The Delaware & Raritan Canal

The canal, April 2021. Courtesy of Paul Ligeti.

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West Windsor Township's entire northwestern border is the Delaware and Raritan Canal. This waterway opened in 1834 as an extraordinarily popular transportation corridor. Its golden age was the mid-1800s, and spurred the growth of a few local historic neighborhoods. By the late 1800s, the canal had severely declined, and it formally shuttered in the 1930s. However, a statewide effort in the 1970s transformed it into the popular recreational corridor we know today. Scroll down to learn more!

Historical Overview

In New Jersey's early days, the transportation of people and cargo between the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan areas was difficult. Overland journeys on roads were slow and limited to what one could carry on a wagon. Meanwhile, boat trips were largely limited to rivers and creeks and New Jersey's Atlantic coastline. Thus, they were time-consuming, expensive, and weather-dependent - not to mention that no such creek existed to connect New York to Philadelphia!

At the turn of the 19th century, public discourse increased on the potential for constructing a canal across central New Jersey. This dramatically heated up with the "canal fever" that swept the country after the successful opening of the Erie Canal in New York, in 1825.[1],[2],[3] Through the early 1800s, the New Jersey legislature attempted several times to establish a canal connecting the Raritan River at New Brunswick (which, in turn, accessed the greater New York metropolitan region) and the Delaware River at Trenton (and thus Philadelphia).[4],[5],[6],[7],[8]

​​However, at the same time, there was an equally-passionate fervor to establish a network of railroads across the state. Both factions - canal and railroad - wanted to be the first to tap into the highly lucrative opportunity to transport people and cargo between the region's growing cities. Thus, each time legislation on the canal was advanced, the "railroad" faction stymied its success, and vice versa.[9]

Finally, in 1830, the state legislature granted a charter to both transportation systems, in the form of the Delaware and Raritan Canal Company, as well as the Camden and Amboy Rail Road and Transportation Company.[10],[11],[12],[13] The following year, to prevent mutually-destructive competition, both ventures were combined under one partnership, forming the "Joint Companies."[14],[15],[16]

Robert F. Stockton. Click for source.

Ground was broken on both canal and rail in late 1830.[17],[18] The railroad was built in sections, starting with a Philadelphia-Trenton portion, and a New Brunswick-Jersey City route.[19],[20] It wasn't until 1839 that the Trenton-New Brunswick connection opened, passing along the east bank of the canal (and thus through West Windsor).[21],[22],[23]

Meanwhile, sales of stock in the canal company were disappointing at first, so Robert Stockton of Princeton convinced his father-in-law John Porter, a wealthy plantation owner, to purchase the remaining shares necessary to keep it in business.[24] Robert, later Senator of New Jersey and Military Governor of California,[25],[26] was also the grandson of Richard Stockton[27] - a signer of the Declaration of Independence,[28] owner of the "Morven" estate in Princeton,[29] and an early West Windsor landowner.[30]

The chief engineer overseeing the canal's construction was Canvass White, who had helped build the Erie Canal.[31],[32],[33] Canvass brought over many laborers from that older project to work on the the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Many of these men were Irish, having immigrated to the United States in hope of a better future.[34],[35],[36] Others were local farmers, looking to earn a living.[37] In either case, the labor was demanding - involving digging a ditch 44 miles long, starting at Bordentown on the Delaware River (just below Trenton) and emptying into the Raritan River at New Brunswick. They also built a 22-mile long "feeder" canal, starting in Bull Island in Kingwood Township, to supply water to the main canal in Trenton. Because of multiple elevation changes, fourteen locks were constructed along the feeder and main canal to help raise and lower boats so they could continue their journeys. Wherever a road crossed the canal, a "swing bridge" was installed, to pivot horizontally so that vessels of any height could pass through. And on either side of the canal, "tow-paths" were laid, where teams of mules, attached to each boat by a rope, would walk to tow the boats along the waterway.[38],[39],[40]

Canal map, 1976. Click for source and larger version.

However, these engineering marvels came with a cost, especially for the laborers. The demanding work, long hours, and isolation from their families took a significant physical and emotional toll. Many died when cholera swept through labor camps in 1832 and were buried in several unmarked mass graves along the canal.[41],[42],[43],[44]

The canal finally officially opened on June 25, 1834, to much fanfare - and for good reason.[45],[46],[47] The trip between Bordentown and New Brunswick was now a mere two days. Industry thereafter flourished in these cities as well as Trenton, for they could now more efficiently ship cargo to and from the larger New York and Philadelphia metropolitan regions. And along the canal, numerous hamlets and villages sprang up at ideal spots for barges and trains to load and unload cargo. These small communities provided food, drink, and lodging for weary barge-men, and local mills and factories added stock to the barges.[48],[49]

The canal also carries additional significance for West Windsor. Prior to 1853, our town encompassed all land in present-day Princeton up to Nassau Street (yes, really!). However, in that year, the border was permanently moved to the canal's eastern bank, apparently because Princeton had more capacity to care for the roads northwest of the canal. The border has remained there - not​ Route 1, as many people believe - ever since. Click here to learn more about how West Windsor's borders have shifted over the centuries.[50],[51]

