Save the Victory Trail & Jacobs Creek Bridge

Bridge suffers delay after delay

At last Monday's Hopewell Township Committee meeting, member Vanessa Sandom brought up the latest development in the Jacobs Creek Bridge saga, referencing a letter sent to County Engineer Greg Sandusky from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) on June 22.

In summary, it confirmed the presence of historic properties in the project area and called for the county to consider alternatives for the bridge that mitigate intrusion on the historic landscape. It also outlined requirements for the county's archaeological survey that were not satisfactorily met by the county.

Although the county contributed to numerous delays by not providing the information requested by SHPO, Ms. Sandom blamed SHPO for presenting "bogus arguments" and called the letter "preposterous." Further inflaming the situation and calling for another "resolution," Ms. Sandom called the delay "political" and stated it showed "a lack of leadership."

Bravo to Mayor Michael Markulec for standing strong on the very recent resolution endorsing Alternative 3B of the 2004 Bridge Task Force, maintaining the T-intersection, and for representing the community and the Hopewell Township Historic Preservation Plan element.

Had Ms. Sandom done the same last year by reaching out to the community before pushing through yet another resolution endorsing a county plan, ignoring task force recommendations, the bridge would never have been allowed to fall into disrepair. Closure of the bridge would not be an issue today.

All the documents mentioned above can be viewed at savethevictorytrail.com.

Dorothy Ender,

Hopewell Township

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The Times, Saturday, May 8, 2010 Caremen Cusido

To view this article, follow link:

http://www.nj.com/news/times/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-19/1273297600190790.xml&coll=5

Hopewell Valley News, Thursday, April 22, 2010 John Tredrea

 A resolution recommending a design for Jacobs Creek bridge that would strengthen the 125-year-old span sufficiently to allow passage of emergency vehicles while maintaining its historic character as much as possible was approved by the Hopewell Township Committee on April 12.

The recommendation, which is being forwarded to Mercer County — which has jurisdiction over the bridge — is found in a portion of the 2004 Bear Tavern Bridge Task Force report, which was done by Hopewell Township.

Passage of the resolution elicited rousing applause from the 20-odd residents who attended the meeting to discuss the bridge.

The bridge and surrounding landscape “should be preserved,” said Bear Tavern Road resident Beth Kerr.

They have “tremendous historic and scenic value,” she said.

The recommendation calls for widening the bridge and increasing its height to 14 feet in order to:

·         Eliminate structural collapse risk.

·         Permit entire range of emergency vehicles.

·         Permit passage of school buses.

·      Retain traffic calming ability.

·      Retain scenic value of existing structure.

·      Limit environmental impact and retain scenic value of the bridge setting.

The bridge was closed Sept. 24 by the county, which called it the least safe span in Mercer.

 News, Thursday, April 24, 2010

Committee Support Acknowledged

Last week’s Hopewell Township Committee meeting proved very encouraging for those of us in attendance, and the action taken that night will hopefully be the turning point needed in what has been a long, but certainly educational, road.

The sense of anticipation was palpable in the packed meeting room, as both members of the Save the Victory Trail and Jacobs Creek Bridge Coalition and interested residents awaited agenda item IX A, “A Resolution Endorsing the 2004 Bear Tavern Bridge Task Force Recommendations as the Design Basis for the Jacobs Creek Bridge.” When discussion of the item opened, our sense of anticipation soon turned to one of humbleness and awe, as David Blackwell, local historian, gave an utterly remarkable presentation detailing the long and significant history of the area, both immediate to and surrounding the Jacobs Creek Bridge. From Indian trails, to Washington’s famous march on Trenton, to 18th- and 19th-century rural life and transportation routes, the audience was enthralled and impressed. And when discussion was over, the committee unanimously passed a resolution asking Mercer County to base their bridge design on the top-ranked rehabilitation recommended by the 2004 Task Force.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank every member of the Hopewell Township Committee for recognizing the historic significance of this area, and for encouraging the county’s use of the least invasive methods possible for the bridge project, while still ensuring safe passage over the creek. As we move forward together in this important work, we are confident that the resulting rehabilitation will satisfy all party’s needs, while doing justice to our Township’s long, colorful, and nationally historic past.

