The area of the West End once was divided by a creek known as Bergen Creek, Harsimus Creek or Mill Creek. To the east of the creek, was Harsimus Island, corrupted from "Ashki'muis", Lenape for "sea maize" In 1760, Jacob Prior constructed a tidewater mill at Mill Creek, a tidal creek running through the marshlands separating Harsimus Island from the rest of Bergen Neck. The creek emptied into Communipaw Bay at Mill Creek Point, where a dam was built to allow water to enter the creek at high tide, without losing it at low tide. Mill Creek Point was located near where Pine Street and the railroad tracks are today in Jersey City. In 1837, the creek was filled, in order to construct railroad tracks and the following year, Prior's Mill was razed. Decades later, in 1880, the house on the property was razed. A nearby street named Mill Road remembers Prior's Mill, though there is no sign of the creek today. The mill's former location today is just north of Wayne Street, between Ristaino Circle and the railroad overpass.
Street etymologies
Amity Street - its name means friendly relations
Bishop Street
Bright Street
Chopin Court - named after DE Chopin President of the Steam Railroad Men's Protective Union of New Jersey
Colden Street - named for Cadwallader D. Colden, a Jersey City resident and President of the Morris Canal Company
Cornelison Avenue/CR-619 - for John M. Cornelison, director of the Hudson and Bergen Plankroad Company
Factory Street - named for the factory located along the nearby rail lines
Merseles Street- named after Jacob M. Merseles who founded the Bergen Plank Road company. One of his descendants, Theodore F. Merseles, was president of Montgomery Ward and Johns-Manville
Montgomery Street - named after James Montgomery, Jr., director of the Hudson and Bergen Plankroad Company
New Loop - named for the shape the road made when this development was built
Prior Street - small street named for John Prior, who had a mill just north of this location
Ristaino Drive - named for John Ristaino, a candle and furniture-maker, champion speed-skater and Korean War Vet who grew up in Jersey City
State Street - originally the name replaced King Street to the non-royalist State Street in many cities in the northeast United States