Starting in the 1830s, two communities developed along the canal in West Windsor. The first, Port Mercer, grew where Quakerbridge Road crosses the canal. It featured a hotel,[52] swing bridge,[53] bridge-tender's house,[54] lime kiln,[55] general store,[56] blacksmith shop,[57] shoe shop,[58] coal yard,[59] railroad station,[60], turning basin (small pond for barges to load and unload cargo and moor for the night),[61] and more. While the surrounding farmland is long-gone, the hamlet itself is still identifiable and, in fact, a surprising proportion of the original buildings still stand This includes the Port Mercer Canal House, which, at the time of this writing (December 2024) is now a museum run by the Lawrence Historical Society. Click here to learn more about Port Mercer.

The other community was Princeton Basin, where Alexander Road crosses the canal. It featured a hotel,[62] turning basins,[63] a swing bridge,[64] railroad station,[65] chapel,[66] general store,[67] coal yard,[68] lumber yard,[69] sash factory,[70] other businesses,[71] and, of course, many houses.[72] It's also believed that Princeton Basin's construction industry helped grow the broader Princeton area in the ensuing decades. Moreover, because of its proximity to Princeton, Trenton, and New Brunswick, Princeton Basin hosted the canal company's main offices.[73] However, over the years, the community gradually declined, becoming one of the area's seediest neighborhoods before it disappeared by the mid-20th century.[74],[75] Only a handful of its original residences still remain. Click here to learn more about Princeton Basin.

Princeton Basin in the 1800s. From the Collection of William J. McKelvey, Jr.

The canal's heyday was in the 1860s and 1870s, during the Civil War and the industrial expansion that followed.[76],[77] In 1871, nearly 3 million tons of cargo, 80% of it coal, passed through the canal.[78] And it wasn't just mule-towed barges that used the waterway. There were also sailboats, steam tugboats, freight boats, and wealthy persons' "pleasure barges."[79],[80]

Also in 1871, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company (PRR) entered into a 999-year lease on both the canal and the Camden and Amboy railroad.[81],[82] However, despite the PRR's might, the canal had competition. Notably, the Reading Company (commonly called the "Reading Railroad") extended lines through central New Jersey in the 1870s.[83] And the PRR itself established other rail lines throughout the state.[84] Additionally, in 1863, the PRR straightened the old 1839 alignment of the railroad along the canal's eastern bank, moving it eastward about a mile to the current alignment of the present-day Northeast Corridor.[85],[86],[87] Moreover, some historians even argue that the PRR deliberately sabotaged the less-profitable canal, through infrequent repairs and higher rates for users.[88]

Swing bridge in Princeton Basin. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Princeton.

Slowly but surely, all of these factors, working together, killed the canal. Small, slow-moving barges could not compete with larger, faster trains, and over the decades, the canal - and its communities such as Port Mercer and Princeton Basin - lost traffic.[89],[90] The canal's last profitable year was 1892,[91] but it still operated for forty more years, even seeing the transportation of naval vessels during World War I.[92] However, it failed to reopen for the spring season in 1933.[93],[94],[95],[96] After 99 years of operation, the canal, as a commercial enterprise, was no more.

Within a few years, the PRR had ceded control of the canal to the State of New Jersey.[97],[98] For the next several decades it sat, being primarily used to feed water to neighboring towns.[99] In 1982, the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission particularly noted that little remained of Princeton Basin beyond the algae-choked turning basin and canal:

A barge passes through Port Mercer, early 1900s. Courtesy of Dorothy Bayles.

Gone are the house and office of the superintendent of the canal, the house and station for the bridgetender, and the Camden and Amboy Railroad tracks, railroad depot, and agent's house ... Gone too are all signs of the shops, mills and factories that once crowded around the intersection of the canal, and the railroad and Alexander Road.[100]

However, hope springs eternal. In 1973, the canal and 17 related structures - including the Port Mercer Canal House - were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[101],[102] The following year, the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park formed. In the ensuing decades, the canal has been turned into an extraordinarily popular recreation corridor.[103] The old mule towing paths have been turned into hiking and biking trails. The canal waters now host kayakers and canoers. The remaining turning basin in old Princeton Basin is, at the time of this writing (December 2024), still a launch point for those canoes and kayaks. It sits right across the road from Turning Basin Park. And the canal still provides water to many residents, farms, and other businesses throughout New Jersey. Although the canal's use has dramatically changed, its physical presence is still strong, and deservedly so, for such an important element of New Jersey and West Windsor history.

Cyclist on towpath, April 2021.

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Historic Canal Sites

Below are brief descriptions of sites along the Delaware and Raritan Canal with particular historic relevance to West Windsor. Some of these sites were demolished long ago, but others, such as the Aqueduct or the historic neighborhood of Port Mercer, still exist. These sites are covered in a northeast-to-southwest direction.