Note: Mr. Blackwell, along with Roni Brown Katz and Beth Kerr, have, as individual citizens, submitted a joint application for rural historic landscape designation of the area to the State Historic Preservation Office, based on the above-mentioned history.

On behalf of Save the Victory Trail and JCB Coalition

Kim Robinson

Hopewell Township, New Jersey

The Times, Wednesday, April 14, 2010  Spencer Gaffney

Please follow the link:http://www.nj.com/news/times/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-19/1271223987243920.xml&coll=5

Trampling History in the ‘Name’ of Progress

We take great offense at the comments and accusations made by Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes in his Guest Opinion, Feb. 11. Mr. Hughes is slanting information for his own purposes, and is intent on discrediting the citizens who put him in office. Residents, in both Hopewell and Ewing townships, who have been lifelong Democrats, and some of whom have served the Democratic Party for decades, are members of the non-partisan coalition. To imply otherwise is to mislead the public. Mr. Hughes is well aware of this, yet persists with his untrue allegations.

He says the roadway is at a crisis point, and calls the Jacobs Creek Bridge (JCB) “dangerous and decrepit.” This bridge, utilized regularly since 1882 with proper maintenance and care, was placed under Mr. Hughes’ protection. His own comments reflect his neglect; a simple request to have the bridge painted eight years ago is still unanswered, and only minimal bridge repairs have been done by Mr. Hughes since his election. Since its closure in September 2009, JCB continues to be neglected.

JCB passed its annual inspection in July 2009, two months prior to its closing. The closing was precipitated by a Mercer County contracted engineering analysis that stated: not that the bridge was unsafe; that the lack of enforcement of the weight load limit has created an unsafe condition on the bridge. Mercer County’s comments were that they could not effectively enforce the 3-ton weight limit. (Today Mr. Hughes states that he could enforce a 4-ton weight limit on a new roadway.)

Mr. Hughes’ claims that there have been numerous accidents on and around the bridge are simply false. In fact, since 2004 there have been a grand total of two minor accidents on the bridge which were not a result of driver error.  His attempt to blame the bridge for accidents on Bear Tavern Road where it intersects the bridge is absurd. Since when is a t-intersection unsafe? It is a recognized traffic-calming device to prevent speeding. Rather than promoting traffic safety, the county’s plan to build an unlimited weight bridge, which would allow and encourage tractor trailers in the vicinity of an elementary school, would likely result in an increase in the number and severity of accidents.

Mr. Hughes’ argument that an unlimited weight bridge is needed for fire safety is specious. The JCB has not been needed for emergency vehicles as there are alternate routes that have served our communities well. The primary fire responder for the bridge area is the Union Fire Company on Route 29, and an analysis using Google maps showed that there is not one single location where use of the bridge would save Union any time responding to a fire. The same is true for one of two secondary responders, the Pennington Fire Company.

On Dec. 11, 2009, the Kerr farm on Bear Tavern Road had a barn fire. The first to arrive (within five minutes) was Union, and West Trenton pulled in right behind them. In all, 15 fire companies responded. It is worth noting that the new hospital will result in additional emergency ambulances, with a direct route down Scotch Road to Washington Crossing-Pennington Road.

After calling objecting residents and citizens “strident and selfish,” Mr. Hughes suggests a step backward to clarify his need to push his project forward. We agree that now is the time to do that.

Mr. Hughes’ remarks that the county government’s goals have always been the provision of a safe roadway and bridge at a “responsible cost” while doing “everything in his power” to preserve the historic nature of the area. He forgets that the history of the area was never a consideration in his plans. It was the residents and members of the Coalition who initially raised the issue, and who have been working tirelessly to preserve the area along the Victory Trail — where George Washington and his army marched after their perilous crossing of the Delaware River, struggled down the slope above Jacobs Creek and continued onward to their victory of the Battle of Trenton. If, in fact, Mr. Hughes is the proponent of history that he attests to be — how did this nationally historic roadway and landscape escape his attention?

