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Trenton, New Jersey
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Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated that the City of Trenton had a population of 82,804.
Trenton dates back to June 3, 1719, when mention was made of a constable being appointed for Trenton, while the area was still part of Hunterdon County. Boundaries were recorded for Trenton Township as of June 3, 1719. Trenton became New Jersey's capital as of November 25, 1790, and the City of Trenton was formed within Trenton Township on November 13, 1792.
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Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated that the City of Trenton had a population of 82,804.
Trenton dates back to June 3, 1719, when mention was made of a constable being appointed for Trenton, while the area was still part of Hunterdon County. Boundaries were recorded for Trenton Township as of June 3, 1719. Trenton became New Jersey's capital as of November 25, 1790, and the City of Trenton was formed within Trenton Township on November 13, 1792. Trenton Township was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken on February 22, 1834, to form Ewing Township. A series of annexations took place over a fifty-year period, with the city absorbing South Trenton borough (April 14, 1851), portions of Nottingham Township (April 14, 1856), Chambersburg and Millham Township (both on March 30, 1888) and Wilbur borough (February 28, 1898).
History
The first settlement which would become Trenton was established by Quakers in 1679, in the region then called the Falls of the Delaware, led by Mahlon Stacy from Handsworth, Sheffield, UK. Quakers were being persecuted in England at this time and North America provided the perfect opportunity to exercise their religious freedom.
By 1719, the town adopted the name "Trent-towne", after William Trent, one of its leading landholders who purchased much of the surrounding land from Stacy's family. This name later was shortened to "Trenton".
During the American Revolutionary War, the city was the site of George Washington's first military victory. On December 26, 1776, Washington and his army, after crossing the icy Delaware River to Trenton, defeated the Hessian troops garrisoned there (see Battle of Trenton). After the war, Trenton was briefly the national capital of the United States in November and December of 1784. The city was considered as a permanent capital for the new country, but the southern states favored a location south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Trenton became the state capital in 1790, but prior to that year the Legislature often met here. The town was incorporated in 1792.
During the 1812 War, the primary hospital facility for the U.S. Army was at a temporary location on Broad Street.
Throughout the 19th Century, Trenton grew steadily, as Europeans came to work in its pottery and wire rope mills. In 1837, with the population now too large for government by council, a new mayoral government was adopted, with by-laws that remain in operation to this day.
Geography
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Trenton is located at (40.221741, -74.756138).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21.1 km²)—7.7 square miles (19.8 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it is water. The total area is 6.01% water.
Trenton borders Ewing Township, Lawrence Township, Hamilton Township, and the Delaware River. Several bridges across the Delaware River - the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge, Lower Trenton Bridge and Calhoun Street Bridge - connect Trenton to Morrisville, Pennsylvania.
Trenton is located in almost the exact geographic center of the state (the official geographic center is 5 miles southeast of Trenton ). Due to this, it is sometimes included as part of North Jersey and as the southernmost city of the Tri-State Region. Others consider it a part of the South Jersey and as the northernmost city of the Delaware Valley. Following the 2000 U.S. Census, Trenton was shifted from the Philadelphia metropolitan area to the New York metropolitan area. However, Mercer County constitutes its own metropolitan statistical area, formally known as the Trenton-Ewing MSA. Locals consider Trenton to be a part of ambiguous Central Jersey, and thus part of neither region. These same locals are generally split as to whether they are within New York or Philadelphia's sphere of influence.
Climate
According to the Koppen climate classification, Trenton enjoys a humid subtropical temperate climate with some marine influence due to the nearby Atlantic Ocean. The four seasons are of approximately equal length, with precipitation fairly evenly distributed through the year. The temperature is rarely below zero or above 100 °F.
During the winter months, temperatures routinely fall below freezing, but rarely fall below 0 °F. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Trenton was -14 °F (-25.6 °C) on February 9, 1934. The average January low is 24 °F (-4.4 °C) and the average January high is 38 °F (3.3 °C). The summers are usually very warm, with temperatures often reaching into the 90 °F's, but rarely reaching into the 100 °F's. The average July low is 67 °F (19.4 °C) and the average July high is 85 °F (29.4 °C). The temperature reaches or exceeds 90 °F on 18 days each year, on average. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Trenton was 106 °F (41.1 °C) on July 9, 1936.
