NJ.com published the following article on 4/28/2014. To read the full article, click here.
From iron to steel to pottery, Trenton once flexed industrial might for world to take
Kelsey Wojdyla | April 28, 2014The city’s iconic slogan — “Trenton Makes, the World Takes” — first came out of a contest by the local chamber of commerce in 1910 to capture the essence of the once-thriving manufacturing city.
“The slogan was meant to reflect Trenton’s early history as an East Coast industrial center. Obviously that’s not quite what things are anymore,” said Damon Tvaryanas, vice president of the Trenton Historical Society. “Government really is Trenton’s No. 1 industry at this point.”
The start of Trenton’s industries dates back to a gristmill built by Mahlon Stacy in 1679, followed by ironworks, steel mills and various industries producing everything from flour to Revolutionary War weapons in the 18th century.
It wasn’t until the 1800s that Trenton really took off as an industrial powerhouse. This was due in part to the construction of canals and railroads, which allowed raw materials for production to be brought from the West, as well as the transportation of finished goods to large markets in New York and Philadelphia. It was at this time that Trenton also experienced an influx of European immigrant workers, which enabled industrial expansion.
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