Jersey City in Hudson County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Historic Trilogy
The term “Historic Trilogy” is used to represent the role the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) Terminal, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty played in American history. It was these three historic structures that greeted most of the immigrants arriving to the New York Harbor area during the wave of immigration of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Statue of Liberty, dedicated in 1886, was a gift from the people of France to the people of the United States. Its original intent was to symbolize a common belief in democracy. It quickly became a universal symbol of hope and freedom, especially to those immigrants fleeing political and religious persecution in Europe and the Soviet Union.
The Ellis Island Immigration Station opened in 1892 to process the 12 million immigrants pouring into the New York Harbor area. These people supplied the labor, and in some cases the expertise, which fueled the industrial revolution in this country. Today, over half of the people living in the U.S. can trace their ancestry back to those immigrants.
Completing the trilogy is the CRRNJ Terminal. Constructed in 1889, it was expanded to its current dimension in 1914, due to increased rail and ferry traffic. Besides transporting hundreds of thousands of commuters to New York City, the Terminal was used by about two thirds of the immigrants processed on Ellis Island, finding their way to a new life.
The CRRNJ Terminal, the cornerstone of Liberty State Park, provides us with a concrete connection to the past. Listed on both the State and National Register of Historic Places, its association with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island remind us of our distinctive past.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1886.
Location. 40° 41.972′ N, 74° 2.903′ W. Marker is in Jersey City, New Jersey, in Hudson County. Marker is on Liberty Walk, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located on Liberty Walk on the riverfront in Liberty State Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Jersey City NJ 07304, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Changes in the Land (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Salt Marsh (approx. ¼ mile away); The New Ferry Building – Ellis Island (approx. 0.4 miles away); The South Side of Ellis Island (approx. 0.4 miles away); The American Immigrant Wall of Honor ® (approx. half a mile away in New York); Fort Gibson: The Other Ellis Island Story (approx. half a mile away in New York); Fort Gibson: Uncovering the Past (approx. half a mile away in New York); Delaware Indian Burials (approx. half a mile away in New York). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jersey City.
More about this marker. Pictures of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island Immigration Center and the Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal appear at the top of the marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 31, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 16, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 442 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on October 16, 2013, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.