Working in Trenton's Factories & Homes

Factory Work

Trenton's industrial development accelerated in the mid-1800s and during the 19th century Trenton's mills and factories produced paper, button, leather belts, cooking utensils, cotton and wood fabric, liquor, and industrial machinery, but most importantly iron, steel, rubber, and pottery. These enterprises drew immigrants from Europe, especially Eastern and Southern Europe, through the late 19th and early 20th century and then African Americans moving from southern states in mid-20th century.

The John A. Roebling’s Sons Company was a world leader in the production of wire cable for the construction of suspension bridges. Founded in Trenton in 1848, it grew substantially and became a major employer.

In the early 1900s another factory site was established south of Trenton. The factory site was called Kinkora and its associated company town was known as Roebling. See the Roebling Museum  for more details and to visit.

Thousands of employee records from the late 1910s to the 1950s from both locations have been preserved. One of these cards is shown on the right.


Data available include demographic and personal information such as name, address, age, marital status, birthplace, nationality, naturalization/citizenship status, and literacy/fluency in English and other languages, as well as a detailed history of Roebling factory employment, including factory location, specific periods of employment, and documentation of layoffs, terminations, and rehires. ​


A project undertaken through a collaboration among the Trent House, the Roebling Museum, and the Trenton Historical Society and funded by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities has created a database of several thousand records for analysis. 

To obtain a copy of the database for analysis, send your request to [email protected]. 

There are many questions that could be explored with these data, including:  

• What were these workers’ personal lives and employment experiences and how did they differ based on race, nationality, or other characteristics?
• How were these personal lives and employment experiences different depending on their work site – Trenton or Kinkora/Roebling?
• How did workers’ personal lives and employment experiences and differences by race and immigration status change during the decades covered by the records?
• What local, regional, national, or international events or trends were associated with differences and changes in these workers’ lives, particularly for immigrants and African Americans?
• How do these same patterns and dynamics continue to play out today with African Americans, immigrants, and other groups of workers?

Domestic Work

Both immigrants and native-born residents found work in the home of Trenton's well-to-do families. The Stokes family of Woodlawn was one such family and census enumerators between 1870 and 1915 recorded the workers who lived on the property.


With funding from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a Trent House project is investigating how to find out more about some of these individuals from other sources.  


When completed, the results of this project will be shared online and in an exhibit in the Visitor Center.


For more information and an update, contact [email protected].