Cadwalader Heights in Trenton in Mercer County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Briar Patch
1952 - 1983
Photographed by Gary Nigh, November 2007
1. Briar Patch Marker
Oldest known black bear to live in captivity
Nothing is lost that leaves a memory
Erected 1983.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Cemeteries & Burial Sites. A significant historical year for this entry is 1952.
Location. 40° 14.227′ N, 74° 47.306′ W. Marker is in Trenton, New Jersey, in Mercer County. It is in Cadwalader Heights. It can be reached from Trenton Road. This marker is inside Cadwalader Park near the main entrance from Parkside Avenue near the Mercer County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Trenton NJ 08618, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Jersey and in Greater Princeton. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Deer & Monkeys & Bears, Oh My! (a few steps from this marker); Mercer County Soldiers and Sailors Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); The Swamp Angel (within shouting distance of this marker); Cadwalader Park, Trenton (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Cadwalader Park (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Trenton's Cadwalader Park (about 400 feet away); Ellarslie (about 400 feet away); Before the Park (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Trenton.
Regarding Briar Patch.
this page online
Trentonian, June 10, 1983, Page 1
Briar Patch Buried Oldest Black Bear
After munching on her favorite meal of honeydew, cantaloupe, peaches and blueberries, all coated with honey, Briar Patch was put to sleep yesterday ending the life and longest captivity of an American black bear.
The 360-pound omnivorous mammal was injected first with a sedative and then with a lethal overdose of phenobarbital shortly after 5:30 a.m.
She was then placed in a coffin and buried 8 feet underground near the cage in which she was confined most of her life.
A memorial, costing $1,700 and paid for by Animals in Distress, will be placed over her grave in several weeks.
Briar Patch was put to sleep after veterinarian Dr, John Carver determined that her paralysis was so severe it could lead to infestation. City officials said her hind quarters were immobile and she had to use her front paws to drag her body across the den.
City officials said the bear is at least 30 years old. An official from the San Diego Zoo said the oldest known American black bear held in captivity was 28 years old.
Briar Patch was the last of four bears to live in the park but actually the fifth the city was given.
A spokesman for the Friends of Cadwalader said recently the first bear cub, named Kitty Hill after then city commissioner Edmund Hill,
Photographed by Trenton Times, circa 1979
2. Briar Patch
Two bears, Carmichael and another cub given to the city the same time as Briar Patch, choked to death in the den in 1953. The other bear was Petey.
With the death of Briar Patch comes the end of bears being kept at Cadwalader Park. [Mayor Arthur] Holland said it is inhumane to confine such large mammals to a small area.
Photographed by Gary Nigh, November 2007
3. Briar Patch Marker
The Bear Pen can be seen in the background.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 6, 2008, by Gary Nigh of Trenton, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 4,254 times since then and 127 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 6, 2008, by Gary Nigh of Trenton, New Jersey.