The canal and its historic sites. Click to enlarge.

The Aqueduct at Scudder's Mills

A large concrete and wood structure stands at the confluence of Carnegie Lake and the Millstone River, carrying the Delaware and Raritan Canal over both bodies of water. This conduit - traditionally called "the Aqueduct" - is a longtime fixture of the historic Plainsboro/West Windsor community of Scudder's Mills. The first version of the Aqueduct was presumably of wooden construction and built around time of the canal's opening in 1834.[104],[105] The current structure replaced it in the spring of 1868.[106],[107] Some time between 1997 and 2002, a wooden pedestrian walkway was added to the Aqueduct's southeastern piers to continue the path on the east bank of the canal.[108],[109] At the time of this writing (December 2024), it is still a popular fishing spot. Click here to learn more!

The Aqueduct, 2020.

Harrison Street Canal House & Bridge

Records of the canal house are sparse and the adjacent photograph is the only known full image of the structure.  The canal house appears on maps as far back as 1849, albeit on the "Princeton" side of the canal (i.e., the northwest side).[110] It was where a bridge-tender lived, often with his family. The original bridge is believed to have been a swing bridge - a wooden contraption that rotated horizontally to allow boats to pass through (of course, once a toll was collected). Of course, this swing bridge was replaced many generations ago.

The house's only residents known to the Historical Society of West Windsor were Charles and Mary Watts. On the evening of June 9, 1947, they were hosting a friend, James Roberts, and his wife in their house, after having spent the day boating and picnicking on Carnegie Lake. Soon after midnight, a truckload of other picnickers came up the towpath. After Watts told them to be quiet so they wouldn't wake his children, a quarrel developed in which Watts was punched in the mouth. James Roberts then got a double-barreled shotgun and the fight escalated, ending with him accidentally shooting a fellow veteran, 19-year-old Henry Hoagland, in the face.[111] A few months later, James was sentenced to 8-10 years in prison.[112]

The canal house was presumably demolished several decades ago.

The canal house, probably early 1900s. Courtesy of the Historical Society of Princeton.

Old Princeton University Boat House

This photo shows an old boathouse on the canal’s southeast bank, a few dozen feet northeast of Washington Road. This structure was built in 1874 for Princeton University's rowing team,[113],[114] which began around 1870 with a half-dozen undergraduates and two boats.[115] Students rowed on the canal for years, but barge traffic was often an impediment, so starting in the mid-1880s, rowing here was sporadic at best.[116], That is, until around 1902, when portraitist named Howard Russell Butler convinced steel magnate Andrew Carnegie to fund an alternative.[117],[118]

This alternative was Carnegie Lake, just northwest of the canal, created by the damming of the Millstone River at Kingston.[119] It formally opened in 1906, to much fanfare.[120] However, it also permanently flooded, and thus destroyed, the historic West Windsor/Plainsboro community of Scudder's Mills.​[121],[122],[123],[124] Seven years later, Princeton University’s current boathouse was constructed on the lake's northwestern shore, at the foot of the big Washington Road stone bridge over the lake.[125] Thereafter, the original wooden boathouse on the canal became a canoe club.[126] The building is believed to have burned in 1936.[127]

The old boathouse, probably 1910s-1930s.

Washington Road Canal House & Bridge

Like all the other crossings, this crossing originally featured a "swing bridge" that rotated horizontally to let boats through.[128] However, by the time of the adjacent photograph (circa 1910s), a drawbridge had been installed.[129]

The building housed the bridge-tender and his family. It was apparently built between 1849 and 1860, on the southeast side of the canal, directly northeast of Washington Road, and directly southwest of the original Princeton University boat house.[130],[131],[132] Thus, the adjacent photograph is facing east into West Windsor. Note the small shanty on the rightmost side of the screen! This shelter positioned the bridge-tender to more easily control canal traffic. The only known bridge-tenders here were Frederick Thatcher and his wife, Anna Culver, in the 1910s and 1920s.​[133],[134],[135]

Washington Road canal house and bridge, ca. 1910s. Courtesy of Elsie Wildermuth.

Dinky Line Railroad Bridge

As previously mentioned on this page, the original Camden and Amboy railroad line running through West Windsor was laid in 1839 on the southeastern bank of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. A train depot in the historic community of Princeton Basin served travelers in the general area.[136] However, the train route was straightened in 1863, relocating the line about a mile eastward to the present-day alignment of the Northeast Corridor.[137] As a result, Princeton residents were now disconnected from the mainline connecting the New York and Philadelphia metropolitan regions. So, in 1865, a 3-mile railroad spur was laid, running from the Princeton Junction Train Station to Princeton.[138]

This route - officially known as the "Princeton Branch Railroad" but also commonly called the "Dinky Line" or "Princeton Junction and Back (PJ&B)" - crosses over the canal and the Stony Brook in Princeton. Originally, a wood-and-metal trestle bridged these two waterways.[139] However, it seems to have been replaced by the current metal bridges in 1905.[140] The bridge spanning the canal was designed to be able to swivel on a central axis to allow tall boats through. Although it hasn't turned for many generations, the structure is still a significant element of local history. Click here to learn more about the Dinky line!