The average precipitation is 45.77 inches (1,163.1 mm) per year, which is fairly evenly distributed through the year. The driest month on average is February, with only 2.87 inches (72.9 mm) of rainfall on average, while the wettest month is July, with 4.82 inches (122.4 mm) of rainfall on average. Rainfall extremes can occur, however. The all-time single-day rainfall record is 7.25 inches (184.1 mm) on September 16, 1999, during the passage of Hurricane Floyd. The all-time monthly rainfall record is 14.55 inches (369.6 mm) in August 1955, due to the passage of Hurricane Connie and Hurricane Diane. The wettest year on record was 1996, when 67.90 inches (1,720 mm) of rain fell. On the flip side, the driest month on record was October 1963, when only 0.05 inches (1.27 mm) of rain was recorded. The driest year on record was 1957, when only 28.79 inches (731.27 mm) of rain was recorded.
Snowfall can vary even more year-to-year. The average snowfall is 24.9 inches (632.5 mm), but has ranged from as low as 2 inches (50.8 mm) (in the winter of 1918-19) to as high as 76.5 inches (1,943.1 mm) (in 1995-96). The heaviest snowstorm on record was the Blizzard of 1996 on January 7-8, 1996, when 24.2 inches (614.7 mm) buried the city. Snowstorms with accumulations of 12 inches (305 mm) or greater occur on average about once every 5 years.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 85,403, people, 29,437 households, and 18,692 families residing in the city. The population density was 11,153.6 people per square mile (4,304.7/km² ). There were 33,843 housing units at an average density of 4,419.9 per square mile (1,705.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.06% African American, 32.55% White, 0.35% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 10.76% from other races, and 3.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.53% of the population. Non-Hispanic whites made 24.62% of the population.
There were 29,437 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.0% were married couples living together, 27.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.38.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,074, and the median income for a family was $36,681. Males had a median income of $29,721 versus $26,943 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,621. About 17.6% of families and 21.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.8% of those under age 18 and 19.5% of those age 65 or over.
Top 10 ethnicities reported during the 2000 Census by percentage
- African American (52.1)
- Puerto Rican (10.5)
- Italian (7.3)
- Irish (4.5)
- Polish (3.8)
- Guatemala (3.1)
- English (2.0)
- Jamaican (1.3)
- Hungarian (1.1)
- Mexican (1.1)
Economy
Trenton was a major manufacturing center in the late 1800s and early 1900s. One relic of that era is the slogan "Trenton Makes, The World Takes", which is displayed on the Lower Free Bridge (just north of the Trenton-Morrisville Toll Bridge). The city adopted the slogan in 1917 to represent Trenton's then-leading role as a major manufacturing center for rubber, wire rope, ceramics and cigars..
Along with many other United States cities in the 1960s and 1970s, Trenton fell on hard times when manufacturing and industrial jobs declined. Concurrently, state government agencies began leasing office space in the surrounding suburbs. Being New Jersey's capital, state government leaders (particularly governors William Cahill and Brendan Byrne) decided to revitalize Trenton by making it the center of state government. Between 1982 and 1992, more than a dozen office buildings were constructed primarily by the state to house state offices. Today, Trenton's biggest employer is still the state of New Jersey. Each weekday, 20,000 state workers flood into the city from the surrounding suburbs.
Urban Enterprise Zone
Portions of Trenton are part of an Urban Enterprise Zone. In addition to other benefits to encourage employment within the Zone, shoppers can take advantage of a reduced 3½% sales tax rate (versus the 7% rate charged statewide).
Neighborhoods
The City of Trenton is home to numerous neighborhoods and sub-neighborhoods. The main neighborhoods are taken from the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, and West) Trenton was once home to large Italian, Hungarian, and Jewish communities, but since the 1960s demographic shifts have changed the city into a relatively segregated urban enclave of poorer African Americans. Italians are scattered throughout the city, but a distinct Italian community is centered in the Chambersburg neighborhood, in South Trenton. This community has been in decline since the 1970s, largely due to economic and social shifts to the more prosperous, less crime-ridden suburbs surrounding the city. Chambersburg is still partly Italian, but not hard working Italian-Americans more so the underground criminal society.
