Editing Harrison, New Jersey (section)

==History==
===Colonial era to 19th century===
The area that is now Harrison was the southernmost part of the {{convert|15308|acres|sqmi+km2|adj=on}} land grant awarded to [[William Sandford (colonist)|William Sandford]] in 1668. When that grant was divided in 1671 between Sandford and his uncle, Nathaniel Kingsland of [[Barbados]], Sandford's {{Convert|5000|acre|adj=on}} share included Harrison. While Sandford and his family established a plantation on the northern portion of his tract, there is no evidence they developed any significant part of Harrison. Upon his death in 1691, Sandford's land passed to his wife, Sarah Sandford (née Whartman). Upon her death {{circa|1719}}, she passed most of the land, including Harrison, to her son William ({{circa|1670–1733}}).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Olson|first1=Sharon|last2=Schopfer|first2=Chris|title=The Early Sandford Family in New Jersey, Revisited|journal=The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey|date=May 2017|page=99}}</ref> In 1729, William transferred the southern parts of his upland to three of his sons, John, Robert and Peter, each receiving a {{convert|300|acre|adj=on}} lot that included a portion of Harrison's upland. John and Robert sold their lots to members of the Schuyler family in 1733 and 1736, respectively, and migrated westward, John to [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]] and Robert to [[Pine Brook, Morris County, New Jersey|Pine Brook]]. The disposition of Peter's lot is not known, but no further record of him is found in or near Harrison.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Olson|first1=Sharon|last2=Schopfer|first2=Chris|title=The Early Sandford Family in New Jersey, Revisited|journal=The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey|date=May 2018|page=88}}</ref>

A road to the [[Hudson Waterfront]] was completed in 1750, named for Douwe's Ferry which it met at its eastern end to cross the Hackensack River.<ref>[http://www.lhry.org/Pages/chronology.shtml chronology] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130111215905/http://www.lhry.org/Pages/chronology.shtml |date=January 11, 2013 }}, Liberty Historic Railway. Accessed September 11, 2013.</ref> In 1790 the [[New Jersey Legislature|state legislature]] decided that "public good would be served by a 64-foot road from [[Paulus Hook]] to Newark Courthouse". By 1795, a bridge over the Hackensack {{convert|950|ft|m}} long and another over the Passaic {{convert|492|ft|m}} long (at the site of the [[Bridge Street Bridge (Newark)|Bridge Street Bridge]]) were built creating an uninterrupted [[toll road]] connection.<ref>Olsen, Kevin K. [https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Great_Conveniency.html?id=jPxALgAACAAJ ''A Great Conveniency: A Maritime History of the Passaic River, Hackensack River and Newark Bay''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112222044/https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Great_Conveniency.html?id=jPxALgAACAAJ |date=January 12, 2016 }}, American History Imprints, 2008. {{ISBN|978-0-9753667-7-6}}.</ref> It is now known as the [[County Route 508 (New Jersey)|Newark-Jersey City Turnpike]].

In 1826, the [[New Jersey Legislature]] formed [[Lodi Township, New Jersey|Lodi Township]] from the southern portion of New Barbadoes Neck in [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]].<ref>[http://www.dutchdoorgenealogy.com/bergen_county_new_jersey_municipalities.html Bergen County New Jersey Municipalities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823023615/http://www.dutchdoorgenealogy.com/bergen_county_new_jersey_municipalities.html |date=August 23, 2020 }}, Dutch Door Genealogy. Accessed December 15, 2011. "Lodi Township was formed March 1, 1826 from area taken from New Barbadoes Township. In 1840 a part of its area was transferred to Harrison Township in Hudson County."</ref><ref name=Story/> Since Lodi Township was part of Bergen County, matters dealing with the county government and courts had to be taken to [[Hackensack, New Jersey|Hackensack]].

