Hudson County, New Jersey

Hudson County, New Jersey
Map of New Jersey highlighting Hudson County
Location in the state of New Jersey
Map of the U.S. highlighting New Jersey
New Jersey's location in the U.S.
Founded 1840
Seat Jersey City
Largest city Jersey City
Area
 - Total
 - Land
 - Water
62 sq mi (162 km²)
47 sq mi (121 km²)
16 sq mi (41 km²), 25.21%
Population
 - (2000)
 - Density
608,975
13,044/sq mi (5,036/km²)
Website www.hudsoncountynj.org

Hudson County is a county in New Jersey, United States, which takes its name from the Hudson River, which creates part its eastern border. Its county seat is Jersey City.[1] Part of the New York metropolitan area, it is the smallest county in the state and one of the most densely populated in the nation.

Contents

Municipalities

Index map of Hudson County municipalities

Numbers correspond to map at right.

  1. Bayonne (city)
  2. Jersey City (city)
  3. Hoboken (city)
  4. Union City (city)
  5. West New York (town)
  6. Guttenberg (town)
  7. Secaucus (town)
  8. Kearny (town)
  9. Harrison (town)
  10. East Newark (borough)
  11. North Bergen (township)
  12. Weehawken (township)

Geography and topography

Satellite image showing the core of the New York metropolitan area. Over 10 million people live in the imaged area. Much of Hudson County is located on peninsula on left

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 62 square miles (162 km2), of which, 47 square miles (121 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (25.21%) is water. It is the smallest of New Jersey's 21 counties.

Hudson is located in the heart of New York metropolitan area Tri-State Region. It is bordered by the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay to the east; Kill van Kull to the south; Newark Bay and the Hackensack River or the Passaic River to the west; its only land border is shared Bergen County to the north and west.[2]

The topography is marked by New Jersey Palisades in the north with cliffs overlooking the Hudson to the east and less severe cuesta or slope to the west. They gradually level off to the southern peninsula, which is coastal and flat. The western region, around the Hackensack and Passaic is part of the New Jersey Meadowlands.

Meadowlands

The highest points at 260 feet (79 m) above sea level is in West New York;.[3] the lowest point is sea level.

Ellis Island and Liberty Island, opposite Liberty State Park, lie entirely within Hudson County's waters, which extend to the New York state line. Liberty Island is wholly part of New York. Ellis Island is jointly administered by the states of New Jersey and New York. Nine-tenths of its land is technically part of Hudson County, with the remainder being part of New York.[4] Shooters Island, in the Kill van Kull, is also shared with New York. Robbins Reef Light sits atop a reef which runs parallel the Bayonne and Jersey City waterfront.

The Hudson and the Palisades

Given its proximity to Manhattan, it is sometimes referred to as New York City's sixth borough.[5]

Counties adjacent to Hudson are New York County, New York and Kings County, New York to the east; Essex County, New Jersey and Union County, New Jersey to west; Richmond County, New York to the south; and Bergen County, New Jersey, the only one with which it shares a land border, to the north and west.

Much of the county lies between the Hackensack and Hudson Rivers on geographically long narrow peninsula, (sometimes called Bergen Neck), that is a contiguous urban area where it's often difficult to know when one's crossed a civic boundary. These boundaries and the topography-including many hills and inlets-create very distinct neighborhoods. Kennedy Boulevard runs the entire length of the peninsula.[6]

Map of New Jersey highlighting Hudson County.svg
Bergen County
Essex County
(Newark) and Union County
(Elizabeth) and Bergen County
(New Jersey Meadowlands District)		 New York County, New York
(Manhattan) and Kings County, New York
(Brooklyn)
   Hudson County, New Jersey    
Richmond County, New York
(Staten Island)

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1840 9,483
—
1850 21,822 130.1%
1860 62,717 187.4%
1870 129,067 105.8%
1880 187,944 45.6%
1890 275,126 46.4%
1900 386,048 40.3%
1910 537,231 39.2%
1920 629,154 17.1%
1930 690,730 9.8%
1940 652,040 −5.6%
1950 647,437 −0.7%
1960 610,734 −5.7%
1970 607,839 −0.5%
1980 556,972 −8.4%
1990 553,099 −0.7%
2000 608,975 10.1%
Est. 2008 595,419 [7] −2.2%
historical census data source:[8][9]

As of the United States 2000 Census, the population was 608,975. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. There were 230,546 households and 143,630 families residing in the county. The population density was 13,044 people per square mile (5,036/km²). It is the sixth-most densely populated county in the United States, trailing only four of New York City's boroughs (all except Staten Island) and San Francisco County, California.[10] There were 240,618 housing units at an average density of 5,154 per square mile (1,990/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 55.58% White, 13.48% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 9.35% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 15.48% from other races, and 5.63% from two or more races. 39.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. According to Census 2000 9.9% were of Italian and 6.7% Irish ancestry.