As for his claim of providing a new roadway and bridge at a “responsible cost,” Mr. Hughes’ plans would cost between $5 -$6 million, as opposed to a bridge rehabilitation at a quarter of that cost.

His remarks alluding to the Bear Tavern Bridge Task Force of 2004 are additionally misleading. A “broad spectrum” of community residents was not part of the Task Force. Only two residents were invited; neither was a property owner residing near the bridge. The Task Force considered 15 alternatives; they recommended three and the preferred alternative was the rehabilitation of the JCB. All three recommended alternatives kept the T-intersection intact. Nowhere in any of the Task Force documentation is there a discussion of the more significant historical issue, George Washington’s Victory Trail. Had this been considered, it is possible that the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) would have agreed to a non-historical rehabilitation for the bridge to save the more historically important site.

Fast forward to 2009. Mr. Hughes presented his “new” alternative, 5b-3. Surprisingly this plan was never shown, considered or agreed upon by the Task Force, in spite of his assertion that a “consensus for the new roadway was achieved”; nor was it presented to residents prior to a resolution by the Hopewell Township Committee to approve it.

Members of the Coalition underwent training at SHPO to enhance our research efforts, and the historic documents we uncovered fully supported the historical importance of both the Bear Tavern Road corridor as well as the bridge area. SHPO made all files available to us, and Janssen Pharmaceutica’s original plan and proposal of 1989, for the facility on Bear Tavern Road, was found in the Bear Tavern Road Bridge file. Janssen’s proposal involves a detailed discussion of its plans for future expansion and includes the company’s preferred “alternatives” for the JCB, and schematic drawings of those preferences were done by Van Cleef Engineering Associates.

The Task Force convened 15 years later and submitted their recommendations. Nothing was done for another five years until Mr. Hughes presented his “new” controversial alternative, realigning Bear Tavern Road to allow an unlimited weight and no height restricted roadway to replace the bridge he concurrently neglected. Janssen’s preferred Alternative #2 in their 1989 proposal is identical to Mr. Hughes’ current plan, to which residents are vehemently opposed. This plan will destroy the historic landscape that has remained pristine for 233 years.

This may explain Mr. Hughes’ reluctance and refusal to release documents, which are historically and legally public record. In fact, the Attorney General’s office had to order Mr. Hughes to release his “Alternatives Analysis” after repeated requests by the community.

In recent weeks, Mr. Hughes released his narrowly conceived Archaeological Survey done by John Milner Associates, along with a press release, which, again, misled the community. He ignored his promise to allow residents to review and supplement the survey before its release to the public. The Coalition presented a comprehensive Response Paper, focusing on the collected historical research of the Victory Trail, to the Mercer County freeholders. We are awaiting their comments. (Both the county’s archeological survey and our response to that survey can be found via http://www.savethevictorytrail.com/.)

George Washington’s Victory Trail is, as confirmed by the County’s archeological study, one of the most significant historical and cultural landscapes and corridors in our nation. The area surrounding JCB has remained visually integral since the “Turning Point of the American Revolution.” A logical solution is clear. Rehabilitation of the JCB will allow us to protect this important piece of American heroism, allow safety to be maintained, preserve the quality of life for area residents, and save taxpayers millions of dollars.

Roni Browne Katz

History and Safety
I am a 78-year-old property owner in Hopewell Township and have been following the fight to save the Victory Trail and Jacobs Creek Bridge. Recent events have disturbed me and I feel I must speak out.

History and safety are both very important to me. While raising my family in New York City, I served as president of the First Canarsie League (1965-1973), a group of citizens fighting for improved ambulance care and response time. As such, I am pretty well-versed on the subject.

During my tenure as president of First Canarsie League, I worked very closely with Meade Esposito, chairman of the Democratic party in Brooklyn. I continually petitioned Mayor Lindsay, a Republican, and eventually debated him on television. Never once did Mayor Lindsay accuse me, or the League, of having “a political agenda.” He debated us on the real issues, and eventually the city instituted satellite ambulance stations to expedite response time.

Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes seems to be hiding behind a smokescreen, attacking his constituents for their political affiliations and discounting their rights to voice concerns and opinions. This is not the basis our country was founded on.

