Assunpink Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed April 1, 2011 tributary of the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock (village), New York, Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of N ...

in western New Jersey in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002. The name Assunpink is from the

Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory includ ...

''Ahsën'pink'', meaning "stony, watery place".

Course

The Assunpink Creek is born in rural Monmouth County, about a mile north of Clarksburg. Flowing westwards, it soon enters the

Assunpink Wildlife Management Area Assunpink (Ahsën'pink) in the Algonquian language means "stony, watery place." Assunpink may refer to the following in the U.S. state of New Jersey: * Assunpink Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River *Assunpink Trail The Assunpink Trail was a ...

, where it has been dammed to form Rising Sun Lake. After an unnamed tributary enters from the south, it enters another reservoir, Assunpink Lake. The two lakes, as well as Stone Tavern Lake on the tributary, are popular fishing spots. Below Assunpink Lake, the creek flows under Old York Road and flows into Mercer County. New Sharon Branch enters the creek from the south at Carsons Mills. The creek now turns northwest, passing under the

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...

and then

U.S. Route 130 U.S. Route 130 (US 130) is a U.S. Highway that is a spur route of U.S. Route 30, located completely within the state of New Jersey. It is signed with north and south cardinal directions, following a general northeast–southwest diagonal path, wi ...

, just southwest of Windsor. Here, it finally exits the Wildlife Management Area. Still further northwest, the creek enters Mercer County Park. Bridegroom Run enters from the north side as the creek turns west and is impounded to form Mercer Lake. A small wildlife management area, the Van Nest Refuge, lies along the stream just below the dam. It then passes under Quaker Bridge Road and Interstate 295 before turning southwest and paralleling the Delaware and Raritan Canal. The creek now enters a heavily built-up area, with the Shabakunk Creek and Miry Run entering just above Whitehead Mill Pond, and Pond Run entering near Hutchinson Mills. The now-canalized stream flows past the Trenton Transit Center and finally empties into the Delaware River in Trenton.

History

General George Washington at Trenton by John Trumbull

On January 2, 1777, during the Second Battle of Trenton of the American Revolutionary War, soldiers of the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

and supporting militias, under the direct command of General

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

, held a defensive line along the south shore of Assunpink Creek south of Trenton, stretching from the mouth of the creek up to Philip's Mill. The American soldiers successfully repelled several charges by British and

Hessian A Hessian is an inhabitant of the German state of Hesse. Hessian may also refer to: Named from the toponym *Hessian (soldier), eighteenth-century German regiments in service with the British Empire **Hessian (boot), a style of boot **Hessian f ...

soldiers across a stone bridge over the creek, and also repelled an attempt to ford the creek near its mouth.

References

External links

USGS gauging station near ClarksvilleUSGS gauging station at Trenton
{{authority control Tributaries of the Delaware River Rivers of Mercer County, New Jersey Rivers of Monmouth County, New Jersey Rivers of New Jersey

Course

History

See also

References

External links