Dinky railroad bridge over canal, Jan. 2022.

Princeton Basin (Historic Community)

Princeton Basin was a community that disappeared long ago. However, it had significant local history. As previously mentioned, Princeton Basin developed in the 1830s and was located where Alexander Road crosses the canal. It featured a hotel,[141] turning basins,[142] a swing bridge,[143] railroad station,[144] chapel,[145] general store,[146] coal yard,[147] lumber yard,[148] sash factory,[149] other businesses,[150] and, of course, many houses.[151] It's also believed that Princeton Basin's construction industry helped grow the broader Princeton area in the ensuing decades. Moreover, because of its proximity to Princeton, Trenton, and New Brunswick, Princeton Basin hosted the canal company's main offices.[152] However, over the years, the community gradually declined, becoming one of the area's seediest neighborhoods before it disappeared by the mid-20th century.[153],[154] Only a handful of its original residences still remain. Click here to learn more about Princeton Basin.

Barge at Princeton Basin, date unknown.

Port Mercer (Historic Community)

In contract to Princeton Basin, Port Mercer still exists!  ​However, like Princeton Basin, it was a community that developed starting in the 1830s and profited off canal traffic. It is located where Quakerbridge Road crosses the canal. It featured a hotel,[155] swing bridge,[156] bridge-tender's house,[157] lime kiln,[158] general store,[159] blacksmith shop,[160] shoe shop,[161] coal yard,[162] railroad station,[163], turning basin, [164] and more. While the surrounding farmland is long-gone, the hamlet itself is still identifiable and, in fact, a surprising proportion of the original buildings still stand This includes the Port Mercer Canal House, which, at the time of this writing (December 2024) is now a museum run by the Lawrence Historical Society. Click here to learn more about Port Mercer.

Port Mercer, early 1900s. Courtesy of the Lawrence Historical Society.

