What’s The Real Meaning Behind “Trenton Makes The World Takes”?

We're sure that you've found yourself asking, "What does the phrase 'Trenton Makes - The World Takes' mean?" Or maybe you've answered that question a few times for some other people, but was your answer correct?

In case you weren't aware, the ‘Trenton Makes’ Bridge, aka The Lower Trenton Bridge, has been around for over 210 years. When it was first built, the bridge was made out of wood and cedar shingles. The bright neon lights didn't come until August of 1935, according to the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

The sign was actually taken down at one point before. During the years of the Depression, the bridge did not have a sign for close to 10 years.

Some might say that Trenton, or New Jersey overall, has a lot to offer tourists. They believe the meaning behind the phrase "Trenton Makes The World Takes" has to do with the beautiful things for tourists to take back home with them. According to many other residents of the state of New Jersey, this belief is incorrect.

Some Trenton area residents are certain that the coined phrase "Trenton Makes The World Takes"  is symbolic of the goods produced by Trenton factories which are distributed around the world.

So, what is the real meaning of the slogan "Trenton Makes, The World Takes?"

In 1910, the Trenton Chamber of Commerce put out a contest to create the slogan to be put on the bridge. S. Roy Heath was the winner of the contest, making him the creator of “Trenton Makes, The World Takes.”

Heath's daughter, Dartha Heath, explained to NPR in 2006 that her father wrote the slogan because "Trenton at the time was exporting a lot of china, Lenox and that sort of thing."

The best part of the Trenton Makes Bridge is that it is a toll-FREE bridge. Gotta love it.