The North Ward, once a mecca for the city's middle class, is now one of the most economically distressed, torn apart by race riots following the assassination of Martin Luther King in 1968. Nonetheless, the area still retains many important architectural and historic sites. North Trenton has a large Polish-American neighborhood that borders Lawrence Township, many of whom attend St Hedwigs Roman Catholic Church on Brunswick Ave. St. Hedwigs church was built in 1904 by Polish immigrants,many of whose families still attend the church. North Trenton is also home to the historic Shiloh Baptist Church--one of the largest houses of worship in Trenton and the oldest African American church in the city founded in 1888. The church is currently pastored by Rev. Darrell L. Armstrong who carried the olympic torch in 2002 for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Also located just at the southern tip of North Trenton is the city's Battle Monument, also known as "Five Points". It is a 150 ft. structure that marks the spot where George Washington's Continental Army launched the Battle of Trenton during the American Revolutionary War. It faces downtown Trenton and is a symbol of the city's historic past.
South Ward is the most diverse neighborhood in Trenton and is home to many residents with Latin American, Italian-American, as well as a sizable African American community. The Chambersburg neighborhood is contained within South Ward, and was once noted in the region as a destination for its many Italian restaurants and pizzerias.
East Ward is the smallest neighborhood in Trenton and is home to the Trenton's Train Station as well as Trenton Central High School. Recently, two campuses have been added, Trenton Central High School West and Trenton Central High School North, respectively, in those areas of the city.
West Ward is the home of Trenton's more suburban neighborhoods, including Hiltonia, Glen Afton, Berkeley Square, and the area surrounding Cadwalader Park.
In addition to these neighborhoods, other notable sections include the "The Island" (a small neighborhood between Route 29 and the Delaware River that is prone to flooding - and did so in 2005 and again in 2006) and historic Mill Hill located next door to downtown Trenton. Kingsbury Towers (a high rise apartment complex technically in South Ward) is also semi-autonomous or neutral. the Fisher-Richey-Perdicaris neighborhood comprises a little-known district sandwiched between West State Street and Route 29 with large several-story residences dating from ca. 1915.
Government
Local government
The City of Trenton is governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.
Trenton's current Mayor, Douglas Palmer, has been in office since July 1, 1990.
Members of the City Council are:
- - Council President and Councilman At Large
- - Council Vice President and West Ward Councilwoman
- - North Ward Councilman
- - South Ward Councilman
- - East Ward Councilman
- - Councilman At Large
- - Councilwoman At Large
Federal, state and county representation
Trenton is spread across two congressional districts, the Fourth Congressional District and the Twelfth Congressional District, and is part of New Jersey's 15th Legislative District.
Education
Colleges and Universities
Trenton is the home of two post-secondary institutions, Thomas Edison State College and Mercer County Community College's James Kearney Campus. The College of New Jersey, formerly named Trenton State College, is located in nearby Ewing Township. Rider University was founded in Trenton in 1865 as The Trenton Business College. In 1964, Rider moved to its current location in nearby Lawrence Township.
Public Schools
The Trenton Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district is one of 31 Abbott Districts statewide. The Superintendent runs the district and the school board is appointed by the Mayor. The School District has undergone a 'construction' renaissance throughout the district. Trenton Central High School is Trenton's only traditional public high school.
Charter Schools
Trenton is home to many charter schools, Capital Preparatory Charter High School, Emily Fisher Charter School, Foundation Academy Charter School, International Charter School, Paul Robeson Charter School, Trenton Community Charter School, and Village Charter School.
Other Schools
Trenton Community Music School is a not-for-profit community school of the arts. The school was founded by executive director Marcia Wood in 1997.
Crime
In 2005, there were 31 homicides in Trenton, the largest number in a single year in the city's history, with 22 of the homicides believed to be gang related. The city was named the 4th "Most Dangerous" in 2005 out of 129 cities with a population of 75,000 to 99,999 ranked nationwide. In the 2006 survey, Trenton was ranked as the 14th most dangerous "city" overall out of 371 cities included nationwide in the 13th annual Morgan Quitno survey, and was again named as the fourth most dangerous "city" of 126 cities in the 75,000-99,999 population range. Homicides went down in 2006 to 20, but back up to 25 in 2007
As of October 9th, 2008 there have been 18 homicides in Trenton.
