Historical Facts Of Jersey City

Jersey City area was initially wilderness region inhabited by Lenape Indians. In 1609 Henry Hudson navigated around here and subsequently his Dutch sea company began to manage the land grant on the west bank of Hudson River, purchased from the Lenape.

This grant dated November 22, 1630 is the earliest evidence of the area now known as Hoboken and Jersey City. The oldest surviving house in Jersey City is the stone Van Wagenen House of 1742.

During the American Revolutionary War the area was in the hands of the British who controlled New York. The City of Jersey was incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on January 28, 1820, and reincorporated on January 23, 1829, and again on February 22, 1838, when it became independent, deriving its present name.

A landing pad for immigrants to the US, it was developed by Mayor Frank Hague from 1917 to 1947, but later suffered decline. In 1980s, development of the waterfront areas flagged off the renaissance for Jersey City. Its financial district is now pithily called 'Wall Street West'.