The Rahway River Parkway is a greenway of parkland along the banks the main stem Rahway River and its tributaries in Union County, New Jersey, United States. Created in the 1920s, it was one of the inaugural projects of the newly created Union County Parks Commission. It was designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm, sons of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The Rahway River Greenway plan expands on the original design. Many of the crossings of the river are late 19th century or early 20th century bridges.
The parkway intersects with the 7.3-mile main line of the abandoned Rahway Valley Railroad via abandoned rail trestle over the river, which some have advocated for converting to a pedestrian linear park and rail trail.
The East Coast Greenway uses paths and roads along the parkway. Sections of the parkway have been dedicated part of the September 11th National Memorial Trail.
History
The idea for the Rahway River Parkway started in 1919 when Union County Sheriff, James E. Warner began a movement to "save" the river by writing to the local paper, The Cranford Citizen, and urging that the river be made into a memorial to the young men who had died in the recent World War I. This was followed by editorials of support in The Rahway Record, The Westfield Leader, The Cranford Citizen, and The Chronicle. On May 5, 1919, the Elizabeth Daily Journal, stated that the idea was "a duty rather than an opportunity.” The Rahway Women's Club sent a resolution of support to the Union County Board of Freeholders.
The Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce had one of its members organize Union County Park Association to urge the creation of a park commission and April 1921, Superior Court Justice James J. Bergen was petitioned to appoint a temporary commission to study the feasibility of such a commission. On April 30, a temporary commission was named and given $10,000.00 and two years to complete the study. Within five months, the group finished the study and returned $8,391.00 of the funds. The emphasis of the report was to move quickly, before the available open space was gone. On the November 8, 1921, ballot, voters were asked to approve a permanent five-member Park Commission and $2.5 million to be spent at the commission's discretion.It Takes a Village... and a park commission , Friends of the Rahway River Parkway. Accessed August 14, 2017.
The Parkway was created between 1921–1929 following the design of the Olmsted Brothers, sons of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Many of the crossings of the river are late 19th century or early 20th century bridges.
The Parkway was also dedicated to those who perished in World War I.
Description
The Rahway River consists of four separate branches that converge in Rahway, from whence it flows as a single waterway to its mouth at the Arthur Kill. The longest, or West Branch, courses for 24 miles from Verona. The East Branch rises in West Orange/Montclair and joins the West Branch at Hobart Gap in Springfield forming the main stem of the river. The Nomahegan Brook and Black Brook enter soon thereafter. The original Rahway River Parkway was approximately seven miles.Federal Writers' Project, The WPA Guide to New Jersey: The Garden State (1939) ("Cranford is an old residential town spread along the Rahway River Parkway a link of nearly 7 miles joining a series of county parks and playgrounds. The name Nomahegan is a variation of Noluns Mohegans, as the New Jersey Indians were called in the treaty ending the Indian troubles in 1758. It is translated as women Mohegans or she-wolves and was applied to them in scorn by the fighting Iroquois.") The brooks and main stem through Union, Westfield, Springfield, Cranford, Kenilworth, Winfield, Clark, and Rahway (where it is joined by the Robinsons Branch and the South Branch) The parkway comprises several county, municipal parks, and trails along the banks of the river.Rahway River, Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 3, 2017. some of which are part of the East Coast Greenway. The river continues into Linden, Woodbridge and Carteret, which also have parks along it, which are part of the 21st century Rahway River Greenway Plan.
Parks and features along the Rahway
Park/Feature Location Coordinates References/Notes Larchmont Reservation Union Rahway Valley Railroad Bridge UnionSpringfield Meisel Avenue Park Springfield Black Brook Park Kenilworth Echo Lake Park WestfieldSpringfield Lenape Park WestfieldSpringfieldKenilworthCranford Nomahegan Park Cranford Memorial Park Hampton Park MacConnell Park Girl Scout Park Cranford Canoe Club Hanson Park 9/11 Memorial Park / Josiah Crane Park Sperry Park named for William Miller Sperry; site of Crane-Phillips House Droescher's Mill Park named for Droescher's Mill Mohawk Park Big Bend Lake Bloodgoods Pond Clark named for Bloodgoods Felt Mill Jacksons Pond Rahway River Park ClarkRahway Yearby, Jean P. Rahway River Park, Swimming Pool, Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress. Accessed April 14, 2015. Rahway Cemetery Rahway site of Merchants' and Drovers' Tavern Squires Island Bezega Wetland Observation Park Robinsons Branch enters from west Wheatena Park Rahway named for Wheatena Lower Essex Street Park South Branch enters from south Waterfront Park Rahway Rahway Yacht Club Hawk Rise Sanctuary Linden Joseph Medwick Park Carteret named for Joe Medwick
Gallery
See also Union County Park Commission Administration Buildings Elizabeth River Parkway Warinanco Park Watchung Reservation List of crossings of the Rahway River City Beautiful movement Houdaille Quarry Historic sites in Cranford, New Jersey List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in New Jersey
References
External links
Paths, Trails and Greenways Union County Google: Along the Rahway River
Rahway River Association