I find his own statements about his concern for safety vehicle response time to be disingenuous and hypocritical. It was his responsibility to the citizens of Hopewell and Ewing townships to properly maintain the Jacobs Creek Bridge and enforce the weight limits until a fiscally and historically responsible decision could be reached about the bridge and the preservation of the area. Instead, he chose to let the bridge decay and then closed it, cutting off a route to hospitals and for police vehicles.

On a personal note, I take exception to comments made in the recently released archaeological survey done for the county. Trying to discount the memoirs of a soldier’s experience on the slope above Jacobs Creek, the survey questioned the “veracity” of this soldier’s account based solely on his age when he wrote it.

As a senior citizen with all my capacities intact, I find this assertion appalling, and I am disgusted that an elected official would allow this unsubstantiated slur to be released to the public.

Anita Brown

Titusville, New Jersey

The Star Ledger, Sunday, February, 14, 2010  Mark DiIonno.

Please follow thie link: http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/2010/02/remembering_washingtons_impact.html

View from a bridge

A majority of the historical documentation survey done for Mercer County by J. Milner Associates supports the position that Bear Tavern Road and the area surrounding Jacob's Creek Bridge in Hopewell Township is, as stated by Milner, "eligible for the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places as both a significant historic road corridor and as a cultural landscape" ("Residents keep up the fight to save a bridge to history," Jan.30).

Having ignored his promise to allow concerned citizens to review and supplement the report prior to its release, Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes now says he will "allay our fears" by moving forward with soil sampling.

Hopefully, this portion of the county's archaeological research will be done in a manner befitting our national history, and the entirety of the study will be open to public review and comment.

Roni Browne Katz, Hopewell Township 

This past Friday County Executive Hughes posted a press release on the Mercer County website announcing the receipt of the Phase 1A Archeological Survey of the area surrounding the Jacobs Creek Bridge. The purpose of the survey was to determine the impact of the county's proposed realignment of BearTavern Road and construction of an unlimited weight highway bridge to replace the current historic truss bridge.

After agreeing with the residents of the area to allow them to comment on the report before putting it on record, the county administration went back on their word by posting the press release and report to their website. In addition, the county administration said at a freeholder meeting in December that the archeological firm awarded the contract would speak to residents who border the site to obtain the research and knowledge they have relating to the history of the area around the bridge; this never happened.

As a result of a front page story about Jacobs Creek that appeared in the Star Ledger this past week, the county executive apparently decided to forget this agreement with the residents and rushed out a press release touting that the finding of the archeological survey supports his position?

The press release questions the exact movement through the area by Gen. George Washington and his troops who fought so hard to ford Jacobs Creek in a raging snow and sleet storm as they marched to victory in the Battle of Trenton. The press release is pure spin, claiming he is justified in destroying the site because it has already been disturbed by a sewer easement constructed back in the 1990's.

If the county executive took the time to read the entire 66 page report he would have seen that the archeological firm made several key points about the importance of preserving the site. Here are just a few:

* "The proposed removal of the bridge from its present site would constitute an adverse effect."

* "Evidence from the 1882 road return and a comparison of the modern topography and the topography shown on Erskine's 1779 map indicates that the crossing of the creek was in the same or very close to the same location as the current bridge."

*Reference to road returns provide substantial evidence that the alignment of the original River Road, the present Bear Tavern Road, aside from the immediate vicinity of the bridge, has changed little since the eighteenth century. The crossing of Jacobs Creek presents a landscape strongly evocative of the late nineteenth century construction date of the bridge."

*"As noted in the historic overview, the Bear Tavern corridor is the documented route of at least a portion, of the Continental forces that crossed the Delaware River during Christmas night 1776 en route to trenton. The road, particularly the portion near Jacobs Creek, retains the character of an eighteenth century road altered in the ninteenth century to reflect changing means of transportation. It is recommended eligible for the National and New Jersey Registers as an eligible cultural landscape."

*The significance of the landscape road corridor is judged to encompass the period from the Revolutionary War to 1882, the date of erection of the current bridge."

