Trenton Metropolitan Area : A Brief History
The city of Trenton was first settled in 1768 by William Trent. Trent was a wealthy patriot who traveled down the Eastern seaboard from Boston, in search of a land with plentiful lumber to open a mill. Phillip Wernicke was Trent’s business partner and co-founder of Trenton. Together they came across what is now the Trenton Peninsula at the mouth of the Weehawken River. The river flows south through the state and opens through a vast harbor into the Atlantic Ocean.
Trenton founder William Trent.
The pair founded Wernicke Mill, named for Trent’s business partner. Seeing as how the mill was named for Wernicke, the pair agreed on naming the settlement after Trent. Trentown was born a small milling town.
Wernicke Mill circa 1850.
Its key location at the mouth of the then Weehawken River, proved invaluable during the American Revolution. Fort Warwick was located on the southern tip of the Warwick Peninsula across the bay from Trentown. Trentown was key to keeping the British from infiltrating America’s inner waterways by holding their Imperial Navy at bay. Trent watched as his humble settlement exploded due to its harbor, and the vast variety of importing and exporting businesses which opened on the waterfront.
Fort Warwick during the American Revolution.
In 1800 Trent, still the city’s first and only mayor, proposed the name be changed to Trenton. By the turn of the century the city’s population had topped 20,000, and its Port was second only to Boston Harbor in the 13 United States. Trenton continued to grow throughout the 19th century, and by the year 1868, Trenton had over 900,000 citizens.
The rush of European immigrants in the early 20th century exploded Trenton’s population. From 1900 to 1950, the city’s population grew from 1.8 million, to 6.4 million. Trenton became known as America’s premier city, and indeed one of the world’s premier cities. The nightlife was unmatched, world class museums such as the North American Museum of Natural History, American Museum of Science and Industry, as well as the Trenton Institute of Arts, secured the city’s place as the cultural Mecca of America.
The Rotterdam tower was completed in 1931 and was the city’s tallest building until the World Financial Center’s main tower was built in 2014. Trenton’s skyline is among the largest in the world with over 8,000 skyscrapers (buildings over 200 feet) within the city limits. The tallest building is currently the Trenton Spire, which is the second tallest building in the world, and tallest in North America at 2,000 feet.
Zack Ruddock is the city’s current mayor, and is serving his 2nd term being elected in 2020. Tourism and commerce has exploded since Ruddock took office. With low taxes for both residents and business, Trenton has grown significantly in the past 8 years. The city’s population is currently at 8.8 million residents.
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