Editing Hopewell, New Jersey (section)

===Frog war===
The first railroad to reach Hopewell was the [[Mercer and Somerset Railway]], which was backed by the [[Pennsylvania Railroad]]. It was created largely to protect the monopoly the Pennsylvania Railroad had on New Jersey, by cutting off the first separately owned railroad in New Jersey, the [[Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad]], by being built in the way of it. It was completed in 1874. The Delaware and Bound Brook reached Hopewell in 1876, but the railroad had to cross the Mercer and Somerset's track just to the northwest of Hopewell. A dispute occurred at the crossing, known as a [[Railroad turnout#Frog (common crossing)|frog]], and escalated into each company parking locomotives over the crossing to prevent the other company from moving trains over it. Eventually, militia had to be called in to keep the peace, and the Delaware and Bound Brook prevailed.<ref>Railroads of New Jersey Fragments of the past in the Garden State Landscape Lorett Treese 2006</ref> Soon after the Frog War the Mercer and Somerset was liquidated having failed at its purpose. Some of the abandoned right of way for the Mercer and Somerset in Hopewell became Model Avenue. The Delaware and Bound Brook was leased by the [[Reading Company|Philadelphia and Reading]] in 1879 for 999 years<ref>[https://cnhillsborough.blogspot.com/2021/03/delaware-and-bound-brook-railroad.html "The Delaware and Bound Brook Railroad"], Gillette On Hillsborough, March 17, 2021. Accessed October 15, 2023. "On June 30, 1871, the Pennsylvania Railroad signed a 999-year lease with the United Companies allowing them to run trains over their tracks, but basically nothing else."</ref> and has become the [[CSX Transportation|CSX]] Trenton Line and is still in use today. The Frog is also what gives Hopewell Elementary school its mascot, "Freddy the Frog" in honor of the Hopewell frog war.<ref>[http://www2.hvrsd.org/News/Releases/2013ElemFirstDay.aspx HVRSD Elementary Schools Welcome Students on First Day of School] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113000019/http://www2.hvrsd.org/News/Releases/2013ElemFirstDay.aspx |date=January 13, 2016 }}, Hopewell Valley Regional School District. Accessed September 2, 2015. "Hopewell Elementary School's mascot Freddie the Frog poses with kindergartener Chase Garrow."</ref>
[[File:HOPEWELL, MERCER COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.jpg|thumb|A historic house in Downtown Hopewell, now home to several businesses]]