Hackensack Plank Road
Encyclopedia
The Hackensack Plank Road was a major artery which connected the cities of Hoboken
and Hackensack
, New Jersey
Like its cousin routes, the Newark Plank Road
and Paterson Plank Road
, it travelled over Bergen Hill
and across the Hackensack Meadows
from the Hudson River
waterfront to the city for which it is named. It was originally built as a colonial turnpike road as Hackensack and Hoboken Turnpike The route of which mostly still exists today with some segments called another earlier name, The Bergen Turnpike (the company receiving its charter on November 30, 1802). It was during the 19th century that plank road
s were developed, often by private companies which charged a toll. As the name suggests, wooden boards were laid on a roadbed in order to prevent horse-drawn carriages and wagons from sinking into softer ground on the portions of the road that passed through marshes.
Today there is little or nothing to be seen of the plank road in Hoboken, the urban grid of the city having expanded westward across landfilled marshes, though the alignment would be at Clinton Street in the city's northwest quarter. The route begins today in lower Weehawken
at the town line and rail tracks now used by the Hudson Bergen Light Rail. A short street connects it to Willow Avenue, which functions as a local entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel
. The only segment that retains the name Hackensack Plank Road (and locally called the High Road), ascends the face of the Hudson Palisades to Weehawken Heights and upon reaching the top is designated County Route 691. It travels on a northwest diagonal across Union City
as 32nd Street, passing over the Lincoln Tunnel Approach and Helix, intersecting Bergenline Avenue, and creating the terminus of Summit Avenue. Crossing Kennedy Boulevard
at Schuetzen Park
it enters North Bergen, New Jersey
, and as Bergen Turnpike descends to pass Weehawken Cemetery
, Palisade Cemetery, and near the site of the colonial-era Three Pigeons
joins Tonnelle Ave
. There the route heads north through New Durham
and Bergenwood
between the western slope the of the palisades and the border of what has become the New Jersey Meadowlands District. The portion called Hackensack Plank Road is one of few road which travel along the face of the Hudson Palisades escarpment, other being the Paterson Plank Road
, the Wing Viaduct
, Pershing Road
, and Bulls Ferry Road
. It is joined at its midpoint by what some have called the Lombard Street
of the East Coast
, Shippen Street
, which has double hairpin turn
descending to the plank road. A similar street, Mountain Road
, is a single hairpin
between Jersey City Heights and Hoboken
.
In 1854, Nicholas Goelz and Peter Melcher changed the starting point of their stage coaches from West Hoboken
, to the new settlement of Union Hill
, north of West Hoboken, in order to meet the demand created by that new settlement, and used the Hackensack Plank Road as the route to the Hoboken ferry.
Crossing the Bergen line
at the Fairview Cemetery, the road becomes County Route S124 and is named Broad Street. In Ridgefield
the route travels west on Hendricks Causeway. A short stretch, Motel Avenue, connects it Bergen Turnpike which crosses Overpeck Creek
into Ridgefield Park
, where it ends at the river at the site of ferry landing and bridge, neither of which any longer exists.
Little Ferry
takes it name from a colonial river crossing of the Hackensack River
. In 1828, the first bridge over the Hackensack River was built. A wooden structure, it was replaced at the turn of the 20th century by the bridge which still stood before the erection of the present span. It was necessary to pay tolls on both the bridge and Bergen Turnpike until the start of the World War. In 1915, the Board of Chosen Freeholders took over the entire stretch of roadway from Fairview to Main Street, Hackensack. Public Service later became the owners of the bridge and retained the right of way along the turnpike for the operation of its trolleys. In 1934, after the present structure was completed the old historic bridge was torn down despite efforts of the local government and residents of Little Ferry to have it remain. Through the town the route retains the name Bergen Turnpike and its designation of County Route 124. At the city line, it becomes Hudson Street, where it continues north into downtown Hackensack
, ending at the Bergen County Court House
. Nearby is The Green, site of the colonial First Reformed Dutch Church
and heart of the colonial city.
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
and Hackensack
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Like its cousin routes, the Newark Plank Road
Newark Plank Road
The Newark Plank Road was a major 19th century artery between New Jersey's Hudson Waterfront and the burgeoning city of Newark, further inland across the New Jersey Meadows. As its name suggests, a plank road was constructed of wooden planks laid side-to-side on a roadbed. A charter to construct...
and Paterson Plank Road
Paterson Plank Road
Paterson Plank Road is a road that runs through Passaic, Bergen and Hudson Counties in northeastern New Jersey originally lain in the colonial era. The route, connecting the city Paterson and the Hudson River waterfront, still exists...
