The Mysterious Story Behind Hoboken New Jersey S Deadly Wave Of Fires In The 1970S And 80S

Hoboken, New Jersey’s single worst fire occurred on June 30th, 1900 and killed at least 326 people. This fire broke out on a shipping dock located near the present-day Pier C Park. The loss of life and property was immense but unfortunately, it’s not Hoboken’s only fire-related tragedy.

Following WWI, Hoboken became a melting pot of cultures. Immigrants from Italy, Ireland, and across the world came to work at the ship yards and factories.

Rutger’s Library/Wikipedia

World War II brought more immigrants in search of jobs. Todd Shipyards, Maxwell House, Lipton Tea, Hostess, and Bethlehem Steel were thriving, along with the unions that helped ensure fair treatment for employees.

Cheek-Neal Coffee Co./Wikipedia

By the 1960s, jobs were on the decline. The town was crowded and becoming rundown. Many Hobokenites moved to nearby Bergen and Passaic Counties. Factories were converted into apartments, slums began to develop, and lower-income New Jerseyans capitalized on affordable real estate.

Theornamentalist/Wikipedia

By the 1970s, Hoboken began to see a different sort of immigrant - upper middle class New Yorkers. Hoboken was minutes from the city but prices were just a fraction of what they were in Manhattan.

sphoto33/Flickr

These New York newcomers transformed the city. It became a hip, and pricier, place to live. Many longtime residents were displaced, unable to afford rising rents.

JJ Hall/Flickr

Lower income residents also faced a more serious issue than rising rents - a wave of deadly fires in tenement housing.

Wally Gobetz/Flickr

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, dozens of lower income Hoboken residents died in fires investigated as arson. Some believe that this was a nefarious attempt to gentrify the city.

renata mascarello/Flickr

Residents lived in fear. In total, 55 people died in fires believed to be arson. Few were ever convicted.

D Ramey Logan/Flickr

While I love Hoboken, I think it’s important to remember the city’s history - both the good and bad.

Rashan J/Flickr

The Hoboken Fire Victims Memorial Project is working to identify the victims of the fires and create a memorial in the city. You can learn more about the memorial project here.