*"The logical follow-up research would be archeological testing within the area believed to contain the site of the eighteenth century ford. This investigation might result in the identification of cultural deposits associated with the Revolutionary War period."

"Erskine's 1779 (map) suggests that the crossing of the creek has remained very close to the same location over time. JMA further concludes that the project area and its vicinity are eligible for the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places as both a significant historic road corridor and as a cultural landscape"

The right solution would be for Mercer County to rehabilitate the current bridge in place, this woul dpermit the safe crossing of vehicles up to 4 tons (the soon to be posted weight limit for Bear Tavern Road) and at the same time preserve an important place in our nation's history. In addition, this would save the taxpayers over 5 million dollars that our government can't afford.

The rehabilitation of Jacobs Creek Bridge in place would be the most expedient way to re-open Bear Tavern Road and eliminate a very dangerous detour around the currently closed bridge.

The full report can be found at : http://nj.gov/counties/mercer/news/releases/pdf/news_jcbarchreport.pdf

The Star Ledger story: http://blog.nj.com/njv_mark_diionno/2010/01/at_histic_victory_trail_in_m.html

John Hansbury

Bear Tavern Road, Titusville, NJ

The Trentonian, Monday, Feb. 1, 2010

by Joan Galler, Staff Writer

 Ewing - Plans to impose tolls on Scudder Falls Bridge, linking Ewing and Pennsylvania, have been nixed by Mayor Jack Ball as detrimental to the best interests of Ewing Township.

So tomorrow, Ball and other township officials will sit down in a private meeting with representatives of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission to discuss the mayor's objections to any tolls linked to the planned expansion of this bridge and their impact on Ewing's roads, residents and future expansion - notably the GM and Naval properties and also along I-95.

Ball also complained Ewing had not been consulted about tolls before the Jan. 19 public hearing on revised bridge expansion plans at Villa Victoria Academy, which he attended.

"I presume that the desire to expand the bridge is to accomodate peak-hour traffic issues caused by a disproportionate number of Pennsylvania residents commuting to their New Jersey jobs, "Ball said.

Most of these commuters are aware of the non-toll alternatives on the bridges in Trenton and Hopewell, he added.

"If the purpose of the tolls is to pay for a design of the bridge that is greater than contemplated several years ago, I request the newly announced expansion be scrapped so tolls would not be necessary. Bigger is not always better, " Ball said.

"If the purpose of the bridge expansion is so commuters will not be inconvenienced, the bridge commission needs to be more considerate of host communities who border I-95 in the vicinity of the bridge."

Ewing continues to experience economic growth, particularly in the corridor adjacent to I-95, Ball noted, adding, "It is my fear that moving the traffic jam from I-95 to the streets of Ewing will negatively impact businesses looking to relocate in Ewing."

Ewing's three I-95 exits are all southbound and "not one can accomodate the additional traffic that will be diverted due to the tolls, "Ball said.

The greatest impact will be at Exit 2, Bear Tavern Road, yet the bridge expansion plans propose no improvement to this exit, he said.

"Bear Tavern Road has been the route of choice between Hopewell and Trenton since George Washington traversed it on Christmas night some 240 years ago, " Ball said.

Bear Tavern Road also provides access through two rail overpasses (Scotch Road and Sullivan Way) that are in great need of replacement, he said. These overpasses now constrain traffic into two lanes, one in each direction.

"More importantly, Bear Tavern Road bisects several established residential neighborhoods, " Ball said, and when the General Motors and Naval Center sites are redeveloped, additional bridge diversionary traffic will bring gridlock to this part of Ewing.

"For these reasons, I oppose the tolls and whatever (bridge) expansion is being funded by tolls, "Ball said. "I also object because Ewing was not given an opportunity to p[articipate in the decision-making process."

Complicating the issue, Ball added is Mercer County's decision to replace Jacobs Creek Road Bridge with a span designed to permit an increase in traffic and its speed.

Ball said he has "gone on record that such a new (Jacobs Creek) bridge must not be allowed unless there is a reduction of the speed limit on Bear Tavern Road, institution of weight limits on the new bridge, and the installation of other traffic calming devices."