, it travelled over Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, USA, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson River, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.-Rail:...
and across the Hackensack Meadows
New Jersey Meadowlands
New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeast New Jersey in the United States. The Meadowlands are known for being the site of large landfills and decades of...
from the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
waterfront to the city for which it is named. It was originally built as a colonial turnpike road as Hackensack and Hoboken Turnpike The route of which mostly still exists today with some segments called another earlier name, The Bergen Turnpike (the company receiving its charter on November 30, 1802). It was during the 19th century that plank road
Plank road
A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. Plank roads were very popular in Ontario, the U.S. Northeast and U.S. Midwest in the first half of the 19th century...
s were developed, often by private companies which charged a toll. As the name suggests, wooden boards were laid on a roadbed in order to prevent horse-drawn carriages and wagons from sinking into softer ground on the portions of the road that passed through marshes.
Hoboken and North Hudson
Today there is little or nothing to be seen of the plank road in Hoboken, the urban grid of the city having expanded westward across landfilled marshes, though the alignment would be at Clinton Street in the city's northwest quarter. The route begins today in lower Weehawken
Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 12,554.-Geography:Weehawken is part of the New York metropolitan area...
at the town line and rail tracks now used by the Hudson Bergen Light Rail. A short street connects it to Willow Avenue, which functions as a local entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel
Lincoln Tunnel
The Lincoln Tunnel is a long tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan in New York City.-History:...
. The only segment that retains the name Hackensack Plank Road (and locally called the High Road), ascends the face of the Hudson Palisades to Weehawken Heights and upon reaching the top is designated County Route 691. It travels on a northwest diagonal across Union City
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...
as 32nd Street, passing over the Lincoln Tunnel Approach and Helix, intersecting Bergenline Avenue, and creating the terminus of Summit Avenue. Crossing Kennedy Boulevard
County Route 501 (New Jersey)
County Route 501 is a county highway in New Jersey in two sections spanning Middlesex, Hudson and Bergen Counties. The southern section runs from South Plainfield to Perth Amboy, the northern section runs from Bayonne to Rockleigh, and the two sections are connected by New York State Route 440...
at Schuetzen Park
Schuetzen Park
Schuetzen Park is a privately owned park in North Bergen, New Jersey, USA that has existed since 1874 and is located on the ridge of the Hudson Palisades at Kennedy Boulevard and Bergen Turnpike just north of the Marginal Highway...
it enters North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen, New Jersey
North Bergen is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township had a total population of 60,773. Originally founded in 1843, the town was much diminished in territory by a series of secessions. Situated on the Hudson Palisades, it is one...
, and as Bergen Turnpike descends to pass Weehawken Cemetery
Weehawken Cemetery
The Weehawken Cemetery, like neighboring Hoboken Cemetery, is not located in its namesake town of Weehawken but rather on the western slope of the Hudson Palisades in North Bergen, New Jersey, with its main entrance on Bergen Turnpike. At its east side the cemetery is overlooked by the Bergen Crest...
, Palisade Cemetery, and near the site of the colonial-era Three Pigeons
Three Pigeons
The Three Pigeons was a prominent and famous meeting place in Bergen Township, New Jersey during the revolutionary period, and was used historically as a landmark as well as a popular place for hosting special occasions.-Location and Name:...
joins Tonnelle Ave
U.S. Route 1/9
U.S. Route 9 is a U.S. highway in the northeast United States, running from Laurel, Delaware north to the Canadian border near Champlain, New York...
. There the route heads north through New Durham
New Durham, North Bergen
New Durham is an area of North Bergen, New Jersey near the foot of Union Turnpike and Bergen Turnpike, and south of the Tonnelle Avenue Station of the Hudson Bergen Light Rail...
and Bergenwood
Bergenwood, North Bergen
Bergenwood is a long narrow district of North Bergen, New Jersey in the northern central part of the township between Kennedy Boulevard and Tonnelle Avenue, characterized by the steep slopes on the west side of the Hudson Palisades as they descend to the New Jersey Meadowlands...
between the western slope the of the palisades and the border of what has become the New Jersey Meadowlands District. The portion called Hackensack Plank Road is one of few road which travel along the face of the Hudson Palisades escarpment, other being the Paterson Plank Road
Paterson Plank Road
Paterson Plank Road is a road that runs through Passaic, Bergen and Hudson Counties in northeastern New Jersey originally lain in the colonial era. The route, connecting the city Paterson and the Hudson River waterfront, still exists...
, the Wing Viaduct
14th Street (Hoboken)
Fourteenth Street in uptown Hoboken, New Jersey carries the Hudson County designation CR670. The eastern end is the Hudson River while its western portion is known simply as the 14th Street Viaduct. It is at the northern end of the city's urban grid, and one of the east–west streets that...
, Pershing Road
Pershing Road (Hudson County)
Pershing Road travels for on the Hudson Palisades in Weehawken, New Jersey between Boulevard East and Weehawken Port Imperial and carries the designation Hudson County Route 682....
