Jersey City was a dock and manufacturing town for much of the 19th and 20th centuries . Much like New York City , Jersey City has always been a destination for new immigrants to the United States . In its heyday before World War II , German , Irish , and Italian immigrants found work at Colgate , Chloro or Dixon Ticonderoga . In 1908 , the first permanent , drinking water disinfection system in the U.S. was installed on the water supply for the City by John L. Leal . The Hudson Tubes opened in 1911 , allowing passengers to take the train to Manhattan as an alternative to the extensive ferry system . The Black Tom explosion occurred on July 30 , 1916 , as an act of sabotage on American ammunition supplies by German agents to prevent the materials from being used by the Allies in World War I
Black Tom explosion
Black Tom explosion
Jersey City, New Jersey