By 2005, 34.6% of the population was non-Hispanic whites. 15.1% of the population was African-American. 11.0% of the population was Asian. 2.1% of the population reported two or more races. 41.0% of the population was Latino.[11]

There were 230,546 households out of which 29.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.80% were married couples living together, 16.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.70% were non-families. 29.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the county the population was spread out with 22.60% under the age of 18, 10.40% from 18 to 24, 35.60% from 25 to 44, 20.00% from 45 to 64, and 11.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,293, and the median income for a family was $44,053. Males had a median income of $36,174 versus $31,037 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,154. About 13.30% of families and 15.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.00% of those under age 18 and 15.70% of those age 65 or over.

Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the state.

Government and administration

Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Courthouse in Jersey City

The County Executive is elected by a direct vote of the electorate. The executive, together with the Board of Chosen Freeholders in a legislative role, administer all county business. Nine members are elected concurrently to serve three-year terms as Freeholder, each representing a specified district which are equally proportioned based on population. Each year, in January, the Freeholders select one of their nine to serve as Chair and one as Vice Chair for a period of one year.

Hudson County's County Executive is Thomas A. DeGise. Hudson County's Clerk is Barbara A. Netchert.

Hudson County's Freeholders, as of 2009, are:[17]

Three federal Congressional Districts cover the county, including portions of New Jersey's 9th congressional district, represented by Steve Rothman (D), New Jersey's 10th congressional district, represented by Donald Payne (D) and New Jersey's 13th congressional district, represented by Albio Sires (D).

The county seat of Hudson County is located near The Five Corners on Newark Avenue in Jersey City. northeast of Journal Square. The Hudson County Courthouse, is at Newark and Baldwin Avenues.. The Hudson County Administration Building, at 595 Newark Avenue, is home to many county agencies and departments. The Hudson County court system consists of several municipal courts, including the busy Jersey City Court, plus the Hudson County Superior Court.

Many county offices are located at Hudson County Plaza at 257 Cornelison Avenue.[18][19][20] The Hudson County Sheriff's patrol headquarters is located at Hudson County Plaza, 257 Cornelison Ave. in Jersey City. The Hudson County Correctional Facility is located in South Kearny. The Hudson County Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital is on County Avenue, Secaucus.

Politics

Edwin A. Stevens Building

Hudson County is very favorable for the Democratic Party.

Education

Each municipality has a public school district. All but two have their own public high schools. East Newark students attend Harrison High School and Guttenberg students attend North Bergen High School. Hudson County Schools of Technology is a public secondary and adult vocational-technical school with locations in North Bergen, Jersey City, Union City and Harrison. Colleges and universities are Hudson County Community College, New Jersey City University, Saint Peter's College, all in Jersey City, and Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken. The University of Phoenix and Rutgers University offer classes within the county. There are private and parochial elementary and secondary schools located throughout Hudson, many of which are members of The Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association.

School districts of Hudson County, New Jersey
PK-8
East Newark · Guttenberg
 Map of New Jersey highlighting Hudson County.svg
PK-12
Bayonne · Harrison · Hoboken · Jersey City · Kearny · North Bergen · Secaucus · Union City · Weehawken · West New York
9-12
Hudson County Vocational
 ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  · Hudson ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·  ·

Transportation

The confluence of roads and railways of the Northeastern U.S. megalopolis and Northeast Corridor passing through Hudson County make it one of the Northeast's major transportation crossroads and provide access to an extensive network of interstate highways, state freeways and toll roads, and vehicular water crossings. Many long distance trains and buses pass through the county, though Amtrak and the major national bus companies – Greyhound Lines and Trailways – do not provide service within it. There are many local, intrastate, and Manhattan-bound bus routes, an expanding light rail system, ferries traversing the Hudson, and commuter trains to North Jersey, the Jersey Shore, and Trenton. Much of the rail, surface transit, and ferry system is oriented to commuters traveling to Newark, lower and midtown Manhattan, and the Hudson Waterfront. Public transportation is operated by a variety of public and private corporations, notably New Jersey Transit, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and NY Waterway, each of which charge customers separately for their service.