, and Bulls Ferry Road
Bulls Ferry
Bulls Ferry is the area along the Hudson River in the North HudsonCounty, New Jersey municipalities of West New York, Guttenberg, and North Bergen....
. It is joined at its midpoint by what some have called the Lombard Street
Lombard Street (San Francisco)
Lombard Street is an east–west street in San Francisco, California. It is famous for having a steep, one-block section that consists of eight tight hairpin turns.-Route description:...
of the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
, Shippen Street
Shippen Street (Weehawken)
Shippen Street is an east-west street in Weehawken, New Jersey. The eastern terminal, a cobblestone double hairpin turn is listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places...
, which has double hairpin turn
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
descending to the plank road. A similar street, Mountain Road
Paterson Plank Road
Paterson Plank Road is a road that runs through Passaic, Bergen and Hudson Counties in northeastern New Jersey originally lain in the colonial era. The route, connecting the city Paterson and the Hudson River waterfront, still exists...
, is a single hairpin
Hairpin turn
A hairpin turn , named for its resemblance to a hairpin/bobby pin, is a bend in a road with a very acute inner angle, making it necessary for an oncoming vehicle to turn almost 180° to continue on the road. Such turns in ramps and trails may be called switchbacks in American English, by analogy...
between Jersey City Heights and Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
.
In 1854, Nicholas Goelz and Peter Melcher changed the starting point of their stage coaches from West Hoboken
West Hoboken, New Jersey
West Hoboken was a municipality that existed in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, from 1861 to 1925.West Hoboken was originally incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 28, 1861, from portions of North Bergen Township. The township was reincorporated on...
, to the new settlement of Union Hill
Union Hill, New Jersey
Union Hill is a section of Denville Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. The Union Hill section comprises the southernmost part of Denville and is mostly south of Route 10. Although one of the oldest settled parts of Denville, it is characterized by having the most recent housing...
, north of West Hoboken, in order to meet the demand created by that new settlement, and used the Hackensack Plank Road as the route to the Hoboken ferry.
Fairview and The Ridgefields
Crossing the Bergen line
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
at the Fairview Cemetery, the road becomes County Route S124 and is named Broad Street. In Ridgefield
Ridgefield, New Jersey
There were 4,020 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone...
the route travels west on Hendricks Causeway. A short stretch, Motel Avenue, connects it Bergen Turnpike which crosses Overpeck Creek
Overpeck Creek
Overpeck Creek is a tributary of the Hackensack River, approximately 8 miles long, in Bergen County in northern New Jersey in the United States. The upper creek flows through suburban communities west of New York City...
into Ridgefield Park
Ridgefield Park, New Jersey
Ridgefield Park is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. The population was 12,729 at the 2010 United States Census. Of 566 municipalities statewide, Ridgefield Park is only one of three with a village type of government in New Jersey, along with Loch Arbour and Ridgewood.The...
, where it ends at the river at the site of ferry landing and bridge, neither of which any longer exists.
Little Ferry and Hackensack
Little Ferry
Little Ferry, New Jersey
Little Ferry is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,626.-Geography:Little Ferry is located at ....
takes it name from a colonial river crossing of the Hackensack River
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
. In 1828, the first bridge over the Hackensack River was built. A wooden structure, it was replaced at the turn of the 20th century by the bridge which still stood before the erection of the present span. It was necessary to pay tolls on both the bridge and Bergen Turnpike until the start of the World War. In 1915, the Board of Chosen Freeholders took over the entire stretch of roadway from Fairview to Main Street, Hackensack. Public Service later became the owners of the bridge and retained the right of way along the turnpike for the operation of its trolleys. In 1934, after the present structure was completed the old historic bridge was torn down despite efforts of the local government and residents of Little Ferry to have it remain. Through the town the route retains the name Bergen Turnpike and its designation of County Route 124. At the city line, it becomes Hudson Street, where it continues north into downtown Hackensack
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....
, ending at the Bergen County Court House
Bergen County Court House
Bergen County, New Jersey had a series of court houses. The current one stands in Hackensack, New Jersey.-History:The current Bergen County Courthouse is not the first courthouse but actually the sixth courthouse built for Bergen County. In 1683 four counties were created in East Jersey and they...
. Nearby is The Green, site of the colonial First Reformed Dutch Church
First Reformed Dutch Church, Hackensack
First Dutch Reformed Church, also known as the "Old Church on the Green" is located in Hackensack, New Jersey, United States, where it sits in the churchyard of the church by the same name, the current building being constructed in 1791. The east wall of the building is of particular interest...
and heart of the colonial city.
See also
- Jersey City and Bergen Point Plank Road
- List of turnpikes in New Jersey
- New Jersey Route 18N