Timeline of Newark, New Jersey facts for kids

The following is a timeline of the history of Newark, a city in New Jersey, United States.

Newark's Early Days: Before 1800

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• 1666: Robert Treat and other Puritans bought land from the Hackensack tribe. This was the start of Newark.
• Around 1710: The Sydenham House and Plume House were built. These are very old homes!
• Around 1712: The Harrison Cider Apple was first created here.
• 1726: The College of New Jersey was founded in Newark. It later moved to Princeton.
• 1730: Presbyterianism became the main religion, taking over from Congregationalism.
• 1743: Trinity Church was built.
• 1756: Princeton College moved from Newark to Princeton.
• 1770: One tannery (a place that makes leather) was working.
• 1774: Newark Academy was started.
• 1780: On January 25, British soldiers attacked Newark in the Elizabethtown and Newark Raid.
• 1787: The First Presbyterian Church was built.
• 1791: The Woods's Newark Gazette newspaper began.
• Around 1795: The Newark Plank Road was built, connecting Newark to Bergen.
• 1797: The Newark Fire Association was created to fight fires.
• 1798: Three tanneries were now operating.

Newark Grows: The 1800s

• 1803: The Newark Female Charitable Society was founded to help people.
• 1810: Weller's Circulating Library opened, letting people borrow books.
• 1814: The Newark Bible Society was founded.
• 1817: The Newark Colonization Society was founded.
• 1819: Whybrew Circulating Library also opened.
• 1823: Smith & Wright saddlery (making saddles for horses) started business.
• 1830: Newark's population reached 10,953 people.
• 1831: Plane Street Church was organized.
• 1832: The Newark Daily Advertiser newspaper began.
• 1834: The Centre Street Bridge opened.
• 1836: Newark officially became a city!
• 1837: There were 155 curriers and patent leather makers in the city, showing how important leather was.
• 1840:
  • The Patterson & Ballantine Brewing Company started.
  • The population grew to 17,290.
• 1844: Mount Pleasant Cemetery was created.
• 1846: The New Jersey Historical Society made Newark its home.
• 1847: The Library Association was founded.
• 1848: Many German immigrants moved to Newark.
• 1849: The Newark Daily Mercury newspaper began.
• 1850:
  • Bethel Mission was established.
  • The population jumped to 38,894.
• 1853: The Newark Daily Eagle newspaper began.
• 1857:
  • The city police department was started.
  • The Newark Orphan Asylum was built to care for children.
  • A new city charter was approved.
• 1858:
  • The New Jersey Freie Zeitung, a German-language newspaper, began.
  • The Gottfried Krueger Brewing Company started.
• 1860: The population reached 71,941.
• 1864: Lyon & Son's brewing company opened.
• 1865: The Murphy Varnish Company began.
• 1869:
  • The Newark and New York Railroad started running trains.
  • Newark City Cemetery began to be used.
  • The Newark Morning Register newspaper began.
• 1870: Bee Hive dry goods shop opened (later known as Plaut & Co.).
• 1872: The Newark Industrial Exposition began, showing off local industries.
• 1874: St. Stephen's Church was built.
• 1875: Marshall & Ball clothing shop opened.
• 1879: Newark City Brewery opened.
• 1880: The Newark Tribüne, another German-language newspaper, began.
• 1881: The Newark Technical School was established.
• 1883: The Balbach electrolytic refinery opened.
• 1884: Prince Street Synagogue was built.
• 1885:
  • Johnston & Murphy (a shoe company) and Lutz Cafe opened.
  • The 1885 American Cup soccer tournament was held here.
• 1886: Miner's Newark Theater opened.
• 1888: First Baptist Peddie Memorial Church was built.
• 1889:
  • The Newark Free Public Library opened its doors.
  • The Jersey City, Newark and Western Railway company was formed.
• 1890: The population grew to 181,830.
• 1893: L. Bamberger & Company (a department store) opened.
• 1894:
  • Sacred Heart of Jesus Church was built.
  • Montagna, an Italian-language newspaper, began.
• 1895: Branch Brook Park was created, offering green space for the city.
• 1899: Construction began on the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

Newark in the 1900s: A Century of Change

Early 1900s: 1900-1909

• 1900: The population reached 246,070.
• 1901:
  • Beth Israel Hospital was founded.
  • The Newark Free Public Library moved to its current building.
• 1902: Newark City Hall opened.
• 1903:
  • The Jackson Street Bridge and Clay Street Bridge opened.
  • The Roseville railroad station was built.
  • A Newark trolley accident sadly killed 8 students.
• 1905:
  • La Revista, an Italian/English newspaper, began.
  • The Feigenspan mansion was built.
  • Automobile Renting Co. started business.
• 1906: Trees were planted in the Pequannock Watershed, an important water source.
• 1907: Essex County Courthouse was built.
• 1908:
  • Kronika, a Polish/English newspaper, began.
  • St. Casimir's Church was founded.
• 1909: The Newark Museum was established.

