The one and one-half mile terminal complex that stretched along the Jersey City waterfront was developed by the Central Railroad of New Jersey (CRRNJ) in the 1880s. It was built in Communipaw Cove, once known for its oyster beds and marsh grass. In 1661 during the Dutch settlement of New Netherland, it was the site of the first ferry service from the west side of the Hudson River to Manhattan. After the beginning of America's early industrialization, the railroad era of the 1840s brought renewed interest to the Jersey City waterfront for freight and passenger service.