New Jersey has always been an innovator, with its residents making major advancements in everything from medicine to music. Home to to Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park lab and the nation’s first beach resorts, we’ve paved the way for technology and…tanning. There’s nothing wrong with a little seaside relaxation, or tossing around the pigskin. As you learned from our New Jersey pride post, our state was the first to host a college football game. Here are ten other things that New Jersey did first!
- On January 9, 1793, the first balloon flight in America was made by Jean-Pierre Blanchard.
Flickr/Jason Mrachina He landed his balloon in Deptford, New Jersey, carrying a letter from George Washington.
- The first condensed soup in America was cooked and canned by Campbell’s in Camden County in 1897.
Flickr/Douglas LeMoine The company is still headquartered there.
- The first professional basketball game was played in Trenton in 1896.
Flickr/Jerome Carpenter The Trenton YMCA defeated the Brooklyn YMCA 15-1. Admission was charged, and players were paid, making it the first professional game in the sport.
- The first ferry service in the United States was based out of Hoboken.
Flickr/KBE The service began in 1811, traveling between Hoboken and Manhattan.
- The first saltwater taffy was produced here.
Flickr/jpellgen The sweet stuff was first made and marketed in Atlantic City during the 1870s.
- The first copper mine in America was opened here.
Flickr/Andrew The mine was built by Dutch settlers in the Kittatinny Mountains circa 1640.
- The nation’s first brewery was opened here in 1642.
Flickr/Zach Baranowski It’s very fitting that the brewery was in Hoboken, New Jersey’s hip bar capitol.
- The first solid body electric guitar was made here.
Flickr/Freebird It was invented by Mahwah resident Les Paul in 1940.
- The first light bulb was made by Thomas A. Edison in Menlo Park in 1879.
Flickr/Caleb Roenigk The first town to be lighted by electricity was Roselle in 1883.
- The first submarine was built in 1878 by John Holland of Passaic County.
Flickr/Dorli Photography Though it was not as advanced as the sub seen above, it did the job. The original submarine can still be seen in a Paterson museum.
Were you surprised to learn any of these fun facts? Which did you already know? New Jersey has so many other firsts I’d love to share with you; if you like and share the post, there just might be a part two!
Flickr/Jason Mrachina
He landed his balloon in Deptford, New Jersey, carrying a letter from George Washington.
Flickr/Douglas LeMoine
The company is still headquartered there.
Flickr/Jerome Carpenter
The Trenton YMCA defeated the Brooklyn YMCA 15-1. Admission was charged, and players were paid, making it the first professional game in the sport.
Flickr/KBE
The service began in 1811, traveling between Hoboken and Manhattan.
Flickr/jpellgen
The sweet stuff was first made and marketed in Atlantic City during the 1870s.
Flickr/Andrew
The mine was built by Dutch settlers in the Kittatinny Mountains circa 1640.
Flickr/Zach Baranowski
It’s very fitting that the brewery was in Hoboken, New Jersey’s hip bar capitol.
Flickr/Freebird
It was invented by Mahwah resident Les Paul in 1940.
Flickr/Caleb Roenigk
The first town to be lighted by electricity was Roselle in 1883.
Flickr/Dorli Photography
Though it was not as advanced as the sub seen above, it did the job. The original submarine can still be seen in a Paterson museum.
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