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

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...

of the Delaware River in western

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002. The name Assunpink is from the Lenape ''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, 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 Old York Road (originally York Road, with reference to New York) is a roadway that was built during the 18th century to connect Philadelphia with New York City. Through New Jersey it was built along the Raritan (Unami tribe) "Naraticong Trail", ...

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 and then U.S. Route 130, just southwest of

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places Australia * Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area * Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland **Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...

. Here, it finally exits the Wildlife Management Area. Still further northwest, the creek enters

Mercer County Park The Richard J. Coffee Mercer County Park is a recreational park located in Mercer County, New Jersey – mostly within West Windsor Township, but also with small western sections extending into Hamilton and Lawrence Townships. Originally and st ...

. Bridegroom Run enters from the north side as the creek turns west and is impounded to form

Mercer Lake Mercer Lake, also known as Lake Mercer, is a man-made lake within Mercer County Park in West Windsor, Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. History The lake came into being with the 1975 construction of a dam to control flooding on the Ass ...

. 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 Delaware and Raritan Canal (D&R Canal) is a canal in central New Jersey, built in the 1830s, that served to connect the Delaware River to the Raritan River. It was an efficient and reliable means of transportation of freight between Philadelp ...

. The creek now enters a heavily built-up area, with the

Shabakunk Creek The Shabakunk Creek is a tributary of the Assunpink Creek in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 26, 2013 Via the Assunpink, its ...

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 Trenton Transit Center is the main passenger train station in Trenton, New Jersey. It is the southernmost stop in New Jersey on the Northeast Corridor. It is the terminus for NJ Transit trains to and from New York City and SEPTA Trenton Line ...

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 The Battle of the Assunpink Creek, also known as the Second Battle of Trenton, was a battle between American and British troops that took place in and around Trenton, New Jersey, on January 2, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, a ...

of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

, soldiers of the Continental Army 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 ...

, 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 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