Trenton, New Jersey, USA
1854 - Trenton

Trenton, a city, capital of New Jersey, and seat of justice of Mercer county, is situated on the left bank of the Delaware, at the head of steamboat navigation, 30 miles N. E. from Philadelphia, and 67 miles S. W. from New York. Lat. 40° 14' N., Lon. 74° 46' 30" W. The Assunpink creek separates the city proper from South Trenton, which has several thousand inhabitants. The city is regularly planned, and well built, on a moderately uneven surface. Many of the finest residences are situated on State street, which runs parallel with the river, and is crossed at right angles by Main street, the principal thorough fare of business. The capitol, fronting on State street, is a handsome stone building, 100 feet by 60, commanding a fine view of the river in both directions. The county court house, in South Trenton, is built of stuccoed brick, with a portico in the Grecian style. Trenton is the scat of the State Lunatic Asylum, founded in 1848, and of the State Penitentiary. The former is a well- conducted institution, situated 2 or 3 miles above the city, and has about 200 patients. The number of prisoners in the penitentiary, January 1, 1862, was 207. The city is lighted with gas. It contains a town hall, a state library, 2 banks, with an aggregate capital of $810,000, and 17 churches, viz. 4 Presbyterian, 4 Methodist, 2 Baptist, 2 Episcopal, 2 Friends, 1 Lutheran, and 2 Ro man Catholic. Four newspapers are published here, two of which are issued daily. A substantial covered bridge, 1100 feet in length, crosses the Delaware at this place. The Delaware and Raritan canal passes through the town, connecting it with New York and Philadelphia. The following rail roads meet at this point: — The Philadelphia and Trenton ; the Camden and Amboy branch, leading to New York ; and the Belvidere and Delaware, which, when finished, will extend northward along the river, about 60 miles, to Belvidere. The Trenton Branch rail road, 6 miles long, connects with the Cam den and Amboy railroad at Bordentown. Trenton possesses abundant water-power, and is becoming one of the first manufacturing towns of the state. It contains 4 paper mills, several iron foundries, a large manufactory of locomotives, 1 axe factory, 2 wire factories, 2 rolling mills, one of which carries on more extensive operations than any other in the state, a number of flouring mills and saw mills, and various other establishments. The former villages of Bloomsbury, Lamberton, and Mill Hill have been incorporated with the borough of South Trenton. The vicinity of Trenton was settled by Phineas Pemberton and others about the year 1680, and the present name was given about 1720, in honor of Colonel William Trent, speaker of the house of assembly. The place was selected as the capital of New Jersey in 1790, and incorporated in 1792. On December 26th, 1777, was fought the battle of Trenton, at which General Washington defeated the enemy, and took 1000 Hessians prisoners. Population in 1840, 4035 ; in 1850, 6460.

A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

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