Hudson County Transportation Network
Intermodal hubs
Bergenline Station • Exchange Place • Hoboken Terminal • Journal Square• Newark Penn Station • Port Authority Bus Terminal • Weehawken Port Imperial • World Trade Center •
Train
Hoboken Terminal • Hudson Bergen Light Rail • Meadowlands Rail Line •Port Authority Trans Hudson • Secaucus Junction
Bus
A&C Bus • Coach USA • GWB Plaza • New Jersey Transit routes 1-89 • New Jersey Transit routes to Manhattan, Bergen, and Passaic • Nungessers • Red and Tan
Ferry
Hoboken Terminal • Liberty Water Taxi • New York Waterway • Paulus Hook Ferry Terminal • Statue Cruises • Weehawken Port Imperial
Airports
Essex County • Linden • John F. Kennedy • LaGuardia • Newark Liberty • Teterboro •
Vehicular bridges and tunnels
Bayonne Bridge • Holland Tunnel • Lincoln Highway • Lincoln Tunnel • Newark Bay Bridge • New Jersey Route 3 • Pulaski Skyway • Wittpenn Bridge
Passenger seaports
Cape Liberty Cruise Port • Brooklyn Cruise Terminal • New York Passenger Ship Terminal
Major thoroughfares
Belleville Turnpike • Boulevard East • Jersey City-Newark Turnpike • Kennedy Boulevard • Paterson Plank Road • River Road • Schuyler Avenue • Tonnele Avenue •
Highways
Interstate 78 • Interstate 95• New Jersey Turnpike • Route 1/9 • Route 3 • Route 139 • Route 440 • Route 495

Hubs

Hoboken Terminal, Bergenline Avenue at 32nd Street, 48th Street, and Nungessers in North Hudson, and Journal Square Transportation Center and Exchange Place in Jersey City are major public transportation hubs. The Port Authority Bus Terminal and Penn Station in midtown Manhattan, the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, and Newark Penn Station also play important roles within the county's transportation network. Secaucus Junction provides access to eight commuter rail lines.

Rail

Bergenline Station at 49th Street between Bergenline Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard at the border of Union City, West New York and North Bergen
Exchange Place

Water

CRRNJ Terminal in Liberty State Park, Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty ferry slips in foreground.

Located at the heart of the Port of New York and New Jersey, Hudson has since the 1980s seen the restoration of it once extensive ferry system.

Road and surface

Major highways include New Jersey Routes 3, 7, 139, 185, 440, 495, Interstates 78, 95, and 280, and U.S. Routes 1 and 9, as well as the New Jersey Turnpike and the Pulaski Skyway. Automobile access to New York City is available through the Lincoln Tunnel (via Weehawken to midtown Manhattan) and the Holland Tunnel (via Jersey City to lower Manhattan), and over the Bayonne Bridge to Staten Island. County Route 501 runs the length of Hudson as Kennedy Boulevard.

New Jersey Transit bus routes 120 -129 provide service within Hudson and to Manhattan. New Jersey Transit bus routes 1-89 provide service within the county and to points in North Jersey. Additionally, private bus companies, some of which operate dollar vans (mini-buses or carritos) augment the state agency's surface transport.

Air

Most airports which serve Hudson County are operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Parks

Panorama from Liberty Island

Hudson has many county parks, including Hudson County Park, Mercer Park, Lincoln Park, Washington Park, Columbus Park, and North Hudson Park, West Hudson Park and the newest, Laurel Hill.[31]

Snake Hill as seen from Laurel Hill County Park

There are many municipal parks and plazas, some of which were developed as "city squares" during the 19th century, such as Hamilton Park, Church Square Park and Ellsworth (locally known as Pigeon) Park.

The German-American Volksfest has taken place annually since 1874 at Schuetzen Park [32] This private park and the many nearby cemeteries-Flower Hill Cemetery, Grove Church Cemetery, Hoboken Cemetery, Macphelah Cemetery and Weehawken Cemetery that characterize the western slope create the "green lung" of North Hudson County.

Pershing Field and the adjacent reservoir constitute one of the largest "green spaces" in the county. The reservoir, no longer in use, is site of a planned recreation area/nature preserve. Hackensack Number Two, the other remaining reservoir in Weehawken Heights, is not accessible to the public. Extensive athletic fields opened in 2009 in Weehawken and Union City, the latter on the site of the former Roosevelt Stadium.

