Coordinates: 40.723127,-74.057159 The West End is the former name of the only neighborhood in Historic Downtown Jersey City, New Jersey that is entirely west of the New Jersey Turnpike's Newark Bay Extension.
The area of the West End once was divided by a creek (or stream) known as Bergen Creek, Harsimus Creek or Mill Creek. To the east of the creek (approximately where the railroad runs between Grand Street and Wayne Street), was Harsimus Island, corrupted from "Ashki'muis", Lenape for "sea maize"
In 1760, Jacob Prior constructed a tidewater mill at Mill Creek, a tidal creek running through the marshlands separating Harsimus Island from the rest of Bergen Neck. The creek emptied into Communipaw Bay (at the south, to the north it emptied into the Hudson River at the Hoboken border) at Mill Creek Point (formerly called Jan de Lacher's Hoeck or John the Laugher's Hook, after Jan Evertsen Bout, one of the first two European settlers in the area), where a dam was built to allow water to enter the creek at high tide, without losing it at low tide. Mill Creek Point was located near where Pine Street and the railroad tracks are today in Jersey City.
In 1837, the creek was filled, in order to construct railroad tracks and the following year, Prior's Mill was razed. Decades later, in 1880, the house on the property was razed. A nearby street named Mill Road remembers Prior's Mill, though there is no sign of the creek today. The mill's former location today is just north of Wayne Street, between Ristaino Circle and the railroad overpass.
Amity Street - its name means friendly relationsBishop StreetBright StreetChopin Court - named after DE Chopin President of the Steam Railroad Men's Protective Union of New JerseyColden Street - named for Cadwallader D. Colden, a Jersey City resident and President of the Morris Canal CompanyCornelison Avenue/CR-619 - for John M. Cornelison, director of the Hudson and Bergen Plankroad CompanyFactory Street - named for the factory located along the nearby rail linesFairmount Avenue - refers to Mount Pleasant, which is part of Bergen HillFremont StreetFlorence StreetGrand Street/CR-622 - named so for the size of this early road which replaced the old Plank Road across the wetlandsIvy Place - named for Hedera helixJohnston Avenue/CR-614 - named after John T. Johnston, who was the president of the Central Railroad of New JerseyMerseles Street- named after Jacob M. Merseles who founded the Bergen Plank Road company. One of his descendents, Theodore F. Merseles, was president of Montgomery Ward and Johns-ManvilleMontgomery Street - named after James Montgomery, Jr., director of the Hudson and Bergen Plankroad CompanyNew Loop - named for the shape the road made when this development was builtPrior Street - small street named for John Prior, who had a mill just north of this locationRistaino Drive - named for John Ristaino, a candle and furniture-maker, champion speed-skater and Korean War Vet who grew up in Jersey CityState Street - originally the name replaced King Street to the non-royalist State Street in many cities in the northeast United StatesWayne Street - most likely named for a Revolutionary War general, Anthony WayneWestervelt - named after the famous Westervelt family of Bergen County and Jacob Aaron Westervelt, a shipbuilder and mayor of New York City.