electrified worker village and later mined limestone. Railroads shipped out products of mining and agriculture, and brought summer tourists into eleven lake communities as Sparta grew.