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Genealogy Trails is a volunteer-based project dedicated to transcribing
historical and genealogical data and placing it online for the free use of all researchers.
This New Jersey Genealogy Trails website is available for adoption. If
you are interested in hosting this county website, or any other site for us, view our Volunteer Information page
and contact
Kim.
(A desire to transcribe data and basic webpage-making skills are required)
Help us grow this site by submitting YOUR families' data. Contact Kim to submit your
ancestors' data for inclusion on this website.
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County Seat:
The county seat is Trenton
Since 2000, Mercer County has been considered part of the New York metropolitan area; before
that time it had been considered part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
The county is named for Continental Army General Hugh Mercer, who died at the Battle of Princeton in 1777.
Surrounding Counties:
Somerset County, New Jersey - north
Middlesex County, New Jersey - northeast
Monmouth County, New Jersey - east
Burlington County, New Jersey - south
Bucks County, Pennsylvania - west
Hunterdon County, New Jersey - northwest
Our New Jersey State Site
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Officially founded in 1838 and carved
out of other surrounding counties, Mercer County has a historical impact that reaches back to the pivotal battles
of the American Revolutionary War. On the night of December 25, 1776, General George Washington led the American
forces across the Delaware River to attack Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey, who did not anticipate an attack
near Christmas. Washington followed up the assault with a surprise attack on General Charles Cornwallis' forces
in the Battle of Princeton on the eve of January 2, 1777, eventually retaking the colony. The successful attacks
built morale among the pro-independence colonists.
Mercer County also has the dubious distinction of being the famed landing spot for a Martian invasion of the United
States. In 1938, in what has become one of the most famous radio plays of all time, Orson Welles acted out his
War of the Worlds invasion. Wells landed his imaginary aliens on Mercer County soil, using what is now West Windsor
Township as the point of first contact. A monument commemorating the "landing" is erected at Grover's
Mill
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Municipalities within Mercer County
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County Townships
East Windsor Township
Ewing Township
Hamilton Township
Hopewell Township
Lawrence Township
Princeton Township
Washington Township
West Windsor Township
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Hightstown (borough)
Hopewell Borough
Lawrenceville
Mercerville-Hamilton Square
Pennington (borough)
Princeton Borough
Princeton Junction
Princeton North
Robbinsville
Titusville
Trenton (city)
Twin Rivers
White Horse
Windsor
Yardville-Groveville
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All data on this website is © Copyright 2007 by Genealogy Trails, with full rights reserved for original submitters.
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Online Data
Recent Website Updates:
29 Jan 2008: WILSON death notice
Oct 2007: Assorted Newspaper stories and obits; Marriages
11 Apr 2007: Death Notice
for Daniel Heald
13 Mar 2007: Newspaper
Story about James Wilson
Site Started 7 Feb 2007
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