Promenades are being developed along the rivers. The Hudson River Waterfront Walkway and Hackensack RiverWalk. Sections of the Secaucus Greenway are in place and eventually will connect different districts of the town including the North End, site Schmidts Woods (which contains an original hard wood forest) and Mill Creek Point Park, and Harmon Meadow Plaza. The future of the Harsimus Stem Embankment is uncertain, though many community groups hope the landmark will be opened to the public as elevated greenway, possibly as part of East Coast Greenway.

Liberty State Park, the county's largest, is sited on land that had once been part of a vast oyster bed, was landfilled for industrial, rail, and maritime uses, and was reclaimed in the 1970s. Ellis Island and Liberty Island, a national protected area and home to the Statue of Liberty National Monument, lie entirely within Hudson's waters across from Liberty State Park, from which ferry service is available.

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission has designated several areas within its juridisction as wetlands preservation zones including the Riverbend Wetlands Preserve, Eastern Bracish Marsh, and Kearny Marsh[33] an extension of De Korte Park, home of the Meadowlands Environment Center.

Landmarks and historic places

Exhibitions

There are several museums and other exhibitions spaces throughout the county, some of which maintain permanent collections. Other are focused on local culture, history, or the environment. There are events throughout the year where architecture, local artists or ethnic culture are highlighted. There are also private galleries. The venues include:

A map of the Hudson River Valley c. 1635 (North is to the right) Hudson County is called Oesters Eylandt, or Oyster Island

History

Lenape

At the time of European contact in the 17th century, Hudson County was the territory the Lenape or Lenni-Lenape, namely the bands (or family groups) known as the Hackensack, the Tappan, the Raritan, and the Manhattan. They were a seasonally migrational people who practiced small-scale agriculture (companion planting) augmented by hunting and gathering which likely, given the topography of the area, included much (shell)fishing and trapping. These groups had early and frequent contact with the by Europeans, with whom they engaged in trade. Their Algonquian language can still be inferred in many local place names such as Communipaw, Harsimus, Hackensack, Hoboken, Weehawken, Secaucus, and Pamrapo.

New Netherland

Henry Hudson, for whom the county and river on which it sits is named, established a claim for the area in 1609 when anchoring his ship the Halve Maen (Half Moon) at Harsimus Cove and Weehawken Cove.[61] The west bank of the North River (as it was called) and the cliffs, hills, and marshlands abutting and beyond it, were settled by Europeans (Dutch, Flemish, Walloon, Huguenot) from the Lowlands around the same time as New Amsterdam. In 1630, Michael Pauw received a land patent, or patroonship and purchased the land between the Hudson and Hackensack Rivers, giving it the Latin-ized form of his name, Pavonia.[62] He failed to settle the area and was forced to return his holdings to the Dutch West India Company. Homesteads were established at Communipaw (1633), Harsimus (1634), Paulus Hook (1638) and Hoebuck (1643). Relations were tenuous with the Lenape, and eventually led to Kieft's War, which began as a slaughter by the Dutch at Communipaw and is considered to be one of the first genocides of Native Americans by Europeans. A series of raids and reprisals across the province lasted two years, and ended in an uneasy truce. Other homesteads were established at Constable Hook (1646), Awiehaken (1647), and other lands at Achter Col on Bergen Neck. In 1658, Director-General Peter Stuyvesant of New Netherland negotiated a deal with the Lenape to re-purchase the area named Bergen, "by the great rock above Wiehacken," including the whole peninsula from Sikakes south to Bergen Point/Constable Hook.[63] In 1661, a charter was granted the new village/garrison at the site of present-day Bergen Square, establishing what is considered to be the oldest self-governing municipality in New Jersey. The Dutch finally ceded control of province to the English in 1674.

The British and early America

Alexander Hamilton fights his fatal duel with Aaron Burr.

