▁North ▁Ber gen ▁Township . ▁ ▁Based ▁on ▁a ▁be quest ▁from ▁Ed win ▁A . ▁Stevens , ▁Stevens ▁Institute ▁of ▁Technology ▁was ▁founded ▁at ▁Castle ▁Point ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁at ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁Stevens ▁family ' s ▁former ▁estate , ▁as ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁first ▁mechanical ▁engineering ▁college . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁sh ipping ▁lines ▁were ▁using ▁Hob oken ▁as ▁a ▁terminal ▁port , ▁and ▁the ▁Del aware , ▁L ack aw anna ▁& ▁Western ▁Rail road ▁( l ater ▁the ▁Er ie ▁L ack aw anna ▁Rail road ) ▁developed ▁a ▁rail road ▁terminal ▁at ▁the ▁water front , ▁with ▁the ▁present ▁N J ▁Trans it ▁terminal ▁designed ▁by ▁architect ▁Kenneth ▁M urch ison ▁constructed ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁that ▁German ▁imm igr ants , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁sett ling ▁in ▁town ▁during ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁century , ▁became ▁the ▁pre domin ant ▁population ▁group ▁in ▁the ▁city , ▁at ▁least ▁partially ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁being ▁a ▁major ▁destination ▁port ▁of ▁the ▁Hamburg ▁America ▁Line , ▁though ▁anti - G erman ▁sentiment ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁rapid ▁decl ine ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁community . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁primary ▁industry ▁of ▁ship building , ▁Hob oken ▁became ▁home ▁to ▁Ke uff el ▁and ▁Es ser ' s ▁three - story ▁factory ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁to ▁T iet jen ▁and ▁Lang ▁D ry