Trenton's mayor, Douglas Palmer, is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Riots of 1968
Many today mark the '68 riots as the last time Trenton was a commercial and residential hub. Historian Charles Webster puts it simply: "The riots that killed Trenton."
The Trenton Riots of 1968 were a major civil disturbance that took place during the week following the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King in Memphis on April 4. Race riots broke out nationwide following the murder of the civil rights activist.
More than 200 Trenton businesses mostly in Downtown, were ransacked and burned.
More than 300 people, most of them young black men, were arrested on charges ranging from assault and arson to looting and violating the mayor's emergency curfew. Most of the assaults were on ill prepared policemen with outdated equipment, including one nearly killed when run over by a truck.
In addition to 16 other injured policemen, 15 firefighters were treated at city hospitals for smoke inhalation, burns, sprains and cuts suffered while fighting raging blazes or for injuries inflicted by rioters. The losses incurred by downtown businesses were estimated at $17 million.
Trenton's Battle Monument neighborhood was hardest hit. Since the 1950s, North Trenton had witnessed a steady exodus of middle-class residents, and the riots spelled the end for North Trenton. By the 1970s, the region had become one of the most blighted and crime-ridden in the city, and remains as such today.
New Jersey State Prison
The New Jersey State Prison (formerly Trenton State Prison), which has two maximum security units, is located in Trenton. The prison houses some of the state's most dangerous individuals, which included New Jersey's Death Row population until the state banned capital punishment in 2007.
Transportation
City highways include the Trenton Freeway, which is part of U.S. Route 1, and the John Fitch Parkway, which is part of Route 29. Canal Boulevard, more commonly known as Route 129, connects US Route 1 and NJ Route 29 in South Trenton. U.S. Route 206, Route 31, and Route 33 also pass through the city via regular city streets (Broad Street/Brunswick Avenue/Princeton Avenue, Pennington Avenue, and Greenwood Avenue, respectively). Interstate 195 connects the city to the New Jersey Turnpike via NJ Routes 29 and 129. The Pennsylvania Turnpike also passes close to the city.
Public transportation within the city and to/from its nearby suburbs is provided in the form of local bus routes run by New Jersey Transit. SEPTA also provides bus service to adjacent Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
The Trenton Train Station, located on the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor, serves as the northbound terminus for SEPTA's R7 Trenton line (local train service to Philadelphia) and southbound terminus for New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor Line (local train service to New York). The train station also serves as the northbound terminus for the River Line; a diesel light rail line that runs to Camden. Two additional River Line stops, Cass Street and Hamilton Avenue, are located within the city.
Long-distance transportation is provided by Amtrak train service along the Northeast Corridor. Limited commercial airline transportation is provided at nearby Trenton-Mercer Airport in Ewing. Much more extensive airline service is available at the more distant international airports in Newark (reachable by direct New Jersey Transit or Amtrak rail link) and Philadelphia.
Media
Trenton is served by The Times, one of the more prominent newspapers of central New Jersey, and the Trentonian. Radio station WKXW is also licensed to Trenton.
Sports
Because of Trenton's relative distance to New York City and Philadelphia, and because most homes in Mercer County receive network broadcasts from both cities, locals are sharply divided fan loyalty to both cities. It is not uncommon to find fans of Philadelphia's Phillies, Eagles, 76ers, and Flyers cheering (and arguing) right along side New York Yankees, Mets, Knicks, Rangers, Jets, and Giants fans.
Between 1948 and 1979 Trenton Speedway hosted world class auto racing. Famous drivers such as A. J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Bobby Unser, Richard Petty and Bobby Allison all won major races on the one mile asphalt oval and then re-configured 1 1/2 mile race track. The speedway, which closed in 1980, was part of the larger New Jersey State Fairgrounds complex, which also closed in 1983. The former site of the speedway and fairgrounds is now the Grounds for Sculpture.
Points of interest
Trivia
- Trenton is one of the only two state capitals which border another state. The other such capital is Carson City, Nevada, which borders California. Alaska's capital city, Juneau, borders British Columbia, Canada.
- In 1896, the first professional basketball game was played in Trenton between the Trentons and the Brooklyn YMCA.
- Pork roll (often incorrectly referred to as Taylor Ham outside the Trenton area ) was invented in Trenton in 1856 by 19th century New Jersey Politician and Trenton native John Taylor.
