Rahway River Parkway

File:RahwayRiverParkPlan1919.tif

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.{{cite web |title = The Inception of a Parkway |publisher = Friends of Rahway River Parkway |date = |url = http://www.rahwayriverparkway.org/the-inception-of-a-parkway.html |access-date = January 11, 2017 |archive-date = November 7, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161107155853/http://www.rahwayriverparkway.org/the-inception-of-a-parkway.html |url-status = dead }}

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.[http://www.rahwayriverparkway.org/it-takes-a-village.html It Takes a Village... and a park commission] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203000615/http://www.rahwayriverparkway.org/it-takes-a-village.html |date=December 3, 2016 }}, 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.{{cite web |url = https://tclf.org/landslides/new-sports-facility-jeopardizes-rahway-river-park |title = A New Sports Facility Jeopardizes Rahway River Park - The Cultural Landscape Foundation |website = tclf.org |access-date = January 14, 2018 }}{{cite web|url=https://tclf.org/pioneer/percival-gallagher|title=Percival Gallagher - The Cultural Landscape Foundation|website=tclf.org|access-date=January 23, 2018}} Many of the crossings of the river are late 19th century or early 20th century bridges.{{cite web |title = Historic Bridge Survey Union County (1991-1994) |publisher = NJDOT |year = 2001 |url = http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/works/environment/pdf/Historic_BR_Union.pdf |access-date = January 10, 2018 }}

The Parkway was also dedicated to those who perished in World War I.{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldwar1centennial.org/index.php?Itemid=1621&start=30|title=NJ WWI Related Locations - World War I Centennial - Results from #30}}

File:Rahway River in Union County NJ in autumn 1.JPG]]

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){{cite report |title = Rahway River Greenway Plan |publisher = Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Rutgers University |date = February 2009 |url = http://www.rahwayriver.org/images/RRAGreenwayPlan.pdf |access-date = January 10, 2018 }} The parkway comprises several county, municipal parks, and trails along the banks of the river.[http://ucnj.org/parks-recreation/paths-trails-greenways/walking-paths/rahway-river/ Rahway River], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed January 3, 2017. some of which are part of the East Coast Greenway.{{cite web |title = New Jersey East Coast Greenway Multi-use Guide|publisher = NJDOT|date = |url = http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/commuter/bike/application3/pdf/EastCoastGreenway.pdf|access-date = 14 January 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/cranford/index.ssf/2010/06/east_coast_greenway_link_to_be.html|title=East Coast Greenway link to be completed in Union County|date=June 4, 2010|publisher=|access-date=January 23, 2018}}[http://eastcoastgreenway.us/pdf/nj_guide2013.pdf New Jersey: Camden & Trenton to New York City] 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.

{{see also|List of crossings of the Rahway River}}

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File:Lake Nomahegan in Cranford NJ with fountain.JPG|Lake Nomahegan

File:Deer resting in county park with stream near Union County College Cranford NJ.JPG|Wildlife in Springfield

File:RVRR Bridge Over The Rahway River.jpg|Rahway Valley Railroad Bridge

File:DROESCHERS MILL, CRANFORD, UNION COUNTY.jpg|Droescher's Mill

File:Rahway River in Cranford NJ from footbridge.jpg|From footbridge in Cranford

File:Rahway New Jersey.. U.S.A. - panoramio.jpg|Dam in Union

File:Rahway River and Water Tower.jpg|Rahway Water Tower

File:RAHWAY RIVER IN LINDEN AREA, FLOWING INTO THE ARTHUR KILL. IN THE BACKGROUND ARE STORAGE TANKS OF THE BRITISH... - NARA - 552025.jpg|Tidal flats

• 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

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite web |title = History of the Union County Park System|publisher = Union County|date = May 23, 2018|url = http://ucnj.org/parks-recreation/history-of-the-union-county-park-system-beta/?print=pdf|access-date = 13 June 2018}}
• [http://ucnj.org/parks-recreation/paths-trails-greenways/walking-paths/rahway-river/ Paths, Trails and Greenways Union County]
• [https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1IZoeuM_bupCuWaWp_5bUciz2r0Q&hl=en_US&ll=40.674119640818354%2C-74.29146444999998&z=11 Google: Along the Rahway River]
• {{cite web |url = http://www.rahwayriverparkway.org/ |title = Friends of Rahway River Parkway }}
• [http://www.rahwayriver.org/default.html Rahway River Association]

{{Union County Parks, New Jersey}}

{{Rahway River}}

Category:Protected areas of Union County, New Jersey

Category:Nature reserves in New Jersey

Category:Linden, New Jersey

Category:Rahway, New Jersey

Category:Cranford, New Jersey

Category:Clark, New Jersey

Category:Winfield Township, New Jersey

Category:Rahway River

Category:Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey

Category:Greenways

Category:Parks in Union County, New Jersey

Category:County parks in New Jersey