Boonton is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 8,347, reflecting a decline of 149 from the 8,496 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 153 from the 8,343 counted in the 1990 Census. The settlement was originally called "Boone-Towne" in 1761 in honor of the Colonial Governor Thomas Boone.Boonton was originally formed on March 16, 1866, within portions of Hanover Township and Pequannock Township. The town was reincorporated and became fully independent on March 18, 1867.The development of Boonton began in about 1829, as a result of the construction of the Morris Canal and the formation of the New Jersey Iron Company. The original location of the town is now largely under the Jersey City Reservoir, completed in 1904. In 1908, the waters from this reservoir were the first municipal water supply in the United States to be chlorinated.