Extra traffic exiting from I-95 onto Rt. 29 will have a seriously negative impact on Ewing residents, particularly those residing to the north.

Route 29 is already a dangerous road, the scene of many serious accidents, he said, and there are homes whose driveways are already dangerous to enter and exit. The extra traffic "would make their access virtually impossible," he said.

The city of Trenton is planning a redesign of Route 29 within its borders to be a "boulevard" with many cross streets and lights installed to slow traffic, Ball added. "Additional traffic going south on Route 29 will surely negate the traffic calming desire of road redesign."

Mark Di Ionno, Star Ledger, January 30, 2010, pg. 1

 On a steep ravine leading down to Jacob's Creek in the hills north of Trenton, the march that changed world history almost came to a crashing halt.

George Washington's horse slipped on the sleet-coated terrain, almost sending the general down the 50 foot embankment into a icy, fast-flowing stream.

Washington grabbed the horse's mane with both hands and pulled it's head up, all the while shifting his weight forward to allow the horse to gain hind-leg traction. The animal righted itself, and like they say, the rest is history.

It was Christmas night, 1776. The story is more than American lore. It is arguably the most important moment in American history. With his troops demoralized and Congress broke, and the people of the colonies losing enthusiasm for the Revolution, Washington needed a stategic and moral victory. He got both when he led his army across the Delaware in a winter storm and led a surprise attack on Trenton.

Fast forward 234 years, Jacob's Creek is still running icy in winter, and the ravine is just as steep and treacherous. An iron, wood planked bridge was put up in 1882, built wide enough and strong enough for farmers wagons and teamsters that rumbled across it on Bear Tavern Road. Other than that, it's not hard to stand over the ravine and imagine 2,400 soldiers of the Continental Army fording the stream, with horses and artillery in tow.

"Outside of the park (Washington's Crossing),this is the only part of the Victory Trail that remains pristine", said Roland LaFrance.

LasFrance and many of his neighbors want to keep it that way.

Mercer County wants to tear down the old bridge and build a new bridge, but one that will cut closer to the ravine, and have a 4-ton maximum load.

"We're determined to build a bridge that's safe and secure for emergency vehicles," said Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes. "The residents are afraid it will become a cut-through for truck traffic to Route 31, but we've already lowered the weight requirement to 4 tons (on the proposed bridge), so that's not a valid argument."

What has ensued in the battle over the bridge is a typical New Jersey story. Historic sites, no matter how sacred, get plowed under for progress, and the state's legacy is lost.

"I'm finding history is like health, "said Beth Kerr. "You don't miss it until it's gone."

Kerr lives on a farm on the bluff above the creek. The farm has been in the Kerr family since 1920. On a bluff across the street lives Roni Browne Katz, an artist who has been there only two years. Katz lives in what was formerly the game house of the Roebling estate.

Sara Cooper grew up in that house. "This issue has brought a lot of people together, " Cooper said. "This is a rural area, so we all just go along about our business. But the bridge issue got us involved."

The group formed last summer to petition local leaders to spare the bridge.

"We heard over and over, 'this was a done deal,'" Kerr said.

Undaunted, they mobilized. Ashley Kerr, Beth's stepdaughter, began nominating the site for national and state "endangered lists." A website (savethevictorytrail.com) was put up. Petitions were circulated at every community fair or event in the area and online. Thousands of names were collected. A march, retracing the soldiers steps, was held. A mural painting event was held at Katz' house. Schoolkids were lobbied, and the group made it's own coloring book.

The group started getting hind-leg traction, just like GW's horse. The bridge became an election issue, and the Hopewell Township mayor who did not support preservation was voted out. Their little revolution was under way. Now they want the Mercer County freeholders to think about the slippery slope of not listening to their constituents. Already, the county has dropped the weight load, and Hughes said he is working with state and local historic bodies to build an acceptable bridge. But acceptable to Hughes may not be acceptable to the residents.

"This is our town, and our way of life, and we are going to fight for it," Beth Kerr said.

by John Tredea, Staff Writer, HOPEWELL VALLEY NEWS, Vol. 55, No. 1, January 7, 2010

A Pulitzer Prize-winning profesor of history at Princeton University has serious reservations about Mercer County's plan to replace the Jacob's Creek Bridge with a span that has no weight limit.

