Duck Island, New Jersey

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Duck Island, New Jersey
2016-02-23 13 51 48 View south along Lamberton Road between New Jersey Route 29 and New Jersey Route 129 in the Duck Island section of Trenton, New Jersey.jpg
Lamberton Street in the Duck Island section of Trenton
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Duck Island
Location of Duck Island in Mercer County Inset: Location of county within the state of New Jersey
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Duck Island
Duck Island (New Jersey)
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Duck Island
Duck Island (the United States)
Coordinates: 40°11′18″N74°45′03″W / 40.18833°N 74.75083°W / 40.18833; -74.75083 Coordinates: 40°11′18″N74°45′03″W / 40.18833°N 74.75083°W / 40.18833; -74.75083
Country Flag of the United States.svg  United States
State Flag of New Jersey.svg  New Jersey
County Mercer
Township and City Hamilton and Trenton

Duck Island is an unincorporated community located along the border of Hamilton Township and the city of Trenton in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. [1] [2] [3] The community takes its name from Duck Island, which extends southeastward from the community. The city of Trenton provides public docks for fishing in Duck Island. [4]

Contents

The "Duck Island Murders"

Duck Island was frequented as a lovers' lane during the 1930s due to its remoteness and nearness to Trenton. One evening in 1938, a young couple parked at a secluded spot on Duck Island were shot after money was demanded of them. One died at the scene, while the second died the next day. A year later, a second couple parked at Duck Island was shot dead. A botched murder attempt on another young couple parked in a lovers' lane in Tullytown, Pennsylvania, led to the arrest of Clarence Hill in 1942. Motivated by sexual and voyeuristic urges, the serial killer was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for what became known as the "Duck Island Murders". [5] [6]

Incinerator

In 1996, there were plans to build a $260 million trash incinerator on Duck Island, but the proposal was defeated by the Mercer County Board of chosen freeholders. [7]

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Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784. Trenton and Princeton are the two principal cities of the Trenton–Princeton metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses those cities and all of Mercer County for statistical purposes and constitutes part of the New York combined statistical area by the U.S. Census Bureau. However, Trenton directly borders the Philadelphia metropolitan area to its west, and the city was part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area combined statistical area from 1990 until 2000.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 29</span> Highway in New Jersey

Route 29 is a state highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Signed north-south, it runs 34.76 mi (55.94 km) from an interchange with Interstate 295 (I-295) in Hamilton Township in Mercer County, where it continues as I-195, northwest to Route 12 in Frenchtown, Hunterdon County. Between the southern terminus and I-295 in Ewing Township, the route is a mix of freeway and four-lane divided highway that runs along the Delaware River through Trenton. This section includes a truck-restricted tunnel that was built along the river near historic houses and Riverview Cemetery. North of I-295, Route 29 turns into a scenic and mostly two-lane highway. North of the South Trenton Tunnel, it is designated the Delaware River Scenic Byway, a New Jersey Scenic Byway and National Scenic Byway, that follows the Delaware River in mostly rural sections of Mercer County and Hunterdon County. The obsolete Delaware & Raritan Canal usually stands between the river and the highway. Most sections of this portion of Route 29 are completely shaded due to the tree canopy. Route 29 also has a spur, Route 129, which connects Route 29 to U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Trenton.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chambersburg, Trenton, New Jersey</span> Neighborhood of Trenton in Mercer, New Jersey, United States

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Eldridge Park is an unincorporated community located within Lawrence Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. The neighborhood is named for Stephen Eldridge, a farm owner in the township in the early 20th century. The neighborhood itself was established in 1906 as a settlement along the Trenton & Princeton Traction Company trolleyline and Lawrence Road for European immigrants to purchase small houses in the suburbs of Trenton. The growing population led to the construction of the Eldridge Park Elementary School and St. Ann's, the township's first Roman Catholic church. As it was in the past, the area is mostly made up of small houses with businesses clustered around US 206.

Duck Island is a peninsula and former island in the wetlands at the confluence of the Delaware River and Crosswicks Creek in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It is mostly located within Hamilton Township, but its northwest edge crosses the Trenton city limits. The community of Duck Island is located near the northwest end of the former island, along the Trenton/Hamilton border. The peninsula is flanked by the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park.

References

  1. Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed January 10, 2015.
  2. Google (January 18, 2015). "Duck Island, New Jersey" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  3. "City Profile Report: Trenton 250: 1792-2042: A City Master Plan Document" (PDF). City of Trenton. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-01-21. Retrieved 2015-01-20.
  4. "Trenton opens public docks on Duck Island open for first time in two years". The Times (Trenton). 29 June 2013. Retrieved 2015-01-21. TRENTON — The city's public docks on Duck Island were finally installed this week after weeks of delays attributed to weather. The docks, just off Lamberton Road, are now open to boaters to tie up their vessels on the Delaware River throughout the summer.
  5. Tomlinson, Gerald (1994). Murdered in Jersey . Rutgers University. pp.  60–62.
  6. "Soldier Is Held As Jersey Killer. Fort Dix Private in Jail to Await Trial for Murder in Duck Island Cases". The New York Times . Associated Press. February 8, 1944. Private Clarence Hill, 33 years old, Hamilton Township Negro soldier, was arraigned today in Hamilton Township Police Court on six charges of murder in connection with the six Duck Island 'lover's lane' slayings that occurred in 1938, 1939 and 1940....
  7. "Board Defeats Incinerator". The New York Times . November 8, 1996. Retrieved 2015-03-18. The incinerator, planned for Hamilton Township, had been challenged in court by Princeton township and Princeton borough because neither wanted to send waste to the incinerator or pay for its construction.