Return to Transportation

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Bibliography

1. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
2. “History and Culture.” Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://eriecanalway.org/learn/history-culture#:~:text=Built%20between%201817%20and%201825,works%20project%20in%20North%20America.
3. "Canal Celebration." New York Evening Post. November 5, 1825.
4. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
5. "The Legislature." Trenton Federalist. February 20, 1804.
6. "New Jersey Canal." Washington Whig (Bridgerton, New Jersey). April 21, 1817.
7. "The New-Jersey Canal." Centinel of Freedom (Newark, New Jersey). April 4, 1820.
8. "The Delaware and Raritan Canal." National Gazette and Literary Register. January 15, 1825.
9. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
10. Ibid.
11. “A Brief History of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.” Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.nj.gov/dep/drcc/about-canal/history/. 
12. "Legislature of New Jersey." Daily National Intelligencer (Washington, D.C.). February 5, 1830.
13. "Legislature of New Jersey." Emporium and True American (Trenton, N.J.). February 6, 1830.
14. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
15. “A Brief History of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.” Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.nj.gov/dep/drcc/about-canal/history/. 
16. "Legislature." Emporium and True American (Trenton, N.J.). February 19, 1831.
17. "Delaware and Raritan Canal." New York-American. December 3, 1830.
18. "Rail Road from Washington to New York." Boston Commercial Gazette (Boston, M.A.). December 16, 1830.
19. "We understand that the location of the Camden and Amboy Rail-road is about being completed." The Daily Chronicle (Philadelphia, P.A.). December 27, 1830.
20. "We learn from the New Brunswick Fredonian that the connecting link between the Trenton and Philadelphia rail road, and the New Jersey rail road which now terminates at New Brunswick, will be completed before the close of the year, thus effecting an unbroken chain of rail road, communication from New York to Washington City." Daily Commercial Bulletin (St. Louis, M.O.). August 17, 1838.
21. “Camden and Amboy Railroad/Delaware and Raritan Canal Companies Minutes of the Joint Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, 1831 - 1872,” n.d. Located at the New Jersey State Archive’s Manuscripts Room.
22. "An uninterrupted line of railroad from the city to Washington will now, we rejoice to announce, be opened to the public about Jan. 1; the link from Jersey City to New Brunswick, and on to Trenton, being entirely completed." Alexandria Gazette and Virginia Advertiser (Alexandria V.A.). December 29, 1838.
23. "New York paper says that the Rail Road to Philadelphia, via Jersey City, New Brunswick, and Trenton, is completed." Staunton Spectator and General Advertiser (Staunton, V.A.). January 3, 1839.
24. Perry, Gordon. “History of the D&R Canal.” D&R Canal Watch. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.canalwatch.org/history/.
25. “Robert Field Stockton.” Biographical Directory of the United States Continental Congress. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/S000942. 
26. "Army Court Martial." Daily National Intelligencer (Washington D.C.). November 8, 1847.
27. “The Stocktons as Enslavers.” Morven Museum & Garden. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.morven.org/the-stocktons-as-enslavers. 
28. Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence (1776)
29. “About Morven.” Morven Museum & Garden. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.morven.org/about. 
30. Brooks, James, Stockton, Richard. “Indenture.” Windsor, 1765. Located in the New Jersey state Archives, East Jersey Deeds Volume E3 Page 307.
31. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
32. "Mr. Canvass White, one of the Engineers who has been engaged on the Erie Canal, is now employed on the Union Canal, near Philadelphia, and is about to remove to that state." New York Spectator. January 31, 1823.
33. "Died." The Camden Mail and New Jersey Advertiser. January 14, 1835.
34. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
35. "Dreadful Calamity." The National Gazette and Literary Register (Philadelphia, PA). May 22, 1832.
36. "Delaware and Raritan Canal." New York-Observer. August 25, 1832.
37. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
38. “A Brief History of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.” Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.nj.gov/dep/drcc/about-canal/history/. 
39. Perry, Gordon. “History of the D&R Canal.” D&R Canal Watch. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.canalwatch.org/history/.
40. "Delaware and Raritan Canal." Pittsfield Sun (Pittsfield M.A.). June 26, 1834.
41. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
42. "Delaware and Raritan Canal." New York-Observer. August 25, 1832.
43. "Cholera Record." Boston Commercial Gazette. July 26, 1832.
44. "Cholera Reports." Emporium and True American (Trenton, N.J.). August 4, 1832.
45. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
46. "Delaware and Raritan Canal." Princeton Whig. August 29, 1834.
47. "The Delaware and Raritan Canal, which will afford a sloop navigation between the cities of Philadelphia and New York, is to be opened today with appropriate ceremonies." Baltimore Patriot & Mercantile Advertiser. June 25, 1834.
48. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
49. “A Brief History of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.” Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.nj.gov/dep/drcc/about-canal/history/. 