"There is no doubt that this area has great historical importance, which would be much compromised by the kind of new bridge that the county is contemplating, which would be capable of carrying heavy truck traffic, " James McPherson said last week.

Dr. McPherson won the Pulitzer Prize in history for his 1989 book, "Battle Cry of Freedom," about the U.S. Civil War. He has published many other books as well, most of them about the Civil War.

In December 2001, he walked the route followed by George Washington and the Continental Army through what is now southwestern Hopewell Township. The walk included crossing Jacob's Creek on the now-closed bridge on Bear Tavern Road, just north of Jacob's Creek Road.

Making that walk with Dr. McPherson was another Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, this one whose special field of study is the American Revolution, David Hackett Fischer. He landed the Pulitzer Prize with his 2004 book, "Washington's Crossing," part of Oxford University Press' "Pivotal Moments in American History" series of books. Dr. Fischer has taught at Brandeis University for many years.

"David Fischer and I walked the route of the American army from Washington's Crossing to Trenton in the last weekend of December 2001, during the 225th anniversary events connected with the Trenton-Princeton campaign, " Dr. McPherson said. "We did this as part of David's research for the book, "Washington's Crossing," and we also attended the re-enactments of the battles of Trenton and of Princeton that weekend."

He added he and Dr. Fischer "crossed Jacob's Creek on the bridge that is now closed, and both of us assumed that Washington and the army crossed the creek in the same vicinity. I recall a feeling of awe as we walked across the bridge and continued up the hill toward Trenton, treading in Washington's steps, as it were." 

Dr. Fischer's book includes a detailed account, on Page 227, of the Continental Army's brave and skillful accomplishment of the daunting task of getting itself - and its equipment, including heavy atillery - across Jacob's Creek in the area of a steep ravine. Single pieces of artillery regularly weighed more than 1,000 pounds.

"The artillery's long drag ropes had to be brought out and trees used as mooring posts for a mechanical advantage so that guns could be lowered slowly to the bottom of the ravine," Dr. Fischer writes. "On the other side of the creek, the guns had to be hauled up again by teams of men who were struggling to keep their own balance. Slowly, the column inched its way down the slope to Jacob's Creek, only to meet another deep ravine. It was a flooded (unnamed) tributary of Jacob's Creek, smaller but very steep." 

They made it across there as well - as they had crossed the Delaware River and Jacob's Creek. And then they went on to win the Battle of Trenton and, ultimately, the war.

The bridge crossed by Dr. McPherson and Dr. Fischer was closed by the Mercer County administration Sept. 24, 2009, for an indefinate period of time.

Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes ordered the closing based on findings by an independent engineering firm contracted by the New Jersey Department of Transportation to inspect county bridges.

IH Engineers of Princeton, which did the inspection, determined the bridge had been stressed to such a degree that safe passage of vehicles heavier than the 3-ton posted limit could not be be guaranteed. IH Engineers also noted if vehicles over that limit were to use the span, the bridge could experience further structural deterioration. In its report, IH recommended immediate closure of the bridge.

The county, which sited these safety concerns when it closed the bridge, has commissioned an archaeological study of the area. The Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted unanimously Dec. 10 in favor of Mr. Hughes recommendation to hire the Philadelphia, Pa.-based firm of John Milner Associates to do the study.

"This project has generated interest among residents near Jacob's Creek bridge, and we are hopeful that the archaeological survey will provide answers to the questions posed by both Mercer County and the State Historic Preservation Office," Mr. Hughes said recently.

Under the resolution OK'd by the freeholders, the Milner firm can be paid up to $15,996 during a one-year period that began Dec. 10, 2009, and ends Dec. 9, 2010. The resolution, however, also says the funding for the study is contingent upon the inclusion in and the adoption of the 2010 Mercer County budget.

Mr. Hughes said the Milner firm's study would include two phases. A written report on the completion of the first phase would be a public document. As the consultant enters into phase two, any private property owner whose property might be of interest to the consultant would be notified if the consultant needs access, he added. No properties will be entered without permission.

