Harrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark, New Jersey.
As of the 2010 United States Census, Harrison’s population was 13,620, reflecting a decline of 804 (−5.6%) from the 14,424 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 999 (+7.4%) from the 13,425 counted in the 1990 Census. Once considered “the beehive of industry”, the town is undergoing a residential renewal, particularly along the Passaic River.
The area that is now Harrison was a part of a charter granted to Captain William Sandford of Barbados. New Barbadoes Neck consisted of 30,000 acres (120 km2) and extended north from Newark Bay to present-day Rutherford, between the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers. Sandford sent his nephew, Major Nathanial Kingsland, to enter into an agreement for the purchase the land from the Unami Native Americans, a branch of the Leni Lenape.[23]
In 1755, the first steam engine in North America was set up at the Schuyler Copper Mine in what is now North Arlington to help drain water from the mine.
A road to the Hudson Waterfront was completed in 1750, named for Douwe’s Ferry which it met at its eastern end to cross the Haceknsack River. In 1790 the state legislature decided that “public good would be served by a 64-foot road from Paulus Hook to Newark Couthouse”. By 1795, a bridge over the Hackensack 950 feet (290 m) long and another over the Passaic 492 feet (150 m) long (at the site of the Bridge Street Bridge) were built creating an uninterrupted toll road connection. It is now known as the Newark Turnpike.
In 1826, the New Jersey Legislature, Lodi Township was formed from the southern portion of New Barbadoes Neck in Bergen County. Since Lodi Township was part of Bergen County, matters dealing with the county government and courts had to be taken to Hackensack.
In 1840, the inhabitants of Lodi Township joined with present-day Secaucus, Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, and Union City and petitioned for the creation of a new county due to the great distance which the petitioners had to travel to reach the county seat in Hackensack. This appeal resulted in the creation of Hudson County and the first mention of Harrison occurs in the law which was passed on April 13, 1840. Harrison Township was thereby established.
The first committee meeting of the Township of Harrison was held on April 16, 1840, and it is widely accepted that Harrison was named for President William Henry Harrison, who was elected that year.
Union Township (now Lyndhurst) was created as of February 19, 1852, from portions of the township and became part of Bergen County.
General N. N. Halstead succeeded in getting the necessary laws passed in Trenton and April 8, 1867, Kearny became a separate Township from land that was a part of Harrison, which included East Newark at the time; East Newark later seceded from Kearny, establishing their own Borough.
On March 25, 1869, Harrison town was incorporated, replacing the township.
While campaigning for re-election in 1912, President William Howard Taft told residents gathered for a rally that “you have reason to be proud of this Hive of Industry”, from which was coined the town’s motto, “The Beehive of Industry”, which is still used today.
The town’s proximity to rail lines and a large waterfront made Harrison favorably situated for trade. Some of the industries which called Harrison home included the Edison Lamp Works, Worthington Pump and Machinery, the RCA Company, the Peter Hauck Brewery, Driver-Harris Company, Crucible Steel Company, Otis Elevator, Hartz Mountain, Remco Industries, Nopco Chemical and Hyatt Roller Bearing.
As the U.S. moved into the 20th century, these facilities played a major role in the development of new products for both the private and public sector, peaking during World War II. The small town of about only 14,000 residents had more than 90,000 workers commuting into it on a daily basis. In the 21st century the town is undergoing a transformation from a manufacturing center to a residential and service sector town.
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 13,620 people, 4,869 households, and 3,262 families residing in the town. The population density was 11,319.3 per square mile (4,370.4/km2). There were 5,228 housing units at an average density of 4,344.9 per square mile (1,677.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 58.30% (7,941) White, 2.18% (297) Black or African American, 0.56% (76) Native American, 16.28% (2,217) Asian, 0.01% (2) Pacific Islander, 18.48% (2,517) from other races, and 4.19% (570) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.18% (6,017) of the population.
Source: Wikipedia
