Hoboken in Hudson County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Southern Piers:
Ocean Liners, World War I & Parks
Photographed By Larry Gertner, April 20, 2022
1. Southern Piers: Ocean Liners, World War I & Parks wayside
Two major German passenger lines made Hoboken their American homeport from the 1870s to 1914: Hamburg-America Line and North German Lloyd Steamship Co. Their ocean liners, some of the largest and finest of the era, occupied six piers from Newark St. to Fourth St. and served all classes of passengers, including hundreds of thousands of immigrants.
When World War I began in 1914, many German ships were interned here. The U.S. entered the war in 1917 and confiscated the vessels and piers. Hoboken became the U.S. Port of Embarkation, through which nearly 2 million soldiers passed on their way to France. The liners became troop transports for the duration of the war.
After the war, the U.S. Government controlled the piers until 1952, when the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey leased them. PANYNJ rebuilt the piers, but their use for passengers and cargo was to end by 1970.
The City of Hoboken gained control of the piers in 1988 and, with community input, designed and built a new waterfront walkway with public parks at Piers A and C.
Erected by Hoboken Historical Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Immigration • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. World War I Embarkation Memorial (here, next to this marker); Hoboken 9/11 Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Southern Piers: Trains, Ferries & the Tubes (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Southern Piers: (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); 77 River Street (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Southern Piers: (approx. 0.2 miles away); On the Waterfront (approx. ¼ mile away); Civil War Monument (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hoboken.
Also see . . .
1. Hoboken Waterfront: Pier A Park. Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development website entry (Submitted on March 3, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Hamburg America Line. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on March 3, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
3. A City in Wartime: Hoboken, 1914-1919. Hoboken Historical Museum website entry (Submitted on March 3, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Larry Gertner, April 20, 2022
2. Southern Piers: Ocean Liners, World War I & Parks wayside site
Reverse side, showing neighborhood map
via Fund for a Better Waterffont, unknown
3. Pier A Park
via Hoboken Historical Museum, unknown
4. Hamburg-American Steamship Lines piers in Hoboken
via Hoboken Historical Museum, unknown
5. SS Leviathan, former Hamburg-America Line Vaterland, as troopship
Credits. This page was last revised on March 4, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 3, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 60 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 3, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.