For information about what the firm of John Milner Associates does, visit http://www.johnmilnerassociates.com/.

The county plan for the bridge has engendered strong local opposition from residents who say the plan entails wreaking havoc on an historic area. Opponents also say the new bridge would bring much new traffic, including tractor-trailer traffic.

Mercer has plans to replace the existing bridge, which, due to severe structural deficiencies, has, over the years, been reduced to a 3-ton weight limit. The new bridge would be built to modern standards and have no weight limit.

The existing structure, which has historical significance, is slated to be preserved, restored and relocated to a local park (Alliger Park), just west of the township's municipal complex, located west of the intersection of Route 546 and Scotch Road.

The closed bridge is 125 years old.

On behalf of the Save the Victory Trail and Jacobs Creek Bridge Coalition, many thanks to Dahlia’s Floral Concepts and Stony Brook Gardens for the lovely wreaths, garlands & bows donated to decorate Jacobs Creek Bridge for the Holidays. 

Both located in Pennington on Route 31, these two civic minded businesses are independently owned and operated.  Their generous donations were a delight to many, including those who attended a Christmas Eve vigil in tribute to General Washington’s march to Trenton via the Victory Trail along Bear Tavern Road.

We are lucky to live in an area where local businesses are in abundance.  In this day of often faceless big box stores, we in Hopewell Valley are fortunate to be able to call shops such as Dahlia’s and Stony Brook Gardens our neighbors. 

In 2010, let us continue to show support of our good neighbors via the concept of shopping locally.  It is of great importance to the fabric of our community.

Thank you to this newspaper and others,  for featuring photographs of the decorated Jacobs Creek Bridge.

Sara E.K. Cooper

Titusville, New Jesery 

Times of Trenton Regional News

Regional politics, crime & more

Markulec, Burd take over mayoral duties in Hopewell

Friday, January 08, 2010

Robert Stern

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP -- Republican township Committeemen Michael Markulec Jr. and James Burd were unanimously appointed mayor and deputy mayor, respectively, during the township's annual reorganization meeting Monday.

Markulec succeeds five-term Democratic Mayor Vanessa Sandom in the mayor's seat, while Burd replaces Democrat John Murphy as deputy mayor, a role Murphy had held for two years.

The committee also saw the swearing in of Republican Kim Johnson as a committeewoman after Johnson's November win over Democratic incumbent David Dafilou for the slot. With Johnson joining fellow Republicans Markulec and Burd on the committee, Republicans hold a 3-2 edge of the governing body for the first time since 2004.

Markulec said that, as mayor, he will focus on three areas this year: keeping property taxes in check and maintaining municipal services, continuing to work on open space, farmland and historic preservation; and building a greater sense of community for the township.

On taxes, Markulec said there will have to be a concerted effort to work with the county, the state and the Hopewell Valley Regional School District to explore opportunities for shared services in order to keep the financial pressure from mounting on homeowners.

He said the township committee will try to avoid job cuts while maintaining a flat tax rate.

"We're moving into our budget planning right now. While I can't say definitively there will not be (job cuts), we're going to do everything we can to avoid job cuts as well as keep municipal property tax levels flat," Markulec said.

"I don't know if both goals are achievable, but those are goals we set for ourselves."

On preservation efforts, he said it's important that the township work with the county to ensure that any safety improvements to the Jacobs Creek Bridge and its approaches don't encroach on the historic Washington Victory Trail or undermine the rural character of the area.

In addition, he said, the creation of a teen center for the township later this year as well as the possibility of a senior center in the future are two examples of efforts that would enhance a sense of community. But any work on those projects, particularly a senior center, should be achieved through partnerships with nonprofits, through grants and through other creative financial measures that avoid additional burdens on taxpayers, he said.

Job one for the committee, Markulec and his predecessor agree, should be on dealing with the difficult financial times.

"All five of us (committee members) recognize that these are really difficult economic times for our residents and our local businesses," Sandom said.

"The focus of everything we're doing this year should be, and most likely will be, on trying to reduce the difficulty of those times."