1 9 3 0 s ▁and ▁filled ▁with ▁concrete , ▁before ▁it ▁was ▁re open ed ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Before ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁Stevens ▁founded ▁the ▁Hob oken ▁Land ▁and ▁Im prov ement ▁Company , ▁which ▁laid ▁out ▁a ▁regular ▁system ▁of ▁streets , ▁blocks ▁and ▁lots , ▁constructed ▁housing , ▁and ▁developed ▁manufact uring ▁sites . ▁In ▁general , ▁the ▁housing ▁consisted ▁of ▁m ason ry ▁row ▁houses ▁of ▁three ▁to ▁five ▁stories , ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁surv ive ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁day , ▁as ▁does ▁the ▁street ▁grid . ▁ ▁Hob oken ▁was ▁originally ▁formed ▁as ▁a ▁town ship ▁on ▁April ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 8 4 9 , ▁from ▁port ions ▁of ▁North ▁Ber gen ▁Township . ▁As ▁the ▁town ▁grew ▁in ▁population ▁and ▁employ ment , ▁many ▁of ▁Hob oken ' s ▁residents ▁saw ▁a ▁need ▁to ▁incorpor ate ▁as ▁a ▁full - f led ged ▁city , ▁and ▁in ▁a ▁refer endum ▁held ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 8 5 5 , ▁rat ified ▁an ▁Act ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Jersey ▁Legisl ature ▁signed ▁the ▁previous ▁day , ▁and ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Hob oken ▁was ▁born . ▁In ▁the ▁subsequent ▁election , ▁Corn el ius ▁V . ▁Click ener ▁became ▁Hob oken ' s ▁first ▁mayor . ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁the ▁Township ▁of ▁We eh aw ken ▁was ▁created ▁from ▁port ions ▁of ▁Hob oken ▁and