TRENTON POLICE MUSEUM



1800-1879



Time Line

  • 1804- A public water supply is established using wooden pipes.

  • 1806- The first bridge across the Delaware River was built.

  • 1811- The City Marshal's yearly salary was $30.00.

  • 1837- A new City Charter is drafted and allows for 2 or more Constables.

  • 1838- Mercer County is created from sections of Burlington and Hunterton Counties and Trenton is made the county seat.

  • 1859- February 18, Wm. P Brewer and George & Peter Katzenback were convicted and fined $2.00 and costs (total $3.40) for "fast driving" through Trenton's streets. (Published in an unidentified Newspaper)

  • 1872- April 9, 1872. An article in The Trenton Daily True American, reported "The cells at the Police Office were all empty yesterday". (Either a slow news day or it was very odd to have an empty jail.)

  • 1872-74 During this period the Chambersburg City Hall was built on South Broad Street. The building also housed the Chambersburg Police Department until consolidation. The building stands to this day.

  • 1874- The Common Council changed the title of Marshal to Chief and set his force at 2 aides and 14 Patrolmen.

  • 1875- The rule requiring Patrolmen to care for city lamps was abolished. Before this the officers were responsible for lighting and extinguishing the lamps as well as maintenance.







In Memory

Patrolman Jacob Reupp

In the early morning of June 5, 1875, Patrolman Jacob Reupp along with another officer came upon a drunk and disorderly group and ordered them to disperse. One member of the group refused to comply with the order and when the officer's tried to arrest him, the suspect shot Officer Reupp once in the abdomen. After walking the prisoner to the Police Station, Officer Reupp was sent to his home and attended by physicians. On June 14, 1875, Officer Reupp died from his wound. Officer Reupp was the first Trenton Police Officer to make the supreme sacrifice in the peformance of his duties.






The 1800's were a time of expansion by the City of Trenton. With the increase in area came an increase in population and in many cases a rise in manpower for the Police Department. Several of the officers employed by the towns which were annexed were transferred over to the Trenton Police Department.

However, not all the officers from the acquired towns were hired by Trenton. One such man was Patrolman Dennis Frawley of the Wilbur Police Department. A Newspaper article described Patrolman Frawley as a man "Whose name was a terror amongst hoboes for years".

YEAR AREAS ANNEXED
1851 Borough of South Trenton
1851-1867 Portions of Nottingham Twp. (Hamilton Twp)
1888 Millham Township
1888 Borough of Chambersburg
1898 Borough of Wilbur
1899-1900 Portions of Ewing Township
1921 Portions of Hamilton Township





Table of Contents
1700's 1800-1879 1880-1899
1900-1919     1920-1939     1940-1959
1960's 1970's 1980-Present  
K9       Chiefs Memorial
Guest Book Bibliography
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