Hoboken history · · 4 min read
The Stevens Family and the Making of Modern Hoboken
By Hoboken, Our Way
How Colonel John Stevens and his family shaped Hoboken — from steam ferries to Stevens Institute of Technology, founded in 1870.
Much of Hoboken's early story runs through one family. In 1784 Colonel John Stevens bought the land that would become the city, and he went on to pioneer steam-powered transportation, including early steam ferry service across the Hudson.
A university on the hill
A bequest from his son Edwin A. Stevens led to the founding of Stevens Institute of Technology in 1870. Its campus on Castle Point, high above the river, offers some of the best views in town.
Hoboken itself was incorporated as a city in 1855. Read more in the Hoboken history overview.