The 1910s

• 1910:
  • A factory fire on High Street (now Martin Luther King Blvd) killed 26 people.
  • The population reached 347,469.
• 1911: Shubert Theatre opened.
• 1912:
  • Adams Theatre and Empire Theatre were built.
  • A large statue of George Washington by J. Massey Rhind was placed in Washington Park.
• 1913:
  • The Bridge Street Bridge opened.
  • The Moorish Science Temple of America made Newark its main location.
• 1914: The New Jersey Observer newspaper began.
• 1916:
  • Robert Treat Hotel opened.
  • Military Park first opened to the public.
• 1917: The Urban League was founded.

The 1920s

• 1920: The Carrier air conditioning plant began operating.
• 1921: The Newark Morgen-Steren, a Yiddish/English newspaper, began.
• 1922: The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra made Newark its home.
• 1925:
  • The Shriners Salaam Temple was built.
  • Newark Schools Stadium opened.
• 1926: The Central Railroad of New Jersey Newark Bay Bridge and Davids' Stadium opened.
• 1927: The Stanley Theater opened.
• 1928:
  • Newark Airport began operating, becoming a major travel hub.
  • The New Jersey Luso-Americano, a Portuguese-language newspaper, began.

The 1930s

• 1930: The Lefcourt building was built.
• 1931:
  • The Italian Tribune newspaper began.
  • The National Newark building opened.
• 1935:
  • The Newark City Subway began operating, making it easier to get around.
  • Newark Penn Station was officially opened.
• 1936: The University of Newark was established.
• 1939: The Newark Hot Club, a music club, was formed.

Mid-Century: The 1940s and 1950s

• 1942:
  • Savoy Records was founded, a famous record label.
  • Hydeaway Bar opened.
• 1949: After Hours magazine began publication.
• 1954: The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart was officially blessed.
• 1958: On September 15, the Newark Bay rail accident occurred.

The 1960s

• 1960: The population reached 405,000.
• 1962: The Youth Career Development Center was started to help young people.
• 1964: Newark Symphony Hall was established.
• 1966: The New Jersey Symphony Boys Choir was founded.
• 1967:
  • From July 12–17, the 1967 Newark riots occurred.
  • On July 20, a Black power conference was held in the city.
• 1969: The Ironbound Community Corporation and New Community Corporation were founded to help local neighborhoods.

The 1970s

• 1970: Kenneth Gibson became the first African American mayor on the eastern seaboard.
• 1971: Gateway Center was built.
• 1977: The city hosted the first Islamic Conference of North America.
• 1978: On August 20, the Clinton Avenue Five boys mysteriously disappeared.
• 1979: A Foreign trade zone was established to help businesses.

The 1980s

• 1984: The former Diamond Alkali plant site in Ironbound was declared a Superfund site due to pollution.
• 1986: Sharpe James became mayor.
• 1989:
  • Donald M. Payne became the U.S. representative for New Jersey's 10th congressional district.
  • Newark became a sister city with Aveiro, Portugal.

The 1990s

• 1990: The population was 275,221.
• 1991: Newark became a sister city with Banjul, Gambia.
• 1992:
  • One Newark Center and the Penn Plaza East building were constructed.
  • Newark became a sister city with Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
• 1995: Society Hill condo was built.
• 1997:
  • The city's website went online.
  • The New Jersey Performing Arts Center opened, bringing many shows to Newark.
• 1999: Bears Stadium opened.

Newark in the 2000s: A New Millennium

Early 2000s: 2000-2009

• 2000:
  • Newark Legal Center was built.
  • The population was 273,546.
• 2002: The city's "Open Public Records Act Office" was established.
• 2003: On May 11, the Murder of Sakia Gunn occurred.
• 2006:
  • Cory Booker became mayor.
  • The Garden State Rollergirls roller derby team made Newark its home.
• 2007:
  • The Jewish Museum of New Jersey opened.
  • The Prudential Center was built, a large arena for sports and concerts.

The 2010s

• 2010:
  • The Newark Archives Project began.
  • The population was 277,140. The larger metro population was 18,897,109.
• 2013: On November 4, Luis A. Quintana became interim mayor.
• 2014: Ras Baraka became mayor.