A City Forged from Two: The History of Union City, NJ

The history of Union City, New Jersey, is a unique story of merger, industry, and cultural transformation. Perched atop the Hudson Palisades, its identity was forged from two distinct 19th-century towns, built by a booming industry and later redefined by a vibrant wave of immigrants. This dense, one-square-mile city holds a rich past that explains its two famous nicknames: the "Embroidery Capital of the United States" and "Havana on the Hudson."

Early Days and the Two Towns

Before European colonization, the area was home to the Munsee-speaking branch of the Lenni-Lenape. After Dutch and English settlement, the land remained sparsely populated for centuries. It wasn't until the mid-1800s that the area began to urbanize, splitting into two separate municipalities: West Hoboken and Union Hill. These two neighboring towns grew independently for over 60 years, developing their own governments, schools, and commercial districts, separated by a border that ran near present-day 32nd Street.

On June 1, 1925, the two towns officially merged to form the single, unified Union City. This move was made to consolidate resources and create a more powerful and efficient municipality.

The "Embroidery Capital of the United States"

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Union City and the North Hudson area became the epicenter of American embroidery. This boom was driven by Swiss and German immigrants who brought their craft and advanced machinery, like the Schiffli embroidery machine, to the region. The city's high, solid bedrock of the Palisades was ideal for supporting the massive, vibrating machines. Factories flourished, and for decades, Union City produced the vast majority of embroidery and lace in the United States, earning it the "Embroidery Capital" title.

"Havana on the Hudson"

The city's second great transformation began in the mid-20th century. As the embroidery industry started to wane, a new community arrived. Beginning in the 1950s and exploding after the 1959 Cuban Revolution, tens of thousands of Cuban exiles and immigrants settled in Union City, attracted by its affordable housing and job opportunities.

This influx was so profound that it reshaped the city's cultural, social, and economic landscape. Bergenline Avenue, the main thoroughfare, became a bustling hub of Cuban-owned restaurants, bakeries, and businesses. This vibrant transformation earned Union City its new, and still prominent, nickname: "Havana on the Hudson." In the decades that followed, this large Cuban-American base made the city a welcoming gateway for new immigrants from Central and South America, creating the dynamic, majority-Hispanic community that defines the city today.