Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Jersey City

JERSEY CITY, a city and county-seat of Hudson co., N. J., on the Hudson river, the Morris canal, and the Pennsylvania, the Erie, the Lehigh Valley, the New Jersey Central, the Baltimore and Ohio, the West Shore, the New Jersey and New York, the New York, Susquehanna and Western, and the Lackawanna railroads; opposite New York City, with which it is connected by ferries and tunnels; area 13 square miles.

Public Interests.—The business portion of the city lies in a level stretch along the river, about a mile in width. W. of this is an abrupt bluff, on which is the residential portion of the city. Jersey City is the second largest city in the State. It has trolley connections with Newark, Elizabeth, Hoboken, and other nearby cities. There is a public library, the Hasbrouck Institute, German American School, St. Aloysius Academy, St. Peter's Roman Catholic College, Christ's and St. Peter's Hospitals, and public high schools. The total assessed real estate valuation in 1920 was $139,075,028, and the bonded debt was $10,697,372. The budget for the same year was $13,710,539.

Business Interests.—The business interests of Jersey City are closely allied with those of New York City. Being the terminus of several large railroads and steamship lines, the commercial trade is very extensive. It has extensive stock yards, slaughter houses, grain elevators, and meat-packing establishments. Its manufactures are varied and extensive, and include iron and steel goods, machinery, locomotives, boilers, fireworks, furnaces, lead pencils, crucibles, silk, windmills, watches and jewelry, paints and chemicals, tobacco, zinc goods, sugar, bridges, oakum, glass, soap, candles, pottery, and foundry products. In 1920 there were 3 National banks, and several private banks, savings institutions, and trust and loan companies.

History.—Jersey City was formerly known as Paulus Hook; was laid out in 1804; chartered as the city of Jersey in 1820; incorporated as Jersey City in 1838; enlarged by annexation of Hudson and Bergen in 1870, and by Greenville in 1872; and was rechartered in 1889. Pop. (1910) 267,779; (1920) 298,103.