In 1840, the inhabitants of Lodi Township joined with present-day [[Secaucus, New Jersey|Secaucus]], [[Bayonne, New Jersey|Bayonne]], [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]], [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]], [[Weehawken, New Jersey|Weehawken]], and [[Union City, New Jersey|Union City]] and petitioned for the creation of a new county due to the great distance which the petitioners had to travel to reach the county seat in Hackensack. This appeal resulted in the creation of [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]] and the first mention of Harrison occurs in the law which was passed on April 13, 1840. [[Harrison Township, Hudson County, New Jersey|Harrison Township]] was thereby established.<ref name="Story">Snyder, John P. [https://nj.gov/dep/njgs/enviroed/oldpubs/bulletin67.pdf ''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''], Bureau of Geology and Topography, [[Trenton, New Jersey]], 1969. p. 146. Accessed May 28, 2024.</ref><ref name="History">[https://townofharrison.com/201/History History], Town of Harrison. Accessed February 28, 2023.</ref>

The first committee meeting of the Township of Harrison was held on April 16, 1840, and it is widely accepted that Harrison was named for President [[William Henry Harrison]], who was elected that year.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. [http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/356/nj_place_names_origin.pdf#page=15 ''The Origin of New Jersey Place Names''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115082401/http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/356/nj_place_names_origin.pdf#page=15 |date=November 15, 2015 }}, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 26, 2015.</ref>

===19th century to present===
Union Township (now [[Lyndhurst, New Jersey|Lyndhurst]]) was created as of February 19, 1852, from portions of the township and became part of Bergen County.<ref name=Story/>

General N. N. Halstead succeeded in getting the necessary laws passed in [[Trenton, New Jersey|Trenton]] and on April 8, 1867, [[Kearny, New Jersey|Kearny]] became a separate Township from land that was a part of Harrison, which included [[East Newark, New Jersey|East Newark]] at the time; East Newark later seceded from Kearny, establishing their own Borough.<ref name=Story/> On March 25, 1869, Harrison town was incorporated, replacing the township.<ref name=Story/>

While campaigning for re-election in 1912, President [[William Howard Taft]] told residents gathered for a rally that "you have reason to be proud of this Hive of Industry", from which was coined the town's motto, "The Beehive of Industry", which is still used today.<ref name="Motto">Jones, Richard G. [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/nyregion/21harrison.html "As Newark Neighbor Moves Toward Rebirth, Some Pains Are Felt"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150605055329/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/nyregion/21harrison.html |date=June 5, 2015 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', February 21, 2007. Accessed December 15, 2011. "It was a sobering descent from the days when Harrison, which juts into the Passaic River just across from Newark, was the city where the likes of R.C.A., Otis Elevator and Thomas A. Edison helped forge the town's motto: 'Beehive of Industry.'"</ref><ref name=History/>

The town's proximity to rail lines and a large waterfront made Harrison favorably situated for trade. Some of the industries which called Harrison home included the [[Edison Lamp Works]], [[Worthington Pump and Machinery]], the [[RCA]] Company, the [[Peter Hauck Brewery]], [[Driver-Harris Company]], [[Crucible Steel Company]], [[Otis Elevator]], [[Hartz Mountain Industries|Hartz Mountain]], [[Remco|Remco Industries]], [[Nopco Chemical]] and [[Hyatt Roller Bearing]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?93664 |title=Harrison H&M station with Hyatt Roller Bearing plant sign in the background (Photograph by Joel Shanus; Date Unknown) -- WorldNYCSubway.org |access-date=January 2, 2019 |archive-date=January 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103004812/https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?93664 |url-status=live }}</ref>

As the U.S. moved into the 20th century, these facilities played a major role in the development of new products for both the private and public sector, peaking during World War II. The small town of about only 14,000 residents had more than 90,000 workers commuting into it on a daily basis.<ref name=History/> In the 21st century the town is undergoing a transformation from a manufacturing center to a residential and service sector town.<ref>Akin, Stephanie. [http://www.northjersey.com/news/harrison-a-town-in-transition-is-backdrop-for-latest-port-authority-intrigue-1.667832 "Harrison, a town in transition, is backdrop for latest Port Authority intrigue"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427142901/http://www.northjersey.com/news/harrison-a-town-in-transition-is-backdrop-for-latest-port-authority-intrigue-1.667832 |date=April 27, 2015 }}, ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', February 2, 2014. Accessed April 20, 2015.</ref>