By 1675, the Treaty of Westminster finalized the transfer and the area became part of the British colony of East Jersey, in the administrative district of Bergen County. The county's seat was transferred to Hackensack in 1709. Small villages and farms supplied the burgeoning city of New York, across the river, notably with oysters from the vast beds in the Upper New York Bay, and fresh produce, sold at Weehawken Street, in Manhattan. During the American Revolutionary War the area was under British control which included garrsions at Bulls Ferry and the fort at Bergen Neck. Colonialist troops used the heights to observe enemy movements. The Battle of Paulus Hook, a surprise raid on a British fortification in 1779, was seen as an a victory and morale booster for revolutionary forces. Many downtown Jersey City streets bear the name of military figures Mercer, Greene, Wayne, and Varick among them. Weehawken became notorious for duels, including the nation's most famous between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804. Border conflicts for control of the waterfront with New York (which claimed jurisdiction to the high water line [64] and the granting of ferry concessions) restricted development though some urbanization took place in at Paulus Hook and Hoboken, which became a vacation spot for well-off New Yorkers. The Morris Canal, early steam railroads, and the development of the harbor stimulated further growth. In September 1840, Hudson County was created by separation from Bergen County and annexation of some Essex County lands, namely New Barbadoes Neck. During the 19th century, Hudson played an integral role in the Underground Railroad, with four routes converging in Jersey City.[65]

Boundaries

Most of Hudson County, apart from West Hudson, was part of Bergen Township, created by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of the first group of 104 townships formed in New Jersey, while the area was still a part of Bergen County.[66] As originally constituted, Bergen Township included the area between the Hudson River on the east, the Hackensack River to the west, south to Constable Hook/Bergen Point and north to the present-day Hudson-Bergen border. For the next 127 years civic borders within the county took many forms, until they were finalized with the creation of Union City in 1925.

The City of Jersey was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 28, 1820, from portions of Bergen Township. The city was reincorporated on January 23, 1829, and again on February 22, 1838, at which time it became completely independent of Bergen Township and was given its present name. On February 22, 1840, it became part of the newly-created Hudson County.[66] As Jersey City grew, several neighboring communities were annexed: Van Vorst Township (March 18, 1851), Bergen City and Hudson City (both on May 2, 1870), and Greenville Township (February 4, 1873).[66]

North Bergen was incorporated as a township on April 10, 1843, by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature, from Bergen Township. Portions of the township have been taken to form Hoboken Township (April 9, 1849, now the City of Hoboken), Hudson Town (April 12, 1852, later part of Hudson City), Hudson City (April 11, 1855, later annexed by Jersey City), Guttenberg (formed within the township on March 9, 1859, and set off as an independent municipality on April 1, 1878), Weehawken (March 15, 1859), Union Township and West Hoboken Township (both created on February 28, 1861), Union Hill town (March 29, 1864) and Secaucus (March 12, 1900).[66]

Hoboken was established in 1804, and formed as a township on April 9, 1849, from portions of North Bergen Township and incorporated as a full-fledged city, and in a referendum held on March 29, 1855, ratified an Act of the New Jersey Legislature signed the previous day, and the City of Hoboken was born.[66][67]

Weehawken was formed as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1859, from portions of Hoboken and North Bergen. A portion of the township was ceded to Hoboken in 1874. Additional territory was annexed in 1879 from West Hoboken.[66]

West New York was incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on July 8, 1898, replacing Union Township, based on the results of a referendum held three days earlier.[66]

Kearny was originally formed as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1867, from portions of Harrison Township. Portions of the township were taken on July 3, 1895, to form East Newark. Kearny was incorporated as a town on January 19, 1899, based on the results of a referendum held two days earlier.[66]

Bayonne was originally formed as a township on April 1, 1861, from portions of Bergen Township. Bayonne was reincorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 10, 1869, replacing Bayonne Township, subject to the results of a referendum held nine days later.[66]

Soon after the Civil War the idea of uniting all of the town of Hudson County in one municipality of Jersey City began to gain favor. In 1868 a bill for submitting the question of consolidation of all of Hudson County to the voters was presented to the board of chosen freeholders. The bill did not include the western towns of Harrison and Kearny but included all towns east of the Hackensack River.

The bill was approved by the State legislature on April 2, 1869 and the special election was scheduled for October 5, 1869. An element of the bill provide that only contiguous towns could be consolidated. The results of the election were as follows:

In Favor/Against Jersey City: 2220 / 911 Hudson City: 1320 / 220 Bergen: 815 / 108 Hoboken: 176 / 893 Bayonne: 100 / 250 Greenville: 24 / 174 Weehawken: 0 / 44 Town of Union: 123 / 105 West Hoboken: 95 / 256 North Bergen: 80 / 225 Union Township:140 / 65 Totals: 5,093 / 3,251

While a majority of the voters approved the merger, only Jersey City, Hudson and Bergen could be consolidated since they were the only continuous approving towns. Both the Town of Union and Union Township could not be included due to the dissenting vote of West Hoboken which lay between them and Hudson City. On March 17, 1870, Jersey City, Hudson City and Bergen merged into Jersey City. Only three years later the present outline of Jersey City was completed when Greenville agreed to merge into the Greater Jersey City.