50. “An Act for Dividing the Township of Windsor in the County of Middlesex into Two Separate Townships. New Jersey State Archives, 1797. February 9, 1797. This split Windsor Township into West Windsor and East Windsor and defined each town's boundaries.
51. “An Act to Annex a Part of the Township of West Windsor, in the County of Mercer, to the Township of Princeton, in the Said County.,” March 9, 1853. Annexed all land remaining in West Windsor west of the Delaware & Raritan Canal to Princeton Township.
52. Evan F. Cook, Charles R. Cook, & Christopher Wintz. (1871, December 22).Public Sale Of Valuable Real Estate. Trenton State Gazette. Trenton, NJ.
53. Arrowsmith, Carrie. “Carrie Arrowsmith Pens Port Mercer Reflections.” Princeton Recollector 6, no. 8, May 1981. https://theprince.princeton.edu/princetonperiodicals/?a=d&d=princetonrecollector19810501.2.2&srpos=5&e=------198-en-20-princetonrecollector-1--txt-txIN-%22cARRIE+ARROWSMITH%22------. 
54. “Port Mercer Canal House.” Lawrence Historical Society. Accessed September 30, 2023. https://www.thelhs.org/port-mercer-canal-house.
55. Joseph Gillingham. (1840, October 2). For Sale Or Rent. Emporium and True American. Trenton, NJ.
56. Ibid.
57. John A. S. Crater. (1855, December 4). Valuable Real Estate for Sale. Daily True American. Trenton, NJ.
58. Ibid.
59. Ibid.
60. Lake, D J, and S N Beers. Map of the Vicinity of Philadelphia and Trenton from Actual Surveys By D.J. Lake and S. N. Beers. Assisted by F. Beers, L. B. Lake and D. G. Beers. Philadelphia, PA: C.K. Stone and A. Pomeroy, 1860. https://dspace.njstatelib.org/xmlui/handle/10929/34112?show=full
61. Hassler, F. R., & Gerdes, F. H. (1840). US Coast Survey - Princeton and Vicinity. map, Princeton and Vicinity, New Jersey. Scale 1:20,000. Map shows the turning basin northeast of Port Mercer, on the southeastern bank of the canal.
62. ​“Map of Princeton Township.” Map. 1875 Historical Atlas of Mercer County, New Jersey - Map of Princeton Township and Princeton Basin. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Stuart, 1875. https://www.loc.gov/item/2010587333/.
63. Ibid.
64. Princeton Basin. Photograph. Historical Society of Princeton Archives. Princeton, New Jersey: Historical Society of Princeton, n.d. Princeton, New Jersey. https://princeton.pastperfectonline.com/photo/6C64FF26-4B31-43E6-88C9-981761654631. Date of photograph unknown. Image says "Princeton Basin" on it. Photograph shows the swing bridge in Princeton Basin.
65. Anderson, William. “Map - Rough Draft of Princeton Basin.” Map. Online Archives of the Historical Society of Princeton. Historical Society of Princeton, n.d. https://princeton.pastperfectonline.com/archive/7CD8C557-3889-4FD1-AC95-365547403139. Photocopy of an original map drawn in 1854 by William Anderson of the Princeton Basin area. Shows several of the existing buildings, other structures, and businesses in Princeton Basin.
66. ​“Map of Princeton Township.” Map. 1875 Historical Atlas of Mercer County, New Jersey - Map of Princeton Township and Princeton Basin. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Stuart, 1875. https://www.loc.gov/item/2010587333/.
67. Anderson, William. “Map - Rough Draft of Princeton Basin.” Map. Online Archives of the Historical Society of Princeton. Historical Society of Princeton, n.d. https://princeton.pastperfectonline.com/archive/7CD8C557-3889-4FD1-AC95-365547403139. Photocopy of an original map drawn in 1854 by William Anderson of the Princeton Basin area. Shows several of the existing buildings, other structures, and businesses in Princeton Basin.
68. Ibid.
69. Charles Steadman. (1837, January 26). Lumber Yard at Princeton, N.J.. Monmouth Democrat. Freehold, NJ.
70. ​“Map of Princeton Township.” Map. 1875 Historical Atlas of Mercer County, New Jersey - Map of Princeton Township and Princeton Basin. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Stuart, 1875. https://www.loc.gov/item/2010587333/.
71. Ibid.
72. Ibid.
73. Anderson, William. “Map - Rough Draft of Princeton Basin.” Map. Online Archives of the Historical Society of Princeton. Historical Society of Princeton, n.d. https://princeton.pastperfectonline.com/archive/7CD8C557-3889-4FD1-AC95-365547403139. Photocopy of an original map drawn in 1854 by William Anderson of the Princeton Basin area. Shows several of the existing buildings, other structures, and businesses in Princeton Basin.
74. “To Wipe Out a Notorious Village.” The Times (Washington D.C.). July 24, 1899.
75. “Princeton Basin.” Essay. In Old Princeton’s Neighbors. Princeton, NJ: Graphic Arts Press , 1939. Written by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project.​
76. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
77. “A Brief History of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.” Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.nj.gov/dep/drcc/about-canal/history/. 
78. Ibid.
79. Ibid.
80. "Siren on 'Vamoose." Trenton Evening Times. April 10, 1964.
81. “A Brief History of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.” Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.nj.gov/dep/drcc/about-canal/history/. 
82. f
83. “A Brief History of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.” Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.nj.gov/dep/drcc/about-canal/history/.
84. Ibid.
85. "Camden and Amboy Railroad/Delaware and Raritan Canal Companies Minutes of the Joint Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, 1831 - 1872,” n.d. Located at the New Jersey State Archive’s Manuscripts Room.
86. Lake, D J, and S N Beers. Map of the Vicinity of Philadelphia and Trenton from Actual Surveys By D.J. Lake and S. N. Beers. Assisted by F. Beers, L. B. Lake and D. G. Beers. Philadelphia, PA: C.K. Stone and A. Pomeroy, 1860. https://dspace.njstatelib.org/xmlui/handle/10929/34112?show=full. Shows the original route of the Camden & Amboy Railroad on the eastern bank of the canal.
