"The Hub City"
New Brunswick itself was founded in the 17th Century. Based on the Raritan River with a population of about 50,0000 New Brunswick has became far more industrialized over these years. Johnson and Johnson is probably the longest running company in New Brunswick. They started here, and their headquarters remain on the banks of the Raritan. The Raritan River served as a agriculture shipping center allowing farming to transport their goods and crops to other cities along the Delaware and Raritan Canal. In 1766 (as you all should know!) Queens College, what is now Rutgers, was established. Rutgers was the eighth college to be founded in the colonies and the only state university to have existed before the Revolutionary War.
New Brunswick figures prominently into the history of the American Revolution and early United States. In 1835 New Brunswick’s first ever railroad was established and built. This allowed New Brunswick to become a hub between New York and Philadelphia. The current railroad was built overtop of town in 1902. Today it is one of the busiest railroads in America (northeast corridor) with heavy commuter traffic daily. New Brunswick has come quite a long way and his redeveloped itself and its image over all these years. The city today has a diverse population which can trace its origins to countries in Europe, Africa, South American, Central America and Asia. As these immigrants and their families settled in the city, New Brunswick's spirit of community was born. This spirit is evidenced throughout the city in our churches, schools, theaters, restaurants, social clubs, and business. The rich heritage of the people helps to make New Brunswick a great place to live, work and visit.