Union City was incorporated as a city by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 1, 1925, replacing both Union Hill and West Hoboken Township.[66]

Urbanization and immigration

Hudson Waterfront ca. 1900

During the latter half of the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries, Hudson experienced intense industrial, commercial and residential growth.[62][68] Construction, first of ports, and later railroad terminals, in Jersey City, Bayonne, Hoboken, and Weehawken (which significantly altered the shoreline with landfill) fueled much of the development. European immigration, notably German-language speakers and Irish (many fleeing famine) initiated a population boom that would last for several decades.

Neighborhoods grew as farms, estates, and other holdings were sub-divided for housing, civic and religious architecture. Streets (some with trolley lines) were laid out. Stevens Institute of Technology and Saint Peter's College were established.

Before the opening, in 1910, of the Pennsylvania Railroad's North River Tunnels under the Hudson, trains terminated on the west bank of the river, requiring passengers and cargo to travel by ferry or barge to New York. Transfer to the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad tubes (now PATH) became possible upon its opening in 1908. Hoboken Terminal, a national historic landmark originally built in 1907 by the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad to replace the previous one, is the only one of five major rail/ferry terminals that once dotted the waterfront still in operation. West Shore Railroad Terminal in Weehawken, Erie Railroad's Pavonia Terminal and Pennsylvania Railroad's Exchange Place in Jersey City were all razed.

Immigrants arriving at Ellis Island, 1902

Central Railroad of New Jersey's Communipaw Terminal, across a small strait from Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty, played a crucial role in the massive immigration of the period, with many newly-arrived departing the station to embark on their lives in America. Many, though, decided to stay, taking jobs on the docks, the railroads, the factories, the refineries, and in the sweatshops and skyscrapers of Manhattan. Many manufacturers, whose names read as a "who's who" in American industry established a presence, including Colgate, Dixon Ticonderoga, Maxwell House, Standard Oil, and Bethlehem Steel.

Bergenline Avenue then and now: Facing south toward 32nd Street, circa 1900 (left), and in 2010 (right).

North Hudson, particularly Union City became the "embroidery capital of America". Secaucus boasted numerous pig farms and rendering plants.

It was during this period that much of the housing stock, namely one and two family homes and low-rise apartment buildings, was built; municipal boundaries finalized, neighborhoods established. Commercial corridors such as Bergenline, Central, Newark and Ocean Avenues came into prominence. Journal Square became a business, shopping, and entertainment mecca, home to The Jersey Journal, after which it is named, and movie palaces such as Loew's Jersey Theater and The Stanley.

World Wars and New Deal

Bayonne Bridge at sunset
New Jersey-New York border in the newly constructed Holland Tunnel.
Stadium entrance circa 1940

Upon entry to World War I the US government took the Hamburg-American Line piers in Hoboken under eminent domain, and Hudson became the major point of embarkation for more than three million soldiers, known as "doughboys". In 1916, an act of sabotage literally and figuratively shook the region when German agents set off bombs at the munitions depot in New York Bay at Black Tom. The fore-runner of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was established on April 30, 1921. Huge transportation projects opened between the wars: The Holland Tunnel in 1927, The Bayonne Bridge in 1931, and The Lincoln Tunnel in 1937, allowing vehicular travel between New Jersey and New York City to bypass the waterfront. Hackensack River crossings, notably the Pulaski Skyway, were also built. What was to become New Jersey City University opened. Major Works Progress Administration projects included construction of stadiums in Jersey City and Union City. Both were named for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who attended the opening of the largest project of them all, The Jersey City Medical Center, a massive complex built in the Art Deco Style. During this era the "Hudson County Democratic Machine", known for its cronyism and corruption, with Jersey City mayor Frank Hague at its head was at its most powerful. Industries in Hudson were crucial to the war effort during WWII, including the manufacture PT boats by Elco in Bayonne. Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne (MOTBY) was opened in 1942 as a U.S. military base and remained in operation until 1999.

