Legendary Locals of Jersey City

Book excerpt: From its primordial inception as a Dutch trading post on the left bank of the Hudson River to its late-19th-century reign as one of the world's great industrial centers and transportation termini, Jersey City has always been a city about people--the bold pioneers who reshaped its forested hills and elevated landscapes into a major municipality brimming with immigrant-filled neighborhoods, from which emerged even more distinct personalities. Legendary Locals of Jersey City highlights these timeless citizens, including Peter Stuyvesant, the director-general of New Netherland who rescued fledgeling settlements besieged by wars with the Lenni Lenape; Erminnie Smith, who launched an immensely popular intellectual society and salon in 1876; Hugh Roberts, the falsely accused over-spending architect of the majestic Hudson County Court House; Dr. Lena Edwards, winner of the 1964 Presidential Medal of Freedom; Helene Stapinski, national bestselling author; and Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri, stars of the hit HGTV series Kitchen Cousins and dedicated Jersey City developers.