Trenton (pop. 90,871; met. area pop. 387,340) is the capital of New Jersey. The city is in the west-central part of the state. Trenton lies where the Assunpink Creek flows into the Delaware River.
In 1679, Quaker farmers established the first permanent white settlement in what is now the Trenton area. An English Quaker named Mahlon Stacy led them. In 1714, Mahlon Stacy, Jr., sold part of his father’s property to William Trent, a merchant. Trent later became chief justice of the New Jersey colony. The community was named Trent’s Town in 1719. Its name later became Trenton.
Description.
Trenton is the county seat of Mercer County. The city covers about 8 square miles (21 square kilometers). The golden dome of the New Jersey State House rises above downtown. Near the State House are the State Museum and the State Library. The State Museum includes a planetarium. The Battle Monument, 148 feet (45 meters) high, marks the site of a famous battle of the American Revolution (see American Revolution (Trenton and Princeton) ). Other landmarks include the 1719 home of William Trent and the Old Barracks. The barracks were built in 1758 to house British troops. Thomas Edison State University is in Trenton. The College of New Jersey, Princeton University, and Rider University are near the city. Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst—a combined U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy installation—is also nearby (see Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst ).
Economy.
Trenton’s chief manufactured products include chemicals, electrical goods, fabricated metal products, machinery, and rubber products. Printing, publishing, and health care are important industries. State government employs many people.
Government and history.
Trenton has a mayor-council form of government. The voters elect the mayor and the seven city council members to four-year terms.
Delaware Indians lived in the Trenton area before the British occupied New Jersey in the 1660’s. During colonial times, Trenton became a major stop on the stage line between New York City and Philadelphia. In December 1776, during the American Revolution, George Washington made his famous crossing of the Delaware River near Trenton. In the battle that followed, Washington’s troops defeated the Hessians. The Hessians were professional German soldiers hired by the British.
Trenton served as the nation’s capital in November and December 1784. It became the capital of New Jersey in 1790. Trenton received a city charter in 1792. In the 1800’s, Trenton developed into an industrial and trade center. An increase in river traffic, combined with the construction of railroads, brought industrial growth. Thousands of factory workers moved to Trenton. The population rose by about 90,000 from 1880 to 1920. By 1920, Trenton was the leading U.S. pottery producer. More than 50 potteries operated in the city. It also ranked high in the production of rubber goods, steel, and wire cable. But after 1920, many of the residents and largest businesses began to move to the suburbs. The population declined through the last half of the 1900’s and the beginning of the 2000’s.
In the 1970’s and early 1980’s, the state built a number of office buildings in Trenton, including the Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex. City projects in the 1990’s included building a baseball stadium and a sports arena. Trenton also refurbished the State House and renovated the 1932 War Memorial and its theater. In the beginning of the 2000’s, the public school system began a massive building program. The program was funded under a state Supreme Court decision that called for additional state spending in 30 of the state’s poorest school districts.
See also Trenton, Battle of .