Post-war years

After the war maritime and manufacturing industries still dominated the local economy, and union membership provided guarantees of good pay packages. Though some returning service men took advantage of GI housing bills and moved to close-by suburbs, many with strong ethnic and familial ties chose to stay. Baseball legend Jackie Robinson made his minor league debut at Roosevelt Stadium and "broke" the baseball color line. Much of Hudson County experienced the phenomenon of ethnic/economic groups leaving and being replaced by others, as was typical of most urban communities of the New York Bay region. When the big businesses decided to follow them or vice versa, Hudson County's socioeconomic differences became more profound. Old economic underpinnings disintergrated. Attempts were made to stabilize the population by demolishing so-called slums and build subsidized middle-income housing and the pockets of so-called "good neighborhoods" came in conflict with those that went into decline. Lower property values allowed the next wave of immigrants, many from Latin America, to rent or buy in the county. North Hudson, particularly Union City, saw many émigrés fleeing the Cuban revolution take up residence. Riots occurred in Jersey City in 1964.

Pre/post-millennium

Exchange Place as seen from Liberty State Park. At 781 feet (238 m), the Goldman Sachs Tower is New Jersey's tallest building.[69]
Pavonia and downtown Hoboken on the Hudson

The county since the mid-1990s has seen much real estate speculation and development and a population increase, as many new residents purchase existing housing stock as well as condominiums in high and mid rise developments, many along the waterfront. What had started as a gentrification in the 1980s became a full-blown "redevelopment" of the area as many suburbanites, transplanted Americans, internationals, and immigrants (most focused on opportunities in NY/NJ region and proximity to Manhattan) began to make the "Jersey" side of the Hudson their home, and the "real-estate boom" of the era encouraged many to seek investment opportunities. The exploitation of certain parts of the waterfront and other brownfields led to commercial development as well, especially along former rail yards. Hudson felt the short and long term impact of the destruction of the World Trade Center intensely: its proximity to lower Manhattan made it a place to evacuate to, many residents who worked there lost their jobs (or their lives), and many companies sought office space across the river. Re-zoning, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, and New Jersey State land-use policy of transit villages have further spurred construction. Though very urban and with some of the highest residential densities in the United States the Hudson communities have remain fragmented, due in part to New Jersey's long history of home rule in local government; geographical factors such as Hudson River inlets/canals, the cliffs of the New Jersey Palisades and rail lines; and ethnic/demographic differences in the population. As the county sees more development this traditional perception is challenged.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Template.cfm?Section=Find_a_County&Template=/cffiles/counties/usamap.cfm. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ↑ Hudson County New Jersey Street Map. Hagstrom Map Company, Inc. 2008. ISBN 0-8809-7763-9. 
  3. ↑ "Hudson County High Point, New Jersey". Peakbagger.com. http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=7139. 
  4. ↑ New Jersey wins claim to Ellis Island, CNN.com, May 26, 1998
  5. ↑ Holusha, John. " Commercial Property / The Jersey Riverfront; On the Hudson's West Bank, Optimistic Developers", The New York Times, October 11, 1998. Accessed May 25, 2007. "That simply is out of the question in midtown, he said, adding that some formerly fringe areas in Midtown South that had previously been available were filled up as well. Given that the buildings on the New Jersey waterfront are new and equipped with the latest technology and just a few stops on the PATH trains from Manhattan, they become an attractive alternative. It's the sixth borough, he said."
  6. ↑ New Jersey County Route 501 Straight Line Diagram from the New Jersey Department of Transportation
  7. ↑ "Population Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/tables/CO-EST2008-01-34.xls. Retrieved 2010-03-02. 
  8. ↑ "New Jersey Resident Population by County: 1880–1930". http://www.wnjpin.net/OneStopCareerCenter/LaborMarketInformation/lmi01/poptrd5.htm. 
  9. ↑ "Geostat Center: Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/. Retrieved 2007-03-02. 