- The term “Tomato Pie” was coined in the 1940’s by Felix "Phil" Pratico Sr. of Chambersburg. The first sign that ever read "Tomato Pies" was posted at “Nate’s Inn” (now called "Nate's Pub") on Lalor Street.
- In 1992, then Vice President Dan Quayle infamously misspelled the word 'potato' at a spelling bee in Trenton.
- The Fugees' cover of the Bob Marley song "No Woman, No Cry" mentions both "Jersey" and "Trenchtown" in different verses, unintentionally leading some people to believe (erroneously) that Trenchtown is a nickname for Trenton.
Noted residents
Some well-known Americans who were born and/or have lived in Trenton include:
- George Antheil (1900-1959), pianist, composer, writer, inventor
- Henry W. Antheil, Jr. (1912-1940), diplomatic code clerk, honored for service to United States
- Samuel Alito (born 1950), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
- New Atlantic, alternative rock band
- Bo Belinsky (1936-2001), former professional baseball player
- Elvin Bethea (1936-), Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end who played his entire NFL career with the Houston Oilers.
- John T. Bird (1829-1911), represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 1869 to 1873.
- James Bishop (1816-1895), represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1855-1857.
- Edward Bloor (born 1950), novelist
- Steve Braun (born 1948), former professional baseball player
- Betty Bronson (1907-1971), actress
- J. Hart Brewer (1844-1900), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district from 1881 to 1885.
- James Buchanan (1839-1900) represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district from 1885 to 1893.
- Shawn Corey Carter (born 1969, a.k.a. Jay Z), rap mogul, CEO
- Mike Mahan (born 1982), local resident
- George Case (1915-1989), former outfielder for the Washington Senators.
- Terrance Cauthen (born 1976), lightweight boxer who won a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
- Richie Cole, jazz alto saxophonist
- Richard Crooks, tenor and a leading singer at the New York Metropolitan Opera.
- David Dinkins (born 1927), first black mayor of New York City.
- Al Downing (born 1941), former professional baseball player
- Greg Forester (born 1982), noted reporter, blogger, activist
- Samuel Gibbs French, Major General in the Confederate States Army.
- Dave Gallagher (born 1960), former professional baseball player
- Greg Grant, former NBA player
- Tom Guiry (born 1981), actor
- Charles R. Howell (1904-1973), represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1955.
- Elijah C. Hutchinson (1855-1932), represented from 1915–1923.
- William J. Johnston (1918-1990), Medal of Honor recipient for gallantry during World War II.
- Dahntay Jones (born 1980), professional basketball player
- Nicholas Katzenbach (born 1922), United States Attorney General in the Johnson Administration.
- Patrick Kerney (born 1976), professional football player
- Tad Kornegay (born 1982) defensive back for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League.
- Ernie Kovacs (1919-1962), comedian
- Judith Light (born 1949), actress
- Nia Long (born 1970), actress
- Craig Mack (born 1971), rapper
- N. Gregory Mankiw (born 1958), macroeconomist.
- Zebulon Pike (1779-1813), explorer and namesake of Pikes Peak.
- D. Lane Powers (1896-1968), represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1933 to 1945.
- Poor Righteous Teachers, hip-hop group
- Dennis Rodman (born 1961), former professional basketball star
- Bob Ryan (born 1946), sportswriter, regular contributor on the ESPN show
Around the HornDaniel Bailey Ryall (1798-1864), United States Representative from New Jersey, in office from 1839-1841.Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. (born 1934), Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Central Command in the Gulf WarAntonin Scalia (born 1936), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesCharles Skelton (1806-1879), represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1851 to 1855.Sommore (born 1967), comedianRobert Stempel (born 1933), former chairman and CEO of General Motors.Gary Stills (born 1974), professional football playerMike Tiernan (1867-1918), major league baseball playerTy Treadway, host of Merv Griffin's Crosswords Troy Vincent (born 1971), professional American football player, former president of the NFL Players AssociationAllan B. Walsh (1874-1953), represented the 4th congressional district from 1913 to 1915. Charlie Weis (born 1956), Notre Dame football coach. Ira W. Wood (1856-1931), represented from 1904 to 1913.Kareem McKenzie (born 1979), an offensive tackle for the New York Giants of the National Football League, was born in Trenton. Chill Will (born 1988), rapper
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