87. ​“Map of Princeton Township.” Map. 1875 Historical Atlas of Mercer County, New Jersey - Map of Princeton Township and Princeton Basin. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Stuart, 1875. https://www.loc.gov/item/2010587333/. Shows the current route of the Northeast Corridor.
88. “A Brief History of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.” Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.nj.gov/dep/drcc/about-canal/history/.
89. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
90. “A Brief History of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.” Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.nj.gov/dep/drcc/about-canal/history/.
91. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
92. "Submarine Chaser Makes Short Visit to Princeton." Daily Princetonian. October 7, 1919.
93. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
94. “A Brief History of the Delaware and Raritan Canal.” Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://www.nj.gov/dep/drcc/about-canal/history/.
95. "State Forester Advocates Preservation of Canal." Princeton Herald. September 8, 1933.
96. "Will Seek to Compel Operation of Delaware and Raritan Canal." The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, N.J.). April 19, 1933.
97. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
98. "Public Outbursts Marked Old Year.." Princeton Herald. December 28, 1934.
99. "Bills Passed by the Assembly." The Jersey Journal (Jersey City, N.J.). March 12, 1936.
100. Gibson, David, Steven Bauer, and James C Amon. “Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Historic Structures Survey.” Trenton, New Jersey, June 1982. Published by the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission, under the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
101. ​“National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form - Delaware and Raritan Canal,” December 13, 1972.
102. Chirco, Vicki. “A Historic Place.” D&R Canal State Park. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://dandrcanal.org/history.
103. Ibid.
104. "Delaware and Raritan Canal." Princeton Whig. August 29, 1834.
105. William Gulick, John C. Schenck, and George T. McDowell. (1836, November 259) "Valuable Mill Property At Auction." Princeton Whig.
106. "Middlesex Courts." Princeton Press. September 20, 1873.
107. "Middlesex Courts." Princeton Press. September 27, 1873.
108. “West Windsor Aerial Photography Composite Map, 1997.” Map. Historical Society of West Windsor - Map Archives. West Windsor, NJ, 1997.
109. “West Windsor Aerial Photography Composite Map, 2002.” Map. Historical Society of West Windsor - Map Archives. West Windsor, NJ, 2002.
110. ​Otley, J W, and James Keily. “Map of Mercer County, New Jersey.” Map. Camden, New Jersey: L. Van der Veer, 1849.
111. "Picnic Quarrel Ends In Fatal Shooting." Princeton Herald. June 13, 1947.
112. "Prison Term Is Imposed In Picnic Slaying." Trenton Evening Times. October 21, 1947.​
113. “Olla-Podria - Boating.” Nassau Literary Magazine XXIX, no. 4, April 1874. Magazine published by the Senior Class of Princeton College.
114. “Olla-Podria - The Opening of the Boat-House.” Nassau Literary Magazine XXX, no. 1, July 1874. Magazine published by the Senior Class of Princeton College.f
115. Leitch, Alexander (1978). A Princeton Companion. Princeton University Press.
116. "Account of the Construction of Carnegie Lake." Daily Princetonian. May 2, 1905.
117. “Lake Carnegie.” Princeton University. Accessed December 25, 2024. https://princetoniana.princeton.edu/campus/landmarks/lake-carnegie. 
118. "Account of the Construction of Carnegie Lake." Daily Princetonian. May 2, 1905.
119. "Carnegie Lake - Detailed Account of the Plans and Progress of the Work." Daily Princetonian. January 19, 1905.
120. "The Lake Presented Yesterday Morning by Mr. Carnegie." Daily Princetonian. December 6, 1906.
121. "Carnegie Lake - Detailed Account of the Plans and Progress of the Work." Daily Princetonian. January 19, 1905.
122. Engelke, Ida Louise Williamson. “Broadside,” 1986. One of the Historical Society of West Windsor’s “Broadside” newsletters. Published in the Fall & Winter, 1986. Part 1 of a 2-part series.
123. Engelke, Ida Louise Williamson. “Broadside,” 1987. One of the Historical Society of West Windsor’s “Broadside” newsletters. Published in the Spring & Summer, 1987. Part 2 of a 2-part series.
124. Ibid. 271 Engelke, Ida Louise Williamson. “Broadside,” 1986. One of the Historical Society of West Windsor’s “Broadside” newsletters. Published in the Fall & Winter, 1986. Part 1 of a 2-part series.
125. "New Quarters For Princeton Crews Will Be Opened In Two Weeks." Daily Princetonian. September 27, 1913.
126. "Old Boat House To Be Changed Into Canoe Club." Daily Princetonian. March 24, 1915.
127. "College Boathouse Burns to Ground." Local Express (Princeton). November 5, 1936.
128. Canal at Washington Road, pre-1906. Photograph. 50 Southfield Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550, n.d. 50 Southfield Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550. Presumed to have been taken prior to 1906, when Carnegie Lake opened. Shows the old swing bridge over the canal.
129. Washington Road Canal House. Photograph. Archives of the Historical Society of West Windsor at the West Windsor History Museum at 50 Southfield Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550, n.d. Archives of the Historical Society of West Windsor at the West Windsor History Museum at 50 Southfield Road, West Windsor, NJ 08550. Circa 1910s (judging by car in distance).
130. Otley, J W, and James Keily. “Map of Mercer County, New Jersey.” Map. Camden, New Jersey: L. Van der Veer, 1849.
131. Lake, D J, and S N Beers. Map of the Vicinity of Philadelphia and Trenton from Actual Surveys By D.J. Lake and S. N. Beers. Assisted by F. Beers, L. B. Lake and D. G. Beers. Philadelphia, PA: C.K. Stone and A. Pomeroy, 1860. https://dspace.njstatelib.org/xmlui/handle/10929/34112?show=full
