Port Johnston Coal Docks
Encyclopedia
The Port Johnston Coal Docks were built on Constable Hook in Bayonne, New Jersey
in 1864 by the Central Railroad of New Jersey
. The 2750 feet (838.2 m) coal dock was named after the company's president John Taylor Johnston
. (The former Johnston Yard and today's Johnston Avenue
also bear his name). At the time of its completion in 1866, it was the largest coal dock in the world and employed 200 men, mostly Irish immigrants
. Their job was to empty coal from railroad cars onto barges for shipment across Upper New York Bay
to New York.
On July 26, 1877, the first full scale strike occurred in Bayonne at the Port Johnston Coal Docks when workers walked off the job. The Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal Company, who had bought the coal docks from the Central Railroad of New Jersey in 1876, had cut the wages of the workers in an effort to save money. The Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal Company promptly fired all of the workers and brought in German immigrants
from New York City
to work. A threat of a riot was averted with the intervention of Bayonne Mayor Henry Meigs, Jr.
and Father Thomas Killeen of St. Mary's Church. After working a day at the lower wages, the German immigrants decided it was not worth it and quit. By early August, Meigs had worked out a solution with the company that ended the strike peacefully.
Port Johnston was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Italian soldiers during WW2.
Bayonne, New Jersey
Bayonne is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. Located in the Gateway Region, Bayonne is a peninsula that is situated between Newark Bay to the west, the Kill van Kull to the south, and New York Bay to the east...
in 1864 by the Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
. The 2750 feet (838.2 m) coal dock was named after the company's president John Taylor Johnston
John Taylor Johnston
John Taylor Johnston was born on April 8, 1820, the son of John Johnston, a prominent merchant banker in New York City. Johnston was the founding president of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1870, as well as the President of the Central Railroad of New Jersey from 1848 to 1877...
. (The former Johnston Yard and today's Johnston Avenue
Johnston Avenue
Johnston Avenue in lower Jersey City, carries the designation Hudson County Route 614 for a section of its length. Johnston Avenue begins in the west at the foot of Bergen Hill close to Communipaw Junction and ends at the Liberty State Park Station of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail. The street...
also bear his name). At the time of its completion in 1866, it was the largest coal dock in the world and employed 200 men, mostly Irish immigrants
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
. Their job was to empty coal from railroad cars onto barges for shipment across Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay
Upper New York Bay, or Upper Bay, is the traditional heart of the Port of New York and New Jersey, and often called New York Harbor. It is enclosed by the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island and the Hudson County, New Jersey municipalities of Jersey City and Bayonne.It...
to New York.
On July 26, 1877, the first full scale strike occurred in Bayonne at the Port Johnston Coal Docks when workers walked off the job. The Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal Company, who had bought the coal docks from the Central Railroad of New Jersey in 1876, had cut the wages of the workers in an effort to save money. The Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal Company promptly fired all of the workers and brought in German immigrants
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to work. A threat of a riot was averted with the intervention of Bayonne Mayor Henry Meigs, Jr.
Henry Meigs, Jr.
Henry Meigs, Jr. was the Mayor of Bayonne, New Jersey from 1869 to 1879.Meigs was born May 7, 1809, in New York City, the son of Henry Meigs, U.S. Representative from New York. After the death of his first wife, Meigs married a widow Mary Noel McDonald on November 7, 1848...
and Father Thomas Killeen of St. Mary's Church. After working a day at the lower wages, the German immigrants decided it was not worth it and quit. By early August, Meigs had worked out a solution with the company that ended the strike peacefully.
Port Johnston was the site of a prisoner-of-war camp for Italian soldiers during WW2.