1871 - The Lehigh Valley leases the
Morris Canal, which includes the canal basin at South Cove in Jersey City.
1872 - The Lehigh Valley acquires land on the south side of the Morris Canal basin, intending it for a proposed railroad, the
New Jersey West Line, which was never built.
1887 - The Lehigh Valley settles a long legal battle with the
Central Railroad of New Jersey, opening the way to build a Jersey City terminal on the land originally purchased in 1872 for the New Jersey West Line.
1889 - The Jersey City terminal opens as the Jersey City Terminal Railway.
1890 - The
Edgewater Railway is formed to construct lines on the north side of the Morris Canal basin.
1891 - The
Newark and Roselle Railway and the
Newark Railway open to connect with the PRR in Newark. On February 16, passenger traffic through Metuchen is discontinued in favor of the LVRR's own line at South Plainfield.
1891 - The companies are consolidated as the Lehigh Valley Terminal Railway Company.[1] The route to Jersey City is still incomplete due to legal and engineering difficulties with the
Jersey City, Newark and Western Railway bridge across
Newark Bay. The consolidated companies are:
1895 - The Lehigh Valley creates the
Greenville and Hudson Railway to construct a line roughly parallel to the National Docks Railway from the Newark Bay bridge to the Jersey City terminal. Upon completion in 1900,[2] the LVRR has a wholly owned route from the coalfields of Pennsylvania to the Hudson River.
1900 - The Lehigh Valley acquires complete control of the National Docks Railway.
1901 - The Lehigh Valley acquires the facilities of the National Docks Storage Company on
Black Tom Island.
Annual Report of the Board of Directors of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company to the Stockholders. Reports for fiscal years ending 1875, 1887, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892.
Joint Report with Comprehensive Plan and Recommendations: New York, New Jersey Port and Harbor Development Commission. 1920. p. 111, 116
Lehigh Valley's Terminal, The New York Times, Jan 16, 1900