  10. ↑ Geography of New Jersey Subtitle: The City in the Garden Author: Charles A. Stansfield, Jr. Subject: Geography/New Jersey Paperback ISBN 0-8135-2579-9
  11. ↑ Hudson County QuickFacts, United States Census Bureau
  12. ↑ 2000 Census: US Municipalities Over 50,000: Ranked by 2000 Density, accessed March 22, 2007
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Al Sullivan. "Stand up and be counted" The Union City Reporter; January 17, 2010; Page 4
  14. ↑ Most liquor licenses? Bumpiest town? Local municipalities hold unusual distinctions, Hudson Reporter, August 27, 2006
  15. ↑ Top 100 Most Racially Diverse Cities (pop. 5,000+), accessed February 25, 2007
  16. ↑ Top 100 Cities with Highest Percentage of Foreign-Born Residents (pop. 5000+), accessed February 25, 2007
  17. ↑ November 2005 Election Results, accessed January 31, 2006
  18. ↑ [Al Sullivan. "Open for business" The Union City Reporter; November 29, 2009; Page 6]
  19. ↑ - County Clerk
  20. ↑ Hudson County Plaza
  21. ↑ New Jersey Presidential Election Returns by County 2004, Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Accessed August 31, 2008.
  22. ↑ Hudson County NJ US President, ourcampaigns.com. Accessed July 30, 2007.
  23. ↑ Hudson County NJ Governor, ourcampaigns.com. Accessed July 30, 2007.
  24. ↑ Hudson County, New Jersey Official General Election November 2, 2004, Hudson County Clerk. Accessed July 30, 2007.
  25. ↑ Hudson County General Election Official Results November 8, 2005, Hudson County Clerk. Accessed July 30, 2007.
  26. ↑ Kaulessar, Ricardo. "Corzine's out, Christie's in" The Union City Reporter; November 8, 2009; Page 4
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 HBLR/Meadowlands Rail map
  28. ↑ Ellis Island and Liberty Island Ferry Map
  29. ↑ Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island information at Star Cruises; Accessed August 31, 2010
  30. ↑ "Hornblower Cruises". Statuecruises.com. http://statuecruises.com/ferry-service/welcome.aspx. Retrieved June 10, 2010. 
  31. ↑ [1]
  32. ↑ [2]
  33. ↑ NJMC
  34. ↑ Afro-American Historical Society Museum
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 JC Free Public Library
  36. ↑ Afro-American Historical and Cultural Society Museum
  37. ↑ Bayonne Firefighter's Museum
  38. ↑ Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal
  39. ↑ The Cultural Thread/El Hilo, Embroidery Museum
  40. ↑ Danforth Avenue Station
  41. ↑ Danforth Avenue station photos
  42. ↑ [3]
  43. ↑ National Park Service Ellis Island
  44. ↑ Hoboken Historical Museum
  45. ↑ Hoboken House Tour
  46. ↑ Hoboken Public Library
  47. ↑ Kearny Museum
  48. ↑ Youth Art Month
  49. ↑ ProArts JC Artists Studio Tour
  50. ↑ Jersey City Museum
  51. ↑ JC Museum
  52. ↑ Liberty Science Center
  53. ↑ New Jersey Room
  54. ↑ MLK Station photos
  55. ↑ MLK Drive Station information
  56. ↑ Exposition Center
  57. ↑ Monroe Center
  58. ↑ NJCU Galleries
  59. ↑ American Abstract Artists at SPC
  60. ↑ "Statue of Liberty National Monument". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/stli/. Retrieved 2010-01-21. 
  61. ↑ Hoboken's earliest days: Before becoming a city, 'Hobuck' went through several incarnations, Hudson Reporter, January 16, 2005. "On October 2, 1609, Henry Hudson anchored his ship, the Half Moon, in what is now Weehawken Cove. Robert Juet, Hudson's first mate, wrote in the ship's log, "[W]e saw a good piece of ground ... that looked of the color of white green." The rock of which Juet wrote makes up Castle Point in Hoboken; nowhere else along the Hudson River exists a white-green rock formation."
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 Hudson County Directory 2004–2005
  63. ↑ History of the County of Hudson, New Jersey, from Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time, p. 62, accessed March 29, 2007.
  64. ↑ charter text
  65. ↑ "Jersey City's Underground Railroad history," Jersey City Magazine, Spring & Summer 2005.
  66. ↑ 66.0 66.1 66.2 66.3 66.4 66.5 66.6 66.7 66.8 66.9 "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 146-147.
  67. ↑ "How Hoboken became a city," Part I, Part II, Part III, Hoboken Reporter, March 27, April 3, and April 10, 2005.
  68. ↑ http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50615FE3D5E1B7A93C3AB178FD85F4D8285F9&scp=47&sq=hudson%20county&st=cse
  69. ↑ Kelley, Tina. "Trump Unveils Condo Plan in Jersey City", The New York Times, September 23, 2005. Accessed March 12, 2008. "At 560 feet, the tallest of the towers would still rank below the state's tallest building, the 781-foot Goldman Sachs tower nearby at 30 Hudson Street."

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