In 1834 the New Jersey Railroad and the Paterson and Hudson River
Railroad were opened and led to a new era in the history of Jersey
City. The New Jersey Railroad extended to Newark, with work in progress
toward Philadelphia. Its one car was advertised as "the passenger
car 'Washington,' a splendid and beautiful specimen of workmanship,
containing three apartments besides seats on top." Regular trips began
September 15th, 1834. Eight trips a day were made, going from Jersey
City to Newark in one hour and a half. The railroad cut was made by
the New Jersey Railroad in 1837, following the line of a water course,
and a depression across the ridge, which made it very crooked; the
earth from the cut was piled up over one hundred feet high on the land
belonging to the railroad back of the Tonnele place. The cars were
drawn by horses until the locomotive, the Newark, was used December 2d,
1838.
Beyond where the Boulevard and Pavonia avenue now join, the Railroad
Company made a reservoir, which was fed by springs in the hill-side,
and from this they supplied their engines with water. Eventually this
was incorrectly known as Tonnele's Pond. This road consolidated with
the Camden and Amboy in 1867. The consolidation was leased to the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company in 1870. After they gained control they
straightened the cut by blasting out a roadway through the solid rock.
The Paterson and Hudson River Railroad advertised its "three splendid
and commodious cars, each capable of accommodating thirty passengers,
and drawn by fleet and gentle horses." In 1848 the road was extended to
Sufferns and the Paterson dock was built to accommodate this railroad
line. The "Long Dock Company," incorporated in 1856, completed the
Bergen Tunnel January 28th, 1861, and in the following May opened
the Pavonia Ferry. From 1853 the road was known as the Erie Railroad
Company. The Central Railroad of New Jersey terminated at Elizabethport
for many years. In 1860 an act was passed authorizing the company to
bridge Newark Bay and extend its line to Jersey City. This extension
was completed and opened to travel August 1st, 1864. In 1836 the Morris
Canal was completed.
Some of the old inhabitants remember when the European Packet ships
anchored in the river and their passengers were transferred to small
boats to land them. It was in the decade of the 40's that the first
trans-Atlantic steamship lines were established, and the Cunard
Company, which was one of the earliest, the second I believe, built
its docks at the foot of Grand Street, Jersey City, in 1847. Its first
steamer, the Hibernia, sailed on New Year's Day, 1848; it was a great
gala day for the citizens, and on behalf of the city Mr. Joseph G. Edge
fired a salute of 100 guns. Later the White Star S. S. Company had
their docks in Jersey City, but eventually both lines removed to New
York. At present the Vogemann and American lines have their freight
docks here.