132. ​“West Windsor Township.” Map. 1875 Historical Atlas of Mercer County, New Jersey - Map of West Windsor. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Stuart, 1875. https://www. loc.gov/item/2010587333/.
133. "P.R.R. Will Minimize Delays At Drawbridge." Princeton Herald. July 2, 1926.
134. "Frederick R. Thatcher." Trenton Evening Times. September 4, 1928.
135. United States Census, 1920 - West Windsor Township.” West Windsor Township, 1920. Shows Frederick Thatcher and Anna Culver as bridge-tenders.
136. Anderson, William. “Map - Rough Draft of Princeton Basin.” Map. Online Archives of the Historical Society of Princeton. Historical Society of Princeton, n.d. https://princeton.pastperfectonline.com/archive/7CD8C557-3889-4FD1-AC95-365547403139. Photocopy of an original map drawn in 1854 by William Anderson of the Princeton Basin area. Shows several of the existing buildings, other structures, and businesses in Princeton Basin.
137. "Camden and Amboy Railroad/Delaware and Raritan Canal Companies Minutes of the Joint Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, 1831 - 1872,” n.d. Located at the New Jersey State Archive’s Manuscripts Room.
138. Ibid.
139. Branch Line Crossing. Photograph. Princeton, New Jersey, n.d. Princeton, New Jersey. Photograph of the original Princeton Branch Railroad (Dinky line) bridge over the Delaware and Raritan Canal. Date Unknown. Accessed via the following url: https://princeton.pastperfectonline.com/photo/4CA349B2-32C4-4403-8798-190701243561
140. "Work on Carnegie Lake and Pennsylvania Railroad." Daily Princetonian. November 14, 1905.
141. ​“Map of Princeton Township.” Map. 1875 Historical Atlas of Mercer County, New Jersey - Map of Princeton Township and Princeton Basin. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Stuart, 1875. https://www.loc.gov/item/2010587333/.
142. Ibid.
143. Princeton Basin. Photograph. Historical Society of Princeton Archives. Princeton, New Jersey: Historical Society of Princeton, n.d. Princeton, New Jersey. https://princeton.pastperfectonline.com/photo/6C64FF26-4B31-43E6-88C9-981761654631. Date of photograph unknown. Image says "Princeton Basin" on it. Photograph shows the swing bridge in Princeton Basin.
144. Anderson, William. “Map - Rough Draft of Princeton Basin.” Map. Online Archives of the Historical Society of Princeton. Historical Society of Princeton, n.d. https://princeton.pastperfectonline.com/archive/7CD8C557-3889-4FD1-AC95-365547403139. Photocopy of an original map drawn in 1854 by William Anderson of the Princeton Basin area. Shows several of the existing buildings, other structures, and businesses in Princeton Basin.
145. ​“Map of Princeton Township.” Map. 1875 Historical Atlas of Mercer County, New Jersey - Map of Princeton Township and Princeton Basin. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Stuart, 1875. https://www.loc.gov/item/2010587333/.
146. Anderson, William. “Map - Rough Draft of Princeton Basin.” Map. Online Archives of the Historical Society of Princeton. Historical Society of Princeton, n.d. https://princeton.pastperfectonline.com/archive/7CD8C557-3889-4FD1-AC95-365547403139. Photocopy of an original map drawn in 1854 by William Anderson of the Princeton Basin area. Shows several of the existing buildings, other structures, and businesses in Princeton Basin.
147. Ibid.
148. Charles Steadman. (1837, January 26). Lumber Yard at Princeton, N.J.. Monmouth Democrat. Freehold, NJ.
149. ​“Map of Princeton Township.” Map. 1875 Historical Atlas of Mercer County, New Jersey - Map of Princeton Township and Princeton Basin. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Stuart, 1875. https://www.loc.gov/item/2010587333/.
150. Ibid.
151. Ibid.
152. Anderson, William. “Map - Rough Draft of Princeton Basin.” Map. Online Archives of the Historical Society of Princeton. Historical Society of Princeton, n.d. https://princeton.pastperfectonline.com/archive/7CD8C557-3889-4FD1-AC95-365547403139. Photocopy of an original map drawn in 1854 by William Anderson of the Princeton Basin area. Shows several of the existing buildings, other structures, and businesses in Princeton Basin.
153. “To Wipe Out a Notorious Village.” The Times (Washington D.C.). July 24, 1899.
154. “Princeton Basin.” Essay. In Old Princeton’s Neighbors. Princeton, NJ: Graphic Arts Press , 1939. Written by the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Writers’ Project.​
155. Evan F. Cook, Charles R. Cook, & Christopher Wintz. (1871, December 22).Public Sale Of Valuable Real Estate. Trenton State Gazette. Trenton, NJ.
156. Arrowsmith, Carrie. “Carrie Arrowsmith Pens Port Mercer Reflections.” Princeton Recollector 6, no. 8, May 1981. https://theprince.princeton.edu/princetonperiodicals/?a=d&d=princetonrecollector19810501.2.2&srpos=5&e=------198-en-20-princetonrecollector-1--txt-txIN-%22cARRIE+ARROWSMITH%22------. 
157. “Port Mercer Canal House.” Lawrence Historical Society. Accessed September 30, 2023. https://www.thelhs.org/port-mercer-canal-house.
158. Joseph Gillingham. (1840, October 2). For Sale Or Rent. Emporium and True American. Trenton, NJ.
159. Ibid.
160. John A. S. Crater. (1855, December 4). Valuable Real Estate for Sale. Daily True American. Trenton, NJ.
161. Ibid.
162. Ibid.
163. Lake, D J, and S N Beers. Map of the Vicinity of Philadelphia and Trenton from Actual Surveys By D.J. Lake and S. N. Beers. Assisted by F. Beers, L. B. Lake and D. G. Beers. Philadelphia, PA: C.K. Stone and A. Pomeroy, 1860. https://dspace.njstatelib.org/xmlui/handle/10929/34112?show=full
164. Hassler, F. R., & Gerdes, F. H. (1840). US Coast Survey - Princeton and Vicinity. map, Princeton and Vicinity, New Jersey. Scale 1:20,000. Map shows the turning basin northeast of Port Mercer, on the southeastern bank of the canal.